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Rare Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive Spotted in the Wild

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive is a rare sight. No official numbers were ever given but with a price of around $500,000 and a production run of only one year, we're pretty certain there aren't many around.
2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive 6 photos
Photo: Timo Nitsch
2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive
A keen-eyed and fast-reacting Timo Nitsch snapped some shots of the silent beast out on the road and sent them over to Gumbal. No details accompanied the images, and it's impossible to tell exactly where the photos were taken, but the license plates are Dutch. Judging by the landscape and the spotter's name, we conclude that this probably happened in Germany.

Sure, it's not in the shiny blue color that wowed the crowds at the Mondial de L'Automobile 2012, in Paris. It's not even in the equally striking yellow color showcased on the SLS AMG Electric Drive minisite. But black goes well with the stealthy vibe of the vehicle. The metallic-red edge on the rims and the golden brake calipers give it some more personality. Besides, you could paint this car brown, and it would still look awesome.

Based on the clearly visible "Electric Drive" decals on the sides of the car, we can speculate that this SLS AMG isn't privately owned. We know rich people are strange creatures, but who pays half a million dollars to drive around in a branded marketing vehicle? Most likely it comes from a dealer. Or maybe a museum or exhibit of some sort?

There are other barely discernable stickers on the hood and rear bumper which resemble the universal symbol for the atom. Of course, it's not a nuclear-powered car, but the stickers fit the nerdy coolness of an electric supercar and allude to the alternate propulsion.

With the equivalent of 751 hp and 1,000 Nm put out by its four electric motors, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive was, at the time of its introduction, the most powerful AMG ever built. You can only drive it for about 250 km before you have to recharge the batteries. But who cares, when it takes just 3.9 seconds to hit 100 km/h?

The SLS AMG Electric Drive also claimed to be "the world's fastest electrically-powered series production vehicle." Series production is a bit relative.
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