History behind Mercedes' new supercar

The 2011 SLS AMG

When legend and romance are commingled with the latest in automotive technology, the result can be sensational, and that pretty much describes the latest addition to the short but spectacular roster of Mercedes-Benz models that have merited “ubercar” status in the past six decades.

In fact, the just-launched SLS AMG is one of only three modern, post-Second World War, supercars that could be called series production cars.

The 2011 SLS AMG may have a retro look that pays homage to the fabulous 300SL “Gullwing” of the fifties and drives onto the scene through the fading cloud of tire smoke left by that cars spiritual successor the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, but is, as they were, a ground breaker and ground shaker in its own right.

It's the first complete model created by M-B's AMG performance division, which for the past four decades has been basically turning staid M-B production machinery into the Germanic equivalent of the North American hot-rod – but with more emphasis on overall performance than flame-painted style, of course.

AMG was founded in the late 1960s by a pair of racing enthusiasts who in 1971 created a racer out of the big 300SEL sedan, which won its class and went on to finish second in the 24-hour race at Spa-Franchorchamps in Belgium. It marked the beginning of a series of competition successes that saw AMG become the pre-eminent tuner of M-B products. After a lengthy association, M-B officially made it part of the company in 1999 and it now sells 20,000 AMG-badged units in a good year.

That number will augmented by the much higher volume (no official estimates available) of SLS sales M-B anticipates compared to the Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR. The 617 hp, half-million-dollar SLR was introduced in 2003 and production ended last year with less than 2,000 built.

A fourth, but little known, modern-era M-B supercar was the $1.5-million CLK GTR of 1998, of which only 25 were built by specialty firm HWA in Germany to homologate the M-B GT1 racing car.

The comparatively more affordable SLS will arrive here next year and while Canadian pricing has yet to be announced, M-B is taking European orders for about €150,000, the equivalent of $238,000 Canadian.

The SLS coupe (a convertible and possibly an electric version will follow) may not be quite as exotic as the SLR - the body and structure are aluminum rather than a carbon-fibre – but it's a potent piece, powered by AMG's 6.3 litre V-8 engine, tuned to produced 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, delivered to the wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.