The Mercedes-Benz SLS GT has been announced as the new Formula 1 Safety Car. The GT is the latest in a long line of AMG safety cars, and takes over from the regular SLS, which has been used to marshal F1 race events since 2010.
Essentially a revised version of the current SLS supercar, the GT puts out 583bhp from its 6.2-litre V8 (up 20bhp) and features a retuned dual-clutch gearbox which gives improved shift times.
The changes knock a tenth of a second off the SLS’s 0-100kph sprint time, which now takes just 3.7 seconds. Its top speed has been limited to 317kph. New to the SLS GT is AMG Ride Control. It replaces the three-mode system on the current car and is claimed to offer aggressive suspension tuning for improved dynamics.
A production version of the SLS GT will be unveiled at the Paris motor show, before arriving in UK showrooms in November. It is mechanically identical to the Safety Car and has darkened head and tail lamp lenses, as well as a gloss black finish to the fins and grille-mounted Mercedes badge, to visually distance it from the standard SLS.
Inside, the steering wheel receives a coating of Alcantara, while a gloss black finish adorns the dials and sections of the dashboard and centre console.