The Mercedes SLS GT Final Edition is a fitting swan song for one of the most astonishing cars of all time

From the moment Mercedes decided to succeed the venerable SLR McLaren by honoring and reinterpreting one of its most gorgeous cars—the 1956 “gullwing” doored 300SL—design and performance enthusiasts alike have been in wide-eyed wonder. The result was and remains—for one last glorious year—the SLS AMG, which since 2010 has represented the admirably nutty extreme of the Sindelfingen, Germany AMG manufacturing facility, and the dreams of inner boys everywhere.

It was the first Benz built entirely from scratch by the company’s AMG performance unit—its original M159 motor described by Mercedes as nothing less than “the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated production series engine.” For a short time, the 2010-era SLS competed with the likes of Ferrari and Maserati in the supercar marketplace, but even in its gorgeous wonder, the car has always been essentially a grand tourer, and Merc recognized that fact by making recent models fractionally more sedate. Now, the competition aims squarely at the Porsche 911 and Audi R8 lines, though at a starting price of better than $220,000, exceeds them both in terms of wallet damage.

For those who haven’t been price-dissuaded yet, here’s just a taste of what’s in store: a 583hp V-8 that revs happily to 6800 RPMs and beyond, a slippery-smooth seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, and a compact but deliciously comfortable interior compartment that is arguably the most womblike auto environment we’ve seen in the last 20 years, with diamond pattern leather with lovely silver stitching and carbon fiber trim in abundance.

Zero to 60 ticks off in 3.8 seconds, which is simply astonishing for a front engine, rear-wheel-drive car—but then one almost doesn’t want to go too fast in this thing, because it’s simply irresistible to show off… slowly. Body styling manages to be at once glass-cutting-edgy yet sinuous, finished off by a badass rear spoiler that deploys automatically when speed conditions are right.

Here’s the bad news: Benz is finishing production of the model line by releasing just 350 examples of an aptly named SLS GT Final Edition, and it’s safe to assume that even the already lofty asking price will amp up in a flurry of bidding. So, if you know an industrialist or politician with particularly powerful auto connections, it’s time to hit him or her up for a favor.

Mercedes-Benz of Brooklyn
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