The Gullwing has Landed
The famous Mercedes Gullwing has arrived -- again. This time, however, it is not the 1950s classic but the new Mercedes SLS AMG, the new Gullwing for 2010 that is about to show Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche that membership of the supercar club is expanding by one. Mercedes' move comes more than half a century after the classic 300SL Gullwing first stunned a worldwide audience in 1954.
Mercedes has a lot to prove with the SLS. It wants to show that its sporting AMG branch can build a decent supercar to rival the best in the business; it needs to demonstrate that it can do more than just produce hot versions of the mainstream sedan range. Mercedes is also keen to prove a point with F1 manufacturers McLaren (who will also join the supercar ranks with the MP4-12C in 2011) after the difficult partnership that produced the SLR - a car that promised much but ultimately failed to deliver the sum of its parts.
The reality is that this new Gullwing is sure to be far more successful than the SLR ever was, both in terms of sales and critical acclaim. The SLS's scorching performance and head-turning looks (including those doors) are already attracting attention -- and the fact that at around $220,000 it will be less than half the SLR's price tag is certain to clinch the deal.
Make no mistake, Mercedes doesn't just want to join its rivals in the supercar club, it wants to go all out to beat them at their own game.
The 571hp, 6.2-liter V8 engine, heavily developed from AMG's existing V8, is a very powerful starting point, as is the all-new seven-speed DCT gearbox. The all-aluminum bodyshell helps the SLS to tip the scales at just 1620kg (some 110kg lighter than a Ferrari California), enabling it to achieve a 0 to 100km/h time of just 3.8 seconds and carry on to a limited top speed of 317km/h (197mph). Fuel economy and emissions pretty good, too, given that impressive performance: the SLS offers a 13.2lit/100km average and a 308 grams per kilometer CO2 emissions rating.
Speedshift
Although Mercedes labels its new DCT gearbox the AMG Speedshift, the reality is that this is derived from the same Getrag unit as seen in Ferrari's California and new 458. Aston Martin and McLaren have also been rumored to be looking at it for their future products too.
The Getrag is clearly a popular choice, then, but for Mercedes it makes sense as this will be the marquee's only model to use such a gearbox: the trans-axle configuration selected for the SLS is designed to suit an extreme sports car but no other model in the range. That effectively rules out DCT for the next SL luxury sports car, not just due to packaging issues for its folding hard-top but also because the SL needs a higher torque capability than can be provided by this DCT unit which is limited by Getrag to 750Nm (the SLS has 650Nm).
Yet Mercedes did not simply accept the transmission as an off-the-shelf item. AMG implemented a number of changes to the gearbox from its initial specification to ensure compliance with AMG's minimum lifetime requirements of 250,000km, the same as the engine. AMG's engineers also underline the importance of developing individual software, a crucial factor that helps the SLS to provide a faster gear change than the California with the same gearbox. Depending on the gears and which of the four modes the driver selects, the shift-time ranges between 250 and less than 100 milliseconds.
Weighing 120kg, the gearbox is linked to the engine by an ultra-light carbon-fiber driveshaft -- a set-up used in Mercedes' DTM C-Class racing touring car. Rotating at engine speed inside a torque tube with a multi-stage vibration damper, this provides a rigid link between the engine and transmission; a mechanical locking differential is integrated into the gearbox to optimize traction and ensure minimal load-change reactions. With 17 sensors and 18 actuators to help reduce the gearshift time, the hydraulic and mechanical systems have been configured for maximum performance using an integrated shift-by-wire system. A processor supports the gearbox functions such as the four driving modes - Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Manual.
On the road
It may sound obvious for a supercar at this level to score highly when it comes to driver enjoyment but, as the SLR demonstrated, that has not always been the case.
Fire up the big Mercedes via the starter button beside the gear selector and the highly vocal 6.2-liter V8 engine roars into life ahead of you. This is certainly not a car for the shy and retiring and the engine noise just gets better and better as the rev counter climbs ever higher. Plus there's the exhaust which pops and crackles on the over-run.
There's everything here that you would expect from a supercar: a spine-tingling, near-frightening rate of acceleration that never seems to relent, precise and accurate steering and a seven-speed gearbox, which is a joy to use. Even in Comfort mode the transmission responds immediately via the steering wheel paddles and with little fuss, only adding to the SLS's driver appeal.
Everything that was right about the SLR is here: the rapid speed in virtually any gear at any point in the rev range, the delicate throttle pedal allowing you to balance the car perfectly - yet there is none of the downside. Where the SLR always felt heavy and ponderous, the SLS feels lithe, controllable and, most importantly, precise. Despite your initial impressions of that long bonnet ahead, the Mercedes' dimensions shrink around you with familiarity.
Even better is that the sharp steering and seat provide plenty of feedback, giving you loads of confidence at the wheel. Even mid-corner bumps that would throw many of its rivals off-line are not a problem, the supple suspension just soaking it up. All that, combined with massively powerful brakes (the optional carbon ceramic brakes lack feel and are probably not worth the extra cost unless you are planning to regularly attend track days), make the SLS a tremendous and confidence-inspiring car to drive hard.
Looking ahead
Considering that this is Mercedes' first foray not just into the world of supercars but also twin-clutch gearboxes, the SLS is staggeringly good. It is not about to rest on its laurels, either: a soft-top convertible version is due in 2011, a fully-electric model with 880Nm is forecast for 2013 and a stripped-out lightweight Black version is rumored as well.
No matter which angle customers are likely to come from -- from the heritage of the old Gullwing, the disappointment of the SLR, from other supercars or from the sheer pedestrian-stopping ability of those trick doors -- there's no doubting the wide appeal of the SLS. The fact that it already boasts a year's waiting list ahead of the first deliveries in summer 2010 is likely to ensure its position as a future classic. The Gullwing is certainly back.