For those of you looking for a practical, consistent, relatively inexpensive luxury car, this article is not for you. This article is about flashy. This article is about expensive, and this article is about exotic.
In other words, this article is about the 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
The Mercedes-Benz SLS has returned to its roots in a bit way, harkening back to the 1950s when the 300 SL was the luxury sports coupe icon of that generation. It has the classic long hood, the short rear deck, and the vertical doors that spawned the name “gullwings.”
This is a classic luxury sports car. It may not be as flashy as some on the market, but don’t let the classic looks fool you: this baby is built for speed and power with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, almost perfect weight-distribution and huge disc brakes. Whether you want sophistication or gut-churning performance, the SLS has it all.
The SLS comes in two body styles, the convertible and the coupe. The coupe is the style with the gullwings. Both models have the 6.2-liter engine good for 563 horsepower, and it is matched with a rear-mounted seven-speed automated manual transmission with shift paddles on the steering wheel. It also include four driving modes, the Comfort, the Sport, the Sport-Plus and the Manual.
Features include 19-inch alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, parking sensors, rearview camera, keyless entry, leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, a navigation system and superior audio system. The convertible has a power-operated soft top.
If one were looking for negatives it would be in the roominess of the cabin, or the lack thereof. People with long legs, or tall people, will feel a bit space-challenged. The trunk is also a bit small, but by sports car standards, it really isn’t that small at all. The interior is lush, as you would expect, and all controls are within easy reach.
Let’s talk about performance since this is a performance car. The SLS seems a bit boring at low speeds, but crank that engine up and you’ll experience superior handling. Do you want to talk numbers? The SLS can sprint from 0-60 in 3.8 seconds. Read that again and let it sink in….3.8 seconds. It can brake from 60-0 in less than 100 feet, a truly remarkable distance.
Add up the negatives and they are greatly overwhelmed by the positives in this classic sports car. If you’ve got the money then the Mercedes SLS is worth a test drive.
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