Autoblog

Shooting the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Zach Bowman — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Etc., Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

If you've ever glanced through a new vehicle's official PR photographs and wondered exactly what went into their creation, we have something special for you. Mercedes-Benz has released a quick video detailing the work involved in photographing the company's SLS AMG Roadster. Let's just say it wasn't one guy in a parking lot with a point-and-shoot. The endeavor looks to have taken more talent than a shuttle launch to execute, with Michael and Ralf Schumacher on hand as models, multiple grips, and arsenal of photo technology. Color us jealous.

We think that the SLS AMG Roadster looks sexy in any situation, but the professional photography sure doesn't hurt, either. Hit the jump to check out the making-of video for yourself.

Continue reading Shooting the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

Shooting the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster [w/videos]

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives, Luxury

How This Supercar Fares Without Its Signature Doors

There are several ways to get to Monte Carlo once you've landed in Nice. There's the train, a 23-minute meandering trek over and through the wooded undulations of the intervening cities that deposits you at Monte Carlo's downtown station. There's a taxi, more than 30 times the cost of a train, and it takes twice as long, but it does offer service porte à porte. Or there's Heli Air Monaco with a fleet of choppers stationed at the Nice airport. Those fine gents can get you to the Monaco heliport in eight minutes, floating past seafront redoubts and over an azure Mediterranean dotted with billions of dollars of sailing and motor yachts.

Of those three modes of transport, only one is appropriate when Mercedes has invited you to Monte Carlo to drive its new SLS AMG Roadster. We offered the appropriate "Mercis" to our chopper pilot for providing a smooth ride.

The SLS AMG was introduced at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The roadster was engineered alongside the coupe, but it's taken two years to remove the top for public purposes. It will take you two minutes of top-down driving to begin quoting high school poetry in homage to it: "Come with me and be my love," you'll coo, "and we will all the pleasures prove...."

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster [w/videos]

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Celebrities, Luxury

Roger Federer drives the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster - Click above to watch video after the jump

It's not always the lucky automotive journalists that get first crack at the world's newest automobiles. Sometimes an automaker will hand over the keys to someone more... special. Mercedes-Benz has done just that, giving tennis superstar Roger Federer some seat time in the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster.

Federer is very impressed with the car, and we're very impressed with the glass-smooth desert road he found to push the Merc's pedal down to the carpet. The new droptop is a looker that also makes truly glorious noises thanks to its 563-horsepower 6.3-liter V8. We suggest you see and hear for yourself in the video posted after the jump.

We bet Federer's just happy he's not facing Rafael Nadal in a race...

Continue reading Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster

Roger Federer ditches racquet for SLS AMG Roadster originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster hits the web with online configurator

Noah Joseph — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

Everyone's got their compulsions: Touching wet paint, licking a metal pole outdoors in the winter, pushing that kid into the swimming pool... you know, the usual. But Mercedes-Benz is more constructive with its own brand of obsessions.

When Mercedes makes a sportscar, they just have to turn it into a convertible. The SL may the best most obvious example, but take a look also at the SLR McLaren, which spawned three roadster versions, the Le Mans-derived CLK GTR, which was offered as a convertible (albeit in very limited quantities), or the touring car-derived CLK DTM, which was offered as a cabrio as well. Noticing a trend here?

Now Mercedes has released its latest flagship convertible in the SLS AMG Roadster, and all is right in the world once again. But knowing it's out there is one thing. Playing around with one is another. Unfortunately, most of us will never get that chance, but whether you have the means to actually place an order for one or not, you can at least play around with the new online configurator.

The tool allows you to choose from nine exterior colors (most of them various shades of silver), seven interior leather choices, three convertible top colors and four different sets of wheels. Follow the link to check it out for yourself.

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster hits the web with online configurator originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster is a topless beauty

Aaron Richardson — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Europe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2012 SLS AMG Roadster - Click above to watch the video after the jump

On the heels of its official unveiling, Mercedes-Benz has dropped a video of the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster in its natural habitat. Let the ogling begin. If you were floored by the still shots of the latest confection from AMG, the video will leave you gibbering lump.

Though the Roadster loses the coupe's iconic gullwing doors, it keeps its performance credentials and only gains a scant 88 pounds. Power doesn't budge, but somehow Mercedes claims the topless SLS is quicker than the coupe to 60 by one hundredth of a second. That isn't much, but quicker is quicker. To see the newest SLS in action, click past the jump.

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster is a topless beauty

2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster is a topless beauty originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 May 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster trades gullwings for a soft-top

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz has pulled the wraps off its latest supercar, the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster. Gone are the gullwing doors and fixed roof; in their place are traditional entry-ports and a folding cloth softtop. The car is still undergoing testing, but these shots reveal far more of the car than we've previously seen in various spy photos. A more polished version will be revealed to the world at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

Before the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster hits the show circuit, it needs to spend some more time with Mercedes' engineers. The MB team has put a lot of work into this drop-top SLS, and ditching the fixed roof has required more than simply taking a sawzall to the bodywork.

Though the aluminum spaceframe was originally developed with both a coupe and convertible in mind, Benz engineers added beefier side-skirts to the roadster. This allows for improvements in both crash performance and overall rigidity. Further aiding in the quest for increased strength, a cross-member that supports the dashboard was given additional bracing at both the window frame and transmission tunnel. Despite this increased rigidity, the bodyshell of the SLS AMG Roadster weighs just five pounds more than the bodyshell of the SLS AMG Coupe.

Like its hardtop sibling, the roadster is capable of hitting an electronically limited top speed of 197 miles per hour. The convertible top is constructed from three layers of fabric, magnesium, steel and aluminum. It's lightweight, strong and can be opened or closed at speeds up to 31 miles per hour.

You can see the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster being put through the testing paces by clicking through the gallery below. Be sure to click past the jump to read more about the new SLS convertible in the full press release.

Continue reading 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster trades gullwings for a soft-top

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster trades gullwings for a soft-top originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 May 2011 03:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster hits the track and the town

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster - Click above for high-res image gallery

A note to prospective buyers of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: you might want to wait a bit longer to hand over your hard-earned gold bullion. The roadster version should be arriving very soon, provided you're willing to give up the coupe's gullwing doors for a bit of open sky. Spy photographers have caught the drop-top Merc pushing around the Nürburgring then taking in the sights around town. Sporting only a dash of camo, this shows us that Mercedes is close to showing the world a production version of the SLS AMG Roadster.

Once on sale, it will pose a buying conundrum for Three-Pointed Star devotees looking for a new supercar. You might have to give up the hardtop's charismatic doors, but at least you'll also hear more of the devilish gargle produced by the SLS' 563-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8. Decisions, decisions...

Gallery: Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster hits the track and the town originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster caught winter testing ahead of mooted Frankfurt debut

Noah Joseph — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:27:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

What do you call a gullwing without the gullwing doors? A roadster, of course, and according to the latest reports, that's precisely what Mercedes-Benz has in store for us at the Frankfurt Motor Show next year.

The reports stem from an interview given by AMG boss Ola Kallenius in Auto Motor und Sport, outlining what the Silver Star performance studio has in the pipeline. Among them is the long-anticipated convertible version of the Benz SLS AMG supercar, which will come as a welcome improvement for many.

The upward lifting doors on the SLS coupe may be the car's party piece, but not everyone has fallen in love with them - the roadster will offer the same retrotastic styling and the same 560-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine, plus the wind-in-your-hair factor and sans the showy portals.

A prototype of the SLS droptop has just been spotted undergoing winter testing, and this is the first time we can recall seeing the canvas roof unadorned by camouflage, giving us a better look at what the finished car will look like. Check out out in our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

[Source: Mercedes-Benz Passion via Motorward | Images: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster caught winter testing ahead of mooted Frankfurt debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS roadster spotted in Affalterbach

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

2012 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Roadster - Click above for high-res image gallery

Our man Chris Paukert had a layover in Germany this weekend on his way to the Geneva Motor Show that included a visit to the headquarters of AMG in Affalterbach. While there, a prototype SLS AMG Roadster made a suspiciously timed pass and pause while he and other journalists were walking around the compound. No matter the motivation, our man Paukert snagged a brace of shots and says that the droptop is expected to arrive as a 2012 model.

Aside from the folding top in place of the upward swinging gullwing doors, not much else is expected to change. Paukert got off-the-record confirmation from a company official, however, that the roadster will not immediately receive the new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 that is going into the 2011 S63 sedan. Instead, it will carry over the 563-horsepower, normally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 already on sale in the coupe.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS Roadster

Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS roadster spotted in Affalterbach originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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