Gullwing details confirmed

Final confirmation of the new German supercar, including its name and performance details, has finally come after more than a year of speculation and scoop pictures.

The SLS AMG will surf a wave of new products from the world's oldest carmaker, with the E-Class sedan just hitting the road in Europe, an E- Class coupe coming before the end of the year, and the S-Class flagship also getting a tickle to combat the all-new BMW 7 Series.

Mercedes-Benz still has not gone completely public on its new supercar, but admits it will return a Gullwing hero to its lineup for the first time since the 1950s.

The price has not been finalised, but Mercedes-Benz Australia promises it will be less than the $680,000 it charged for the 10 'Black Series'

SL65 AMGs which have just been sold downunder.

Official pictures of the SLS AMG still hide the car's nose, but a technical cutaway drawing clearly shows the aluminium frame of the car, a V8 engine tucked behind the front wheels but still in front of the driver, and a double-clutch gearbox between the rear wheels to balance the weight distribution.

More details are coming, but not yet.

"You will see more of it later. We don't want to show every card,"

says the spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia, David McCarthy.

What about it's first public appearance? Will it be, as rumoured, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in October?

"It is likely to be at a motor show later in the year. In the northern hemisphere," he says.

The SLS AMG has been designed to take the place of the $1 million-and- more McLaren-Mercedes SLR built as a joint venture with the silver star's Formula One partner.

The difference this time is that the SLS is all Benz, with the work done in-house through its AMG performance division.

"AMG and Mercedes-Benz have been associated for more than 40 years.

There is a desire on the part of both companies to do this car,"

McCarthy says.

"The deal with McLaren was for a set period of time and there was no guarantee that it would, or would not, be renewed. Good luck to them.

We wish them well."

McLaren is doing its own supercar but it will be very different to the SLS, despite the performance claims for the new silver dream machine.

The SLS has a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 3.3 seconds, a top speed of 315km/h, a weight of 1620kg - thanks to an alloy chassis and body - and a 6.3-litre V8 with 420kW and 650Nm of torque.

AMG says the V8 has been "thoroughly re-engineered" to be more like an all-out racing engine, including dry-sump lubrication, all-new intake and exhaust systems, and reworked valve train and camshafts.

Apart from the performance, AMG and Benz are claimed Euro 5 emissions and fuel economy as good as 13 litres/100km on premium unleaded.

One of the big changes from regular Mercedes models is the rear- mounted gearbox - a seven-speed twin-clutch design similar to the one in the latest Porsche 911 - which is fed from the engine by a carbon fibre propshaft.

The rest of the mechanical package includes giant alloy wheels - 19- inch on the nose, 20 on the tail - ceramic brakes and traction control which can be turned off.