Vanilla Mercedes SLS not hard enough for you? Meet the SLS AMG Black Series.
The SLS AMG is arguably one of the most sporting cars ever produced by Mercedes. Engineered from the ground up by AMG, it did everything better (and for much cheaper) than its McLaren engineered predecessor, the SLR. There’s also that epic 6.3 liter V8.
Now comes an ever harder SLS in the form of the SLS AMG Black Series. Like other Black Series Mercs before it, the SLS Black has seen extensive modifications over the car in which it's based. First, lets get the obvious out of the way. This probably isn't a car that everyone would want to be seen in. The candy hued color palette, carbon trim and massive carbon rear wing (apparently inspired by the SLS GT3 racer) don't exactly blend with their surroundings. Still, it's these same details that you can't help but oggle over when you see a car like this in person.
The V8 retains its 6.3 liter displacement, but for this application, power has been bumped up to 622 hp through new cams and revised engine mapping. It's also usefully lighter coming in at 3417 lbs or 154 lbs lighter than the standard SLS. Power is fed through Mercedes' AMG Speedshift DCT 7-speed transmission, which has also been mounted nearly half an inch lower in the chassis to improve the center of gravity.
The SLS Black continues to run on the AMG Adaptive Sports Suspension, but now has a tauter base setup that's more optimized for track use. Two piece ceramic brakes come standard while the 10 spoke black painted wheels (275/35 R 19 front and 325/30 R 20 rear) are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 sports tires.
It remains to be seen if this new Black Series car will be the sideways hoon that the C63 Black Series, but it's sure to be freaking quick. To learn more, check out Drive Cult's coverage of the LA Auto Show next week where we'll be able to get up close with the SLS Black Series.
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