Guys from Gullwing America company who once wanted to build a replica of the legendary 300 SL Gullwing with the same classic shape, have no turned their attention to the new SLS and are planing to make their own Panamericana version of it! Apparently they didn’t like the appearance of the SLS so they facelifted it to look more classic, more 300 SL-ish! We think it’s a bit dull, we like the regular SLS much much more!

The Panamericana’s body kit is made from advanced materials, a hybrid of aluminum and carbon fiber, and consists of new head lights, revised front bumper, darkened grille, new side vents, modified fenders resembling the original SL and new chrome detailing. They also give you the racing stripes on the fenders, man! they are obsessed with the classic gullwing!

The car also has new sport mufflers, can be had with 19 or 20-inch wheels and comes with alcantara trimming for the interior. No changes have been made to the 6.3 liter 571 hp V8 engine.

2009 is the year of Gullwing! The original one is making a big come back with the SLS AMG, also we had the replica of the great Panamericana SL and now this, the replica of the 1950′s 300 SL. A remake of the original car with original look but modern parts under the body. Fabulous!

This modern 300 SL uses the AMG’s 5.0 liter V8 which even without the supercharger can produce 400 hp, and if that’s not enough we are glad to report that a 650 hp version is in the works! And when the roadster version comes out in 2010 it’ll get a 320 hp V6 as well.

The car is totally modernized, you even get the Merc’s 7-speed automatic gearbox with it! And all of the electronic gizmos you find in a standard 2009 car like ABS, traction control, stability control and… Even inside you get air condition and a navigation with GPS, bluetooth and Internet! which comes in a nice package looking like an old radio!

This is a fantastic car in which you can experience joys of classic motoring but without any of the drawbacks. Of course this package doesn’t come cheap! It starts from 165,000 Euros and only 30 units can be produced in a year so there will be a long waiting list too it takes between 10 to 18 months to reach you.

gullwing-cars.de

As you see from the renderings they have released the car looks intact original, just! And it will have enough power to live up with its great name. For 2009 it’ll get a version of AMG 5.5 liter V8 without the superecharger, almost same engine as SLK55 AMG, with 370 hp and 530 nm of torque. While later on in 2010 you can have it with a V6 from Mercedes 350 models, which will be good for around 320 hp.

Whatever the engine and whatever the costs, as far as it looks like this, it is a must have for every petrolhead!

Press Release

Here is the the rebirth of an Icon, the 2009 300 SL Panamericana, based on a Reproduction from Hoope’r, Gullwing-AG in Germany, who produce the closest model you can get to the real thing. Arturo Alonso and his company, Gullwing-America , modified this already outstanding automobile into an exotic for the 21st century.

A combination of the Glorious Carrera Panamericana cars of the 50′s and new technology, they came out with this incredible sports car, Alonso himself raced the Carrera for years in a Mercedes 300SE, where the passion for this legendary Race and the Mercedes was born.

The 300SL body is constructed with the use of aircraft composite technology. This construction comprises of a sprayed layer of aluminum to a thickness of .5mm into the mold over which an epoxy adhesive is laid and several layers of 7oz woven glass cloth are then applied with epoxy resin.

Chassis is made from RHS steel reinforced and powder coated, has independent suspension with adjustable coil overs, four wheel disk brakes, a 5.5 liter Mercedes engine, (M-133-55) the one used on the AMG Mercedes models and the SLR, mated to a six speed transmission, special made radiator and exhaust system.

The Panamericana will have a re tuned electronics raising the HP about 370, 530nm of torque @5400RPM. The car will sit lower, have speedtronic transmission, side mufflers, no bumpers, a special grill, four spoke leather steering wheel with power assist, a start button, A/C , a four point harness, Becker Mexico Radio with CD and I pod adapter, and fitted leather luggage. It also includes specially made old school 17 X 8 AMG wheels all around with 235/45/17 Continental Sport contact tires, AMG calipers painted in red, HID headlights, and stripes on the fenders like the “Works” Cars from La Barrera.

For 2010 there will also be the option for the new V6 Mercedes engine (M-272-E35) used on the 350 Models, which has almost the same power of the V8 ( 320HP And 360nm torque @4900RPM)) and could be ordered with a manual six speed.

The cars will all be painted in silver with blue accents in the front fenders like the race cars of the Panamericana, there is the option of a white with red stripes and a Black version. The interiors will be red cover in leather and plaid cloth, typical from that model; The instrument panel is identical as the original 300Sl.

Gullwing-America thinks that this is a true rebirth of the legendary 300SL Gullwing. Updated with technology from 50 years later, the car will be more powerful and handle better than the original. It will be a very drivable car with all the convenient accessories like air conditioning, power steering, etc. from modern cars.

For price and more information contact Arturo Alonso at info@gullwing-america.com

Before you get too excited with these renderings of the Mercedes SLS AMG, we have to point out that we’ve seen pictures of the finished product (but can’t show them to you yet, sorry!) and it’s different! This drawing are about 70% the actual car. Anyway, as the world awaits the SLS, looks like a topless variant is in the works too!

With the Gullwing set to launch in 2011, one may think that the roadster version would come at least a year after that, reviving the legendary 300 SL roadster. The most significant change for the roadster  course will be the loss of Gullwing doors which are hinged to the roof, so if there’s no metal roof, there will be no Gullwings too!

The technical details would be identical to the SLS coupe, a big V8 with more than 570 hp and a dual-clutch gearbox, 0-60 in 3 and some seconds and top of just over 200mph. But as for the price, given the price of the coupe which would be close to 200k Euros, put another hundred on it and that would seem reasonable!!

source: Automobile Magazine

Mercedes has released the official sketches of the upcoming SLS AMG Gullwing supercar as a preview, sorta teaser plus some shots of the interior design. Judging on these sketches, you have to say it is a decent replacement for the mighty SLR.

Beside the sketches, we also had some renderings you might want to observe, but we have to wait until more clear images surface to see what’s what. For now let’s just talk about the fully revealed interior.

The cabin features a classic layout emphasized with those circular air vents. The dashboard lines resembles the original 300 SL as well. This retro theme has a great contrast with the modern ingredients of the car, like the big central monitor, or the brilliant trip computer in the front panel, there is also a nice set of LED lights which turn red as the car revs up . Also That line of chunky dial and buttons on the mid console makes you feel you are in the cockpit of a fighter bomber!

With all that leather and carbon fiber it’s a very nice place to be in, however it’s not flawless. For example there are too many buttons and knobs which is not cool and that steering wheel from the SL is not very supercarish!

The SLS AMG Gullwing will go on sale next year as the 2011 model.

Nigo, Japanese fashion designer and music producer who has a long history in ruining great cars with his stupid camouflaged liveries, had ordered a bespoke 1954 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing to AMG. Now apparently the car is ready!

This camouflage livery is the trademark of his clothing brand the Bape, and for that reason it might be cool. But a car like 300 SL has too much dignity for such customizations! and I think this is the most stupid thing you can do with a classic Gullwing, if you can afford one! The car also has a 6.0 liter AMG V8 bespoke engine.

via: HypeBeast

Mercedes Benz has started a big media campaign for their upcoming super car, the SLS AMG Gullwing. They are actually making a story of it, from its birth, development, testings and… and you know what, it deserves this much attention!

After the ‘official’ spy photos which Mercedes themselves put out, now comes the videos! Showing the car during its test sessions in Sweden, Laredo and Pikes Peak. There is also a promo film.

This 580 horsepower retro style supercar is probably the most important launch we are expecting in 2010. You can see the SLS renderings HERE.

Without exaggeration, the most exciting car the world is waiting for is this Mercedes Benz SLC AMG Gullwing. These are the latest spy pictures showing a white prototype out for a walk outside Mercedes R&D center in Germany. Although covered very well in tapes, yet the sills are uncovered and the deployable spoiler at the back would be the production version. A glimpse over the tapes also reveals that tail lights have similar texture as the SLR. As we covered it earlier the SLC Gullwing will get a 580hp V8, but we have to wait until 2010 Geneva Motorshow to see it. Pictures aftter the jump…

source: iMotor

The new Mercedes flagship supercar is confirmed for, not this year’s, but 2010 Geneva Motorshow and will come in both coupe and roadster forms. The retro-designed Merc with gullwing doors ranks below the outgoing Mclaren SLR as it’s powered by an AMG V8 with 580hp and 640nm, which is a bit disappointing as we expect it to be more powerful than the SLR. Afterall, with the SLR gone, this SLC will be the company’s flagship model.

A year after the coupe, a roadster version will appear which has conventional doors. Technical specs are the same for both cars and will guarantee under 4 seconds acceleration and top speed of over 300kmh. Mercedes has plans to deliver 6000 units of this car for price of several hundred thousands Euros.

AMUS

This is gonna be one of the most important news of the year! Mercedes is working on the next generation SLK and apparently it’s Gullwing, a smaller version of forthcoming SLC supercar, and it’s a hybrid! Hold on a minute! Gullwing? So SLK won’t a roadster no more? Or maybe it’s a top-of-the-range flagship variant of the next gen SLK? Actually because it’s hybrid, designers, returning to Gullwing shape, moved the doors on the roof so side sills can be large enough to house batteries. Fabulous! If you wanna make a hybrid this is the way you should do it!

It’s likely the range-topping SLK will use the same advanced lithium-ion battery technology as the Blue Zero E-Cell concept which debuted at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this month. It has batteries that drive an electric motor, and the model can run for around 120 miles before needing to be recharged.

In the SLK, this combination will be teamed with a petrol engine, possibly a development of the 3.5-litre V6 used in the current car. With a brake-energy regeneration system – like the KERS set-up on this season’s Formula One cars – plus stop-start, the SLK Gullwing would be extremely efficient, with fuel economy of around 40mpg and CO2 emissions of 150g/km.

Performance will be superb, too. Combined with the V6 engine, the petrol-electric set-up would have as much torque as a regular V8. And with the electric motor assisting the engine under full throttle and up hills, owners could expect awesome acceleration, with 0-60mph in five seconds and a top speed of 155mph. Fine-tuning of the performance and handling is likely to be carried out by Mercedes’ AMG division.

The baby Gullwing is still some way off yet, though. It’s likely that the new SLK range will go on sale in 2011, with this flagship version arriving in 2012. The SLK will continue to be rear-wheel drive, although changes to the line-up will include a slight increase in size, and the availability of a folding glass roof for the first time.

Mercedes’ new SLK is not the only major development at the smaller end of the firm’s range. It is also planning a new front-wheel-drive A-Class-based roadster, which would gun for BMW’s 1-Series Convertible. It’s expected to arrive in 2010, and will draw its styling inspiration from the Vision SLA concept car.

Great! Return of Gullwing is a fantastic news. Of course we have to wait until 2011 or 12 to see this car but the SLC is about to come in next few month. If next SLK is so great this new SLC supercar is going to be a masterpiece.  And maybe this is the start of a new Gullwing era, maybe more is to come…

source : Autoexpress