Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition is a great goodbye

By Stephen Edelstein November 15, 2013

2013 la auto show mercedes benz sls amg gt final edition is a great goodbye s65 and — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mercedes-Benz AMG will arrive at next week’s Los Angeles Auto Show with an ending.

The performance division of the Three-Pointed Star will unveil two cars: the SLS AMG GT Final Edition, which marks the end of the line for Mercedes’ gull-winged sports car. It will also be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, which runs concurrently with the LA Show.

Limited to just 350 units, the Final Edition will be mechanically identical to the regular SLS AMG GT. That means it will have a naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8–not the turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 AMG is putting in other cars–with 583 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque.

That brutish engine is teamed with AMG’s Speedshift seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, mounted in the rear as part of a transaxle for better weight distribution.

Performance should be unchanged. Both the SLS AMG GT coupe and roadster will do 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, and reach a top speed of 197 mph, according to Mercedes.

Other changes appear to be cosmetic. The Final Edition will be available in both coupe and roadster body styles, and will be the last SLS AMG model built, Mercedes says.

Launched in 2009, the SLS was the first car built entirely by AMG. In its four years on the market, it’s spawned a surprising number of variants including: the high-performance Black Series, battery-powered Electric Drive, and even a GT3 racer Mercedes actually sold to customers.

If the demise of the SLS AMG has you filled with existential angst, fret not. Mercedes will also unveil the S65 AMG, a super sedan based on the redesigned 2014 S-Class. While it doesn’t have vertically-opening doors, the S65 does have a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 with 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.

The Los Angeles Auto Show opens November 20. Check back here for more coverage.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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