Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG buying guide

The Roadster arrived in 2011 with conventional doors and a power fabric soft top that opens in 11 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph. It weighs about 40 kg more than the coupe and has a reinforced chassis, with a reversing camera and Airscarf neck heating as standard. Romans International and Car Collector International both see it as less collectible than the coupe, so choose one on condition. RAC Drive scored it 7.3/10 as a used car. Our pages cover the Coupe and the Convertible separately.

The GT arrived in 2012 as coupe and roadster, with revised gearbox, suspension and damper tuning. Car Collector International and CarsCounsel both call it the better-developed standard car, with sharper shift programming, revised dampers and more power. CarsCounsel names the 2013-2015 GT models as the best years and says to approach 2011-2012 cars carefully. See the GT Coupe for what is listed.

The Black Series (see the cheapest cars listed) came in late 2013 with 622 hp and 468 lb-ft, an 8,000 rpm redline, a titanium exhaust, carbon-ceramic brakes and a fixed rear wing. It weighs 1,550 kg (3,417 lb) and does 0-60 mph in 3.5 s. Car Collector International and CarsCounsel call it a blue-chip collector halo that needs careful inspection for track abuse. Sports bucket seats make a car harder to sell, according to Romans International, and suit the Black Series best.

The GT Final Edition was a 2014 run-out limited to 350 units, with a carbon bonnet, splitter and Black Series-style fixed rear wing. The Electric Drive, with four motors and about 740 hp, sold in fewer than 100 units. Romans International says the 'SLS Studio Performance Editions' are not a factory special edition and add no value. It adds that carbon trim and ceramic brakes are options that help a car sell.

The gearbox is the big one; the rest is mostly ageing and wear.

Early dual-clutch shifts

Many 2011-2012 cars shift slowly and laggily at low speed. A free software update was later offered, so ask whether it has been done.

Gearbox shudder and clutch wear

The Getrag dual-clutch unit can shudder or judder at low speed from around 50,000 km, per What Breaks, and spirited use wears the clutches faster. The same source puts clutch replacement at $5,500 to $8,800.

Gearbox replacement

A whole gearbox is a far larger bill. One source quotes over 12,000 EUR and another says it can exceed $30,000, so the sources disagree widely.

Camshaft and lifter wear

CarsCounsel reports camshaft and lifter wear on some high-mileage cars that had stretched oil change intervals. Camshaft adjusters can also rattle on a cold start, and What Breaks gives $1,800 to $4,000 for that repair.

Gullwing door struts

Door gas struts and hinges weaken with age, so the doors open sluggishly or drop down. Test both doors several times.

Electrical faults

Exotic Car Hacks lists seat occupancy detection faults and infotainment gremlins as reported problems. One Roadster at Romans International had leaks from sealing issues, and a couple of cars needed radiators or engine wiring repairs.

Car Collector International says to service the car every year regardless of mileage, with A services at £400-500 and B services under £1,000 (UK figures). What Breaks lists oil changes every 10,000 km with 10W-60, Service A every 15,000 km and Service B every 30,000 km.

Exotic Car Hacks puts a steel brake set at about $400 for pads and up to $2,500 for rotors. For the clutch, camshaft adjuster and gearbox figures, see the faults above. Budget £800 to £1,500 for a pre-purchase inspection at an AMG specialist, and it is worth the money on a car like this.