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2011 Mercedes CLS 55 AMG and SL 65 AMG by Pole Position Tuning 
There’s no shortage of tuning firms that work on wide-body aerodynamic kits for Mercedes vehicles. Whether it’s a renowned firm like Brabus or just a local custom company in your town, you’re going to inevitably find someone that can offer you these packages. Over in Osaka, Japan, a shop called Pole Position Tuning recently released their aerodynamic kits for two Mercedes models, the CLS-Class and the SL Class. Judging by the photos of these two kitted out Mercs, the folks over at PPT have definitely shown some promise with their packages. The Mercedes CLS-Class was given a wide-body kit, a lower stance, and a set of custom wheels. The wheels look massive, and the tires practically look non-existent when tucked in the wheel arch, making it seem as if driving the Mercedes will give way to some metal to metal action. On top of that, there’s also a pretty intimidating rear wing that, if you ask us, doesn’t really suit the luxury styling of the CLS. The wide-body kit, the lowered stance, and the custom wheels all look good on the car, but that rear wing, especially those aluminum wing mounts, does very little to give the car’s overall luxury appearance some justice. Hit the jump to see what Pole Position Tuning did with the SL 65 AMG. Full story 2008 Mercedes SL65 AMG Shining Star by MR Car Design
Some have mistakenly thrown around the name ’Shining Star’ a little too loosely for our liking, and as is often the case, the vehicles with that sparkling name almost always fail to deliver. This, however, is not the case with MR Car Design’s work on the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. The name ’Shining Star’ fits the sports car almost perfectly. As the latest work of the Erftstadt-based auto tuner, this particular SL65 comes with a number of exterior improvements, including a new carbon bonnet courtesy of its compatriot and tuner-at-arm, Kicherer. In addition to the SLR-inspired bonnet, MR Car Design lowered the SL65 AMG’s ride height by 30 mm while also putting in a new rear bumper, black fender lights at the front, a mid-mounted black brake light out in the back, a new sport exhaust system, and a set of 20" forged rims courtesy of yet another aftermarket brethren, Carlsson. As for the interior, not a lot of changes were done except for the installation of custom-made Black Series dial lenses. Under its hood, the SL65 AMG also gets a little boost in performance, thanks to software adjustments done on the ECU that netted an improvement on the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine from its standard 604 horsepower and 748 lb/ft of torque to 683 horsepower and 819 lb/ft of torque. Overall, there’s plenty to like about MR Car Design’s work on the SL65 AMG and for the first time in a long time, the ’Shining Star’ name is more than just a title. 2011 Mercedes SL Grand Edition
In 2010, Mercedes unveiled the SLK Grand Edition, and now, one year later, the German manufacturer is ready to bring out yet another model with the same "Grand" makeover. The SL Grand Edition is being offered as a celebration of the company’s 125th anniversary, with packages for the SL 300, 350, and 500 versions. Prices for the package will range from an extra € 4,830 (about $6,532 at the current rates) for the SL 500 to € 7,176 (about $9,704 at the current rates) for the SL 300. The Grand Edition will be distinguished by Nappa leather seats, door trim, and steering wheel, a start button in the gear lever, and the newly developed AIRSCARF personal warming system integrated into the front headrests. Plenty of "Grand Edition" logos were placed all over the body of the vehicle, as well as the interior, so no one is confused by its distinction. The final touches are provided by silver air vents, silver paddles, KEYLESS-GO, a chrome air shot, headlamps matching the paint finish, a third brake light, and a new set of 19" AMG wheels. 2010 Mercedes SL 63 AMG Shadow Line by Vilner
Having a Mercedes SL63 AMG in your garage is already reason enough for your neighbors to feel supremely jealous of you. But what if you had a way to knock that ‘envy meter’ up a few more notches? Would you do it? If you answered ‘yes’, then we have the perfect interior styling program for you. Courtesy of the folks from Vilner is this new styling program called the SL63 AMG Shadow Line. Among the upgrades included in the Vilner Shadow Line program includes a steering wheel that’s been outfitted with thicker hand-stitched light gray perforated leather. The sports car’s doors were also given a red perforated leather treatment with an ornamental design on the door handles, which, incidentally can also be found on the car’s center armrest and at the back of the headrest. The seats were also dressed in the same black and red color scheme with a headrest dressed in leather with white stitching and accompanied by an embroidered ‘Shadow Line’ name on it. The changes are minimal compared to what we’ve seen from Vilner in the past. But when it comes to interior styling, the company’s ‘Shadow Line’ package just might be the answer you’re looking for if you ever decide to give your SL63 AMG a classy and beautiful dress-up. 2010 Mercedes-Bent 190SLThere’s no typo in the title, in case you’re wondering. And if looks can be deceiving, we won’t blame you if you think that this 1961 Mercedes 190SL is just a restored classic. But the truth is, it’s not. On the contrary, in fact. This, dear folks, is the Mercedes-Bent 190SL. The project, which was the brainchild of Hot Rods and Custom Stuff, began by taking a 1961 Mercedes 190SL and stripping it of its original parts with only the car’s body left standing. Then, Hot Rods and Custom Stuff widened and lengthened the 190SL’s body to accommodate all the new parts that were going to be put in, most notably the platform of a 2004 Mercedes SL600. After hours and hours of labor, the finished product is what was unveiled at SEMA 2010 – a car that seamlessly blended old school looks with new school performance features, a marriage that is both awesome to look at and even better to drive. Details after the jump. Full story Misha Design Mercedes SL-Class Widebody
Misha Designs has just unveiled its new widebody Mercedes-Benz SL, as if the normal one isn’t wide enough. The new package includes a new front bumper and lower lip spoiler made from carbon fiber. These help to increase the opening in the front to allow more air flow. The fenders and the quarter panels are widened to merge with the wheel arches with air intakes behind the front wheels. This will give the Misha SL a Black Series-like look. The new kit also uses a new bonnet with carbon fiber vents. There are side skirts that meet up with the fender flares and a rear bumper with carbon fiber gills on each side. There is also a carbon diffuser and a truck spoiler for aerodynamics. Misha Design says that you can have this done to any post-2003 SL model, but it can provide an easy upgrade bolt on kit for the face lifted 2009 version. As if the new version wasn’t vulgar enough, this steps it up one more notch. Full story
2010 Mercedes SL65 AMG by Wheelsandmore
Earlier this evening Wheelsandmore brought us a tuned up Audi R8 V10. Now they are bringing us another masterful vehicle with a killer engine. A standard Mercedes SL65 AMG is powered by an AMG 6.0-liter V12 biturbo engine that develops 612 hp and 1000 NM of torque. Sounds pretty good, right? Apparently not. German tuner, Wheelsandmore, has managed to take this engine to a new level. By upgrading the electronic control unit and adding a new exhaust system, the tuner managed to obtain an impressive 697 HP and 1150 Nm. The tuning package also includes a new set of 3-piece forged wheels model 6Sporz, sizing 10,0x20” at the front and 12,0x20 at the rear axle. A "LowMaXX" electronic lowering module has also been added bringing the ride up by about 45mm. Much like the Audi from earlier, Wheelsandmore failed to mention how these changes would affect the performance numbers for the sports car. What they did confirm, however, is that the speed limiter has been removed. Regardless of what the numbers turn out to be, we doubt they will compare to the performance provided by the Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series by MKB which produces 1000hp. That’s just simple math. Press release after the jump. Full story 2010 Mercedes SL55 AMG by Misha Design
When it comes to providing high end tuning kits for some Mercedes models, tuners like Prior Design and Inden Design are more than well known. However, at this November’s SEMA Show, Los Angeles-based tuner Misha Design will be coming prepared with their own wide body kit for the Mercedes SL55 AMG, and as far as we can tell, they will provide as much spark as any other tuner. Only two sketches of the tuning package were revealed, but the tuner did confirm that the package will include black carbon fiber fins on the hood and the rear bumper, new air intakes, and forged wheels. Apparently an SL55 AMG was chosen by the customer because of the numerous deals and low mileage SL55 AMGs that were available. A standard Mercedes SL 55 AMG is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 supercharged engine that delivers a total of 517 HP. That being said, Misha Design has announced that they pulled a few tricks out of their sleeves to toy with the engine. No performance numbers were announced as of yet, but as soon as we get the information - which will be in November when it is unveiled at the SEMA Show - we’ll pass it along!
2012 Mercedes-Benz SL AMG
We have always said, never hire an automaker to keep a secret, because they can’t. They can’t even keep their new cars from being seen by photographers. This time, Mercedes-Benz has let its, what we think is the new 2012 SL 63 AMG out into the public. From the start, it’s fairly easy to tell that this is all AMG. The long hood, AMG wheels, cross-drilled brakes, and folding metal roof give it away. The front of the car takes some design elements from the SLS, with a more upright front fascia. The interior will likely have a redesigned steering wheel, SLS-like center console, and a much improved computer system. Powering this beast will be a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 with 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Need more torque to shred those tires into dust, AMG will offer the AMG Performance Package that will bump up the torque rating to 664 pound-feet. UPDATE 12/15/2011: Check out our rendering of the future SL AMG! TopSpeed’s 10 Best High-End Sports Cars
What is a high-end sports car? Are they Italian performance machines like the Ferrari 458 and the Lamborghini Gallardo, or are they more sensible vehicles like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG? We think they’re the latter. For this top ten, we are going to set the price cap at $120,000, if you can call that a cap. That should eliminate most of the extreme vehicles, but keep the basic Porsches and so on within the limits. What kinds of things are we looking for with high-end sports cars? Obviously, they need to be fast with agile handling and excellent driving dynamics. The car needs to look stunning with a functional yet stylish interior. It would also be great if it could stand the test of time, so reliability is also a factor. Let’s review the previous winners of our sports car test. The Volkswagen GTI took the top spot in the entry-level test due to its excellent performance, build quality, and versatility. There were numerous winners of the mid-level test, as we had multiple categories. We chose the Audi S4, the BMW M3, and the Ford Mustang GT500 as the top cars in their classes. Hit the jump to see the list. Full story . | Find us on Facebook | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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