Mercedes-Benz Adds Power and a Pair of Letters to SLS AMG for 2013

Though they are not typically shopped against German track-day specials, the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 are plumbing supercar depths of horsepower and performance, arguably diminishing a car like Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, which landed like a Teutonic hammer in 2010.

Perhaps recognizing this, AMG engineers have wrung an additional 20 horsepower from the supercar’s 6.3-liter V-8 engine and recalibrated its 7-speed Speedshift automatic transmission, while Mercedes’s marketers have added the letters GT to the deck lid.

The SLS AMG GT, as the 2013 model is called, produces 583 horsepower and, unchanged from the 2012 model, 479 pound-feet of torque. The gullwing coupe is estimated to accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds, an eye blink’s improvement over the outgoing model’s 3.7 second manufacturer’s estimate. Car and Driver, however, clocked a 2011 model at 3.5 seconds.

Though such performance figures might not suggest it, the SLS AMG has fallen somewhat behind the technology curve in its two years on the market. Mercedes has favored its new 5.5-liter bi-turbo V-8 engine for vehicles like the SL63 AMG and the recently announced GL63 AMG. The 5.5-liter unit runs more efficiently, helping buyers avoid gas-guzzler charges, while producing horsepower in line with that of the bigger V-8.

Pricing for the SLS AMG GT models will be announced closer to the cars’ sale date in November. The 2012 coupe is priced from $189,875 and the roadster from $196,975.