As we all know, Jay Leno is a car fanatic. So when he had the chance to visit the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz at Affalterbach and drive two of its most exclusive models in its test track, he couldn’t resist. The Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH himself, Ola Kallenius, accompanied Leno on his factory tour.
The host of the Tonight Show, who had worked for Mercedes Benz in America when he was 18 years old, drove the new SLS AMG Roadster as well as the pure-electric SLS AMG E-CELL.
“The power delivery from standstill is fantastic. It’s unbelievable how the 392 kW and 880 Nm catapult the gullwing down the track,” said Leno on the SLS AMG E-CELL.
“And thanks to four-wheel drive, the SLS AMG E-CELL has no problem in bringing its enormous power onto the road. The performance and handling are every bit the equal of the SLS AMG with the V8 engine. This is the future! I have a Baker Electric dating from 1909 in my collection. It’s unbelievable how electric drive technology has developed over 100 years or so!”
Leno also visited the factory’s engine shop and assisted in the assembly of a 6.3-liter V8 for an SLS by hand, following the AMG philosophy in which every man is responsible for each engine.
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