2015 Mercedes Benz SLS

What Is It?

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition represents the last chance to purchase this particular brand-new supercar from the 3-pointed star. To refresh your memory, the SLS AMG is the only car coming out of the Mercedes-Benz high-performance division that isn't based on a regular model. The hardtop version has those iconic gull-wing doors, but remember that the SLS was designed from the very start to be a convertible. So it doesn't feel like a coupe where someone has just chopped off the roof and added some reinforcement underneath.

As swan songs go, this one is pretty impressive. The 6.3-liter V8 engine sends a thunderous 583 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. There's a launch control function in the 7-speed automatic transmission to help achieve a time of just 3.6 seconds in the rush from zero to 60 miles per hour. Keep the throttle buried and the speedometer's needle will zip around to 124 mph in 11.2 seconds. The top speed is pegged electronically at 197 mph.

Note the extra initials in the car's full name: GT. The Final Edition sports a rear wing inspired by the successful SLS GT3 race cars. The hood is raw carbon fiber. The car also has its own design of alloy wheels.

How Much?

There's nothing official yet. But a 2014 SLS AMG starts at $201, 500, so go higher.

When Can You Get It?

Fall 2014

Add It to Your Shopping List Because...

Only 350 of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition will be made - in coupe or convertible form - for customers around the world. And that will be that. The SLS will be automotive history. Time for the collectors to move in. Such a limited number could well see prices rise at car auctions in years to come. It's probably not a great idea to approach this merely as an investment, but having some quality time driving an exotic machine and then selling it could be highly cost-effective in the long run.

Other Cars to Consider

2015 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S - The Vantage S is sleek, chic, fast and expensive. It's only available as a coupe.

2014 Audi R8 5.2 FSI Plus - This Audi R8 model is possibly the most user-friendly supercar ever. It has benign handling and all-wheel drive. With 550 hp, the Plus is the most powerful version.

2014 Ferrari 458 - As the Italia coupe or convertible Spider, the 458 hits all the right notes.

2014 Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera - The Superleggera comes with all-wheel drive and a rear wing. This model is a coupe, but other Gallardo variants offer top-down driving.

2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S - Perhaps a little ho-hum when up against the gorgeous styling of some rivals, but the 911 Turbo is fiercely talented and ferociously quick.

Used 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren - This model was a joint project between Mercedes-Benz and the British racing outfit McLaren. Its supercharged V8 develops 617 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque to reach speeds above 200 mph. A 2008 or 2009 model might fetch a similar price to a new SLS.