Following
its world premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany in
September 2009, series production of the SLS AMG is now commencing in
Sindelfingen, the largest of the Mercedes-Benz production plants.
"Made in Sindelfingen also stands for the very highest production and
product quality where the SLS AMG is concerned," says Dr. Dieter Zetsche,
Chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
"From the end
of March, our customers will be able to verify this for themselves.”
"The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has been extremely well received by our
customers," says Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing at
Mercedes-Benz Cars.
"Even in advance of the actual market launch,
orders have considerably exceeded our expectations. This shows that the
exciting design and extraordinary concept of our gullwing model precisely
meet the taste and aspirations of potential customers."
A
heavy emphasis on hand-production is a characteristic feature of the SLS –
for the aluminium spaceframe, the engine and during final assembly.
The chassis and aluminium bodyshell are produced by Magna Steyr
Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH in Graz, Austria. This highly respected system partner
is able to look back on many years of cooperation with Daimler, as the
Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been in production there since 1979.
Innovative joining techniques are used in the lightweight spaceframe of the
SLS AMG, which tips the scales at only 241 kilograms.
Hand-production
is also the order of the day at the AMG engine workshops in Affalterbach,
where the 420 kW AMG 6.3-litre V8 power unit is assembled on the "one man,
one engine" principle.
The assembly lines and production facilities
in Sindelfingen were brought up to the very latest standards for final
assembly of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. This is where specially selected,
highly qualified specialists produce the gullwing model substantially by
hand. Premium quality is not only ensured by continuous monitoring of the
ongoing production process. At the end of the production process, the entire
vehicle is subjected to further, extensive quality checks.
The
new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG dazzles with its purist design, intelligent
lightweight construction and superior handling dynamics, and is bound to
cause a sensation in the super sports car segment.
The new SLS AMG is
nothing short of a masterpiece by Mercedes-AMG GmbH. As its first completely
independently developed vehicle, the super sports car is the highlight in
the company's more than 40‑year history. It shows that AMG has development
expertise at the highest level.
The unrivalled technology package of
the SLS is an alluring proposition: aluminium spaceframe body with gullwing
doors, AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid-engine developing 420 kW peak output, 650
Nm of torque and dry sump lubrication, seven-speed double-declutch
transmission in a transaxle configuration, sports suspension with aluminium
double wishbones and a kerb weight of 1620 kilograms based on the DIN
standard – this superlative combination guarantees driving dynamics of the
highest order.
With
a front/rear weight distribution of 47 to 53 percent and the vehicle's low
centre of gravity, this extraordinary combination guarantees performance
figures at the highest level. The gullwing model accelerates from 0 to 100
km/h in 3.8 seconds, and has an electronically limited top speed of 317
km/h. A fuel consumption of 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres (combined) makes
it one of the best in the competitive line-up.
The SLS AMG will have
its European market launch on March 27.
Australian customer
deliveries of the exciting SLS AMG are currently expected to commence in the
middle of this year. The car is expected to remain exclusive in Australia
with very limited numbers due for import. Pricing is expected to be around
$380,000 plus on road costs.
