SLS Black Edition confirmed

March 2010

Mercedes mighty GT3 racecar is being readied for the road, it has been confirmed.

The road going version of the car will look almost exactly the same as the racer, save for a more luxurious interior, and the loss of the picnic table rear wing.

AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH confirmed the news to Auto Express at an exclusive event in Mexico - ahead of this year's 2010 New York Motor Show.

He described the machine simply as "A race car ordinary Joe's could enjoy."

Mornhinweg, leaves his post at AMG this year to join the company's commercial vehicle department - a move many see as a vital step for the fast rising star who has been tipped as a future chief at the firm.

Insiders have revealed that up to 130kg has been shed from the Black Edition, although the final specs haven't been released. The weight loss is thanks to a pared-back interior and the addition of lightweight racing wheels and bodywork. As you can see the car’s trademark gullwing doors will remain.

Powerwill hit  600bhp from the 6.3-litre V8 engine, and is fed through a sequential six-speed racing transmission with steering wheel shift paddles and an integrated multi-disc locking differential. Unfortunately though no performance figures or prices have emerged.

"Thanks to uncompromising lightweight construction and superior handling dynamics, the SLS AMG provides an outstanding basis for a highly competitive racing car. This exciting GT3 version is our response to strong customer demand for a car designed for these attractive motor sports series. Once again, it demonstrates AMG's huge experience gained in more than 40 years of motor sports, and its great expertise in the development of unique high-performance cars," says Volker Mornhinweg, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.