Top Tips for Buying a Used Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (2010-14)

If you own a Mercedes-Benz SLS then you likely know already the significance of your choice. These cars sit at the end of a distinguished timeline that dates back over 70 years and which includes some of the automotive world’s most memorable machines.

The SLS pays tribute to the 300SL Gullwing coupes produced by Mercedes-Benz during the 1950s; initially as lightweight competition cars before adopting steel bodywork and being offered as exclusive Gullwing coupes and open-top sports cars.

The first 300SL coupe – its suffix standing for ‘Sport-Leicht’ – appeared in 1952, purely for competition use. A road-going version with larger ‘Gullwing’ doors appeared in 1954, with plans for a run of 1000 vehicles. That number was reached by late 1955, prompting Benz to extend production until 1957 with the final build tally standing at 1400 units.

The Type 198 designation then transferred to an open-top Roadster with higher compression and more power from the fuel-injected 3.0-litre engine. In this form a further 1858 cars were made.

In 2006, looking to commemorate its most significant sporting models of the 1950s, Benz subsidiary Mercedes-AMG began work on a modern iteration of the Gullwing coupe.

The German car maker already had in its stable the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a high-performance grand tourer supercar jointly developed with the British Formula One and sports car specialist. With its potent 5.4-litre supercharged V8 punching out a heady 460kW/780Nm the SLR McLaren covered the 0-100km/h dash in a searing 3.6-seconds, while the coupe’s dramatic gullwing doors paid homage to the original 300SL.

As epic as it was, the SLR McLaren was the result of a partnership that eventually became strained, encouraging Mercedes-Benz to develop its next supercar entirely in house, using its now wholly-owned subsidiary Mercedes-AMG.

The SLS concept emerged in 2005 during a planning session headed by AMG CEO Volker Mornhinweg. He brought in AMG project director Christoph Jung who assembled the team responsible for the eventual Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG’s evocative shape and astonishing performance.

Creating a distinctive shape for the SLS was entrusted to AMG designer Mark Fetherston, who early in the life of the project produced renderings which echoed the original 300SL and its evocative lift-up doors.

In production form, the SLS sat on a 2680mm wheelbase, clad in a hand-formed aluminium body. This, like the chassis, was assembled by specialist coachbuilders Magna Steyr, a Mercedes-Benz subsidiary based in Austria, before being freighted to Sindelfingen, Germany for completion, including being fitted with its with its hand-built AMG engine.

The 6.2-litre V8 (although badged ‘6.3’) was claimed at the time to be the most powerful non-turbo production car engine in the world, with outputs of 420kW and 650Nm.

Remarkably, for such a large capacity V8, peak power arrived at a lofty 6800rpm, and maximum torque at 4750rpm, giving the V8 a narrow power band to be exploited via a purpose-built AMG seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission.

In place of a torque convertor, the seven-speed DCT had planetary gears and a clutch, with three driving modes. While the transmission could self-shift if required, drivers were encouraged to use the paddle-shift overrides.

A prototype of the closed car was ready for its Frankfurt Motor Show debut by 2009, followed a year later by first deliveries of production coupes.

More was to come in 2011 when an open-top Roadster joined the SLS range. Mechanically, this car was identical to the Gullwing and reportedly achieved the same acceleration times (0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds and 0-200km/h in 11.6 seconds) despite weighing 60kg more.

On the global market, SLS production was destined to reach an estimated 12,000 units (8000 coupes and 4000 Roadsters) in the space of four years. Special limited editions boosted these numbers, including 300 of the Black Series with an upgraded 462kW engine in 2013 and 350 of the Final Edition in 2014.

2013 also saw the introduction of an AMG Electric Drive version, with four electric motors and output totalling 550kW. Only nine of these electrified SLS were claimed to have been built from a proposed 100, with one selling in 2021 at US$1.27 million.

One of the most desirable variants in the family of vehicles that eventually made up the range was the SLS AMG GT which arrived in 2012 featuring a revised engine management system, more  horsepower and enhanced driving dynamics.

Reviews of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will usually fix their gaze on the cars’ immense technical attributes and pay less attention to interior appointments. However, anyone who is laying down $500K on an SLS in the used market will still need to enjoy what they see from behind the wheel.

That wheel is Alcantra wrapped and dominates a driving space which, like the fabled Wolf of Wall Street, celebrates selfishness. Passengers can operate the sound and ventilation systems and adjust their seat, but otherwise they just battle the G forces and watch someone on the other side of the massive transmission tunnel processing data from the bevy of gauges, flicking shift paddles and monopolising the available fun.

Mid-bend grip of the mighty SLS was said to be prodigious, thanks to staggered width tyres that were 265mm wide at the front and 295mm at the rear, with 35-profile front and 30-profile rears, mounted on 19- and 20-inch rims respectively. Rated beyond the cars’ electronically limited top speed of 317km/h, a set of Michelin replacements will cost less than $2500.

Other equipment included magnesium-framed seats with optional memory adjustment, climate control air-conditioning, eight airbags, parking sensors, a six-speaker sound system (10 speakers optional) and Linguatronic voice control. Also on the list of standard kit was a trickle battery charger for seldom-driven cars and a custom-fitted car cover to keep the dust off.

AMG had considered fitting electrically-operated door mechanisms but chose to avoid the 40kg weight penalty on a car that already weighted 1750kg, leaving it to owners open and close the dramatic gull wings. In the unfortunate event of a rollover those same doors would be ejected from the body structure via explosive bolts which could activate within 15 milliseconds of impact.

The original Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG options list comprised some witheringly expensive extras, including included a $3775 suspension upgrade that included stiffer spring and damper settings that wrecked the ride quality such that it was only viable for cars that would be raced. The setup wasn’t offered on Roadster variants and doesn’t add much value in the used market.

But one SLS that did benefit from uprated suspension was the GT3 version fielded by Erebus Motorsport in the 2013 Bathurst 12 Hour, with the Mercedes-AMG powering to victory ahead of a field of 53 contenders.

Race seats for cars looking to emulate the Bathurst result were listed at $10,400 per pair, while the competition brake upgrade with carbon ceramic rotors added $29,750.

The process of buying a used SLS is unlikely to see prospective owners on hands and knees looking for speed bump scrapes, cracked rims or oil leaks. Cars on the market here and internationally should come with a detailed pre-purchase assessment and copies of invoices for work undertaken during their (hopefully) low kilometre lives.

Selling prices vary significantly, from below $400,000 to around $700,000. The variations can be prompted by scarcity or ultra-low kilometre readings but comparing local offerings with similar cars on the overseas market can bring the buyer a broader perspective.

Things To Watch Out For When Buying a Used Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (2010-14)

• Verified service history is essential, as is pre-purchase inspection by a Mercedes-AMG specialist.
• Early cars suffered engine problems including fuel-injector issues and cracked manifolds which Mecedes-AMG says were cured during the warranty period.
• Electrical and software issues affected operation of the dash displays, sound system and power windows. Any problems should be fixed by now.
• Slow response from paddle shifts which were improved by updating the transmission software.
• The hood on open-top cars may be faded or creased due to being folded and unused for several years.
• Rim damage can occur due to minimal cushioning from 30- and 35-profile tyres.