Lighter, shorter, and less expensive than its predecessor, Mercedes Benz’s stunning Mercedes-AMG SLS GT is here to take on the big boys, on and off the track.
Promised as the last, and most cutting-edge, of the Mercedes SLS AMG series, the 2016 model represents the ultimate partnership between the German marque and its in-house performance division, AMG.
With its 4.0-litre, bi-turbo, V-8 engine offering the road-happy punter 503 horsepower, the SLS AMG has been designed to take on small, powerful sports cars like the Porsche 911, rather than the supercar market its predecessors have eyed.
In fact, the seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission of the latest sleek Mercedes SLS AMG puts it more in line with the Jag F-type R Coupe, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and the ever-popular Porsche 911 Carrera S, all of which have developing market shares in Asia as the newly wealthy increasingly prefer to take the wheel themselves.
Gone are the showy gull wings of the previous SLS, just one of a series of weight-saving measures that make the SLS AMG GT lightening on the tarmac. Combine all that tire-melting power with sensual lines and elegant curves, a long, low hood, a rearward cabin, and a stubby, rounded tail, and lace the mix with a few stylish touches like distinctive LED headlights, and you have an instant classic.
Combine that with an aluminum and steel frame and body, a chassis design by former Porsche cornering guru Markus Hofbauer, active aerodynamics, and electronically controlled suspension damping, and the SLS AMG GT hugs the road in a lover’s embrace.
The SLS AMG GT’s racing DNA can be seen in subtle nods to the track, from the classic two-finned air outlets to the low front splitter, an electronically retractable rear spoiler, and a rear diffuser, all of which harmonise in a design that’s as comfortable on the track as it is pulling up to a red carpet event. Control is accentuated with cutting-edge hydraulic dampers, from Multimatic for the GT, and Sachs for the GT S.
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Of course, it can’t all be about muscle, and the AMG GT’s cockpit-like interior is as much a masterpiece as its exterior lines. A sea of fine, hand-stitched leather and metal trim surround a central infotainment screen, benefiting from an updated Mercedes COMAND System.
A wide dashboard, high door windows, and engine-like air vents on both sides give the feel of a fighter jet cockpit, especially with the free-standing navigation and infotainment screen resembling a heads-up display.
It’s a fitting interior for a pocket rocket like this, the last of the SLS AMGs.
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