Reborn Gullwing heading for New Zealand shores

The Mercedes SLS is a modern reincarnation of the classic Gullwing introduced in 1954. Photo / Supplied

The original set hearts pounding in the 1950s, it's been imitated many times ... and now it's back.

A modern version of Mercedes-Benz's 300SL Gullwing sports car is reappearing as a replacement for the SLR McLaren.

A few will make their way to New Zealand later next year, the importer has confirmed, and while pricing's not settled, don't expect much change from $500,000. On the other hand, original Gullwings routinely sell for more than $1 million when they come up for sale overseas.

It's the first Mercedes designed in-house by performance division AMG and also echoes the original in its long bonnet - a little short of 2m - and stubby rear end. The doors swing open upwards like the original, but can be easily fully detached if the car rolls over.

"Our aim is to create a future classic, a new design icon like the Mercedes-Benz CLS and SL, to help shape future models," says AMG chairman Volker Mornhinweg.

The alloy-body SLS AMG will go on sale in Europe in the northern spring and offers performance to match its looks. The 6.3-litre, dry-sump M159 V8 engine produces 420kW of power and 650Nm of torque, feeding a seven-speed, dual-clutch transaxle.

A dry sump allows the engine to be shallower below the crankshaft so it can be mounted lower in the chassis. Oil is pumped to the engine from a separate tank.

With a kerb weight of 1620kg, the car's said to be capable of 0-100km/h run in a little under 4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of just over three times the New Zealand open-road limit.

Law-abiding New Zealand owners will never even see one of the car's cool features in action - the boot-lid spoiler that extends automatically at 120km/h.

The interior picks up ideas from aircraft cockpits. Features include aluminium trim, chromed air vents and large white-backlit sliver-faced instruments with red needles. All the controls are metal with polished surfaces. The gear lever is shaped like a jet's thrust regulator.

A three-spoked, 365mm-diameter sports steering wheel has a leather rim and metal detailing.

Seat backrests are of magnesium, the deep side bolsters trimmed with high-density foam for good lateral grip. The seats are only 370mm off the ground but the doors open to 70 degrees and need less space to open than conventional doors. A normal single garage is said to be no problem.

For those worrying about how much a trip to the panelbeater might cost, the car's traction control is always on and all stability control functions are automatically switched on when the brakes are applied.