Finally: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster officially drops its top

Mercedes-Benz’s 563-horsepower SLS AMG has gone topless to create the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster.

Boasting an AMG-designed chassis, body and powertrain, the SLS Roadster is officially considered the “second” car to be independently developed by AMG. The SLS Roadster is, obviously, based very heavily on its gullwing sibling.

Under both hoods
The SLS AMG’s compact cloth fabric top was chosen for three reasons: Its light weight compared to a folding metal roof, its trim folded dimensions and its unique style. Capable of stowing away in just 11 seconds, it can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph.

Unlike the gullwing, the Roadster’s doors open traditionally with little pomp and circumstance. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t impressive inside.

Under the roof, things are mostly standard SLS AMG. That’s to say that the car draws inspiration from the original 300SL Gullwing of the 1950s, a legendary racing and road car that is highly valued by collectors today. The dashboard is retro-modern, with all the latest Mercedes-Benz luxuries and high-grade materials and trim that can be tailored to an individual buyer’s tastes.

Its dashboard is aircraft-inspired, as well, thanks to the jet engine-resemblilng vent nozzles and the aircraft thrust control-shaped E-Select gear lever.

That lever helps fire up the AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed automatic. With four modes – comfort, sport, sport+ and manual – the automatic can fire off shifts faster than any driver could. A Race Start function optimizes the car’s sophisticated traction control system and mechanical differential lock for optimal launches.

Motivating the SLS AMG is the division’s 6.3-liter V8, which puts out 563 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 479 lb-ft. of torque at 4,750 rpm. This thrust propels the SLS AMG to 60 mph in a mere 3.7 seconds and the car is electronically limited to an impressive 197 mph. As a result, both roadster and gullwing boast similar performance figures.

Designed to handle
Like the coupe, the SLS AMG Roadster is more than just an acceleration machine. A low-mounted engine with a dry sump system helps ensure optimal weight distribution and a nearly ground-level center of gravity.

The engine is front-mid mounted, meaning it lies as close to the center of the vehicle as possible, which helps AMG achieve a 47/53 weight distribution. A broad track – 66.2 inches up front and 65.1 inches out back – improves grip and control.

All four wheels hit the ground thanks to double wishbone suspensions with a track road, a Formula 1-derived technology.

Buyers can select either the standard sport-oriented suspension or a new Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension with three modes (comfort, sport and sport+). Each mode features its own shock tuning to alter the ride quality based on the type of driving desired.

The rear-wheel-drive roadster also offers optional ceramic brakes for optimal fade-free braking under extreme conditions.

Look for the SLS AMG Roadster to make its auto show debut later this year the Frankfurt Motor Show before it goes on sale worldwide.

View the original article here

Finally: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster officially drops its top

Mercedes-Benz’s 563-horsepower SLS AMG has gone topless to create the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster.

Boasting an AMG-designed chassis, body and powertrain, the SLS Roadster is officially considered the “second” car to be independently developed by AMG. The SLS Roadster is, obviously, based very heavily on its gullwing sibling.

Under both hoods
The SLS AMG’s compact cloth fabric top was chosen for three reasons: Its light weight compared to a folding metal roof, its trim folded dimensions and its unique style. Capable of stowing away in just 11 seconds, it can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph.

Unlike the gullwing, the Roadster’s doors open traditionally with little pomp and circumstance. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t impressive inside.

Under the roof, things are mostly standard SLS AMG. That’s to say that the car draws inspiration from the original 300SL Gullwing of the 1950s, a legendary racing and road car that is highly valued by collectors today. The dashboard is retro-modern, with all the latest Mercedes-Benz luxuries and high-grade materials and trim that can be tailored to an individual buyer’s tastes.

Its dashboard is aircraft-inspired, as well, thanks to the jet engine-resemblilng vent nozzles and the aircraft thrust control-shaped E-Select gear lever.

That lever helps fire up the AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed automatic. With four modes – comfort, sport, sport+ and manual – the automatic can fire off shifts faster than any driver could. A Race Start function optimizes the car’s sophisticated traction control system and mechanical differential lock for optimal launches.

Motivating the SLS AMG is the division’s 6.3-liter V8, which puts out 563 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 479 lb-ft. of torque at 4,750 rpm. This thrust propels the SLS AMG to 60 mph in a mere 3.7 seconds and the car is electronically limited to an impressive 197 mph. As a result, both roadster and gullwing boast similar performance figures.

Designed to handle
Like the coupe, the SLS AMG Roadster is more than just an acceleration machine. A low-mounted engine with a dry sump system helps ensure optimal weight distribution and a nearly ground-level center of gravity.

The engine is front-mid mounted, meaning it lies as close to the center of the vehicle as possible, which helps AMG achieve a 47/53 weight distribution. A broad track – 66.2 inches up front and 65.1 inches out back – improves grip and control.

All four wheels hit the ground thanks to double wishbone suspensions with a track road, a Formula 1-derived technology.

Buyers can select either the standard sport-oriented suspension or a new Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension with three modes (comfort, sport and sport+). Each mode features its own shock tuning to alter the ride quality based on the type of driving desired.

The rear-wheel-drive roadster also offers optional ceramic brakes for optimal fade-free braking under extreme conditions.

Look for the SLS AMG Roadster to make its auto show debut later this year the Frankfurt Motor Show before it goes on sale worldwide.

View the original article here

Finally: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster officially drops its top

Mercedes-Benz’s 563-horsepower SLS AMG has gone topless to create the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster.

Boasting an AMG-designed chassis, body and powertrain, the SLS Roadster is officially considered the “second” car to be independently developed by AMG. The SLS Roadster is, obviously, based very heavily on its gullwing sibling.

Under both hoods
The SLS AMG’s compact cloth fabric top was chosen for three reasons: Its light weight compared to a folding metal roof, its trim folded dimensions and its unique style. Capable of stowing away in just 11 seconds, it can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph.

Unlike the gullwing, the Roadster’s doors open traditionally with little pomp and circumstance. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t impressive inside.

Under the roof, things are mostly standard SLS AMG. That’s to say that the car draws inspiration from the original 300SL Gullwing of the 1950s, a legendary racing and road car that is highly valued by collectors today. The dashboard is retro-modern, with all the latest Mercedes-Benz luxuries and high-grade materials and trim that can be tailored to an individual buyer’s tastes.

Its dashboard is aircraft-inspired, as well, thanks to the jet engine-resemblilng vent nozzles and the aircraft thrust control-shaped E-Select gear lever.

That lever helps fire up the AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed automatic. With four modes – comfort, sport, sport+ and manual – the automatic can fire off shifts faster than any driver could. A Race Start function optimizes the car’s sophisticated traction control system and mechanical differential lock for optimal launches.

Motivating the SLS AMG is the division’s 6.3-liter V8, which puts out 563 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 479 lb-ft. of torque at 4,750 rpm. This thrust propels the SLS AMG to 60 mph in a mere 3.7 seconds and the car is electronically limited to an impressive 197 mph. As a result, both roadster and gullwing boast similar performance figures.

Designed to handle
Like the coupe, the SLS AMG Roadster is more than just an acceleration machine. A low-mounted engine with a dry sump system helps ensure optimal weight distribution and a nearly ground-level center of gravity.

The engine is front-mid mounted, meaning it lies as close to the center of the vehicle as possible, which helps AMG achieve a 47/53 weight distribution. A broad track – 66.2 inches up front and 65.1 inches out back – improves grip and control.

All four wheels hit the ground thanks to double wishbone suspensions with a track road, a Formula 1-derived technology.

Buyers can select either the standard sport-oriented suspension or a new Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension with three modes (comfort, sport and sport+). Each mode features its own shock tuning to alter the ride quality based on the type of driving desired.

The rear-wheel-drive roadster also offers optional ceramic brakes for optimal fade-free braking under extreme conditions.

Look for the SLS AMG Roadster to make its auto show debut later this year the Frankfurt Motor Show before it goes on sale worldwide.

View the original article here

Finally: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster officially drops its top

Mercedes-Benz’s 563-horsepower SLS AMG has gone topless to create the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster.

Boasting an AMG-designed chassis, body and powertrain, the SLS Roadster is officially considered the “second” car to be independently developed by AMG. The SLS Roadster is, obviously, based very heavily on its gullwing sibling.

Under both hoods
The SLS AMG’s compact cloth fabric top was chosen for three reasons: Its light weight compared to a folding metal roof, its trim folded dimensions and its unique style. Capable of stowing away in just 11 seconds, it can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph.

Unlike the gullwing, the Roadster’s doors open traditionally with little pomp and circumstance. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t impressive inside.

Under the roof, things are mostly standard SLS AMG. That’s to say that the car draws inspiration from the original 300SL Gullwing of the 1950s, a legendary racing and road car that is highly valued by collectors today. The dashboard is retro-modern, with all the latest Mercedes-Benz luxuries and high-grade materials and trim that can be tailored to an individual buyer’s tastes.

Its dashboard is aircraft-inspired, as well, thanks to the jet engine-resemblilng vent nozzles and the aircraft thrust control-shaped E-Select gear lever.

That lever helps fire up the AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed automatic. With four modes – comfort, sport, sport+ and manual – the automatic can fire off shifts faster than any driver could. A Race Start function optimizes the car’s sophisticated traction control system and mechanical differential lock for optimal launches.

Motivating the SLS AMG is the division’s 6.3-liter V8, which puts out 563 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 479 lb-ft. of torque at 4,750 rpm. This thrust propels the SLS AMG to 60 mph in a mere 3.7 seconds and the car is electronically limited to an impressive 197 mph. As a result, both roadster and gullwing boast similar performance figures.

Designed to handle
Like the coupe, the SLS AMG Roadster is more than just an acceleration machine. A low-mounted engine with a dry sump system helps ensure optimal weight distribution and a nearly ground-level center of gravity.

The engine is front-mid mounted, meaning it lies as close to the center of the vehicle as possible, which helps AMG achieve a 47/53 weight distribution. A broad track – 66.2 inches up front and 65.1 inches out back – improves grip and control.

All four wheels hit the ground thanks to double wishbone suspensions with a track road, a Formula 1-derived technology.

Buyers can select either the standard sport-oriented suspension or a new Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension with three modes (comfort, sport and sport+). Each mode features its own shock tuning to alter the ride quality based on the type of driving desired.

The rear-wheel-drive roadster also offers optional ceramic brakes for optimal fade-free braking under extreme conditions.

Look for the SLS AMG Roadster to make its auto show debut later this year the Frankfurt Motor Show before it goes on sale worldwide.

View the original article here

Oil and Profits … Chrysler Finally Back in Black

Crude oil futures dropped the morning after Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden, though they were off just 27 cents per barrel as I write this. Both the economy and the price of gasoline have altered American car-buying habits, such as they are. We’re buying sedans and crossovers and have cut back on big pickups, with construction fleet keeping that last segment at a decent level, down to 10+ percent of the market from roughly 14 percent before the Great Recession. The midsize truck-based SUV segment, which was so big and so profitable in the ‘00s, has virtually disappeared.

The Detroit Three have updated their fleets to reflect these shifts, and now even Chrysler Group LLC has been able to benefit. Its $116 million net profit for the first quarter of 2011, small as it was, represents the company’s first black ink as a new company. It was Chrysler’s first net profit, in fact, since 2006, before Daimler sold the automaker to Cerberus. For the first quarter of 2010, Chrysler Group lost $197 million.

During and after bankruptcy, Chrysler virtually brought production to a halt, and sold off existing stock at heavy discounts. U.S. sales began to pick up last year, and by the end of the first quarter of ’11, sales rose 23 percent, to 286,950 units for Q1 ’11 versus 234,215 for Q1 ’10. The global numbers look pretty good, too. International sales were 394,000 (including 50,000 in Canada and 20,000 in Mexico) for the quarter, up from 334,000 (45,000 Canada, 19,000 Mexico) a year earlier.

The 2007 United Auto Workers contract, and the further concessions from the 2009 bankruptcy are finally starting to kick in. Chrysler can make money on cars, even low-margin models like the new 200 and even as it has to pay incentives to move leftover Sebrings, for example.

Average Transaction Prices (ATP) are up, using Chrysler’s calculation based on J.D. Power & Associates data. The ATP for a Chrysler Group vehicle was $27,300, with a $3,800 average incentive, in Q1 ’10. This dipped to $27,000 ATP with a $4,200 average incentive in Q2 ’10. For Q1 ’11, the ATP is $28,300 with a $3,400 average incentive.

The question now is whether timing is good for new, truly improved cars like the Chrysler 300, as $4 gas becomes commonplace. Monday morning, Marchionne said the new models so crucial to Chrysler’s near future are rolling out slowly, to make sure quality is good.

New Chrysler 200s, 300s and Jeep Compasses “are hitting the market as we come out of Q1,” Marchionne said. “I still have an adequate inventory on the ground (on those models, but…). We need to fill the pipeline to sell them.”

After years of storing unsold cars and trucks on lots all over Metro Detroit, and then trying to force them on a bloated number of dealerships, inventory got as low as 179,000 in December 2009, with a 58-day supply. As inventories grew in ’10, the days supply ranged from 58 to 63. In March, Chrysler had 302,000 vehicles in inventory, a 67-day supply.

Perhaps Chrysler has found its level. While Marchionne intends to grow sales and market share by 2014, a 60-day supply is considered ideal.

Chrysler reports that Q1 ’11 net revenues were up 35 percent, from $9.7 billion in Q1 ’10. Modified operating profit was $477 million this first quarter, up from $143 million for last year’s first quarter. Cash on hand was $9.9 billion on March 31, up from $2.5 billion on December 31, 2010.

Marchionne says Chrysler dealerships have an average of fewer than two 200s in stock, right now. While it’s just a band aid job on the less-than-mediocre Chrysler Sebring, the 200 is a heavily advertised move in the right direction, much like the 2008-11 Ford Focus, with decent styling.

Chrysler still relies heavily on trucks, of course. The Ram pickup (previously the Dodge Ram) is up 39 percent for the quarter, to 52,739.

Ford Motor Company last week reported a healthy $2.55 billion first quarter profit, up from $2.09 billion in Q1 ’10. General Motors reports first quarter earnings on Thursday.

This comes as gas prices reach new highs. In Metro Detroit, the average price for regular unleaded hit $4.15, up 17 cents over the past week. Prices have been fairly high for the whole quarter, though, and so far the result seems to be that Chrysler 300 shoppers may downsize from Hemi V-8 to 3.6-liter V-6, not to a 200 or Dodge Caliber.

The Detroit Three said the ’07 UAW contract would allow them to earn profits on smaller cars, not just SUVs and trucks. So far, their promises are proving true, though the margins are still fairly thin. It remains to be seen whether the UAW will get greedy and try to win too much back in the ’11 negotiations. UAW President Bob King’s decision not to pick a single of the Detroit Three as a “strike target” is encouraging, though.

Just one more thing, for comparison purposes. ExxonMobil earned $10.65 billion net income in the first quarter, up from $6.3 billion in Q1 ’10. BP posted net income of $7.2 billion for Q1 ’11, up from $6.2 billion.

View the original article here