Another take on the new Mercedes SLS Roadster, this time it’s Henry Catchpole from Evo Magazine at the wheel. The highlights of the Roadster include a very fast soft top, proper doors – which Henry don’t like apparently – and a greater experience mainly thanks to the fact that you can hear that V8 soundtrack even more clearly. This particular SLS with its perfect combination of red and black is an absolute stunner.

Autocar’s Vicky Parrott has been given the job to test the new Mercedes SLS Roadster to see if it’s as good as the coupe. After spending some time with the car on some twisty B roads, Vicky comes to conclusion that the Roadster drives just as good as the coupe, but it’s actually a better car because with the top down it’s even more fun and you can hear that magnificent V8 rumble even more clearly. We also like the Roadster better than the coupe because it has proper doors. The SLS Roadster is a truly stunning car, pretty much flawless.

Motor4toys charity car show is such a magnificent event. You get to spend time with a group of really cool people who have very cool cars, and it’s all for a good cause: helping children. Here’s another nice video from the show, featuring a new Mercedes SLS Roadster. The car wows the crowd with its hawking presence and brutal exhaust noise. We particularly love it one lift-off, that pop-pop-pop is just awesome.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Youtube.com/user/CarsandCoffeeIrvine

Brabus announced its latest creation, a 700-hp monster based on the new Mercedes SLS Roadster, to be reveal at the Essen Motor Show.

Official details of the car are yet to be released, the similarities between this and the hard-top Barbus SLS kinda make them easy to guess. Brabus recipe remains always the same: a subtle yet effective body kit, huge wheels in black, upgraded brakes, springs, active body control, and a reinforced gearbox to handle the torque of the heavily tuned engine.

That said the aero kit is different in places, probably because the Roadster has different characteristics than its gullwing brother and they need to re-engineer it.

It’s not a very pretty car to be honest, you could even call it ostentatious. But it’s got the presence, and one thing’s for sure, it’s gonna be hella fast! More details at the Essen Motor Show November 26.

Wanna know how the new Mercedes SLS Roadster feels like to drive? What are the differences over the hard-top? and how the car looks like in the real world, under the sun? Check out EVO’s Harry Metcalfe as he spends some time with the big German supercar in Southern France. The Roadster is a much nicer car than the normal SLS not just because of the roof, but because it doesn’t have those gullwing doors! They seem fun, but they’re such a hassle to use, and very very uncool.

Mercedes SLS Roadster receives its first after market treatment from Kicherer.

Similar to the Supersport GT SLS kit, Kicherer SLS Roadster also gets front spoiler and rear diffuser, and the world’s biggest mouth, which looks surprisingly good on the Roadster. It gives it a more retro look, which is cool.

The Roadster also comes with more power than the Supersport. The hardtop had 630 hp, but this one packs 650 hp and over 700 nm of torque, which means it can do 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 320 km//h.

Other goodies includes a set of three-part 20-inch RS-1 wheels, adjustable suspension, and stainless steel exhausts system for a greater soundtrack.

Here’s a hot out of oven video of Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster American debut at Laguana Seca Moto GP race. Why Moto GP? Because AMG has partnered with Ducati, and may even buy the Italian brand. The car present at the event was a Black Mercedes SLS Roadster with red roof, and it looks absolutely stunning. In this video Mercedes AMG USA product Manager Rob Moran talks you through some of the features of the car.

This new promotional video of the Mercedes SLS Roadster emphasizes on what this car is all about. That is pure driving pleasure. The SLS offers a driving experience like no other supercar and dropping the top only makes it better. If anything, you get to hear that simply awesome V8 machine gun-like noise even more clearly. And that is a huge part of this car’s appeal. You have to say, the scenery in this film is just swell and rally affects potential customers. I mean if I had $200K, I’d order a SLS Roadster right away!

Remember a couple of days ago we told you about Jay Leno’s trip to Stuttgart to visit AMG headquarters in Affalterbach. He started his tour of AMG by driving the new Mercedes SLS Roadster. The 571-hp drop-top supercar gave Mr. Leno a warm welcome with its awesome exhausts note, superb speed, and swell looks. Jay is the first person, reporter if you will, to drive this car and you can find out his verdict on the car in the video after the jump.

Jay Leno paid a one-day visit to AMG HQ in Affalterbach, test drove SLS Roadster and E-Cell, and hand-assembled an AMG V8 engine.

Ola Källenius, chairman of Mercedes AMG gave Jay a comprehensive tour of the company and then handed him keys to the new Mercedes SLS Roadster and an E-Cell concept. Leno also went to the AMG engine shop where he assisted in the assembly of an AMG 6.3 V8 engine for the SLS AMG. He installed the crankshaft, cylinder heads and even the wiring himself, and carried out the subsequent quality tests.

As it’s the AMG tradition, Jay Leno then applied an AMG engine plate bearing his signature to the completed eight-cylinder power unit. Jay made videos of his AMG tour, which will soon become available and we’ll bring them to you.

JL on SLS Roadster: “The SLS AMG Roadster delivers top performance. Whether the engine, transmission, handling or brakes – you feel that the engineers at AMG are serious! When I was 18 or 19 years old I worked for Mercedes-Benz in America. I knew about the test track in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim from films in which Mercedes sedans like the 220 SE or the 300 SEL 6.3 were driven through the banked curve. I have always wanted to see this for real. It took me over 40 years to do it, but now I’m here! It’s fantastic to drive the latest AMG models here on the test track today.“

JL on SLS E-Cell: “The power delivery from standstill is fantastic. It’s unbelievable how the 392 kW and 880 newton metres catapult the gullwing down the track. Very impressive, especially because you hear nothing except a little wind and tyre noise. And thanks to four-wheel drive, the SLS AMG E-CELL has no problem in bringing its enormous power onto the road. The performance and handling are every bit the equal of the SLS AMG with the V8 engine. This is the future! I have a Baker Electric dating from 1909 in my collection. It’s unbelievable how electric drive technology has developed over 100 years or so!“

Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Mercedes-AMG GmbH management board: “I am very pleased that such a passionate automobile fan as Jay Leno has found his way to AMG and Affalterbach. We are quite sure that during his test drives with the SLS AMG Roadster and the SLS AMG E-CELL, we were well able to deliver on our brand claim of “Driving Performance”. And Jay Leno also cut a fine figure as an M159 assembly technician in our engine shop!”

Jay Leno summed up his impressions very positively after his one-day visit to Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach: “AMG delivers unbelievable performance – whether by man or machine!”

A lot of you guys liked the Mercedes SLS Roadster promo film with Roger Federer we featured a while back. So we thought you might also like the making of-video of that film that Mercedes just released. And anyway, even if you don’t like Roger, just look at the car! What a fabulous machine.

So before the new Mercedes SLS Roadster hits the market, they’ve shipped one over to Dubai, apparently, for the tennis star Roger Federer to have a go. His comments are a bit cheesy to be honest, but whatever he says about the car’s power and performance and pleasure are absolutely true. The only thing we don’t like about the SLS Roadster is that chrome fuel filler cap. Why, why would you need that, it’s ghastly. Hope that’s an optional extra for idiots and not a standard feature of the car.

Here’s a perfect time waster! Mercedes had added the new SLS roadster to its online visualizer and let potential buyers and enthusiasts build their desired open-top 563 bhp supercar. The tool also includes the new AMG black wheels. So take your time, let your mind roam free and try every color combination. And try not to remember the car costs almost 200,000 euro! Here’s the link to Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster Visualizer.

We already have a very informative video of the new Mercedes SLS Roadster. But here’s a promo film, a beauty-riding-rolling-action sort of thing, that will make you want the car more and more. Try to imagine what a sensation it is hearing that unique V8 rumble with the top down, while tearing some twisty roads with 563 hp. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it. This video will visualize it for you. The SLS Roadster will cost  you near as makes no difference 200,000 euro. But given the amount of joy it will deliver, it is a bargain!

Following the official details and pictures of the new Mercedes SLS Roadster, no check out the first official video of the car that shows it to you on the move, and also the roof mechanism. It also tells you pretty much all you need to know about the car in brief sentences, but just to recap, the SLS Roadster has a 563 bhp V8 but the top speed is limited to 317 km/h because of the fabric roof which gos up and down electrically in eleven seconds and can be operated while on the move up to 50 km/h. The Roadster also has an air scarf system first introduced in the SLK. Market launch is planned for Fall 2011, with prices starting at just over 195,000 euros in Germany. We love this car, big time!

First official details and pictures of the absolutely superb Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster revealed.

This is basically a SLS without the roof and with proper normal doors. So you still get the thrilling experience of 563 bhp, brutal exhaust noise, savage speed and if the mood takes you, lots of sideways action. Only now people won’t think of you as a show off because there’s no gullwing doors. What’s more you can hear the amazing V8 bellow even more clearly with the top down. We think it looks brilliant. That cloth roof boosts the retro-classic style of the car. That is just swell.

Of course if you get one of these people will come to you saying the roadster is heavier and not as good to drive as the hardtop. But who cares, the SLS has always been a bit lairy and that’s what makes it so awesome. This car is all about fun and the roadster has that plenty.

The car features a three-layered fabric soft top that is a weight-optimized magnesium/steel/aluminum construction and comes in three colors of black, red and beige. It goes up and down electrically in eleven seconds, and can be operated on the move at speeds up to 31 mph.

Technicalities? Well as mentioned it’s pretty much the same as the hardtop with a 563 bhp and 479 pound-feet of torque 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V8, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with E-select shifter and AMG driving modes. It gets 265/35 ZR 19 (front) and 295/30 ZR 20 (rear) which can be had in matte black finish. With a curb weight of 3,661 pounds (estimated), the Roadster is only 88 pounds heavier than the Coupé. That is due to the reinforced aluminum spaceframe that’s been optimized for the roadster.

To achieve the same level of driving dynamics – without a fixed roof, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster incorporates several features specifically designed to strengthen the bodyshell, including side skirts with greater wall thicknesses and additional chambers. The dashboard cross-member is supported against the windshield frame and center tunnel by additional struts, and a curved strut between the soft top and the tank reinforces the rear axle. The lack of a roof and gullwing doors means that the open-top SLS AMG has a reinforcing crossmember behind the seats to support the fixed roll-over protection system. This also accommodates the 250 watt subwoofer of the Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end sound system.

The standard appointments of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster include black designo leather, heated AMG sports seats, a detachable glass windstop, COMAND with Navigation and DVD player, anti-theft alarm system with tow-away protection and interior monitoring, dual-zone automatic climate control and the KEYLESSGO starting function. The standard AIRSCARF® system exclusive to Mercedes-Benz acts like an invisible scarf warming the head and neck areas of the occupants. It is integrated into the backrests of the AMG sports seats, and blows warm air from vents in the head restraints. The airflow can be adapted for different occupant sizes by means of adjustable louvers, and the level of warmth can be selected in three stages at the touch of a button.

The only weird thing is that Mercedes will launch the car from Fall just as the open-top driving season is over!

Pricing and availability for different markets will be announced soon. For now enjoy the pictures:

Mercedes decided to give us a preview of the upcoming Mercedes SLS Roadster, ahead of the car’s debut at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show.

Although the car is still a bit camouflaged in these shots, but that doesn’t get in the way of you seeing the glory of the SLS Roadster.  This is fantastic. Apart from the fact that with the roof down you can enjoy the amazing soundtrack of that weapons-grade V8 even more, we love the roadster because it comes with normal doors rather than gullwings as we get with the coupe. We never liked those doors because they will make look like a bit of an idiot frankly, when you open them in public. People think you are a show off #@$%!

The SLS Roadster however just has normal doors which is awesome and if anything, we think it looks even better than the coupe. Of course there’s still no picture of the car with the roof down available, but you can tell it’s not going to be a mess. Mercedes opted for a cloth roof rather than a complicated metal folding thingy that would make the car heavier and ruin its swell classic style. What’s more the cloth roof is also much quicker in going up and down as it only takes 11 seconds to operate.

We’ve started saving up for this!

UPDATE: Mercedes just dropped the full press release for the SLS Roadster providing complete details on the car. Here it goes:

Synthesis: rigidity, performance and a close-fitting soft top

Naturally all these development aspects are closely linked, as Tobias Moers (44), head of overall development and member of the Executive Board at Mercedes-AMG, explains: “Without bodyshell rigidity there are no handling dynamics, and neither can the close fit of the soft top be guaranteed.” As the Roadster variant was already taken into consideration during the conceptual phase for the SLS AMG, the lightweight and extremely rigid aluminium spaceframe was specified at a correspondingly early stage. Owing to the omission of a fixed roof and gullwing doors, it was necessary to design the side sills more robustly. But not primarily to meet the legal requirements in the event of a crash – in principle the Roadster would also manage this with the side sills of the Coupé. Studies and test drives showed that the driving dynamics could be improved even further with this measure, therefore side sills with greater wall thicknesses and chambers were developed for the open-top SLS AMG.  Tobias Moers: “The SLS AMG Roadster is a super-sports car – just like the Coupé. It goes without saying that AMG is also determined to achieve superior driving dynamics with this open-top variant.”

In order to achieve handling dynamics identical to those of the Coupé, despite the lack of a fixed roof, the Roadster has two features designed to increase the rigidity of the bodyshell: the cross-member carrying the dashboard has additional supporting struts at the windscreen frame and at the centre tunnel, and a strut mounting stay between the soft top and the fuel tank makes the rear axle even more rigid. These features prevent unwanted vibrations from the start, and make the use of additional, weight-increasing vibration dampers such as those often employed by competitors unnecessary. As another important aspect, it is only if the bodyshell has the requisite rigidity that the soft top can be safely and reliably opened and closed electrohydraulically while on the move at up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The side members of the front and rear modules in both SLS AMG models are identical. The bodyshell of the Roadster tips the scales at only 243 kilograms – which is comparable to the low, 241-kilogram weight of the SLS AMG Coupé’s bodyshell.

A few specific modifications to the aluminium spaceframe

Owing to the omission of the coupé roof and gullwing doors, the open-top SLS AMG has a reinforcing cross-member behind the seats which supports the fixed rollover protection system. Not forgetting the 250-watt subwoofer of the Bang&Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end sound system: This is accommodated in the cross-member, as the Coupé-specific location on the parcel shelf is not available owing to the Roadster’s soft top. One particular challenge was acoustic insulation of the cross-member, which acts as a subwoofer housing for the two 165-millimetre speakers connected in series. Numerous improvements became necessary before the required listening pleasure was achieved. It was only with the help of a special bulkhead within the aluminium cross-member that all audiophile standards could be satisfied.

The three-layered fabric soft top of the SLS AMG Roadster, which is deposited behind the seats in a Z-formation to save space, is also an aspect relevant to handling dynamics. This weight-optimised, combined magnesium/steel/ aluminium construction ensures a low centre of gravity and is designed for speeds up to the maximum of 317 km/h (197 mph) (electronically limited). Whether open or closed, even at top speed there must be no intrusive noises or resonance. Likewise the push-on glass draught-stop and the panelling in the interior, on the soft top and along the beltline must be vibration-free. Nothing must be allowed to compromise the open-air enjoyment. The basis for verified, customer-compatible results in extreme conditions is provided by precisely defined test drives on the high-speed tracks in Papenburg, Nardo (Italy) and Idiada (Spain).

The excellent acoustics – which AMG engineers have naturally also verified with sophisticated measuring technology – also benefit from another special feature, namely the seamless, bonded-in rear window of single-layer safety glass. A special production process not only ensures a smooth transition between the outer skin of the soft top and the glass, as the sum of these design measures also leads to low wind noise when the roof is closed – at any speed.

125 years of experience with innovations in open-top vehicles

Ensuring that the soft top is wind- and waterproof is a complex undertaking, and AMG and Mercedes-Benz have used the enormous experience gained during 125 years of innovation. There have always been open-top vehicles in the history of Mercedes-Benz – and unlike in the case of many competitors, in an uninterrupted sequence.

Every soft top is different, however, and even objectives already defined become more ambitious over time. The five challenges to which the AMG developers of the SLS AMG Roadster gave great attention and commitment were water, sand, dust, heat and cold. One special feature of the compact soft top is the continuous water pocket: this is attached below the soft top to catch rainwater and direct it down to the underbody via two apertures on each side.

All the development aspects of a vehicle which involve flexible deformation are always very complex. Simulations can sometimes lead to false conclusions, and do not always provide the most cost-effective solution. Classic test procedures often help to achieve rapid results. Development project manager Holger Strahl (34): “In this field it is not possible to simulate everything with CAD, and it becomes a matter of trying out, driving, testing and improving. The solution finally approved must also be suitable for series production, of course. Our specialist departments and the overall development team work together very closely in their common search for the perfect solution.” He also adds: “There is no such thing as the second-best alternative for AMG.”

Endurance test with 16 criteria: the “Sindelfingen rain test”

The rain test at the Mercedes Technology Center (MTC) in Sindelfingen is particularly demanding, and every new vehicle bearing the Mercedes star is required to pass it – whether it has a fixed roof, a soft top or a vario-roof. Extreme quantities of water are used to ensure that the result of the development work is watertight – which is a particular challenge in the case of roadsters or cabriolets. 16 tests must be successfully absolved before approval is granted.

Whether during the hose test, when all soft top, door and flap seals are sprayed with a water-hose, the continuous, overnight rain test, the fording test, the icing, swirl and high-pressure tests, or the final session in an automatic car wash – the rain test simulates every conceivable situation that can occur on any continent.

Bench testing and practical trials in all climatic zones

In addition to various test facilities such as the water chamber and the climate/ wind tunnel, the AMG specialists have recourse to test drives in all climatic regions of the world, where problems can be identified and solutions sought. In Laredo, Texas, for example, there is a particularly fine dust which finds its way into practically any gap – and tests the seals to the absolute limit.

The compact fabric soft top, which can be conveniently opened and closed in just 11 seconds at the touch of a button, even at speeds up to 50 km/h (30 mph), must also submit to various tortures. One of these is the standardised soft top endurance test used for all new Mercedes roadsters or Mercedes cabriolets: 20,000 closing cycles on a stationary test rig must present no problem for the hydraulic cylinders, electric motors and joints. There are also 2500 closing cycles while on the move, whether in great heat, icy cold, high humidity or dry desert winds. In this area too, nothing is left to chance – and for excellent reasons: the aim of this enormous effort is to give the customer limitless driving pleasure in their SLS AMG Roadster.

Endurance trial as a final quality check

All the optimisation stages have been absolved, and the production tests at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen have been successful, but the developers have still not reached their goal. The quality of the overall vehicle is now the focus of the accompanying endurance trials. These simulate an entire vehicle life under the toughest conditions in accelerated test cycles. The aim is to verify the level of maturity before production of customer vehicles commences.

The endurance testing at a glance:

Long-term testing on a variety of different roads:

• All the components and systems are tested together in everyday operation. Loaded up to their permitted gross vehicle weight, the test cars are put through a precisely defined test programme on country roads, on motorways and in city traffic.

Endurance testing on heathland:

• In this case, the developers focus on the durability of the chassis and suspension components, the entire bodyshell and the integral subframe on which the front axle, steering and engine are mounted. The test cars are loaded up to their permitted gross vehicle weight.

“Accelerated” endurance testing:

• Testing of the entire vehicle, focussing on the powertrain, chassis and suspension. Special features of the AMG programme include 10,000 kilometres on the Nürburgring’s North Loop and 10,000 kilometres in city traffic.

Full-load endurance testing:

• Extreme acceleration and braking manoeuvres with a high proportion of full-load operation, making extreme demands on the cooling, fuel-delivery and braking systems.

Long-term corrosion testing:

• Corrosion testing of the entire vehicle simulates the toughest dynamic and climatic environmental influences.

Final board approval:

• All-inclusive verification of the degree of development and production maturity.

World premiere on 13 September 2011, at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt/Main

This is an extensive and tightly scheduled programme, and for many an AMG engineer it will only begin to lose its immediacy at the world premiere on 13 September 2011, when the new SLS AMG Roadster is presented to a barrage of media attention at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt/Main.

The new Mercedes SLS Roadster will be unveiled at this year’s IAA autoshow, but before that they’re giving us a sneak peak of this magnificent vehicle with the Super Bow commercial which you can watch here.

Even though the pictures captured from the video are not very clear, you can tell how brutally awesome this car is! Mercedes naturally hasn’t let out any details yet, but as far as we’re concerned, the Roadster addresses the only drawback – not a drawback actually, it’s a matter of taste – with the coupe and that’s the gullwing doors. It is really close to the original SLs of a very long time ago and has the same passion and flare!

Also teased in the video is the new C63 AMG Coupe which will be unveiled at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, probably.

via: MercedesPassionBlog

Ola Kallenius, the boss of AMG, recently had an interview with Auto Motor und Sport magazine and in that he commented on what we can expect from the company in the coming year. The most important AMG car of 2011 is without a doubt the Mercedes SLS Roadster, apparently set for debut at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt motorshow, which is good news for those who badly wanted an SLS but just couldn’t live the Gullwing doors.

The Mercedes SLS is one of the finest cars possibly in the history of automobile, but those doors, there’s a bit of an issue with them! And we’re talking about the fact that short people will have difficulty closing them, and not that if you roll it you can’t get out unless the explosive charges in the hinges go off properly! Surprisingly that tickles us!

No, the main issue with the Gullwing doors of the SLS is that when you open them in public people will think of you as a show off, a new-money, a co*k! The Roadster will solve all those problems with normal doors. Great then.

Apart from the SLS Roadster, in 2011 we will also witness the arrival of the new CLS63 AMG, and the AMG version of the 2012 SLK-Class. One new thing about the next SLK AMG is that it will get a fuel-saving cylinder deactivation technology for its V8.

via: MBpassion

Today is the Mercedes SLS day! This time it’s the 2012 SLS Roadster which has been seen (and pictured!) for the very first time. We knew that a roadster version of the yet-to-be-revealed SLS AMG is in the works, and these pictures are the proof.

Of course the Roadster’s main difference than the hard top, apart from the roof obviously!, is the fitment of ordinary doors rather than Gullwing roof-hinged ones. The rest of the car should be identical to the coupe model (which is still mysterious itself, we have the first real picture of it, but it’s still some years away).

If the drop-top SLS gets the same engine as the coupe it’ll be a 6.3 liter AMG V8 with 571 hp and 650nm of torque. But since it’s a convertible and it’ll be heavier than the hardtop, it might compromise a bit on acceleration and top speed.

And that’s fine by me! with the top down you can hear that amazing V8 soundtrack even more clearly. You can expect the roadster to be like 20 percent more expensive than the SLS hardtop which is said to cost around 160,000 euros.

pictures source: LeftLaneNews