There’s the magic of the Mercedes-Benz, of course, and then, there’s the magic of the Mercedes-Benz AMG, the performance-based cars from the luxury automaker. Even when it comes to AMG, some cars are truly iconic. Remember the AMG Hammer, faster than the muscle cars of its era? And the CLK GTR, the most expensive production car of its time in 1998, jetting 0-60 mph in under 3.8 seconds?

But there is another AMG car that was the first of its kind, and that was the 2000 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, a front mid-engine 2-seater sports car that succeeded the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. According to Mercedes-Benz, the SLS AMG was the spiritual successor of the 1957-58 300SL Gullwing as well, for more reasons than one.

And in case you find it a bit familiar, this was also the car avatar of Soundwave, the loyal lieutenant of the Decepticon leader, Megatron in the movie Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. Not a very flattering avatar but then again, the SLS AMG is anything but angelic! What it is, is one of the best AMGs ever.

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The Gullwing-Craze Reincarnated

Before The SLS AMG, Which Is The First Car That AMG Built Completely From Scratch, There Was The Mercedes Benz 300SL, Often Referred To As The 300SL Gullwing Because Of Those Iconic Gullwing Doors
via Reddit

Before the SLS AMG, which is the first car that AMG built completely from scratch, there was the Mercedes Benz 300SL, often referred to as the 300SL Gullwing because of those iconic gullwing doors. The doors opened up and away, coming to halt parallel to the roof, positioned like the wings of a bird captured mid-flight at their most upward stretch.

Needless to say, the 300SL is a very prized classic today, prices exceeding $1 million with ease. So what’s a gullwing-crazy Mercedes-Benz fanatic of a cash-strapped gearhead supposed to do?

Look at the next best thing, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. It arrived on scene with a 6.2-liter V8, able to jet 563 horsepower and 479 ft-lb torque in the SMS AMG coupe, which is the car that carried the gull-wings.

In case the gull wings weren’t a dealbreaker for you, there was the SLS AMG Roadster, so introduced in 2011, which had conventional doors and heated seats, and gave out another 20 horsepower although torque remained the same.

For many though, the SLS AMG was a reincarnation of the 300SL Gullwing and they loved the same classy lines of the car matched to better tech and performance, at a far more affordable price. For 2009, the SLS AMG was priced at $200,000-plus, along with the other costs of owning a car.

Remember though, the gull wings on the SLS AMG need to be manually closed because an auto-close option would have added weight to the car, making it slower. So how do you close them? Well, grab them on your way down, else have someone else help you do it from the outside. It’s a chore, yes, but then again every rose does have a thorn, right?

The good thing about these doors is that in case of a detected rollover, they would automatically detach within 10-15 milliseconds with the help of explosive bolts, letting the passengers have an escape to safety.

RELATED: 10 Coolest Cars With Gullwing Doors

The Performance & Models Of The SLS AMG

The SLS AMG Black Series Is Also Notable Mostly Because It Came With Carbon Fiber Components That Made It Lighter And Faster, Able To Make 622 Horses
Mercedes-Benz

The SLS AMG’s V8 came mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with a transaxle. There was no “true” manual transmission involved, but there were selectable driving modes. C for controlled efficiency, S for Sport, S+ for Sport plus, and M, which stood for manual and allowed changing of gears via paddles on the steering column.

Standard brakes on it were cast-iron discs but you could upgrade to carbon-ceramic disc brakes for better efficiency, and a higher cost, of course. According to Mercedes-Benz, the SLS AGM could zip 0-60 mph in under 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 196 mph.

More models were launched, a racing version called the SLS AMG GT3, and a roadster, which was a conventionally-doored model. Later the SLS AMG GT came out, available both as a coupe and roadster. In 2013, there was the limited edition run of the SLS AMG Electric Drive jetting 741 horsepower on four synchronous motors, or 805 horses on a lithium-ion battery. The SLS AMG Black Series is also notable mostly because it came with carbon fiber components that made it lighter and faster, able to make 622 horses.

RELATED: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series Unofficially Breaks Nurburgring Record

The Price Of One Today

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Is One Car That Is Going To Up In Value In The Coming Years So If You Have The Wherewithal To Get One Today
via MotorAuthority

If you want an SLS AMG today, the prices range from $120,000 to $200,000, most of the examples available crossing $150,000 at least. Some exclusive and Concours models can reach as high as $300,000 too.

According to ThisIsMoney, this is one car that is going to increase in value in the coming years so if you have the wherewithal to get one today, and have a passion for it as well, this is the time to make the move.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is too new to be a classic but think of this as the 300SL of the future, a car that’s beautiful, fast, and undeniably gorgeous – the perfect classic in making. The history of tomorrow is unfolding today, and getting a piece of this pie would be an ace move and may prove to be quite the nest egg a few years from now…

Sources: TheCarConnection, CARmagazine, ThisIsMoney

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