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"   Affalterbach, Germany\u2013It&amp;#039;s been over a half-century since Mercedes-Benz unveiled its iconic 300SL Gullwing, and we just got a sneak peek at an AMG sports car we think might be bold enough to properly honor that landmark two-door. But don&amp;#039;t expect the new SLS AMG to simply parrot the past; this curvaceous creation is the first vehicle designed and developed entirely by AMG (Mercedes-Benz&amp;#039;s performance arm). As you might imagine, the SLS is just as high-tech as AMG&amp;#039;s brawny, handbuilt powerplants.   Unlike the nearly half-million-dollar Mercedes-Benz McLaren SLR (with its exotic carbon-fiber chassis) the SLS AMG will be built around a cast and extruded aluminum space frame that weighs in at just 531 pounds\u2014which helps this exotic attain a curb weight under 3600 pounds. A front, midengine layout and a rear transaxle produces front/rear weight distribution of 48/52, and optional ceramic composite brakes hint at this car&amp;#039;s track-intended potential; 0-to-62 mph is estimated at 3.8 seconds, and top speed will be electronically governed at 196 mph.   Beneath the SLS&amp;#039;s lengthy snout is the new M159 powerplant that AMG rounds up to Mercedes&amp;#039; legendary 6.3-liter figure. The V8 boasts deeper breathing over its M156 predecessor (from the Mclaren SLR) thanks to an all-new magnesium intake system and reworked valves and camshafts. Horsepower peaks at 571, and torque tops out at 479 lb-ft. The only McLaren-related item on the SLS are the exhaust headers. McLaren&amp;#039;s computer-modeling services were tapped so the pipes could achieve their optimum shape, and as AMG technicians demonstrated to us on a dyno bench, the entire exhaust system glows bright red when the engine maintains high rpm. A dry-sump lubrication system enables lower placement of the engine in the chassis, ensuring that high cornering won&amp;#039;t starve the powerplant of oil.   Engine power is sent to a new AMG dual-clutch seven-speed transmission via a carbon-fiber prop shaft, which is housed in a torque tube enabling a lighter and less bulky chassis. The transmission can be set to one of four driving modes\u2014Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, and Manual\u2014and a &amp;quot;Race Start&amp;quot; function also enables wheelspin-optimized launches. Stability control (ESP) can also be left on, set to Sport or turned completely off.   The cars AMG showed us at the company&amp;#039;s headquarters were mules based on several modified Dodge Viper backbones. But if the chassis we saw is any indication, the SLS AMG should boast some pretty exotic proportions.   Though the SLS AMG will cost significantly less than the old McLaren SLR, it should boast comparable performance\u2014one engineer even asserted that it will lap the N\u00FCrburgring faster than the outgoing supercoupe. AMG cited the Porsche 911 Turbo, Aston Martin DB9, Audi R8 V10 and an undisclosed Ferrari as the SLS&amp;#039;s main competition. And though its sheet metal is still under wraps, the SLS&amp;#039;s underpinnings should make it a devastating weapon in the supercar world. \u2014Basem Wasef   RELATED STORIES \u2022 GENEVA AUTO SHOW: Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Cars You Can Only Get in Europe  \u2022 PLUS: 2010 Mercedes Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, Keeps Up With the Supercars  \u2022 EARLIER: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Revealed @ Detroit Auto Show  \u2022 TEST DRIVE: Mercedes-Benz A170, a European-Only Benz We&amp;#039;d Like to See Here   2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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