2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to start at $183,000 when it debuts in May

The 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a rare blend of top-shelf performance and iconic styling that comes along perhaps once in a generation.

And gullwings don't come cheap.

This SLS AMG will debut on May 10 with a base retail price of $183,000, a Mercedes spokesman told AutoWeek. The destination charge hasn't been finalized yet.

This is one of the most anticipated Mercedes in recent memory, and it's the first attempt by the German carmaker to build a supercar after its partnership with McLaren ended.

The SLS, with the signature gullwing doors, has modern styling that channels the original 1954 classic 300SL Gullwing Coupe. The 2011 car draws power from a 6.3-liter V8 pumping out 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. That works with a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle, the first for Mercedes. The car employs an aluminum spaceframe and an aluminum double-wishbone suspension. Look for a 0-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds.

Meanwhile, the company showed a racing version of the car, the SLS AMG GTS, at the New York auto show.

Mercedes has long been considered car royalty, and this new supercar with its lofty sticker reinforces that.

By Greg Migliore