There was always a question mark over whether Mercedes-Benz could take the SLS AMG Gullwing and successfully turn it into a soft-top roadster. But would there be enough of the coupe left to make the roadster a standout?The answer is yes, judging by the first official photos of the car, which will debut at Frankfurt motor show in September and arrive on our shores early in 2012 with a price tag tipped to be a fair bit more than the coupe's $468,820 RRP.The SLS AMG Roadster features a light-framed triple-layer fabric roof that helps keep both weight and the centre of gravity down, and opens and closes in a swift 11 seconds at driving speeds of up to 50km/h. The roof – available in beige, black and a very attention-seeking red – wastes very little boot space, reducing the capacity by 3 litres to offer 173 litresAt just 40kg heavier than the Coupe at 1660kg, the Roadster will carry the same drivetrain -- a 420kW/650Nm 6.2-litre V8 mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission -- and get to 100km/h in a matching 3.8 seconds, with top speed limited to 317km/h. Fuel economy under the official European calculations is 13.2L/100km with CO2 emissions of 308gh/kmUnder the skin is a lightweight aluminium spaceframe -- with extra rigidity to compensate for being lidless -- and three-mode adaptive suspension, while it rolls on 19-in front wheels and 20-in rear.
The equipment list includes all the leather, comfort and techno tricks you’d expect as standard at this level of luxury and performance, plus the option in Europe of a race-bred telemetry system.
No comments:
Post a Comment