Gullwing America takes on Mercedes' latest supercar, creates SLS Panamericana
Gullwing America SLS Panamericana - click above image for high-res gallery
Few cars are as classic and iconic as the original Gullwing, also known as the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Created by a loophole in racing rules when MB realized that, "Nowhere is it written that a door can only open sideways." Hence, Mercedes was allowed to retain the strength of the 300SL's (as well as the 300SLR's) tubular space frame by hinging the doors from the roof. A legend, as they say, was born.
Fast-forward more than fifty years and Mercedes-Benz (via AMG) is about to launch a new gullwing, this time called the SLS AMG. While it's no doubt a great car (553 horsepower tends to do that), some might say it's slightly lacking in the retro SL looks department. Enter Gullwing America (you might remember their updated 300SL) and their new SLS Panamericana.
Created to be a more proper "300SL from the 21st century," the Panamericana consists of seven body pieces including the all important "eyebrows" on top of the fenders. Everything is made from either lightweight aluminum or carbon fiber. Plus, you get those snazzy racing stripes. As well as a swath of Alcantara on the seats set off by contrast stitching. You also get a set of GWA wheels, 19-inchers up front, 20-inches in the rear. While we do like most of what we see, we're honestly not sold on the brows... how about you? Thanks to everyone for the tips!
Gallery: Gullwing America SLS Panamericana
[Source: Gullwing America]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
revaholic 12:42PM (11/05/2009)
Any way you spin it, this thing is still unattractive.
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Imag 2:05PM (11/05/2009)
I'm waiting for someone to fix the trunk.
Yaroukh 4:12PM (11/05/2009)
yeah, and now the front end sucks as well
dukeisduke 12:46PM (11/05/2009)
FAIL.
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grand poobah 12:49PM (11/05/2009)
How about a bloody manual gearbox?
Everyone is tooling around with their 7-spd automatics, here's a thought: if you want retro sports car, first thing you do is put in a proper manual, tools.
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Sofa King Fast! 12:50PM (11/05/2009)
Doing this to an SLS should be illegal.
What's with the red flashes behind the lights?
Those brows remind me of those lame snap-in wheel covers you used to see over the rear wheels of cadillac's and oldsmobiles. Horrible. Tacky.
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Wyce 12:52PM (11/05/2009)
Exactly what I was thinking when I saw those, uh, "eyebrows" over the wheels.
Vettro07 1:32PM (11/05/2009)
So wrong so very very wrong! Why are we so overly RETRO obsessed (Challenger) ! Retro is just supposed to take icon styling motifs and blend them with modern style... in other words exactly what AMG did with the SLS. If you go too retro what happens next? Do you create something completely new? What will the next challenger look like? It will probably will just die like the challenger of the day. GO AMG! You did it right!
stecki 12:51PM (11/05/2009)
no.
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rodhalligan 12:58PM (11/05/2009)
is this a joke - Mercedes should be shutting down Gullwing America and Autoblog shouldn't be covering their "renderings".... (have they built anything?). That thing is soooo ugly. The only thing that should happen to the SLS is for AMG to get the Black happening asap
here is a much better look at the SLS
http://www.car-of-the-day.com/2009/09/car-of-day-mercedes-benz-sls-gullwing.html
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efw 1:07PM (11/05/2009)
lose the mini headlights and lame fender flares and we will talk.
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LimeDaiquiri 1:16PM (11/05/2009)
A mess.
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This Man. 1:22PM (11/05/2009)
GO SPEED RACER, GO SPEED RACER!
Even the Mach 5 would throw up at the sight of this!
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High 1:35PM (11/05/2009)
This thing is just as ugly as the original, however I'm pretty sure to most on here this falls into that category of it's so ugly that only someone with "taste" could like it. Sort of like those uptight foodies who say they would prefer to eat blood covered pig intestines rather than a McDonald's hamburger because they taste "soo much better". Get over yourselves people, this and any other variation of this car is hideous and you know it.
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JMills 1:43PM (11/05/2009)
Wow, it does look like they used MINI Cooper headlights, weird. I like the stock version better.
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Artega 1:51PM (11/05/2009)
What the hall have they done to the SLS!!! omg couldn't get worse. The guys which made that should stop doing ANYTHING about cars. Making a seriously nice looking car that ugly should be punished. Really.
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jtburkett 2:24PM (11/05/2009)
Terrible.
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MX5 Roadster 2:36PM (11/05/2009)
Do. Not. Want.
Looks like something only a Mitsuoka fan would desire.
Throwing every retro cliché in the book at a car doesn't mean you'll get a tasteful design. In fact, it usually has the opposite effect. Like this.
And it's the second epic design fail that starts with "Panamer" and ends in disaster.
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Chubaka 2:38PM (11/05/2009)
This things looks ridiculous...like a stunted, prematurely born, mutated version of the SLS. Not to mention it just looks...dumb?
You never go full retard...
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Bob-E-Q 2:53PM (11/05/2009)
WTF?
It looks one of those awful AMG body kits from the 80's.
What a horrible thing to do to such a beautiful car!
I just threw up in my mouth a little!
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