RE: Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing

RE: Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing

Author
Discussion

kambites

67,442 posts

220 months

Friday 27th November 2009
quotequote all
Gridl0k said:
kambites said:
Interesting that the majority of people think it's lovely and a few think it's awful with very little in between.
Well allow me to speak up for the middle then; "meh"
hehe That's better.

Wayney

626 posts

205 months

Friday 27th November 2009
quotequote all
Refreshingly different & sharges very little styling details with its Older Bigger Bro the SLR. So its clear Merc are moving them selves well away from Maclaren!

Personally would I buy one?

No because they will become common as muck as the SL 55 AMG did, in a couple of years time when they go on sale. Expect to pay a hugh premimums on one if you want to be 1st in line.

I'd only buy one if they are limited numbers in production, like Audi hav done with the R8, 2 years on, it still takes your breath away every time you see one biggrin



Skipe

616 posts

194 months

Friday 27th November 2009
quotequote all
I like it although I'm only an 8 as the styling is awkward in places IMHO

Would prefer this over a California but not over a DBS......

Beirut Taxi

6,627 posts

213 months

Friday 27th November 2009
quotequote all
Wayney said:
Refreshingly different & sharges very little styling details with its Older Bigger Bro the SLR. So its clear Merc are moving them selves well away from Maclaren!

Personally would I buy one?

No because they will become common as muck as the SL 55 AMG did, in a couple of years time when they go on sale. Expect to pay a hugh premimums on one if you want to be 1st in line.

I'd only buy one if they are limited numbers in production, like Audi hav done with the R8, 2 years on, it still takes your breath away every time you see one biggrin
There are a few SL55s about, however it is essentially still a mass produced model just like BMW M Division and Audi RS cars. it wasn't a special, exclusively designed model so to speak. However stating they are common as muck is going a bit far.

There is speculation that the SLS will be produced in volumes of about 3000-4000 cars per annum. To put that in perspective, R8s are supposedly planned for a production run of 7300 per annum (Although whether those figures are accurate or not I don't know.)

Edited by Beirut Taxi on Friday 27th November 16:37

HAB

3,632 posts

226 months

Friday 27th November 2009
quotequote all
kambites said:
Interesting that the majority of people think it's lovely and a few think it's awful with very little in between.
True, though cars that polarise opinion are a good thing.

Deerfoot

4,889 posts

183 months

Friday 27th November 2009
quotequote all
This is my `car of the moment`. If my numbers come up tomorrow I`ll have one in black.

I`m not usually a fan of Mercs but I`d have one of these over an Aston, any Ferrari and most Porsches (less the sport classic).

Verde

506 posts

187 months

Saturday 28th November 2009
quotequote all
If not for the retro doors (and a few other 'classic' cues as well) this car would be completely unremarkable. For whatever reason, MB does not seem to 'get' sports cars - whether it's the black series (big semi-sedans with 'retro' transmission) cars, SLK's, the bazaar Maclaren or this new misstep. Not particularly attractive, big, apparently a bit less than lithe and nimble, it's just not going to be competitive with R8's, GT2's and GT3's, F430's (and F458's). I'm sure they'll sell them all but not to me.

Deerfoot

4,889 posts

183 months

Saturday 28th November 2009
quotequote all
Verde said:
it's just not going to be competitive with R8's, GT2's and GT3's, F430's (and F458's). I'm sure they'll sell them all but not to me.
I`m pretty sure that those cars listed aren`t considered competitors by MB anyway.

FestivAli

1,085 posts

237 months

Saturday 28th November 2009
quotequote all
I like this car, but one thing puzzles me. Why announce the Black version now? It's a bit like saying, "Hi all, thanks for waiting these 5 years, here's the car, we're going to make a better version in a few years as this one isn't as good as we could make it.'

I understand that a 'Black' version is more hardcore, more lightweight (isn't the SL meant to stand for 'Sports, Lightweight' anyway?...) but why not see how the initial sales go before making that announcement?

Ali.

Oh yeah, manual gearbox please.

oilit

2,613 posts

177 months

Sunday 29th November 2009
quotequote all
looks stunning, except that rear doesn't look right - cant work out if its bmw or lexus - but it looks awful

When does the convertible come out - and is it going to be fabric or folding metal roof? wink

Edited by oilit on Sunday 29th November 07:41

norby1

472 posts

172 months

Sunday 29th November 2009
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I wonder if AMG will sell the engine on its own as an upgrade to a C63??

Hmmm..that would be a bit quick methinks

vintageracer01

873 posts

174 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
Sounds great by the numbers and certainly great engineering. It sounds great and is probably a hoot to drive but it does not take the old 300 SL Gullwing any justice.

This car looks like a quick rushed-out poor retro remake. It does not sport the elegance and class of the original !!!

Just think, Picasso owned one, it was parked at classy hotels in Cannes or Nice, it was owned by actors who had Riva Aquarama boats, it was raced at the Mille Miglia, Le Mans and the Panamericana (Racing derivatives, of cause).

And all the Merc Design Studio came up with is a clunky boy racer with lots of holes. There is nor flair nor elegance, not even any flamboyence, IMO.

The body looks like loaf of bread, the cabin looks awkwardly stiff and the tail is just plain boring. The wheels seem right out of Halford's. Nothing special at all.
And the interior is just some MX-5 carry-over Design without any ambiance.
From no angle this design is sophisticated and of powerful but swooping elegance as it could be.

Just look at the nice soft lines of the original and the delicate interior. Why this was not translated into the 21st century instead of cheap retro clues. What a great challenging one-in-a-lifetime project wasted!!!

Cool pictures at the beaches do not help anymore.

What a shame IMO.

(The BMW Z8 Design was so much better, well balanced and not a boy racer at all)

Edited by vintageracer01 on Monday 30th November 20:56

fatboy69

9,369 posts

186 months

Monday 30th November 2009
quotequote all
what an ugly car. just doest work for me i'm afraid.

Knightmorph

38 posts

209 months

Tuesday 1st December 2009
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At a 155k it has some tough competition from other supercars, it again comes down to personal taste, age, passion and the wallet with regards to ongoing maintenance bills. There are definitely folks out there who would like German build quality and don't quite see themselves in a Lambo or Ferrari, but in this economy I think manufacturers will struggle to sell 4000 cars a year in that price category. But you never know the Indians and Chinese have an awful lot of money, I just dont know if an SLS can handle the pot holes on their roads.

M3John

5,974 posts

218 months

Tuesday 1st December 2009
quotequote all
Now i really do like that ! thumbup

MikeWdriver

164 posts

179 months

Tuesday 1st December 2009
quotequote all
Fantastic write-up Chris_R and beautiful photography too, well done!

amg master

625 posts

194 months

Tuesday 1st December 2009
quotequote all
Beirut Taxi said:
Wayney said:
Refreshingly different & sharges very little styling details with its Older Bigger Bro the SLR. So its clear Merc are moving them selves well away from Maclaren!

Personally would I buy one?

No because they will become common as muck as the SL 55 AMG did, in a couple of years time when they go on sale. Expect to pay a hugh premimums on one if you want to be 1st in line.

I'd only buy one if they are limited numbers in production, like Audi hav done with the R8, 2 years on, it still takes your breath away every time you see one biggrin
There are a few SL55s about, however it is essentially still a mass produced model just like BMW M Division and Audi RS cars. it wasn't a special, exclusively designed model so to speak. However stating they are common as muck is going a bit far.

There is speculation that the SLS will be produced in volumes of about 3000-4000 cars per annum. To put that in perspective, R8s are supposedly planned for a production run of 7300 per annum (Although whether those figures are accurate or not I don't know.)

Edited by Beirut Taxi on Friday 27th November 16:37



i have heard that only 500 cars have been allocated for the uk with 4 cars per market area.


pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Wednesday 2nd December 2009
quotequote all
Stunning machine and a brilliant write-up, that just sums it up, straight and to the point !

Well done PH.

edo

16,699 posts

264 months

Thursday 3rd December 2009
quotequote all
Great looking car.

Just find the dash a bit of a let down compared to the outside of it.

Beirut Taxi

6,627 posts

213 months

Thursday 3rd December 2009
quotequote all
edo said:
Great looking car.

Just find the dash a bit of a let down compared to the outside of it.
I quite like it myself, there isn't a huge forest of buttons at least.