California, USA — Sometimes in life you get a revelation or a vision so incredible that it seems to be a direct message from God himself. When the angel-like figure came toward me, eyes glowing, and spread its wings to cover the sky, I knew this was one of those moments.
Actually, I was looking for the first time at the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG "Gullwing," but the impression was the same. And once I sat behind the wheel, whether on the road or the track at Laguna Seca, the SLS proved to be a real blessing!
An angel on the track
As soon as my butt touched the driver’s seat, I shifted from admiration to action. The conditions were ripe and I could feel the SLS urging me to tame it.
Before going any further, I should mention that I did not have as much problems entering the cockpit as some of my colleagues, who found the car’s signature gullwing-type doors a bit tricky. Once you do get there, the driving position appears intimidating at first. After all, you’re sitting just inches above the ground and anytime you look forward, you see a long, almost endless hood lying in front of the steering wheel.
Fortunately, the multiple adjustments at the driver’s disposal put you in a nice, solid stance that inspires confidence and literally makes you feel at one with the machine.
And because it’s a Mercedes, material quality, fit and finish are superb, so you kind of forget that you’re sitting in a German thoroughbred. Firing up the engine immediately brings you back to Earth, though.
Good God, what a growl!
For sure, the 571-horsepower V8 of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a godly creature. Displaying racecar-like levels of inertia, it revs up in a hurry and lets out an unforgettable growl.
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| The SLS proved to be a real blessing! |
Actually, I was looking for the first time at the all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG "Gullwing," but the impression was the same. And once I sat behind the wheel, whether on the road or the track at Laguna Seca, the SLS proved to be a real blessing!
An angel on the track
As soon as my butt touched the driver’s seat, I shifted from admiration to action. The conditions were ripe and I could feel the SLS urging me to tame it.
Before going any further, I should mention that I did not have as much problems entering the cockpit as some of my colleagues, who found the car’s signature gullwing-type doors a bit tricky. Once you do get there, the driving position appears intimidating at first. After all, you’re sitting just inches above the ground and anytime you look forward, you see a long, almost endless hood lying in front of the steering wheel.
Fortunately, the multiple adjustments at the driver’s disposal put you in a nice, solid stance that inspires confidence and literally makes you feel at one with the machine.
And because it’s a Mercedes, material quality, fit and finish are superb, so you kind of forget that you’re sitting in a German thoroughbred. Firing up the engine immediately brings you back to Earth, though.
Good God, what a growl!
For sure, the 571-horsepower V8 of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a godly creature. Displaying racecar-like levels of inertia, it revs up in a hurry and lets out an unforgettable growl.
 |
| The material quality, fit and finish are superb, so you kind of forget that you’re sitting in a German thoroughbred. |