Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Begins Production in Sindelfingen

German carmaker Daimler announced today it has debuted production of the hottest model in its lineup, the SLS AMG Gullwing, at one of its biggest facilities, Sindelfingen. Unlike with other models, most of the construction of the SLS will be hand-made – including the aluminum spaceframe, the engine and final assembly.

"Made in Sindelfingen also stands for the very highest production and product quality where the SLS AMG is concerned," Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars said in a release. "From the end of March, our customers will be able to verify this for themselves."

"The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG has been extremely well received by our customers," Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars added. "Even in advance of the actual market launch, orders have considerably exceeded our expectations. This shows that the exciting design and extraordinary concept of our gullwing model precisely meet the taste and aspirations of potential customers."

Powered by an AMG 6.2l V8 engine, the SLS develops 571 horsepower (420 kW) at 6800 rpm and a maximum torque of 650 Nm at 4,750 rpm. Enough to make it a force to be reckoned with, as it reaches 60 mph from a standstill in 3.8 seconds and keeps on accelerating until it reaches 315 km/h (195 mph).

The unit is paired with a AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission with dual-clutch transmission, which offers the driver a choice of four different driving modes: "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) or "M" (Manual) along with a RACESTART function.

The car will be made available starting March and will retail from 177,310 euros.