2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster without gullwing doors and fixed roof!
It is powered by a 6.2L V8 making 563-hp with a maximum torque of 479 lb-ft, paired with an E-SELECT system that controls the AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sport transmission.
The 2012 SLS AMG Roadster will be introduced to car fans at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September, but until then it has to spend a bit more time with the engineers for further testing. According to Benz officials, it will hit the US market in late 2011.
Here’s an excerpt of the company’s press release:
“The convertible SLS AMG Roadster is the second car to be developed independently by AMG. The Coupe and Roadster concepts were created in parallel – very advantageous during the development process. During this 3-year development period for the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster, the engineers devoted particular attention to bodyshell rigidity, driving dynamics, the soft top and NVH. […] The latest simulation software and extensive test drives on all continents make the 563 hp Roadster fit for its U.S. market launch in late 2011. The specialists in Affalterbach particularly focused on bodyshell rigidity, handling dynamics, the soft top and NVH – “Noise, Vibration and Harshness”. […]
A few specific modifications to the aluminum spaceframe
Without a fixed roof and gullwing doors, the convertible SLS AMG has a reinforcing cross-member behind the seats which supports the fixed rollover protection system. The 250-watt subwoofer of the Bang&Olufsen BeoSound AMG high-end sound system is located in the cross-member rather than the parcel shelf of the Coupe. One particular challenge was acoustic insulation of the cross-member, which acts as a subwoofer housing for the two 6.5-inch speakers connected in series. Numerous improvements became necessary before the required listening pleasure was met. It was only with the help of a special bulkhead within the aluminum cross-member that the system was deemed ready.
The three-layer fabric soft top of the SLS AMG Roadster, which is stored behind the seats in a Z-formation to save space, is also relevant to handling dynamics. This weight-optimized magnesium/steel/ aluminum construction provides a low center of gravity and is designed for speeds up to the maximum of 197 mph (electronically limited). Engineers stressed that whether open or closed, even at top speed there must be no intrusive flapping, booming, hissing, clattering, whistling or howling. Likewise the plexi-glass windstop and the paneling in the interior, on the soft top and along the beltline must be vibration-free. These precisely defined tests were conducted on the high-speed tracks in Papenburg, Nardo (Italy) and Idiada (Spain).
The superior acoustics, which AMG engineers verified with sophisticated measuring technology, also benefit from another special feature – the seamless, bonded-in rear window made of single-layer safety glass. A special production process not only provides a smooth transition between the outer skin of the soft top and the glass but also leads to low wind noise when the roof is closed – at any speed.”
