First Test: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

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Friday afternoon traffic in L.A. isn't the ideal environment for a $217,325 supercar, but that's exactly where I found myself on my first day with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. I also had to keep an eye on my fellow commuters who, at first sight of the gullwing coupe, turned into car-crazed, law-breaking paparazzi. First up in my rearview mirror was an Audi S6, its tailgating driver taking both hands off the wheel in an attempt to snap focus photos from his iPhone. Ditto the Prius driver to my left. Never mind the risk of a hefty ticket or that the SLS is more than three times thirstier than his fuel-sipping hybrid - his Facebook wall now features an epic photo of the SLS.

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This particular SLS wore a matte-finished color dubbed Designo Magno Monza Grey, though it's actually brown. Despite the relatively stealthy paint job, it was near impossible to keep under the radar while driving what one admirer later dubbed "a futuristic military submarine on wheels." With traffic still crawling along, I decided to check out the confines. Depending on your stature - I'm 5'9" -- the A-pillar's edge is about half a foot away from your eyeballs, the roof is even closer to your head, and the door's beltline sits just below your neck. It's cozy, but not cramped like a C6 Corvette. For extreme claustrophobics, the upcoming roadster is a suitable replacement if you don't mind sacrificing the gullwing doors.

Some SLS' interior bits like the climate control and COMAND interface are essentially pulled from other Benz models. The three-spoke steering wheel also looks like it could have been pulled from another model. Functionally, it's fine -- the steering wheel fits in the hand perfectly and the paddle shifters operate as they should -- but the overall look doesn't scream "flagship." Steering wheel aside, the cabin's overall feel is definitely special thanks to the perforated leather-wrapped AMG seats, optional carbon fiber trim, metallic-like gauges, and Alcantara headliner. Visibility is surprisingly good, too, and the standard Blind Spot Assist system is an added bonus.

<blockquote align="Center"><p>The suspension does an admirable job of soaking up everything from Botts Dots to city potholes big enough to make a G550 whimper.

On normal freeway jaunts, the SLS is more grand tourer than supercar. With the optional AMG Dynamic Suspension system in Sport mode, the ride feels no different than that of an SL550. The suspension does an admirable job of soaking up everything from Botts Dots to city potholes big enough to make a G550 whimper. Comfort mode, however, feels odd on the freeway where the rear end of the SLS bounces uncomfortably. The third and final suspension mode is Sport+, which I decide to test out on a few twisty roads surrounding my parents' home in northern San Diego county.

After a quick pit stop to show my family the gullwing door, my brother and I venture off to a stretch of Highway 78 that runs from Escondido to Julian. The road runs through a good mix of small mountains with tight curves and expansive fields with long straights and wide sweeping turns. Accelerating up the inclines is effortless for the hand-built, 6.2-liter M159 V-8 engine. Though it shares displacement with the lesser M156 engine fitted in other AMGs, a number of tweaks boost power to 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Additionally, the use of a dry sump lubricating system allowed engineers to mount the engine lower in the chassis and behind the front axle for excellent distribution of its hefty 3765-pound curb weight -- 47 percent of it sits up front, 53 percent is in the rear.

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The engine is mated to a rear-mounted, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which sends power to the 20-inch rear wheels (19s roll up front) wrapped in sticky Continental ContiSport Contacts. Accelerating from 0-60 mph takes just 3.6 seconds. A quarter mile comes and goes in 11.7 seconds at 124.3 mph. The accompanying exhaust note is just as intoxicating, from the piercing bark at start up to the guttural wail at the 7200 rpm redline. The AMG-optimized 7-speed gearbox includes three modes, with Sport+ being arguably the best all-around, especially when the time comes to hit the track or, in my case, the corners of Highway 78.

Going hard on the brakes before a turn was met with rev-matched downshifts followed by snaps and pops from the exhaust. Though I'm a big advocate of the third pedal, I didn't find myself wishing that I was rowing my own gears. I even gave the manual mode a try, but soon switched back to Sport+.

Despite weighing in at nearly two tons, the SLS is surprisingly agile through the curves and remained flat. Steering is excellent and responsive, providing decent feedback on the road. With confidence and speed building after each turn, I debated switching traction control off. Then, warnings from fellow MT staffers replayed in my head. "The SLS is REALLY tail happy," they said, "Keep traction control on!" Once the testing gurus had their turn, I was glad I did. While the SLS completed our figure eight course in just 24.1 seconds at 0.85 g (avg), achieving that number required some hard work.

"Turn in aggressively enough and the SLS slides predictably toward the apex; your hands have to be fast to catch it, though. Once you start involving the throttle, things get very squirrely," said associate road test editor Carlos Lago. "The SLS, to me, is a car better at going 7/10ths or 8/10ths than it is at 10/10ths. It's much better suited for long, fast drives."

So it might not be the most agile track star in the supercar world, but that's OK. The SLS will still reward drivers and casual enthusiasts with a car that's perfectly fine as a commuter -- provided they don't mind the attention -- and is also a capable canyon carver.

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