#NYIAS Funny how these things work. We don't really know what the 563-hp 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS "Gullwing" will look like or how much it will cost, exactly. But we know that its steering wheel has a diameter of exactly 14.4 inches, its glovebox can accommodate 3.7 liters of something and that the COMAND infotainment system's short-stroke buttons require only 4 newtons of force to operate.
Mercedes-Benz took a little break from the New York International Auto Show to give a group of journalists a sneak peek at the interior of the SLS "Gullwing," which should go on sale next spring. Don't look for it at the Javits Center, though. It's tucked away at an off-site location. And the body still wears some camo. We won't see the car in its full production glory until the Frankfurt show this fall.
Make the jump for full details and photo gallery.
The interior is, well, it's handsome and not the least bit gimmicky. The Mercedes McLaren SLR that the SLS will replace looked, in comparison, like an explosion in a gimmick factory. I mean, the vented flip-up little door on the top of the (automatic) shifter that covered the start button. It was (is) the Las Vegas of supercars.
The new interior, says Mercedes, is inspired by "aviation engineering." OK. Why does no automaker ever claim inspiration from, say, paddle boats? Anyway, this all-business interior is to be the design inspiration for future Mercedes sporty cars. And that's promising.
We suppose the round vents look a bit like aircraft engines, as Mercedes says they do, in the same way apples look like squares. And the center console is loaded up with a small jet's worth of buttons.
As supercar interiors go, it should be a pretty comfy place. First the sill over which passengers will have to climb is a quite reasonable 18 inches off the ground. And once inside, leather covers almost everything from the steering wheel down. Anthracite Alcantara synthetic suede covers everything above. Two-tone leather and carbon-fiber trim is optional. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is shifted via metal steering-wheel-mounted paddles. A string of seven LEDs act as an upshift light. The driver information center, tucked between the two main gauges, incorporates a lap timer for track-day use.
The line of buttons on the left side of the shifter control the transmission settings (Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Manual), the engine start/stop, traction and stability control settings, adjustable rear spoiler setting and the "AMG" button, which can store and recall a driver's favorite transmission and other settings. The car is, naturally, equipped with Race Start launch control.
And because this is the Mercedes of sports cars, the SLS comes with all variety of comfort and convenience systems, many of which carry the double-awesome suffix "-tronic." These include Parktronic, cruise control with Speedtronic and the Thermotronic climate control system, which factors into functioning the intensity and angle of the sun. Keyless Go, heated seats, rain-sensing wipers and a 7-inch navigation system screen are also included. Optionally available will be a Bang & Olufsen sound system and memory seats and some other stuff that doesn't really matter.
Read Inside Line's full story on the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG "Gullwing"
hondacura4 says:
04:36 PM, 04/ 8/09
I like how they used vastly different design elements and elegantly fused them together. It comes accross as a classic design yet with a modern twist. I like it as its certainly better than the angular 80's style interior designs (C/E Class).