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Automobiles

Quick Spin: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive [w/video]

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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Reading the stats for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive is like looking at the Prada storefront on Rodeo Drive – it is an extravagance tinged with Electrobeam gaudiness that’s so far from normal it makes the average viewer declare, “Interesting, but…” before trying to find the stargate back to Earth.

It’s a shame if the SLS AMG Electric Drive comes off as an otherworldly bauble for the moneyed – most of whom won’t appreciate it beyond the early-adopter and top-tenth-of-one-percenter status it confers – because it’s almost 2.5 tons of passionately engineered electric fun and optic-smashing vinyl wraps. To overlook it is to miss out on technology that is, we hope, headed for a more prosaic AMG soon. We drove this car on the same day as the SLS AMG Black Series, and there was so much to learn and enjoy that we almost regretted having to leave it to drive the Black Series. Almost.

Driving Notes

  • It weighs 4,774 pounds, nearly 550 kilograms more than the 3,573-pound SLS AMG GT. The weight difference comes from the heft of the lithium-ion battery array, composed of 12 modules of 72 cells that weigh 1,208.1 pounds. The batteries change the weight balance of the coupe by one percent: the SLS AMG GT is balanced 54/46 front-to-rear, the Electric Drive is 53/47.
  • It’s an energetic beast: The 400-volt, liquid-cooled, 60-kilowatt-hour battery is rated at 552 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of immediate torque. According to Mercedes PR, that makes it “the most powerful AMG high-performance vehicle of all time.” The run from stationary to 60 miles per hour takes 3.9 seconds, top speed is limited to 155 miles per hour and range is pegged at 155 miles. For comparison’s sake, take the aforementioned SLS AMG GT with its 6.2-liter V8 blending up 583 hp and 479 lb-ft that gets from naught to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and will run out of acceleration at 197 mph. Also compare the Electric Drive to the philosophically similar Tesla Roadster (a two-seat electric sports car) that weighed 2,723 pounds, had a 53-kWh battery, 288 hp, 273 lb-ft of torque, a 245-mile range and performed the same sprint in the same time. But remember, we’re just putting these cars on a piece of paper together to see where they fall; the SLS AMG Electric Drive has zero interest in being a Tesla or its GT kin.
  • Those batteries juice four synchronous electric motors – a pair in front and another pair in back that sit astride the center line of the car, each pair flanking a single-speed, direct-drive transmission. In front, the setup necessitated a new multilink suspension with horizontal pushrod dampers replacing the aluminum double wishbones of the standard car.
  • The AMG Drive Unit knob takes its usual place and is inscribed with its usual markings: C for Controlled Efficiency, S for Sport and S+ for Sport plus. They alter the linear, straight-line driving characteristics

    From: http://feeds.autoblog.com/~r/weblogsinc/autoblog/~3/XT9mQtDC6PM/

Automobiles

Quick Spin: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Coupe

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By Michael Harley

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz upgraded its SLS flagship Coupe and Roadster for the 2013 model year, and the changes are marked with them new “GT” nomenclature. Both SLS models arrive with a retuned naturally aspired 6.2-liter V8 delivering 583 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque (the horses are up from 563, but the torque remains the same) mated to a revised seven-speed AMG Speedshift dual-clutch gearbox. Rounding out the mechanical upgrades is a redeveloped AMG two-mode adaptive suspension. Physically, the revised models are differentiated by their new “GT” badging, darkened headlight/taillight buckets, red brake calipers, unique wheel colors and high gloss finish on the front grille, exterior mirrors and hood/fender fins. Inside the cabin are new red seatbelts, Alcantara upholstery and contrasting red stitching.

As it is nearly impossible to experience the aluminum gullwing beast on public roads, Mercedes invited out to Southern California’s Willow Springs to wring out the 2013 SLS GT Coupe on a racing circuit.

Driving Notes

  • It was impossible to feel the horsepower bump from the driver’s seat (the track’s 2,000-foot elevation negated the increase anyway), but the free-breathing V8 sounds even more spectacular each time I meet it. Gobs of low-end torque, a responsive throttle and a willingness to race to redline (7,200 rpm) make it a near-perfect driver’s companion. The automaker quotes a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds – traction at launch is a problem – with a top speed of 197 miles per hour. The SLS attacked the Streets of Willow with voraciousness. I’ve driven hundreds of laps on the circuit, but never in a vehicle so powerful that I needed to brake hard to make Turn One after rocketing down the straight (running clockwise).
  • After finding myself bumping off the limiter repeatedly while using the wheel-mounted paddles in manual mode (an LED shift light blinks red at the top of the cluster), I put the gearbox in Sport Plus and let computers do the thinking. Overall, I was pleased with its intuitiveness and I really enjoyed the throttle blips on the downshifts.
  • A near complete lack of body roll and very firm AMG Sport suspension (I chose the damper’s softest setting to combat the surface’s broken pavement) meant the rear end would break loose mid-corner if the power was applied abruptly. Smoothness and consistent throttle applications were imperative to keeping the rear end planted and exiting the corner with the nose pointed down the track. Overall balance was impressively neutral and weight distribution, fore and aft, was easily controlled with the accelerator pedal.
  • The 15.4-inch perforated front steel rotors could take plenty of abuse, but I preferred the optional carbon-ceramic brake setup as they felt unaffected by the heat generated on the tight track. As an added benefit, they weigh less and look even better through the forged spokes on the wheels.
  • Driven back-to-back on the track, the updated Coupe and Roadster were nearly identical dynamically (they both weigh 3,573 pounds). From a driver’s perspective, the exhaust note is more pronounced in the Roadster and there was more wiggle room for my helmeted head beneath its soft convertible top. Still, I wouldn’t want to give up those signature gullwing doors.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Quick Spin: 2013 Dodge Charger AWD Sport

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By Steven J. Ewing

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We won’t beat around the bush: The all-wheel-drive Dodge Charger is not a brand new car. This generation launched in 2011, AWD models and all. But for 2013, Chrysler has added an optional sport package to the AWD model, available with both the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or the sweet, sweet 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The upgrades for this new sport pack are mainly cosmetic; a gloss black grille, new 19-inch alloy wheels and body-colored rear spoiler make up the list of exterior changes. Inside, there are new sport seats and paddle shifters, and the eight-speed automatic transmission has been reflashed for better performance.

But because vehicles like the Dodge Charger mainly stick out in our minds as being rear-drive bruisers, Chrysler wanted to give us the opportunity to test out the LX platform’s foul-weather prowess. And perhaps no place more appropriate to test such a system was way up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the dead of winter.

Driving Notes

  • It’s not a new formula by any means, but we still adore the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 under the hood of the Charger. 370 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque are more than enough motivation to get this hefty (4,450-pound) sedan up and moving with a quickness, even with all-wheel drive.
  • The new eight-speed automatic ‘box is really slick here in the Charger, and unlike other eight-cog units, you won’t find the transmission frequently jumping back and forth between gears.
  • Even with eight gears to keep the engine revving for efficiency, fuel economy isn’t anything stellar. Combined with all-wheel drive, the Charger R/T AWD Sport achieves 15 miles per gallon in the city or 23 mpg on the highway. Still, that’s about par for the class – a two-wheel-drive Hyundai Genesis with the 5.0-liter V8 achieves 16/25 mpg.
  • On our drive through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we mostly encountered long stretches of two-lane backroads that, while throwing the occasional curve our way, were mostly straight and flat. This is ideal Charger territory, as the big sedan is perfectly poised to be a solid, comfortable highway cruiser above all.
  • We had the chance to pilot the Charger AWD Sport around a few handling courses in the snow, and there, the car offered safe amounts of fun. The Charger uses a rear-biased AWD system that only sends power to the front wheels when moments of slip or poor traction are encountered, but this means enthusiasts who like a bit of tail-wagging hooliganism in the snow will be very happy.
  • Even with that rear bias, the big Dodge never failed to snap itself back into line when we intentionally tried to break its butt loose. And since we were able to drive the Charger on a number of snowy, icy test courses, it was easy to see that this AWD system works well in all types of road conditions.
  • After so many years of lackluster cabins, it’s nice to be able to praise Chrysler interiors. Here in the Charger, we found both the sport cloth and leather seats to be immensely comfortable, and the overall fit and finish to the interior is quite nice. We especially like the carbon fiber-look trim pieces added to the Sport model for 2013.
  • Perhaps the best thing about the Charger’s interior is the Chrysler UConnect system – there’s a reason why it’s an award-winning piece of technology. The 8.4-inch screen is super easy to navigate, but this system’s biggest win is just how responsive it is to touch commands. Other automakers really should take note.
  • What’s great about this whole package is that the fullsize, loaded sedan tops out under the $40,000 mark. That’s comparable to fully optioned midsize sedans these days (like a Ford Fusion Titanium, for instance). Yes, those smaller cars are no doubt better on fuel economy, but for bang-for-the-buck performance, the Charger is really something special.

2013 Dodge Charger AWD Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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