Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to get Menacing Black Series Edition

There's a new star coming to Mercedes-Benz's range, and it's none other than the Black Series Edition of the German firm's flagship sports car, the SLS AMG 'Gullwing' coupe.

We first spotted the car back in October of 2011, but our photographers scooped another set of images of a prototype model while AMG engineers were performing cold weather tests in Europe.

The Black Series nameplate is reserved for the more hardcore versions of Mercedes' AMG sports cars. For the SLS AMG model, the package will bring more power, a lighter body, a tweaked chassis and a more purposeful appearance.

You'll be able to identify the SLS AMG Black Series from its wider front and rear fenders housing larger wheels than the 265/35ZR19 front and 295/30ZR20 rear tires found on the regular model, along with a bespoke front bumper with larger air inlets and a modified rear diffuser.

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Mercedes-Benz Details its European 2012/2013 AMG Driving Academy Program

Entering its sixth season this year, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Driving Academy is ready to accept participants for the 2012/2013 program in Europe.

There are various available packages with all sorts of events ranging from the pleasure-oriented 'Emotion' trips to special winter training courses in Sweden's Lapland region and even tours to race circuits such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Hockenheim ring.

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Journalists Crash Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG into SLS AMG During Test Drive

As a rule of thumb, the more powerful the car you are testing and which you do not own, the more careful you should be on the road.

Apparently, that wasn't the case with two Chinese journalists that were trying out Mercedes-Benz's sportiest models during the ‘SLS AMG Track Xperience’ event at the Zhuhai International Circuit.

According to a report from The Tycho, the accident occurred when the driver of a red SLS AMG coupe slammed on the brakes and the journalist behind him in a gunmetal gray C63 AMG sedan was either not paying attention or was too close to do anything about it and crashed into him.

None of the drivers were hurt but as you can see from these photos, both cars suffered extensive damages.

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Mercedes Show us a Little More of its Pure Electric SLS AMG E-CELL, Goes on Sale in 2013

Having confirmed the production of the SLS AMG E-CELL at last year's Detroit Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz is now building up anticipation by releasing some new photos and technical details on its pure-electric supercar.

The company also revealed that the SLS AMG E-CELL will be available on the market in 2013, albeit in a limited production run.

The vehicle's drivetrain, which has been in development since 2010, comprises four synchronous electric motors positioned near the wheels that produce a combined output of 392kW or 526hp and a peak torque of 880Nm (649 lb-ft).

Mercedes says that compared with in wheel-hub motors, the unsprung masses are "substantially reduced" this way. One transmission per axle transmits the power while the setup allows for permanent all-wheel drive.

In addition, there's a permanently active "torque vectoring" system that allows for the individual control of the electric motors, something that helps improve the car's cornering and traction, while minimizing ESP intervention and the tendency to oversteer or understeer.

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It's Hamann Time for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster

At the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Hamann Motorsport had unveiled a tuned version of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG called the Hawk. One year later, the German tuner returns to the same venue to give the Hawk treatment to the roadster version of the SLS AMG.

The open-top model's naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 is upgraded with remapped electronics, a high performance exhaust system and a sports air filter that all do their part to lift output from 563hp (571PS) and 650Nm (479.3 lb-ft) to 627hp (636PS) and 680Nm(501.7 lb-ft) of torque.

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