Mercedes Benz SLS AMG
It’s RED! It’s shiny! It is the new Mercedes Benz SLS AMG 63! Naturally when the ads started appearing on the television the Aries packrat in me was immediately engrossed in the “little red sports car” with a large engine.
So what is it? Is it a McLaren? It is supposed to be a replacement but it doesn’t really look like its predecessor. Is it a Gullwing? Well, sort of. It’s a strange hybrid between the McLaren SLR and the timeless icon… the Gullwing of the fifties.
It is evident that the car reflects the retro styling of the original and some of the lines of the McLaren SLR. Overall I must say that I do like the car although I personally would rather have the convertible version. Gullwing doors might be quite sexy but they are not easy to get in and out of and they also require a wide berth to open. My own coupe’s doors that seemingly extend for meters are bad enough! One has to slither out sideways in close confinement!
Engine wise is appears to be the now well known 63 AMG used across the stable. It is not new but it is still a force to be reckoned with. I’m a 0-100 performance freak. At 3.8 seconds I am quite sure I would be impressed. After being in the mind blowing accelleration of the SL 65, the SLS could only slam the occupant harder against its seats!
While I am biased in favour of Mercedes Benz I am also honest. I cannot fathom where on earth they found the inspiration for the headlights. They give the car a wide, cross-eyed, blind rat look! Just awful in my opinion. They don’t exactly conform to the latest Mercedes Benz styling. They also do not follow on the tradition of the McLaren or the retro circular headlights of the Gullwing.
I guess it is a small design detail one would have to live with at a starting price of just under 2.5 million rand!
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