Every car no matter its shape, size or price has a lifecycle that must come to an end. When a manufacturer brings a models production to a close it is often to make way for the next generation, as is the case with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. We have seen several version of this excellent gull-winged GT from special editions to the properly mental Black Series. 2015 will see this cars successor making 2014 its last year of production. The Mercedes-Benz SLS Final Edition is the machines last Hurrah before driving off into the sunset.
Powered by that mighty 6.3 litre V8 engine, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition produces 583BHP. This special car receives new alloy wheels and interior tweaks. Externally it can be differentiated from the standard SLS via its black bonnet, carbon fibre front splitter and huge carbon rear wing. The Final Edition will number just 350 and is available in both coupe and convertible.
A Ferrari is a very special machine. Fueled by passion, powered by devotion to ultimate performance. The Italian’s give their all in both motorsport and out on the road. Today we see the birth of an all-new Italian stallion that replaces the much loved 599 GTB. This new machine has a lot to live up to but becoming the most powerful road going Ferrari ever, we are confident it will fill these big shoes well.
Named the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, it is exactly what my perfect supercar ideal is. Big V12 up front producing 730BHP powering the rear wheels. A perfectly sculpted body that not only provides the world with an art form to look upon, but its science provides the downforce to tame those rampant horses. 0-62MPH is done in a blistering 3.1 seconds, 0-124MPH in 8.5 seconds and it wont stop until it hits its top speed of 211MPH. Despite all this performance it will still achieve over 18MPG.
It has been a long with but one that has been worth it. The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.
Everything has boundaries and limitations. Rules that are not to be broken, lines that are not to be crossed. Yet within a deep dark corner in the AMG division of Mercedes-Benz are a group of engineers that take only look at these warnings and then set them on fire. These men are responsible for the end result of their “play time” and the product is labelled Black Series. Play time is now over and all that remains is the beast with a dark name.
This is the Mercedes-Benz CL63 Black Series. A 509BHP, 6.3 litre, machine of mass destruction. It takes no prisoners meaning the BMW M3 would do well to watch its back. The hard-core coupe gets a wider track and swollen wheel arches to match, not to mention two dirty bonnet nostrils. Rear seats are even an option extra on this performance focused Merc equipped with one of the fastest 7 speed dual clutch gearboxes in existence.
Are you going to hand over your £100,000 or is the Black Series going to have to make you?
The Ferrari FF is no doubt going to be a big seller for the Italians in the coming years with its aggressive stature, brand new V12 and luxury for four. Despite being four-wheel-drive the car has been built in such a way that it behaves like any other Ferrari yet this first time system gives an extra element of control when needed. Full details on the FF’s specifications can be found HERE.
Ferrari have just sent us some more images of the completed FF frolicking in the snow and we have to say that the photographer has done a fine job. We can’t wait until its our turn in the FF to see if it is a worthy successor to the brilliant 612 it replaces. No announcement has been made on price as yet but expect it to in the region of £200,000-£230,000.
The early launch of Ferrari’s 612 replacement before the Geneva motor show in March caught everyone by surprise. The four seat, four-wheel-drive Italian stallion not only sports Ferrari’s all-new 6.3 litre V12 but also gives all four occupants a true Ferrari experience whilst being able to fit ski’s in the boot. More on the FF’s launch HERE. The following is the cars full specifications that we received in the press release.
We have seen spy shots, we have seen renderings but today in advance of its debut at the Geneva motor show in March speculation on Ferrari’s 612 successor comes to an end. The 612 though not being an extravert in Italian styling was a prancing horse through and through providing supercar adrenalin rushes in four seater form. The car provided occupants a very unique experience in that not two but four full grown adults could experience unrestrained Ferrari performance. So here it is… The Ferrari FF.
Named the FF as an acronym for “Ferrari Four” this devilishly handsome GT brings forth a new incarnation of the popular formula. The real surprise is that this car is the first Ferrari to have a four-wheel-drive set-up that it uses to intelligently distribute torque throughout the car. With Ferrari V12 power from an all new 6.3 litre and a luxurious 458 inspired cabin we can already imagine ourselves building the miles. Total power comes in the form of 651 perfectly formed horses than can accelerate the latest Italian stallion to 62MPH in 3.7 seconds. Top speed is 208MPH but with this cars epic torque levels of 504 lb-ft expect the journey to be quite a thrill.
For those who don’t know Brabus are the unofficial tuners of Mercedes-Benz, think AMG but off the books. As a result their tinkering must be more extreme in every way compared to the in-house modifications to gain a unique selling point. For example Mercedes-Benz produced the most extreme variant of their super coupe in the form of the SL Back with 661BHP; Brabus then got hold of it and gave this monster 800BHP! So what are they going to do with the already brilliant SLS AMG?
Well the performance upgrades to the car are still under development but expect the 6.3 litre V8 to receive an extra generous helping of BHP. Other modifications include new carbon fibre bodywork, light weight forged rims as well as adjustable suspension and an all new exhaust system. A new front spoiler aids in increasing down force, a much needed integration thanks to extra power we guess, but interestingly the car has a speedometer that reads up to 250MPH.
More details as we get them.
UPDATE:
We have received more information on the Brabus SLS, well the company are still keeping the juicy details for another day so we will just have to be patient for the inevitable apocalypse of power. Brabus are claiming that their new exhaust system for the car weighs 40% less than the existing one, not only that but the exhaust alone will boost the power by 10BHP. Bold claims but only the finished product will define our opinion.
As we have told you time and again, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a biblical machine that pushes high levels of comfort and performance to new levels. How can a car like this be so refined yet so ready destroy the distance between you and the horizon? The German company have been giving people various opportunities to drive the car and in this video you can see it let loose on one of the worlds most famous circuits… Spa.
In the deepest darkest corner of Mercedes-Benz AMG division is a cage. A cage that is only ever opened under strict instruction, this cage contains the Black Series engineers. These men are criminally insane and are responsible for building “money is no object” ballistic missiles. The CLK Black was a chainsaw gargling axe murderer that even came with a health and safety warning, then there was the SL Black that has been known to kill lions with its biblical power. So what are the mad men’s plans for the new SLS AMG, well the air is thick with speculation.
According to various sources, some we trust others not so much, Mercedes-Benz intend to launch the SLS Black Series early 2013. A boost in power is standard form after this division has finished work and the increase will leave the SLS with around 600BHP as well as 680lb ft of torque! This will reduce the cars already quick 0-62MPH of 3.8 seconds and increase the cars speed to over 200MPH. We have no idea how they will achieve this but our best guess is that a larger air-intake will be involved as well as other tinkerings.
They say the end of the world will come in 2012, I say they are wrong. 2013 looks much more likely.
Just a quick post to share some news from Mercedes-Benz. Now driving with a top F1 team has its perks such as freebies, and we’re not talking caps and stickers. Every driver of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team must be seen publicly driving a Mercedes-Benz; not exactly a bad bit of small print and Jenson Button has taken advantage of this.
The 2009 world champion collected his new Mercedes C-Class DR 520 Estate from Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands. The car is a limited edition E63 AMG with an extra 60BHP that helps the car complete a 0-62MPH time of 4.2 seconds and achieve an electronically limited top speed of 186MPH. With matt black paint and some bespoke interior finishing’s this £63,680 monster is all his free of charge.
