Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series unleashed

Mercedes-Benz was very clear about their intentions when they launched the SLS only in AMG flavour back in the year 2010. The car was meant to be the very pinnacle of a sort of performance that in these times considered out of sync and crude. In short, it is a muscle car brute with its 6.2 litre AMG V8 engine, over sized bonnet, over sized tyres, rear-wheel drive layout and an engine note that sounds like the outbreak of a thunderstorm. 

Little wonder that in no time petrolheads across the world worshipped the SLS AMG. It soon became one of the most desirable performance cars on the planet because of its savage character, phenomenal performance and gull wing heritage that harked back to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.

Mercedes-Benz has now taken the SLS AMG supercar a notch higher with the SLS AMG Black Series. Available only in the gull wing coupe model, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series is the ultimate performance car from the German luxury car maker. 

Given a once over by Merc’s Black ops division the 6.2 litre AMG V8 in the SLS AMG Black has been tweaked to deliver 640 PS of power and 635Nm of torque. This has been made possible due to a modified oil bores in the crankshaft, new crankshaft bearings, new oil pump, high tensile screwed conrods, revised valve train, adapted cam geometry, optimised bucket tappets with special race coating, increase in peak pressure and reworked oil and water cooling systems for the engine and gearbox. 

The naturally aspirated engine can now rev higher than the standard car as well and can now redlined at 8,000 rpm as opposed to the 7,200 maximum rpm of the standard SLS AMG.

Mercedes-AMG engineers have also worked to reduce the weight of the SLS AMG Black over the standard car by 70 kgs to better the power to weight ratio of the car. The weight shedding is down to the AMG Lightweight Performance strategy that involves the extensive use of carbon fibre and a lithium ion battery that saves 8 kgs. The car also gets an AMG sports exhaust made out of titanium to save 13 kgs of weight. 

The end result is 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 315 km/h. 

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The engine is braced by a gas strut to eliminate undesirable load change directions under dynamic driving. The seven-speed dual clutch AMG Speedshift gearbox is installed ten millimetres lower than in the standard car and it too is braced by gas filled struts. 

Mercedes-Benz has given the SLS AMG Black Series a new electronic limited-slip differential that has a shorter rear-axle ratio than the mechanical equivalent and is housed inside the transmission tunnel itself. The electronics allow the rear differential to react much more quickly under varying traction levels under the two rear wheels. The traction control systems and launch control systems of the car have also been revised to deal with the added grunt under the bonnet.

The SLS AMG Black Series also gets new matt black light weight AMG alloy wheels along with newly developed sports tyres to take the SLS AMG experience to a new level. 

Inspired by the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 racing car the SLS AMG Black Series gets a carbon fibre aerodynamics package for improved cooling and greater downforce. The aero package consists of a carbon fibre front splitter, carbon fibre inserts of the side sills, carbon fibre rear diffuser and a carbon fibre rear spoiler with a Gurney flap for generating added downforce over the rear wheels.

The car also gets flared wheel arches to accommodate the bigger wheels, darkened headlamps, black surrounds for the taillights and enlarged air intakes with carbon fibre flics for optimum airflow to the air cooling ducts. 

Stopping power is provided by lighter fade-free carbon ceramic brakes that are now standard on SLS AMG Black Series. 

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Inside, a combination of designo leather and Alacantra have been used to adorn the dashboard, door cards and AMG sports seats with AMG logos on the headrests. Red stitching is predominant on the seats, centre console, dashboard, door cards and the carpet. The Merc COMAND APS multimedia system has been ditched to save weight and the centre console is now finished in carbon fibre. 

The COMAND APS system is an option for the SLS AMG Black Series car and so is an 11 speaker 1,000 W Bang & Olufsen BeoSound stereo with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround system. 

Other optional features include a carbon fibre AMG interior package, carbon fibre wing mirrors and carbon fibre wing mirrors.

All things considered, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series pushes the boundaries of the pantomime aura that supercars are all about and it’s got the firepower to match the show as well. 

Also read: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster to be launched in India

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