We can’t think of too many ways to make the stunning SLS ‘Gullwing’ any more desirable, and to be honest we wouldn’t have immediately thought of removing those epic doors. But that’s just what Mercedes has gone and done, and the result is this, the SLS Roadster.

As you’ll see in the picture gallery, the car is undergoing final testing before its debut in Frankfurt later this year. Can you just imagine that job, testing one of these to destruction. We’ve got a full gallery and more specs after the jump.

If you look carefully you’ll notice the Merc badges are disguised, this is apparently a symbol that the car is not yet signed off as a production model.

The newly-engineered soft top takes just 11 seconds to open and has been tested on a stationary rig over 20 000 times to make sure that whichever billionaire buys one doesn’t get his hairpiece wet – if he doesn’t want to.

Mercedes say the rag-top has been engineered so that there is “no intrusive flapping, booming, hissing, clattering or howling”. Good to know. It’s also safe up to 196mph, which is quick.

Usually convertibles are much heavier than the coupe equivalent, not only because of all the extra machinery required to move the roof, but because the resulting loss of rigidity from chopping the roof away means the car has to be reinforced with heavy beams. However because the door assembly of the SLS is already so heavy, the Roadster is only 2kg heavier. Which is basically a big lunch.

The best part? Having the sound of that magnificent 6.2 litre V8 filter directly into the cockpit. I’ve got goosebumps just thinking about it.

The 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 is all about more carbon fiber usage and larger air-intakes. It also features a new front valance with a huge carbon splitter and there are flicks installed at the front of each wheel to reduce down-force. Under the hood, the AMG 6.3 liter V8 engine receives a slight modification compared to a stock car. It is the lowered weight and not the engine that helps the car dash to 60mph in 3.7 seconds while the listed top speed is 186mph. The top speed can be upped by adjusting the gear ratio.

The spiritual successor to the 300SL Gullwing has officially arrived and the good news is that it has hit the production floor. The Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, factually speaking, the successor to the SLR McLaren, is now being produced with sales beginning in March this year. It is the first Mercedes automobile designed in-house by AMG and the gamers know that the luxury automobile is the cover car for GT5 on PS3. The very tangible version features a 6.3-liter V8 AMG engine capable of churning 563hp with 650Nm of torque. Courtesy of this stunning power, the car pelts from 0 to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds and it has an electronically limited speed of 317km/h. Power transmission happens through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which is ideal for a heavy-duty powerplant like the AMG V8. On the outside, a lot of aluminium has been used (space, dual wishbone suspensions) but the SLS AMG still weighs 1620kgs, which is a good 60kgs heavier than the Audi R8.

Inspired by the classic Gullwing 300SL, the creative Texan designers from Gullwing-America have come up with a rather interesting new concept — the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS Panamericana. It comes with hybrid body panels made from aluminum and carbon fiber, has chrome detailing, is covered in pearl white with red stripes and matching red brakes. On top of that, the SLS Panamericana features Xenon headlights, custom five-point star wheels (19″ on front and 20″ in the back) and some lavish Alcantara leather furnishings on the interior. The 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS Panamericana package is expected to be developed in Germany, but the exact date remains unknown.