RE: SLS Black Series vid

RE: SLS Black Series vid

Tuesday 13th November 2012

SLS Black Series vid

AMG shows off new SLS Black Series in a flashy video, forgets to include engine noise



The new Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series sounds magnificent. Probably. At the moment we can only guess because, in its wisdom, AMG has released a video of the new car to whip up excitement ... and not included any engine noise. Instead we get lots of pretentious operatic nonsense, lots of sweeping camera work that probably cost a bomb to film. And that's it. To think, they could've saved themselves a bomb by sending Hans into the car park with his iPhone, revved it a bit, given a thumbs up and we'd have been happy.

Black Series mods more about this
Black Series mods more about this
More's the pity too because the 60hp upgrade over the standard SLS (631hp over 571hp, maths fans) has been achieved through proper tuning, this being a proper engine that requires more than another 0.1 Bar of turbo boost to tickle a worthwhile power gain out of it.

This goes back to AMG's roots as a race engine builder, the firm's early road tuning efforts even going as far as building bespoke four-valve heads for otherwise lazy Mercedes V8s of course.

The Black Series upgrades are old-school race tuning stuff too, including a raised rev limit (now 8,000rpm), modified camshafts and cam timing, 'optimised' bucket tappets and improved breathing. All backed up with stronger con-rod assemblies, beefier crankshaft bearings and improved lubrication driven by a new oil pump.

Aero bits optional, which is probably best
Aero bits optional, which is probably best
The two by-products of this we're interested in - the extra power and noise - drive respectively through a new electronic locking diff and titanium exhaust system. The former replaces the standard mechanical LSD and the latter saves 13kg and, hopefully, turns a cool shade of blue after being driven hard. We'd expect a dose more noise too but, as discussed above, we'll have to imagine that for the time being.

It's a proper job this Black Series too and as close to the GT3 racer as we'll be getting for now. Sure, the (wide)bodykit and optional aero addenda smack slightly of aftermarket bling but the engineering and weight savings - 70kg over the standard SLS to a commendable 1,550kg thanks to stuff like a lithium ion battery saving 8kg on its own - are all the real deal. The weight loss and extra power mean a couple of tenths off the 0-62mph time - now 3.6 seconds - but the shorter final drive and extra aero mean top speed is actually down a smidge to 196mph from 197mph.

Not exactly stripped out inside then
Not exactly stripped out inside then
Credit to AMG for focusing more on handling and weight reduction than cartoon looks and Top Trumps stats like the previous SL65 Black Series too. The influence of the GT3 race car is explicit here, the vid for the 45th Anniversary version of that teasing with a hint of engine noise through the side exhausts (sadly not carried over to the Black Series). Before the inevitable overblown musical soundtrack kicks in. Guys, play to your strengths, please. Let the German engineering do the talking, not the German taste in music...

 

 

GT3 45th Anniversary edition vid:

 

 

 

 

Author
Discussion

suffolk009

Original Poster:

5,344 posts

164 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Where is that filmed? Is it Arizona? Looks nice there.

lewisf182

2,084 posts

187 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
that looks horrific IMHO. Really cant see the appeal of the SLS compared to a ferrari/lambo/maserati?

Maldini35

2,913 posts

187 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
I'm sure it's great fun to drive - shame the video didn't show it

& why so many different music tracks crammed into the video?

Davey S2

13,075 posts

253 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
lewisf182 said:
that looks horrific IMHO.
Looks like Merc have beaten Mansoury, Kahn and the other tasteless 'tuners' to it.

Footbalists will love it.

Tuvra

7,920 posts

224 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Davey S2 said:
lewisf182 said:
that looks horrific IMHO.
Looks like Merc have beaten Mansoury, Kahn and the other tasteless 'tuners' to it.

Footbalists will love it.
As much of an AMG fan boy as I am, I have to agree frown

Id take a C63 Black over that.

El Shafto

133 posts

144 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Making an SLS more mental?...What's not to like?

Dear Mercedes,

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

Thanks.

sagarich

1,210 posts

148 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Like the idea of it, but the styling is just bloody awful! IMO

moskvich427

227 posts

174 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
sagarich said:
Like the idea of it, but the styling is just bloody awful! IMO
Agreed, but getting one in black would fix that somewhat biggrin

Luca Brasi

885 posts

173 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Looks like even AMG are into dubstep.

TaylotS2K

1,964 posts

206 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
I quite like it. Few tweeks I would make. Was never a fan of the SLS to start with but I love the looks now.

matlee

777 posts

150 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Looks like a riced out RX8

Sexual Chocolate

1,583 posts

143 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
No pleasing some people. I love it and would have this over the standard SLS. I do love fast Mercs though. Its my one weakness in life.

Richard-G

1,669 posts

174 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
El Shafto said:
Making an SLS more mental?...What's not to like?

Dear Mercedes,

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

Thanks.
For some reason I read this in a Louis spence voice. Hilarious!

matbat

772 posts

244 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
I really love the SLS,

This makes me want to vomit

Looks like they've diluted the SLS into a footballers car, shame.

pringle18

4 posts

147 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
The whole point in an AMG Black Series Merc is that it is totally different, bonkers, mental etc.....if this isnt any of those then god knows what is!!!

Keep up the work Merc, very impressed!

365daytonafan

283 posts

184 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Not keen from the pictures but interested to see one without the (optional) wing and dive planes. C class black looks much better without the wings and reckon this will be the same.

IDrinkPetrol

132 posts

157 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Gives quite a Need for Speed II intro video feel. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. (I do have a strong inkling though)
However:
Great that some cars (that gt3 for example) can still sound like a shouting, snorting, roaring, dangerous mechanical beast rather than like a baby with its hand in a blender.

Edited to add:
Despite having worked in restaurants for many years I have never had the pleasure of hearing a baby's hand in a blender BUT I can say from experience that modern F1 cars sound almost exactly the same as a woman cutting her thumb off while cleaning squid. I say "almost" because she had enough torque to not change gear while she screamed.

Edited by IDrinkPetrol on Tuesday 13th November 14:47

lewisf182

2,084 posts

187 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
pringle18 said:
The whole point in an AMG Black Series Merc is that it is totally different, bonkers, mental etc.....if this isnt any of those then god knows what is!!!

Keep up the work Merc, very impressed!
The C63 manages all the above while looking beautiful though? well IMO obviously

Sexual Chocolate

1,583 posts

143 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
lewisf182 said:
The C63 manages all the above while looking beautiful though? well IMO obviously
One I saw still had big wing on the back plus other addenda attached. But yes it was a lovely looking car. There is a chelsea footballer with one though.

kaliber

42 posts

175 months

Tuesday 13th November 2012
quotequote all
Hmm... not really sure it was the right car to start with to have the Black treatment.

Its already bonkers mental and the performance increases arent really all that you would expect from a black treated car. all they seem to have done is take stuff out, side exit exhausts(!) add some wings and (possibly as no mention of price but you would assume) make it more expensive.

C63 Black any day over this.