Test drive Mercedes SLS AMG: no fire!
Test Drive

Test drive Mercedes SLS AMG: no fire!

Test drive Mercedes SLS AMG: no fire!

Show, sex appeal and spectacular poses. Behind the obvious halo of the Mercedes SLS AMG with its vertically opening doors, is it more than just a talent for drawing attention? Is the successor to the legendary 300 SL worthy of the superathlete title?

Finally, the Mercedes SLS gets a chance to shine. For too long, the first solo creation of AMG engineers bathed in the rays of mass interest and threatened to turn into another candied handsome man. A fate that a sports model deserves as little as the prospect of forever remaining in the shadow of its famous predecessor, the 300 SL. So forward to the race track - an attack on the Hockenheim track!

Limits of the possible

With no sentimentality about the retro romance of the official catalogue, we hustle the AMG graduate around the corners, spur him on relentlessly and make his tires squeal with exertion, before sharply tightening the reins in the stop zone and insidiously taking advantage of his easy ass. The harsh gas turns the rubber into puffs of smoke under the bulging fender thighs, and the SLS flies in a crazy power slide under the dictate of the counter-steering wheel until the front wheels see a free horizon to leave the start-finish line. "This is the world I was made for!" is the message that the top Mercedes athlete broadcasts from the first meter of the race track.

Here, the exploration of the limits of the possible occurs at high speeds, and such talent is a rarity for this category of still civilian cars. The SLS has no shy traction, no timid throttle, and no hesitant steering touch. The very first lap of the small circuit of Hockenheim is “flying” and on the next you are already touching the ceiling – depending on the individual driving style, with the ESP sport mode on, it can show a slight tendency to oversteer with traction and mild side twitch. rear when axle load changes.

However, drifters will be disappointed by the lack of the ability to completely disable the braking action on the rear wheels - the main idea and purpose is to keep the differential working, but its interference is detrimental to the elegant dragline. But these are white kaharis… The important thing is that the stopwatch ends up showing a time of 1.11,5 minutes, which makes the SLS faster than the Porsche 911 Turbo (1.11,9) that runs parallel to the track for direct comparison under the same conditions.

No recycling

Isn't the feeling of coziness and comfort during a frantic race due to the well-known dashboard elements? As a result, the AMG cockpit remains a slightly redesigned and sophisticated variation of Mercedes' well-known pret-a-porter collections, which is unlikely to give the driver the technological and cultural shock typical of some supercars.

In this regard, carbon fiber linings can hardly change anything, despite their price close to the five-figure euro border. In short - the interior does not keep up with the pompous exterior. Nothing of the kind, given that the SLS impresses not only with its shape, but also with its dimensions, because the length of the two-seat model is approaching the E-Class.

Clean, no thinner

So it's time to turn away from the familiar and pay tribute to the unusual in this athlete - for example, a spectacular torpedo. Beneath that is a 6,2-liter V8 with a well-deserved reputation as the best-selling AMG lineup and power that is sort of a historic peak. With its 571 hp. The SLS is more powerful than the Ferrari 458 Italia. But the differences do not end there, because instead of the 180-liter Italian located under exotic 4,5 * pistons, the German car relies on the classic 90-degree scheme characteristic of foreign eight-cylinder giants. And he has such a voice - a bass arrow at low speeds can soften even the toughest cowboy to tears.

Full throttle. Two throttle valves open fully in 150 thousandths of a second, and eight intake manifolds absorb the contents of the nine and a half liter manifold. The taste becomes deep, the eardrums contract rhythmically, the hairs on the skin vibrate, and erotic sensations run down the spine. An eruption of 650 Newton meters at 4750 rpm is just the beginning. This was followed by an explosion of 571 hp. at 6800 rpm. Most recently, this is where the AMG development engineers warmly welcome the decision to bet on a naturally aspirated widebody machine rather than hastily dumping the SL 65 AMG's twelve-cylinder twin-turbo engine behind the SLS front axle. With this, they deprived the world of another high-tech file, enriching the wet dreams of a maniac with a heavy classic hammer.

Sports theme

The fact that the display of measuring technology, which reads the acceleration time from 0 to 100 km / h, hangs only at 3,9 seconds, not due to a lack of power, but due to an elementary lack of traction. In this regard, the automatic launch control function of the SLS rear-wheel drive can do nothing against the conceptual superiority of the Porsche 911 Turbo and its 3,3 seconds. On the other hand, the system in question puts every mortal in the position of a dirty professional in numerous races. It is enough to perform the following sequence of actions - the transmission lever is set to the RS position (like Race Start), the ESP switches to Sport mode, the right foot is placed on the brake pedal, the middle finger of the right hand stretches the plate to go further. -high gear, then the right foot gives full throttle, and the left releases the brakes. Take off.

Getrag's dual-clutch transmission offers four different modes of operation, from Controlled Efficiency, which uses an abundance of torque with economical high-speed driving, to reversible Sport Plus and manual control, where everything depends on the driver's conscience and skill. . Skills are necessary, because between touching the shift plate and the gear shift itself there is a certain period of time during which a rather awkward situation arises - during a pause, the engine reaches maximum speed and stops with a limiter, and the driver impatiently pulls the plate with hope. something has to happen. In the Ferrari 458 Italia, the same gearbox performs its duties much more flexibly and perfectly responds to the temperament of the Italian with its ultra-responsive suspension.

Price comparison

Initially, the SLS chassis is quite responsive to the tasks assigned to it, but the high-speed passage of long bumps in the road is transmitted to the driver and his companion in the form of small vertical shocks - a typical compromise between sporty rigidity and acceptable comfort in everyday life. which is what the AMG engineers had to do. From this point of view, it is not clear why Mercedes does not offer the possibility of ordering an adaptive suspension system (which is available in the E-Class), but is limited to the possibility of installing an even more impressive Performance package. At the same time, the Ferrari 458 Italia has already set the bar high in terms of sports suspension at the moment - adaptive dampers perfectly meet various requirements, such as unconditional bump absorption and uncompromising track stiffness. Moreover, the Italian only looks more expensive than the SLS AMG with its 194 euros (in Germany) - if you add an extra charge to the AMG product for a system with ceramic brake discs (in 000 Italia this is standard) and a sports suspension, then the base 458 352 lv. The rebound is much higher.

On the other hand, the SLS's vertically opening doors guarantee you the attention of a Hollywood star wherever you go. In addition, this design takes care of your physical condition by applying the principles of stretching with each ascent and descent. It all starts with bending the handle at the level of the calf, which comes out of the body when you press the remote control. Then the door is lifted and a chamber limbo-rock performance is played, with the ultimate goal of falling into the armrests of the seat without awkward hesitation and ridiculous bruising with more confusing than contagious consequences. And in the end - stretching huuuubavo with your left hand, which should catch and pull the door down until it closes completely. It is not at all clear how small guides will do this task, but it is certain that a simple classic-style leather loop will make this task much easier. One thing is for sure - the recently forgotten gentlemanly gesture of opening and closing the attendant's door in the SLS will be much more common than in any other modern car.

At the end of

Other than that, the AMG model doesn't require any special knowledge from its owner - the SLS gives beginners a sense of success despite being boring to get ahead. Ceramic brakes can literally nail a sports model into place, but such extremism does not exclude the possibility of accurately dispensing force with a soft and predictable pedal stroke. The roar of the mighty V8 is truly monumental, but Bang & Olufsen's precise audio system has every chance of dominating the intonation environment. The steering bites corners with gusto, but doesn't pull hard when cruising at high speeds on the highway. And although it weighs the same as the C 350, the aluminum giant flies weightlessly at 150 km/h around the test site pylons – noticeably faster than the lighter 230 kg Porsche 911 GT3 (147,8 km/h) and very close to achievement. almost 300 kilograms lighter than the Ferrari 430 Scuderia with its 151,7 km / h.

In any case, the SLS manages to play the role of the perfect link between the Mercedes series and the commitment to the Formula 1 brand. This makes it a truly worthy successor to the mythical Flügeltürer 300 SL and a clear proof that Stuttgart has not forgotten. how supersports are made.

Text: Marcus peters

a photo: Hans-Dieter Zeufert

Doors explode

There is nothing dramatic. This is an old one that worries owners of cars with vertically opening doors - how to get out of a crushed body after a possible rollover if the car is on the roof? It is obvious that, unlike ordinary doors, in such a situation, the functions of the “winged” design are naturally difficult, so Mercedes engineers resorted to heavy artillery - pyrotechnics. If the rollover sensors report that the sports car is on its roof as a result of the accident, the built-in explosion pods detonate the hinges and the detonation opens the door structure, which can now be easily pulled out by emergency crews.

Extended test program

The first AMG supersport model was subjected to a particularly severe test by Auto Motor und Sport. It included trials on the small Hockenheim circuit, where the SLS proved to be much more predictable and civilized on the circuit than expected. In addition, the road vehicle underwent nine extreme braking from 190 to 80 km / h, followed by repeated acceleration to 190 km / h and full braking. At the same time, the proposed additional ceramic discs reached temperatures of 620 degrees at the front wheels and 540 degrees at the rear wheels, respectively, without noticeable traces of reduced braking effect (so-called "damping"). The vertically opening model showed no weakness in wet braking tests with different grip under the left and right wheels.

Evaluation

Mercedes SLS AMG

AMG deserves congratulations on their first full solo piece. The bovine osmak loves revs, the activity on the road is phenomenal, the behavior for the driver is predictable. Only adaptive dampers are missing to improve driving comfort.

technical details

Mercedes SLS AMG
Working volume-
Power571 k.s. at 6800 rpm
Maximum

torque

-
Acceleration

0-100 km / h

3,9 with
Braking distances

at a speed of 100 km / h

33 m
full speed317 km / h
Average consumption

fuel in the test

16,8 l
Base Price352 427 levov

Add a comment