The first model introduced in the SLS lineup was the coupé with gullwing doors. In mid-2010, an
FIA-
GT3 racing version was introduced; and for 2011–2013, Mercedes introduced a roadster version (with conventional doors and a soft top), an electric
E-Cell version (coupé), and the ultimate iteration named the Black Series, which has a reduced weight of .
SLS AMG Coupé (2009) The SLS AMG includes 9.5x19-inch (front) and 11x20-inch (rear) AMG 7-spoke light-alloy wheels with 5-twin-spoke wheels and 10-spoke forged wheels available as an option, 265/35 R 19 front and 295/30 R 20 rear tyres, a tyre pressure monitoring system, Formula-1-style LED fog lamp/reversing light, black diffuser insert, dual exhaust tips with chrome finish, an electronically retractable rear wing automatically deployed at a speed of , choice of 9 exterior colours including the AMG ALU-BEAM silver (an approximately US$12,750 option applied at a specialized location in 7 layers by hand after the surface of the car first receives additional polishing and finishing, with each flake of paint aligned to create a gleaming sheen of bluish silver that has the appearance of molten silver, a labour-intensive process that restricted Mercedes to only 2–3 cars finished in that colour per week), designo magno allanite grey (matte), AMG magno sylvanite grey (matte) and Mars Red (metallic), an instrument cluster with LED upshift indicator and two white backlit dials, COMAND APS multimedia system with its 7-inch screen between the two centre air vents, AMG DRIVE UNIT facing the driver, E-SELECT shift lever, Nappa leather upholstery, solid metal and (optional) genuine carbon-fibre trim; choice of five leather colours for the interior upholstery (black, classic red, sand, porcelain and light brown), sports seat backrests made from magnesium, sports seats with two-zone seat cushions and four-way lumbar support and optional Memory package (three configurable individual settings), integrated head restraints and sporty transverse fluting upholstered in designo leather (in optional classic red, sand and porcelain), performance leather steering wheel in a three-spoke design with 365-millimetre rim, a 3.7-litre glove compartment with a spectacles section, a 176-litre luggage compartment, carbon-fibre driveshaft at the rear axle, AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission, 3-stage ESP with acceleration skid control system, optional carbon ceramic brakes (an approximately US$12,500 option), and a 1,000 watt stereo system (an approximately US$6,500 option). The initial introduction took place at the
2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, and later at the 2009
Tokyo Game Show, Auto China 2010, and the second terminal of the
Haneda Airport. The production model went on sale in spring 2010. Commercial release of the German model began on 16 November 2009. Pre-orders of the Japanese model began on 14 April 2010 with sales beginning from 10 June 2010 and deliveries beginning on 28 September 2010. Various minor changes and variations ensued, as identified below, with a very small gain in power (though the torque remained identical) and in the case of the final edition in model year 2015, certain visual add-ons (a fixed spoiler and carbon-effect).
SLS AMG "AMG Desert Gold" (2010) Unveiled at the 2010
Dubai International Motor Show, this variant of the SLS AMG Coupé showcased further customisation options for the SLS AMG including decorative features in shining chrome or Silver Shadow colours, black-painted AMG light-alloy wheels in size 9.5 x 19 at the front and 11.0 x 20 at the rear with a golden ring on the rim flange and a matte gold body colour dubbed "desert gold".
SLS AMG "Blackbird" (2010) Ordered by
Mercedes-Benz's
Australian subsidiary for the Australian International Motor Show, the Blackbird is a one-off variant of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé with designo magno Night Black body colour with red highlights.
SLS AMG E-CELL prototype (2011) Unveiled at the
2011 North American International Auto Show, the SLS AMG E-Cell is based on the SLS AMG Coupé, but is powered by four electric motors that provide a combined power output of and . The battery is a 400 Volt lithium unit with a capacity of 48 kWh. Other features include pushrod damper struts, 402 mm × 39 mm (front) and 360 mm × 32 mm (rear) carbon ceramic brake discs. Full-LED headlamps, AMG 10-spoke light-alloy wheels with smooth-surfaced design, 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear) tyres, AMG Drive Unit angled towards the driver, sports seats made of quality Nappa leather in a black/white colour combination, performance leather/Alcantara steering wheel and the door linings, centre tunnel. The drivetrain has been in development since 2010 as a result of the cooperation between Mercedes-AMG and
Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth.
SLS AMG GT3 (2011–2014) The SLS AMG GT3 is a race version of the SLS AMG Coupé, developed in accordance with the GT3 regulations of the
FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). Notable changes include a sequential six-speed racing transmission with shift paddles mounted on the steering column, an integrated multi-disc locking differential and traction control, adjustment facilities for the springs and shock absorbers; the suspension height, the stabilisers, the track width and camber; a rack-and-pinion steering with a more direct ratio and servo assistance, AMG 18-inch light-alloy wheels, a steel racing braking system with racing ABS, seat shell (individually foam-padded, featuring the HANS (Head And Neck Support) system located in a high-strength carbon-fibre (CFRP) safety cell, a six-point racing harness, an optimised fire extinguisher system and the central display positioned within the driver's field of vision. The Development of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 testing programme began on Lausitz Eurospeedway in June 2010. Official introduction took place at the
2010 New York International Auto Show followed by Puebla in Mexico, and the 2010
Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Deliveries began in February 2011, following homologation by the FIA in accordance with the GT3 regulations. A total of 86 cars were sold.
SLS AMG Roadster (2011–2014) The SLS AMG Roadster is a
convertible variant of the SLS AMG Coupé, with conventional doors and three-layered fabric soft top (having a magnesium, steel and aluminium construction) which opens and closes in 11 seconds, and can be operated on the move at up to . The roadster's DIN kerb weight is more than the SLS AMG Coupé. Certain reinforcements were made to the roadster in order to compensate for the loss of roof which includes side skirts with greater wall thicknesses and more chambers, a dashboard cross-member is supported against the windscreen frame and centre tunnel by additional struts, a curved strut between the soft top and the tank reinforces the rear axle, a reinforcing cross-member behind the seats to support the fixed roll-over protection system. Other features include 265/35 ZR 19 front and 295/30 ZR 20 rear wheels, optional AMG Sepang brown body colour, optional weight-optimised forged wheels in a 10-spoke design in black with a high-sheen rim flange, optional AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension, 175 litres boot capacity, choice of 3 trims (leather, matte-finished solid metal, optional carbon-fibre), black designo leather upholstery, AMG sports seats with heating, a slot-in glass draught-stop, COMAND APS with DVD player, anti-theft alarm system with tow-away protection and interior monitoring, THERMOTRONIC luxury automatic climate control, KEYLESS-GO starting function, optional AIRSCARF ventilation at backrests of the AMG sports seats, leather-lined roll-over bars with integrated mesh in a "Silver Shadow" look with optional designo Exclusive leather, optional electrically folding exterior mirrors, optional
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system, AMG Performance Media with high-speed mobile internet access (via Android operating system), optional Blind Spot Assist, optional AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension, 3-stage ESP with acceleration skid control, optional front AMG ceramic brake discs, AMG 7-spoke light-alloy wheels (optional 5-twin-spoke wheels, weight-optimised 10-spoke forged wheels), 265/35 R 19 front and 295/30 R 20 rear tyres, tyre pressure monitoring system. The SLS AMG Roadster was unveiled at the
2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show. Pre-orders began from 1 June 2011, with its market launch took place in Autumn 2011. The Japanese model went on sale on 21 September 2011.
SLS AMG Ambulance (2011) The SLS AMG Ambulance concept showcases the sports car as an emergency vehicle. Unveiled at the 2011 RETTmobil emergency vehicle expo, the concept retained the amenities of the standard car. The car was finished in ALU-BEAM silver metallic exterior colour with decals and emergency lights. It wasn't, however, revealed whether the car was fitted with specialised equipment.
SLS AMG Matte Black Edition (2011–2013) It is a limited version of the SLS AMG Coupé for the Japanese market, commemorating the first year of Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. It included designo magno Night Black body colour with red highlights at 3-pointed star, grill fin, bonnet fin, SLS/AMG rear emblems, fuel lid (from the Blackbird car); matte black exhaust tip, high gloss black interior trim, leather upholstery in classic red/black, AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension, AMG red brake calliper, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear AMG 10-spoke alloy wheels in matte black, AMG performance steering wheel in leather/Alcantara. The vehicle went on sale in September.
SLS AMG Matte Edition (2012) The SLS AMG Roadster Matte Black Edition is a limited (5 units) version of the left-drive SLS AMG Roadster for the Japanese market. Main highlights include designo magno Night Black body colour, classic red/black interior, black soft top, high gloss black interior trim, red paint metal parts (3-pointed star, grill fin, bonnet fin, fender fin, AMG rear/6.3 emblems, fuel lid), matte black exhaust tip, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear AMG 10-spoke alloy wheels in matte black with red rim, 2-tone leather upholstery, AMG performance steering wheel in leather/Alcantara, Performance Studio floor mat and the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension. The SLS AMG Coupé Matte White Edition and SLS AMG Roadster Matte White Edition are limited (10 Coupé, 5 Roadster) versions of the left-drive SLS AMG Coupé and SLS AMG Roadster respectively, for the Japanese market. It included designo magno Cashmere White body colour, porcelain/black interior, black soft top (Roadster only), high gloss black interior trim, matte black paint metal parts (3-pointed star, grill fin, bonnet fin, fender fin, AMG rear/6.3 emblems, fuel lid, door mirror cover), matte black exhaust tip, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear AMG 10-spoke alloy wheels in matte black in matte black, 2-tone leather upholstery, AMG performance steering wheel in leather/Alcantara, Performance Studio floor mat, AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension. The models went on sale in May 2012, while deliveries of SLS AMG Roadster Matte Black Edition, SLS AMG Coupé Matte White Edition, SLS AMG Roadster Matte White Edition began in September 2012, October 2012 and October 2012 respectively.
SLS AMG GT (2012–2013) Available in Coupé and Roadster body styles, the SLS AMG GT has the same torque ( at 4,750 rpm) and the same top speed as the regular SLS AMG but includes increased engine power output to at 6,800 rpm and of torque at 4,750 rpm, resulting in a slight 1/10 of a second decrease in acceleration time (3.5 seconds to 3.4 seconds) over the prior year model, a reduced transmission reaction time in the manual "M" transmission mode, AMG RIDE CONTROL Performance suspension, selection of suspension modes via AMG DRIVE UNIT, 3 additional AMG light-alloy wheels options, Alcantara black interior upholstery, red seat belts, contrasting stitching on the AMG sports seats and the centre console and the door panel lining in red, floor mats in red edging, high-gloss black AMG trim on the centre console and door panel, high-gloss black edging on the adjustable cross-shaped air vents and the high-gloss real metal insert on the AMG Performance steering wheel with Alcantara grip, AMG instrument cluster with black faceplate, AMG designo Exclusive Style leather option (a diamond design with contrasting stitching, designo leather finish for the entire dashboard, the beltlines and door armrests, the handrest on the centre console, AMG floor mats in black with porcelain leather edging, roof lining in Alcantara porcelain, and the parcel shelf (Coupé) or roll-over bar (Roadster)) in 3 colour combinations (mocha brown/porcelain, titanium grey pearl/porcelain, mystic red/porcelain). Other options include AMG carbon-fibre exterior mirrors, AMG carbon-fibre engine compartment cover, AMG Interior Carbon-Fibre package (carbon-fibre trim, trim on seat backrest and side, door sill panels), AMG ceramic high-performance composite braking system, AMG Performance Media, AMG 10-spoke forged wheels in various colours, AMG carbon-fibre exterior package, AIRSCARF (Roadster) and
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system. The SLS AMG GT completed a lap around the
Nürburgring Nordschleife in under 7 minutes 30 seconds. The market launch began in October 2012. US models went on sale in mid- November 2012 as 2013 model year vehicles, replacing previous SLS AMG versions. Japanese models went on sale on 30 November 2012, with deliveries starting in March 2013.
SLS AMG GT Final Edition (2014) Available in both Coupé and Roadster body styles, the SLS AMG GT final edition is the final limited production iteration (350 units total, 25 in Japan) of the SLS AMG GT. Features includes an exposed carbon fibre hood with central air outlet, carbon fibre front splitter on the front apron, fixed carbon fiber rear spoiler from the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, the choice of 2 exclusive AMG forged light-alloy wheels (inlaid in matte black with the spokes and rim flange in a high-sheen finish, completely painted matte black highlighted by a pencil thin high-sheen rim flange), designo magno graphite matte body colour (from the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY"), struts of the rear apron in high-gloss black, red-painted brake callipers, 265/35 R 19 (front) and 295/30 R 20 (rear) Dunlop Sport Maxx Race Cup tires as a no-cost option, designo Exclusive leather upholstery in a diamond-stitch pattern at centre panels of both the seats and the doors, contrasting topstitching in silver with black leather upholstery, silver seat belts, black floor mats edged in silver leather, high gloss carbon fiber trim, "AMG FINAL EDITION – 1 of 350" badge on the carbon fibre centre console, 3D seam (a fine strip of Alcantara) set into the leather-covered upper dashboard, contrasting topstitching in silver at 3D seam, AMG Performance steering wheel in Alcantara with a silver 12 o'clock marking and black metal inserts, high-gloss black surrounds of the air vents, sports seats with an embossed AMG crest in the head restraints. The "Final Edition" changes do not result in any quantifiable performance difference over the prior year model. Horsepower, torque, acceleration times and top speed are all identical. Other options include Carbon Fibre wing mirrors, Extended Interior Carbon Fibre package (additional carbon-fiber trim on seat backrest and side, as well as door sill panels), AMG Carbon-Ceramic High-Performance braking system, AMG Performance Media and Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system. The car was unveiled first at the
2013 Los Angeles Auto Show and the
2013 Tokyo Motor Show, followed by the 2013 Osaka Motor Show. Market launch was set to begin in March 2014. The Japan model was set to be delivered in June 2014, which included 20 Coupés, 5 Roadsters, the choice of 6 body colours (Fire Opal solid, Obsidian Black metallic, Elysium Silver metallic, AMG Imola Grey (premium), designo Magno Graphite (matte) (premium), designo Mystic White 2 (premium)), black designo Nappa full leather interior upholstery with silver diamond pattern stitching at door centre panel, seat centre; anthracite roof liner, choice of 3 soft top colours for Roadster (black, beige, red), carbon fibre wing mirrors,
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG sound system and optional AMG Carbon-Ceramic brake discs.
SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" (2012) Unveiled at the 2012
São Paulo International Motor Show, the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" is a limited (5 units) version of the SLS AMG GT3 commemorating the 45th anniversary of the AMG brand. Main highlights included designo magno graphite matte body colour, a seat shell in a high-strength carbon-fibre safety cell on the co-driver's side, carbon fibre reinforced plastic doors, bonnet, mudguards, boot lid, rear wings, front and rear apron, front splitter and rear diffuser. The engines for the SLS AMG GT3 "45th ANNIVERSARY" were installed by
Bernd Schneider.
SLS AMG Black Series (2013–2015) Unveiled at the
2012 LA Auto Show, with a market launch that began in June 2013. the SLS AMG Black Series is a high-performance variant of the SLS AMG Coupé inspired by the SLS AMG GT3. Notable changes over the SLS AMG include increased engine power to at 7,400 rpm and decreased torque to at 5,500 rpm along with increased engine redline of 8,000 rpm, fully revised high-speed
valvetrain with modified
camshafts, adapted cam geometry and optimised
bucket tappets having a special coating which is otherwise exclusive to racing cars, modification of the intake air ducts (derestriction and adaptation to the new maximum engine speed), adaptation of the engine application and increase in peak pressure. This results in an acceleration time from 0– in 3.2 seconds (
Car and Driver test) (2/10 of a second faster than the SLS AMG GT), and a top speed of . The Black Series is lighter than the standard model. This is accomplished by increased use of
carbon fibre in body panels, mechanical components, and the
space frame. Further, a switch from steel to titanium for the
exhaust system reduces weight by . The use of
lithium-ion battery reduces weight by . The AMG SpeedShift DCT 7-speed sports transmission is installed lower in order to achieve a lower centre of gravity for the car and is braced against the body by gas-filled
struts in order to avoid stress cycles. The transmission's "Sport plus" and "Manual" modes have faster shifting speed than the standard model. The downshifting
throttle blips are more audible. The new temporary "M" mode enables the driver to activate manual mode without having to remove a hand from the steering wheel, by pressing the "up" or "down" shift paddle once. Other notable highlights include electronically controlled AMG rear-axle
differential lock with a shorter rear-axle ratio, new AMG RIDE CONTROL performance suspension (tauter basic tuning and electronically controlled two-stage damping, coil-over spring retainers to enable adjustment of wheel loads, elastokinematics 50 / 42% more rigid (front/
rear axle), track width increased by (front/rear axle)), new wheel carriers on front axle and new front stabiliser tuning, matte black with high-sheen AMG 10-spoke light-alloy wheels in particularly light forged design with optimised strength ( front, rear), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 sports tyres (275/35 R 19 front, 325/30 R 20 rear), AMG speed-sensitive steering with newly calibrated
power steering characteristics, AMG
ceramic brake discs (measuring at the front and at the rear) with increased hardness, wide flared wings with an added width of (front) and (rear) on each side, darkened headlamps and black surrounds for the rear lights, front apron and rear apron with diffuser along with side sill panels in Black Series-specific design (carbon fibre-reinforced plastic front splitter, carbon inserts in the side sills and the rear apron made of carbon fibre, enlarged air intakes with carbon-fibre flics), carbon-fibre bonnet with central air outlet, Alcantara black or Alcantara black/red interior AMG Performance steering wheel with Alcantara upholstery, metal bezel features a high-gloss black paint finish to match the high-gloss black surrounds of the air vents, Alcantara strip in anthracite across the entire width of dashboard leather with red contrasting stitching in the leather, designo leather and
Alcantara upholstery (including bottom section of the dashboard, door centre panels and on the AMG sports bucket seats in Alcantara), deleted COMAND APS multimedia system replaced by a carbon-fibre trim element (COMAND APS is optionally available), AMG DRIVE UNIT, red seat belts and red contrasting stitching on the AMG sports bucket seats, the upper and lower section of the dashboard and the door panelling; floor mats with red edging and optional
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound system. Optional AMG Aerodynamics package includes a fixed adjustable carbon-fibre rear
aerofoil as installed on the SLS AMG GT3, rear aerofoil braced by aluminium elements on a special insert on the boot lid, additional carbon-fibre flics on the front apron. New body colour choices include AMG solar beam yellow (total 7, including matte paint designo magno alanite grey). Other options include AMG carbon-fibre wing mirrors, AMG carbon-fibre engine cover, AMG Interior Carbon-Fibre package, AMG infotainment system (incl. COMAND APS, AMG Performance Media and backup camera), Media Interface. The US model went on sale in summer 2013 as 2014 model year vehicle.
SLS AMG Electric Drive (2013) The SLS AMG Electric Drive was a limited edition
electric variant of the SLS AMG introduced in June 2013. The production version was unveiled at the
2012 Paris Motor Show, with market launch initially scheduled for June 2013. Pricing in Germany began at (~ ). The production number has been officially confirmed: only nine SLS AMG Electric Drive were sold to the customers worldwide.
History Following the introduction of the SLS AMG E-CELL prototype, the production of SLS AMG E-CELL was originally announced at the
2011 North American International Auto Show.
Powertrain The SLS AMG Electric Drive was powered by four
electric motors with combined ratings of and . Each motor can spin up to 13,000 rpm and weighs . In addition, the transmission allows each motor to selectively drive all 4 wheels. This enables the car to accelerate from a stand still to in 3.9 seconds.
Battery The SLS AMG Electric Drive included a liquid-cooled 400 V
lithium-ion battery rated to 60
kWh that had a range of under the combined
New European Driving Cycle. The battery pack is made up of 12 modules, each comprising 72 lithium-ion cells. The system was designed as a collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and
Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd. ==Motorsport==