As the age old saying goes, when in Rome do as the Romans do. Not to stereotype, but you have to admit that the United Arab Emirates have had their fare share of gold-finished exotic supercars and as such, Mercedes-Benz decided to show off a special SLS AMG Gullwing with the designation “AMG Desert Gold” with a matt gold color at the bi-annual Dubai Motor Show that runs from December 15 to 20.

In addition to matt gold paintwork, all the decorative and mounted features like the Mercedes star at the front and the fins on the bonnet and flanks that are in shining chrome or Silver Shadow in the standard SLS AMG have been given a deep-black paint finish on the show car.

The same goes for the black-painted AMG light-alloy wheels in size 9.5 x 19 at the front and 11.0 x 20 at the rear that are embellished with a golden ring on the rim flange.

Mercedes chose to leave the interior of the 571HP gullwing-supercar intact, opting for black leather and carbon fiber trim.

The Stuttgart automaker noted that while the AMG Desert Gold treatment has been used only for the display vehicle at the Dubai show, if there’s enough interest generated, the special gold paint finish could become available as an individual optional extra from the AMG PERFORMANCE STUDIO.

And if not, we’re pretty sure that those SLS AMG owners that find the gold finish alluring will find a way to do it anyway…

In the run up to the SLS AMG’s world premiere at the Frankfurt Show and following a series of internet leaks the past few days, Mercedes-Benz today unleashed a broad set of photos as well as more detailed information on its gullwinged-supercar. Before we get into any other details, let us tell you that the 571 horsepower SLS AMG is scheduled to be launched onto the market in Spring 2010 carrying a base price in Germany of €177,310, which comes to around $257,500 US with the current exchange rates.

The new ’super sports car’, as Mercedes-Benz likes to describe the SLS AMG, is clearly inspired by the one of the most beautiful and iconic cars ever to hit the road, the 1950s 300 SL Gullwing. Evidently, Mercedes did not go for a full retro look but instead used the 300SL as an inspiration to design a supercar that embodies the firm’s classic styling traits without looking like a beefed-up SL for example – yes, we’re talking about the SLR McLaren.

The design highlight is without doubt the gullwing doors that swing up by 70 degrees while another styling cue that harks back to the 300SL is the wide radiator grille with the large Mercedes-Benz star and the wing-like fin.

The SLS AMG’s proportions are overly aggressive with the nearly two-meters or 79-inches long bonnet (!), the low and far back positioned cabin and the stubby tail along with the long wheelbase and wide tracks offering the car a menacing stance.

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Stuttgart’s BMW M5 and Audi RS6 rival was officially revealed today ahead of the sport saloon’s world premiere at the New York Auto Show, open to the public April 10-19, 2009 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. At the heart of the new E63 AMG is a 6.3-liter V8 engine packing 525-horspower and a peak torque of 630Nm or for the U.S. spec model, 518HP and 465 lb.-ft. torque. The engine is hooked up to a new 7-speed automatic transmission and according to Merc, the E63 AMG accelerates from standstill to 100 km/h (62mph) in 4.5 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h or 155mph.

Not that anyone interested in the E63 AMG cares, but the German automaker claims that despite 11HP of additional output versus the preceding model, fuel consumption in the model has been reduced by around 12 percent to 12.6 lt/100km (18.6mpg US).

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For those that don’t care to wait for the forthcoming 2010 E-Class AMG model that will most likely boast a 6.2-liter V8 with close to 550HP but do wish to carry the AMG spirit, Mercedes-Benz has introduced a new, optional sport package for its just released executive saloon. Available from the market launch of the new E-Class in March 2009, the AMG sports package can be combined with all engine variants and all design and equipment lines.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG Sports Package On the outside, the package consists of a bodykit that comprises a front apron with large cooling air intakes, side skirts and a rear apron. There’s also sport exhaust tailpipe -oval shaped in the four-cylinder models and rectangular in the V6 and V8 models- as well as newly designed 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels shod with 245/40 R18 tires at the front and 265/35 R18 tires at the rear.

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With the C-Class top-of-the line model C 63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz has given an impressive statement in the medium class. Where else can you get an enormous larger than 6 litre V8 engine in a relatively small car? But as the power output is comparably low, the high-tech manufacturer Carlsson activates the hidden potential. With up to 565 hp, the Carlsson CK63 leaves its competitors behind its (stainless steel) end pipes. And equipped with new wheels and even more sporty aerodynamics, the top-of-the line C-Class model refined by Carlsson also shows clear features of a top athlete.

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