Mercedes-Benz has released several photos of the upcoming SLS AMG ahead of the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.  A full press release has not been issued yet, but the information we do know is that the SLS features 300SL-inspired styling including the signature Gullwing doors.  Power will come from a 563-horsepower 6.3-liter V8, and will propel the SLS to 60 in 3.7 seconds and reach terminal velocity at 197 mph.

We’re a bit torn on the styling, but one thing is for sure…the SLS stands out amongst the flood of Lotus Evora look-alikes in the supercar world.

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With the 2009 New York Auto Show just around the corner, we’re starting to get a glimpse of the vehicles that will be shown.  One such vehicle that will be shown is this all-new Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, which features the monster 6.2-liter V8 engine found in other recent AMG models.  This new E63 gets an 11 horsepower bump from the outgoing model to 518, and torque is bumped up to a very substantial 465lb-ft. 

The new E63 will also sport the new seven-speed dual clutch SpeedShift transmission that found its way into the SL63 roadster.  Mercedes-Benz claims that this reduces fuel consumption by 12%, and makes driving a whole hell of a lot more fun.  Suspension wise, the E63 gets AMGRIDE CONTROL which is Mercedes’ fancy word for electronically controlled damping system. 

While we here at S:S:L are a bit split on the new E-Class design direction, we all agree that we can’t wait to get one of these on a road course.

Full E63 AMG Wallpaper Gallery (1440×960) after the Jump

Continue reading Wednesday Wallpaper: All-New Mercedes Benz E63 AMG

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Story by Jack Baruth
Photos by Zerin Dube

Today saw the introduction of what was justifiably called “the most important product introduction of the 2009 North American International Auto Show”, the mostly-new, .25 coefficient of drag, Toyota Prius… Oh, the hell with that. You don’t wanna hear about the Pious Pod. You want pictures of beautiful women, exotic supercars, Nurburgring-veteran Vipers, bad-assed turbocharged Lincolns, and a half-million-dollar pair of Mercedes super-SLs… and we will deliver.

Continue reading 2009 NAIAS Day 2 Wrap-Up: What, did you think we were gonna cover the Prius?

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Story by Zerin Dube & Michael Mills
Photography by Zerin Dube

Price: $60,380 (est)
Major equipment: : 6.2L V8 engine, AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7-speed automatic transmission, AMG seating package: premium leather, memory seats, 4-way power steering column ($2,980 option), Premium Package 2: rear sunshade, bi-xenon headlamps ($1,100 option)

In the fleet: August 2008

Z. DUBE: Anyone who has known me long enough knows that I lust after family sedans that have been pumped up with a healthy dosage of horsepower. My love affair for sedans on steroids started with my former “B5″-generation Audi S4; it started life with the factory-provided 250 horsepower, but through some careful part sourcing and a bit of fiscal irresponsibility, my relatively calm family sedan turned into a 400+ horsepower monster. There’s nothing more satisfying than stomping a Corvette or Mustang Cobra in a four-door luxury sedan. Unfortunately, all this power came at the cost of a voided factory warranty. Pumping up a B5 S4 to those horsepower levels required that the engine be pulled out of the car, painstakingly tweaked, and then stuffed back in so it could generate enough heat to roast a pig. Back then though, this was the route you had to take if you wanted that level of performance in a sedan.

More on the C63, and on-track timing/impressions from Grand-Am/NASA GTS driver Michael Mills, after the jump.

Continue reading Speed Read Plus: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

It turns out that a 6.2L 450hp V8, a 7-speed automatic gearbox tuned for maximum performance and a twenty-five mile traffic jam masquerading as a highway are not conducive to good fuel economy.

We’ll have more on the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 (including a full performance test) coming very soon!