Mercedes-Benz SLS GT3

While in New York attending the 2010 New York International Auto Show, we made sure to swing by the Mercedes booth to check out the new SLS GT3 customer race car. We told you about this rebirth of a legendary racing gullwing a few weeks ago but after seeing it in person, we had to do a follow-up.

As we mentioned before, AMG has been producing racing versions of Mercedes-Benz cars – and high performance street machines – for more than four decades. The new SLS sportscar is a retro reinvention of one of the most iconic road and race cars ever to wear the three-pointed star. The marriage of the two seemed like a natural fit, so when Mercedes announced it would be building a racing version of its latest gullwing, we were overcome with a sense of déjà vu.

The GT3 SLS will use the same 6.3-liter V8 as the road car, but the FIA will determine its final output for racing. The aerodynamic changes are what really set this SLS apart from its roadgoing sibling. The deep carbon fiber splitter, the giant rear wing, the massive hood duct, air intakes for brake cooling and cooling vents in the fenders all set this one apart.

In person the car is menacing and purposeful, still recognizable as an SLS, but far less stately, looking like it would scare the wits out of your fellow members at the country club. The interior gets a similar racecar makeover, having everything stripped out and refitted with just the basics. We actually had a chance to hear it running too, and we can tell you for a fact that you’ve never heard another SLS that sounds nearly as sweet.

For more than four decades, AMG has been producing racing versions of Mercedes-Benz cars, not to mention even higher performance versions of the company’s street cars. Today they announced the latest chapter in that long story, with the introduction of a GT3 spec version of the new SLS gullwing coupe.  It’s a customer car program that is set to begin sales this fall. AMG hopes to have the homologation process completed in time for the 2011 race season.

The GT3 SLS is powered by the same 6.3-liter V8 as the road car, but horsepower will be set by the FIA. One thing AMG has already determined is the aero package on the race car. The front end features a deep carbon fiber splitter that despite its size is dwarfed by the massive rear wing out back. The hood gets a large cooling duct,  there are brake cooling slats in the side skirts and fender vents behind the front wheels. The race spec SLS also gets full track features like a smooth underbody, rear diffuser, central-locking wheels and fuel filler pipes in the C-pillar.

Having a gullwing SL back on the track for the first time since the 1950s will be a fun bit of nostalgia for fans of the three-pointed star.

[Source: Autoblog]

This year’s Geneva Motor Show was definitely smaller than last year’s, but despite the show’s focus on all things green, one thing that didn’t get smaller was the horsepower rating of the engine in the latest Brabus super coupe. Dubbed simply the E V12 Coupe, it is based on the latest generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class and features another twin-turbo V12, this time displacing 6.3 liters and producing 800 horsepower and 1047 lb-ft torque. Brabus quotes a 0-100 km/h time of just 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 230 mph for this black beast.

Besides the upgraded engine, the E V12 Coupe also benefits from larger brakes, a Brabus-spec coilover suspension system, 19-inch wheels and a healthy dose of carbon fiber. The front spoiler, grille, front and rear fenders, rear diffuser, intake system, interior trim and seats are all made from the lightweight material. European buyers have first crack at it, needing 478,000 Euros (approximately $650,000 using today’s exchange rate) to secure one. In case you were wondering, that’s more than the cost of 13 regular E-Class Coupes.