Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing 2010 review

It's the doors. It's all about the doors. Say anything you like about the Mercedes-Benz SLS, from the way it looks, to the way it goes, to its soaring $450,000 pricetag, but once you open the doors any conversation stops. And jaws drop.

And that's why the SLS will always be known as the Gullwing.

From the first instant you see the doors open you where the nickname comes from, even if you don't know that Mercedes also had a coupe called the Gullwing back in the 1950s. The original is such a landmark car that Lindsay Fox, probably Australia's most avid car collector, has a string of Gullwings in his Melbourne museum. And he has also ordered a new SLS . . .

But anyone who thinks the SLS Gullwing is just a retro car is wrong. It is a 21st century supersports coupe designed and built by the go-fast team at Mercedes-Benz in the AMG division. It is new from the road up, although it picks up all sorts of existing Benz bits from the basic 6.2-litre V8 to the switches and steering wheel from the latest E-Class.

The scale of the work involved in the SLS would be like HSV or FPV doing a completely new coupe from an empty computer screen, with only their mechanical package and a few Falcon and Commodore interior bits to rely on.

The car is a two-door, two-seater with the V8 engine in the front, a seven-speed double-clutch manual gearbox fitted in the tail between the back wheels - to improve weight distribution - and a reasonable- sized boot with all the usual Benz luxury gear from aircon and electric leather seats to satnav. The list of optional equipment runs from boomer sound systems and super-powerful ceramic brakes to race-style bucket seats and matt-finish paint.

So, why is Benz bothering? For a start, it believes the time is right to unleash the full power of AMG. And it wants to prove to its former supercar partner, F1 powerhouse McLaren, that it does not need it. Mercedes also likes the idea of having a showcase car to compete with Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bugatti - and even Lexus now with the LFA - at the top end of the dream-car business.

The price of the SLS looks outrageous to anyone who drives a Corolla or a Falcon in Australia in 2009, but by supercar standards it is relatively affordable. And it's not that much more than Benz's own SL63 AMG convertible, which currently weighs in at $409,000.

"This car is simply good. We started with a blank sheet of paper, completely without compromise," says Kai Marten, one of the board members at Mercedes-AMG. "In every case, only the best is good enough. We want top quality and everyday usability combined with outstanding performance."

A couple of numbers do the job: top speed of 317km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.8 seconds. But, just as importantly, AMG designed the SLS to be an everyday commuter car. So there is a reasonable boot and even the Gullwing doors are designed for easy access, although you still have to step over a wide sill and it can be a long reach to the pull-down handle.

The first Gullwings will land in Australia towards the middle of next year and, with 15 deposit-paid orders, it is already looking like a success.  "It's a shining star in the high-performance area. Given that we are the fifth-largest AMG market in the world we think it's a very important car for us," says Horst von Sanden, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Australia. "The SLS is something very special. It's also a very unique car. "There is a group of people who simply aspire to such a dream car. So it's important to them for their passion, and it's important for us as an image carrier for the brand. It reflects on the whole brand. "It's important that Mercedes-Benz still produces dream cars for more people than car afford them.

Driving

There is a lot to like in the SLS, from the sledgehammer performance to the sort of everyday luxury and practicality you expect in a Benz. It is a car you could drive every day, yet uncork like a special bottle of wine for days when you want to celebrate.

Ok, so it's way out of reach for most of us, but you have to dream.

AMG unveiled the Gullwing to the world's media at Monterey in California, partly because it is overloaded with the sort of cashed-up millionaires and billionaires who will buy the car, and partly because it is just down the road from the fantastic Laguna Seca racing circuit.

But plenty of ordinary people were captivated by the retroid look and thumping V8 sound of the SLS. And when we stopped and opened the gullwing doors, well you can guess the rest. I came to the Gullwing from the Lexus LFA, which is the fastest road car I have driven on a track, and knowing Ferrari is about to unleash its new hero, the 458.

So I was prepared to mark hard. But the SLS scores incredibly highly, thanks to a 6.2-litre V8 that really flings the car forward at almost any speed, a double-clutch gearbox that is auto smooth in traffic and

F1 fast on the track, and the sort of final finishing quality you expect from a Benz.

It is a total contrast to the last Benz effort in this area, the deeply flawed Mercedes-McLaren SLR. That car was a camel created from contrasting cultures, so it was not quick enough for a McLaren and far too grumpy and temperamental for a Benz. And it cost more than $1 million . . .

The SLS is still very costly, but you can see and feel the quality. It is smoother and quieter on a freeway than an E-Class coupe, the satnav and sound are great, and the roof has been designed so well that you don't worry about water dropping on your head when you open them. So, is it perfect? Well, no.

Space in the passenger seat can be cramped, there is limited oddments space in the cabin, and it's a long stretch to the doors for a shorter man or a woman. And the SLS has thumping V8 pace and response, with brilliant cornering grip and balance, but it's not 'special' in the same way as a Ferrari or Lamborghini. You don't get the same zing when you see it, partly because the nose is a bit awkward and the tail end looks like a squashed Honda Legend.

But Benz says those flaws give the car character, and AMG just says it is fast and that's enough. It proves the point with hot laps at Laguna Seca, where the Gullwing is incredibly quick and responsive and wonderful fun.

But I really enjoyed the car on the drive away from the track. It's one thing to have a go-fast toy, but something special to use the same supersports car for the sort of jobs which could be handled by a Toyota Corolla.