Last week, Mercedes-Benz previewed its upcoming SLS AMG Roadster ahead of its world premiere at this fall’s 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show with some teaser shots illustrating a subtly masked prototype during testing.
For those of you that would like a better view of the soft-top version of Mercedes’ supercar, our spy photographers caught the SLS AMG Roadster out on the streets of Germany with almost no camouflage at all as the only parts of the car that were masked off were the lights and the logo on the hood. This particular example of the SLS AMG sported a black finish with a contrasting tan soft top.
Mercedes says because the Gullwing door coupe and roadster were created in parallel, engineers had the chance to take into consideration the structural differences between the two models and keep the open top model’s weight low. As an example, the company said the bodyshell of the Roadster tips the scales at only 536 pounds (246 kg), or just five pounds (2.3 kg) more than the Coupe.
The SLS AMG Roadster is powered by the same 6.2-liter V8 engine found in the Coupe, which produces 571HP in European specification, and 563HP for North America. The eight-cylinder unit is mounted just behind the front axle with the drive going to rear wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch transmission.
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