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2010-2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster review
There are lots of open-top super sports cars but there is only one SLS AMG Roadster
If the SLS AMG Roadster were just a few kilometres per hour faster, its speed would correspond to the highest wind speed on the hurricane scale used in the USA. The new roadster version of the already today legendary SLS AMG super sports car combines outstanding driving dynamics with breathtaking, puristic design with the unique experience of open-top driving.
Engineers and designers were given a single objective in the early stages of the development process for the SLS AMG: let your automotive imagination run wild. The result is hugely impressive: A supercar with the engineering attributes of a racing vehicle.
With its purist style, lightweight design and superior dynamic qualities, the SLS AMG Roadster with its fabric top delivers a driving experience that is just as thrilling as that of its original form – the SLS AMG Coup? – with its distinctive gullwing doors.
A bonnet measuring nearly two metres and a rear-positioned flat passenger cell lend this super sports car its incomparable charisma.
With its AMG 6.3-litre V8 front mid-engine, the SLS AMG Roadster has the most powerful standard-fit 8-cylinder naturally aspirated engine in the world. By switching to dry sump lubrication, design engineers made it possible to mount the engine deep behind the front axle. This was the only way to eliminate the need for the oil pan which would normally be located beneath the engine.
In combination with the AMG SPEEDSHIFT double-clutch transmission which has the Race Start function, the unit delivers a unique level of performance. It is a thrilling, powerful and breathtaking experience. The vehicle's outstanding dynamic qualities are enhanced by a lightweight aluminium frame and an extendable rear aerofoil which is released at speeds from 120 kilometres per hour.
The finest hand-sewn nappa leather. Carbon fibre, also Solid metal as an option. Everywhere in the cockpit the driver sees and feels materials that underline the handcrafted character of the SLS AMG. The word "cockpit" applies literally here.
The dashboard resembles a powerfully spanned wing profile – based on the SLS AMG Coup? – with four striking ventilation outlets featuring a jet engine look. Many other high-quality equipment features await you in the interior: AMG sport seats with firm lateral support and excellent long-distance comfort, an AMG Performance Steering Wheel and, in the centre console, the AMG DRIVE UNIT with E-SELECT selector lever, reminiscent of the thrust lever in a jet.
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