The new gullwing from Mercedes-Benz: the sports car to fly

Wednesday, 15 April 2009 02:13 Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 April 2009 23:35

The German brand Mercedes-Benz presents a sports car born to fly: The Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS. The super sports, passion with his load of unique technology:  aluminum body and chassis with gullwing doors, front central engine V8 AMG 6.3 liters with 571 HP and dry sump lubrication, seven gear gearshift with double-clutch.

The unladen weight is 1620 Kg thanks to the use of aluminum body and chassis. Ideal weight distribution of 48/52 percent between the front and rear axles, as well as the low center of gravity increase the sportsmanship of this sports car.

This low weight resulting in a weight / power ratio of 2.84 kg / hp. The maximum torque of 650 Nm is reached at 4750 rpm in this suction engine. The gullwings accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 315 km/h.

Reinforced bedframe

The use of components with high stiffness, compensates the increased burden arising from increased engine power. Forged pistons, a reinforced bedframe, the optimized structure of the crankcase and enhanced oiled with a high pressure pump are responsible for the durability of the group.

Despite the additional burdens and stresses of the material, the engine weight has been reduced, weighing 206 kg and producing a weight / power ratio for the engine of 0.36 kg / hp, which put it in a first class with long distance from its competitors. Additionally, due to measures taken in cooling and lubrication of the engine, its approved consumption does not exceed the  13 l/100 km.

The 6.3 liters V8 engine of AMG delivers its abundant power through a ultralight carbon fiber shaft, similar to that is used in the C-Class DTM. The gearshift is mounted on the rear axle (transaxle layout) and is connected to the engine through a pipe that houses the shaft.

Self locking differential

The advantages of this sophisticated solution are associated with the rigidity of the connection between the engine and the gearshift necessary due the enormous torque delivered. A new gearshift of AMG with seven-speed dual-clutch is responsible for transferring torque to the wheels without pulling when we change the gear.

The driver can choose between four types of scaling for the gearbox, from comfortable to sporty, including the role RACE START. The self locking differential, integrated into the gearbox, ensures optimal mobility.

The ceramic brake disks, with large diameter, weighs 40% less and the tires, especially developed for the SLS AMG, the 265/35 R 19 front and 295/30 R20 rear, are seeking an excellent grip and poise.