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Before you pass this off as just another yearly update, let us tell you, it's not. The 2013 SLS AMG GT brings with it the announcement of the demise of the SLS AMG. Sorry about the drama – we're just a bit too fond of the gull-winged car and its roadster sibling. Instead, the 'GT' tag will now be a permanent fixture on the SLS AMG nameplate and this new nomenclature has made the already incredible car an absolute headbanger!
Think we're making a fuss? Well, how about we tell you that 6208cc, V8 motor now produces 583 bhp? That's a full 20 horses more than the older car. As a result, the SLS is, er, a full second quicker (3.6 secs) from standstill to 100 kph. No changes have been made to the torque output (479 lb ft) or the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, and the top speed remains unchanged, at 197mph (electronically restricted). Apart from the powertrain, Mercedes-Benz has also updated the suspension and the SLS AMG GT (way too many abbreviations, no?) should ride on stiffer springs so as to make the handling a little more 'hardcore' than on the car it's replacing.
There are also a number of AMG extras – an AMG Carbon Fibre package (interior/exterior kit), AMG 10-spoke forged wheels, and a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround sound audio unit to name a few. What's really admirable, though, is Mercedes-Benz AMG's approach to the SLS. Rather than making it softer, they're heading in the opposite direction. And that can only be good news.
The car will go on sale in the European market by the end of 2012, and we expect it to land in the country by the first half of 2013.
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