2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe review notes

We're suckers for gullwing doors

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is an attention grabber, especially with the doors up.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

The 6.2-liter V8 engine makes 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

Comfort mode provides a decent-at-best ride, but bump it up to sport or sport plus and the SLS AMG is a ton of fun.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

The sound from the SLS AMG's exhaust is intoxicating and loud.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

Inside the SLS AMG has a two-tone interior wrapped in leather and suede.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

The seats provide decent support and comfort, which is good for longer trips.

By: on 1/07/2013

DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe drew more attention than just about anything I've ever driven. Credit the doors, really -- even if folks were unfamiliar with the car's $200,000-plus price tag or its sub-four-second to 60-mph performance, two gull-wing doors in the up position yielded camera clicks, stares, catcalls and thumbs-up from nearly everyone past whom we rolled.

So the SLS is a supreme attention-getter; that might be enough for some buyers. They'll also need to be willing to wedge themselves into the tight confines of this strict two-seater; even the cupholders are inconvenient, and the trunk is barely big enough to transport two carry-on bags. The space restrictions limit the car's usefulness as a grand tourer, relegating it more to the supercar class where its performance specs dictate it should live anyway.

The car certainly sounds the part: AMG's hand-built V8 is a monster with instant power and an overrun that would sound familiar to any Le Mans enthusiast. I'm not as big a fan of the seven-speed DCT gearbox; shifts are quick, but there's some looseness in the initial take-up and during low-speed driving. A proper manual transaxle (the gearbox is mounted in the rear and incorporates the final drive) would be sublime, though the DCT's automatic shifting provisions are no doubt preferable to the coupe's customer base.

Overall, the SLS is an outstanding supercar. I'll take mine without the $15,000 in carbon-fiber accents, though.



I thought the ride was good in comfort mode, though you don't want to push the car around in that setting -- it will become pitchy. Sport and/or sport plus will help you fling it around some, though.

The gullwing doors are novel and work well; they're light, easy to open and close, and these are what will bring out the neighbors for an ogle or two. They could be power doors I suppose, but then you'd have the motors mounted high -- extra weight where you don't want weight.

There's no point in bringing up the price. I don't buy that it's a concern in this stratosphere. I'm guessing in the personal fleet one would have this, a roadster version, a Bentley Continental GT, Porsche 911 Turbo and perhaps an all-wheel-drive S-class or Audi A8 for winter.

It is tempting to think of the SLS as a poseur's car. I couldn't disagree more. I want more time in it for evaluation purposes. . . . Please?

ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: Like the guys above said, on Woodward Avenue this thing was a stunner. But this car isn't meant to creep up the boulevard; it's for hammering down the expressway at triple-digit speeds. At full power the SLS sounds, like Wes said, a NASCAR racer. In second gear, with all the windows down, the SLS just screams. And that sound on high-rpm shifts? Is that the overrun? It's possibly the sweetest sound my ears have ever heard. This may have an overhead cam, but at wide-open-throttle it sounds like pushrods.

Steering is direct and from what I remember about my time on GingerMan Raceway, it's much easier than you'd expect to point that long nose at the apex and actually hit it. The suede or Alcantara wheel feels good in the hand and I'd bet it would soak up all the hand sweat from a long day at the track. Who knows what it might look like in 10 years, but hey, there's always a tradeoff. The tires are a mile wide and during low-speed parking-lot maneuvers, the steering wheel takes some effort to turn. It makes little squeaky noises as the rubber slides across the pavement.


Also on the dual-clutch, it's just not perfect, sometimes you want a gear and it just won't give it to you. It could be because of the revs or speed, but on a manual-tranny car, you can just jam into your gear of choice and motor on.

The seats are a bit of an enigma. They look like they should be comfortable and supportive, but they're not. The bolsters are good when you push them all the way in, but my back started hurting after a few hours. In fact, it still hurts a bit now.

The SLS AMG is every bit a supercar and it comes with a supercar price. If you're playing in this rarified air the choices will be between this, an Aston Martin V12 Vantage and a Ferrari 458 Italia. Each of which says something different about the driver. You just have to figure out what you want your car to say about you.

NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: First of all, let's be clear. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a $215,000 dream car. It's about as close to a faultless machine as there is on Earth. But it's not perfect, and if you have the money, you should drive other options to see what fits your individual taste, because, really, everything is going to be largely superlative. Here's my take on this specific SLS:

The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is intense and aggressive. This is a supercar, so know that going in. I agree the shifts can be relatively violent at low speed, though they're graceful on the expressway for building momentum and propelling this machine to velocity. Acceleration is truly heroic. It's unbelievable how effortlessly it can reach high speed. And the sounds you hear en route -- wow. A naturally aspirated V8 growls, roars, howls and is completely intoxicating. I often drove with the windows down just to soak it all in.

I love the looks. I had a 1957 Gullwing Hot Wheel as a child, and driving this modern Mercedes was a bit surreal. The long hood, the graceful grille, the headlights -- it's a work of art. Add in the vents, carbon fiber and Le Mans red paint, and it's a striking exterior. The black and tan seats and gorgeous silver-colored gauges are romantic. It's a bit tight, but it fit my 5-foot-9-inch frame fine. I did whack my head on the gullwing more than once. I'd learn to live with that. The steering offers excellent weight and the chassis is properly tight. It would be invigorating to take this thing on a road course and truly make use of its sporting character. As luxurious as the SLS is -- it still felt extremely athletic to me.


However, my respect for the SLS runs even deeper than the doors and the thunderous drivetrain. We have to go back two years when we did our super-car wishbook story for the magazine where we had the SLS on-track along with a Ferrari 458 Italia and Dodge Viper ACR. You don't truly know a car until you have adequate time to drive it at the limit on a track and that's exactly what we did. The car's stiff on-road ride was forgiven with the way it tracked through turns with plenty of grip and composure. The direct steering made placing the car where you wanted it, when you wanted it a snap, and the roar of the naturally aspirated V8 was pure music.

During this stint with the SLS, we didn't have a track, but all those good memories came rushing back once I reached up, pulled down to shut the door and fire the engine. Without question this is a world-class car deserving of the consideration from all supercar enthusiasts.


Still, if the only thing I'm harping about is the interior design, that's pretty darn good in my book. And the transmission's full automatic mode isn't exactly slick, but that's just more reason to just use the paddles -- they're more fun anyway.

Either way, we need to get one of these back on a track. Better yet, let's get the SLS AMG Black Series model.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG coupe

Base Price: $192,175

As-Tested Price: $215,025



Curb Weight: 3,573 lb


AW Observed Fuel Economy: 14.5 mpg

