Mercedes-AMG are creating the last few SLS cars as we speak.
The SLS AMG GT Final Edition, unveiled simultaneously at the Tokyo and LA Motor Shows signals the last SLS models which Mercedes and AMG will produce. The SLS replaced the SLR back in 2010 and now, four years later, will see its final numbers roll out. The 350 Roadster versions of the SLS AMG GT Final Edition being created now, will be delivered to customers over the remainder of the year.
It also signifies the end of the 6.3-litre naturally-aspirated behemoth, which in the GT models, produced 591 PS and 650 Nm of torque. In the more mental Black Series, it made a ridiculous 631 PS at mind-blowing engine speeds. The engine was also under the bonnets of the C63 AMG and the Edition 507, with 457 and 507 PS respectively, and the C-Class too, is bowing out. Like the SLS, it too, will be sorely missed.
The replacement for the SLS AMG is the new AMG GT, which, like the new AMG C-Class, will be powered by the new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, albeit with 510 PS and 650 Nm of torque. The new M178 3,982cc V8 engine uses the same bore and stroke configuration as the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol motor in the 45 AMG line, and going by the outputs of those engines, we are sure AMG is only scratching the surface of the performance plane the new M178 is capable of.
The AMG GT will also be, in all probability, the new Formula 1 Safety Car. The SLS has had that role for the past few years as well. For fans of the Gullwing Coupé, this is a sad time, watching the sun going down on an iconic AMG.
Story: Jim Gorde
