Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster (R197) · SLS AMG Roadster

R197

Gullwing spirit with the wind in your hair.

Production
2011–2014
Built
884
Body
Roadster
Chassis
R197
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster (R197) (R197)

The gullwing was a coupé's privilege — the R197 SLS AMG Roadster traded upward-swinging doors for a fabric hood and a rear deck sculpted to echo the C197's dramatic proportions, creating an open SLS that was arguably the more elegant of the two.

Mercedes-AMG launched the SLS AMG Roadster in 2011 with conventional doors and a three-layer soft top that folded beneath a power-operated tonneau cover, preserving the aluminum spaceframe's torsional rigidity. The same naturally aspirated 6.2-liter M159 V8 powered the roadster through the full output range, including the 631 PS Black Series tune; without gullwing door mechanisms, the R197 was slightly lighter and more accessible for daily use than the C197.

Built from 2011 to 2014, the R197 SLS AMG Roadster outsold the gullwing C197 and remains the more practical choice for collectors who intend to drive their SLS rather than display it — an open twelve-cylinder-capable AMG V8 experience with no direct successor.

R197 interior
Cabin details of the R197, as preserved in period photography.

Every model.

2 model designations across 2011–2014 — engines, chassis codes and production figures for the R197.

ModèleMillésimesChâssisMoteurBoîteTotal
SLS AMG2011–2013197.477159.980700.400884
SLS AMG GT2012–2014197.478159.980700.400inclus ci-dessus

* Le chiffre de production publié couvre toutes les séries de ce modèle ; la source ne le détaille pas davantage.

R197 side profile
Studio profile of the R197 — the proportions that defined this chassis.
R197 rear three-quarter view
Rear three-quarter view of the R197.