2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster: First Official Photos

MONTVALE, New Jersey — Mercedes-Benz has released the first official photos of the new 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster, four months ahead of the car's public debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. The 2012 SLS AMG Roadster goes on sale this fall in the U.S.

The Roadster is the soft-top companion to the SLS AMG Coupe, swapping the hardtop's gullwings for conventional doors.

The Roadster's power-operated fabric top, which stows behind the seats, incorporates a heated glass rear window and is available in black, red or beige. The top can be raised or lowered automatically in about 11 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph. Trunk space is virtually identical between the two SLS AMG models: 6.1 cubic feet for the Roadster and 6.2 cubic feet for the Coupe.

Otherwise, the Roadster shares much of its hardware with the Coupe, notably the AMG-tuned 6.2-liter V8 that makes 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, which is mated to an AMG Speedshift seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with a Race Start function and a mechanical diff lock.

Mercedes-Benz says the SLS AMG Roadster will zip from zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds, which makes it virtually as quick as the Coupe. Top speed is electronically limited to 197 mph.

Like the Coupe, the Roadster features an aluminum spaceframe. It rides on 265/35R19 tires in front and 295/30R20s in the rear. Customers can choose from AMG twin five-spoke or seven-spoke alloy rims, or the extra-cost 10-spoke matte-black forged wheels.

Ceramic two-piece brakes with larger discs, as well as red-painted calipers, are among the options, as is a new three-mode AMG adaptive sport suspension with electronically controlled damping.

The SLS AMG Roadster adds a few new touches to the cockpit, including leather-lined rollover bars and the automaker's AirScarf heating system. Standard accouterments include heated AMG sport seats with black design leather, detachable glass windstop, dual-zone automatic climate control, COMAND with navigation and a DVD player, and Keyless Go. Trim choices range from matte metal to carbon fiber.

Infotainment choices include a Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG surround-sound system and the new AMG Performance Media, a motorsport-inspired multimedia system that bundles different telemetric displays of information, from lateral acceleration to racetrack lap times.

Inside Line says: With the 2011 SLS AMG Coupe priced from $185,750, the new Roadster should be pushing $200K when it arrives in showrooms toward the end of the year.