A Day With The Mercedes-Benz SLS

You know the moment when something seems almost too good to be true? Sure you do. You can feel the skepticism start to creep up in the back of your mind and invade your euphoria. We’ve all been there, and the old adage “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is” still applies today. Well, I had one of those moments a few months back.

My moment came when a coworker, who is also a friend of mine, swung by my desk and asked if I would be interested in taking a potentially amazing car for a drive. Ok, the term “amazing car” means different things to different people, but this is a universally-accepted amazing car. This car does 0-60 faster than a Ferrari F430 and boats the same top speed. Not only is it impressive on the road, but the history of this vehicle puts it in a category all it’s own.

The Mercedes SLS is a dream car. Not only does it possess supercar performance in a manageable, luxurious package, but it also possesses a rich history that almost every car-loving fool can appreciate. The SLS is derived from the stunning Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing from the mid 1950’s.

I still remember the day I got my beloved Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing MicroMachine and spent hours opening the unique bird-inspired doors and rolling around on the floor pretending to be on some twisty mountain roads. I had no idea then that I’d be doing just that almost 25 years later with my amazing wife in the hills of North Georgia.

We picked the car up on a gloomy Saturday afternoon, and immediately headed for the hills. We knew the rain would eventually rear its ugly head, and our time was limited. Having ridden motorcycles on these roads for the better part of my adult life, I knew exactly where I wanted to go. We shot up GA400, and proceeded to head towards HWY 60 and HWY 129. What happened next was nothing short of an epic day. We had so much fun that we laughed until we couldn’t breathe, took some amazing photos, giggled our faces off, (fun cars will do that to you) and enjoyed one of the best days we’ve ever had together.

At the top of GA 129.

A quick stop to take some shots in the country.

A few shots of the SLS around Atlanta.

Nothing says Atlanta and heartburn like The Varsity.