The 2024 SEMA Present is now lower than three months away. As at all times, we’re wanting ahead to seeing what new builds will flip up on the Las Vegas Conference Heart.
At SEMA 2013, a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG instantly piqued our curiosity – and for good purpose. The supercharged and wide-bodied Speedconcepts SLS wasn’t only a showfloor looker – it had loads of efficiency to again it up, having been constructed to compete in One Lap of America. For this week’s throwback submit, let’s revisit Mike Garrett and Larry Chen’s characteristic from 2014…
2014 Function
I spend a number of my day fascinated with vehicles. In all probability far more than is wholesome. After all I will be forgiven as vehicles are my profession, nevertheless it nonetheless looks as if I usually spend your complete day with cars driving by way of my thoughts. Loads of the instances it’s fascinated with a characteristic I’m attempting to put in writing or a narrative I’m attempting to chase. Different instances it’s scheming about elements and plans for my very own challenge vehicles.
Maybe it’s as a result of I’m so busy fascinated with different issues, however I haven’t had a lot time currently to truly dream about vehicles. You understand, simply throw out all the actual world limitations and fantasize in regards to the vehicles we’d wish to personal and drive.
And as uncommon as these moments is perhaps as of late for me, it’s at all times nice enjoyable to only lay again and take into consideration what we might drive if cash was no object. Whenever you throw the monetary issue out the window, it’s pure that your thoughts will wander to supercars and exotics. They’re in spite of everything, the final word type of automotive fantasy for many individuals.
So on this fantasy world, what sort of automotive would you wish to hop into? A Ferrari? A McLaren? Lamborghini? Perhaps one thing modest like a Porsche? It’s a enjoyable however tough alternative isn’t it?
Whereas it’s probably not possible to slim issues right down to a single automotive, the one mannequin that I hold coming again to is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. It won’t be on the highest of most individuals’s unique automotive lists, however there’s one thing in regards to the SLS that simply presses the appropriate buttons for me.
For one thing you’ll drive daily, the SLS simply appears so proper. It appears to be like unique, however not too unique as to trigger spectator pile-ups all over the place you go. It’s acquired all the luxurious goodies you’d anticipate from a top-of-the-line-Mercedes, and all of the horsepower you would need.
However most of all, I feel there’s simply one thing that units the SLS aside from different vehicles in its class. Whether or not it’s these iconic gullwing doorways or that traditional lengthy hood, quick deck physique design, it’s a simple automotive to dream about.
So sure, the SLS is a quick, distinctive and well-rounded automotive – one I’d be ecstatic to have in my very own storage. However what about on the subject of modifications? When a automotive is so spectacular from the manufacturing unit, enhancing it with aftermarket elements can grow to be fairly a problem.
That’s what brings me to the Speedconcepts SLS, which we had the pleasure of capturing on the 2013 Optima Final Avenue Automobile Shootout following the 2013 SEMA Present. Let this serve for instance of easy methods to take a automotive that’s already rattling good and make it higher.
Speedconcepts is a full service race and fabrication store positioned in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that works with all matter of excessive efficiency autos, together with the Nissan GT-R. It was with a modified GT-R that Speedconcepts competed within the famed One Lap of America – an eight day endurance occasion that spans a number of the USA’s high race tracks.
For the 2013 One Lap occasion, Speedconcepts’ Todd Treffert determined he would do one thing completely different and compete along with his 2012 SLS AMG. With the times to the occasion counting down, the inventory SLS was reworked into the automotive you see right here in simply eight weeks.
Simply essentially the most dramatic change on the automotive is the widebody equipment, which was designed and constructed fully by Ty from Speedconcepts through the span of these two quick months.
The equipment attracts a number of inspiration from the SLS GT3 race vehicles, with the entrance fenders being an inch wider than inventory and the rear fenders being two inches wider. The one elements of the physique that weren’t altered had been these well-known gullwing doorways.
The outcome could be very a lot one thing that appears like a barely toned-down race automotive, and it’s unbelievable to suppose that the entire equipment was constructed from the bottom up in solely two months.
However as you most likely know, One Lap of America is just not a contest of which automotive appears to be like the perfect, it’s about efficiency and the widebody conversion would solely be one a part of the automotive’s transformation.
Beneath the hood, the fellows handled the double overhead cam V8 to a supercharger equipment from Mercedes blower specialists Kleeman in Denmark.
Together with an identical Kleeman exhaust system, the Speedconcepts SLS is now placing down almost 800 horsepower, which is the proper leap from the already spectacular inventory output.
Beneath the automotive, the crew put in a set of KW Clubsport three-way adjustable shocks together with a customized air suspension equipment that enables the automotive to be dropped by as much as two inches throughout observe days.
Filling up the aggressive bodywork are a set of Forgeline GA1R wheels, 20×11-inch within the entrance and 20×12-inch within the rear with 305/30R20 and 335/35R20 Michelin tires respectively.
Because the automotive could be seeing loads of exhausting driving, the manufacturing unit seats had been eliminated in favor of Sparco fixed-back buckets with SCHROTH Racing harnesses and harness bar.
Amazingly, the race-ready Sparcos look very at residence within the matching purple inside and assist the cockpit hold an important steadiness of each perform and luxury.
Whereas the automotive was accomplished simply in time for the 2013 One Lap occasion, there was sadly no time for observe testing earlier than the large present started. Due to this, final yr’s occasion basically grew to become a shakedown for the automotive.
By the second to final day, the SLS was operating seventh total, however an off-course tour at Virginia Worldwide Raceway broken the entrance fascia, oil cooler and popped a tire. For Speedconcepts the occasion was over.
Subsequent got here the 2013 SEMA Present and the Final Avenue Automobile Problem that adopted.
Along with his observe expertise within the automotive nonetheless restricted, Todd positioned the SLS in twelfth place of 60 complete rivals through the USCC.
It wasn’t a nasty outcome by any means, however Todd says with extra observe time a podium end ought to be inside simple attain.
So what’s subsequent for the automotive now? For now, the plan is to return to the One Lap of America in 2014 with the automotive totally dialed in and able to assault – with a podium end being the clear objective.
After that, the automotive will stay a comparatively simple life in Florida the place it should function Todd’s every day driver and in addition because the occasional observe day weapon.
Todd says the automotive itself is sweet to go, with no future modifications deliberate. He simply needs extra observe time so he can get comfy extracting each little bit of potential from the SLS.
With race automotive appears to be like, race automotive efficiency and all the identical model and sophistication that makes the SLS AMG such a particular machine, I’d say Speedconcepts has really set the proper instance of easy methods to modify a dream automotive.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia
Photographs by Larry Chen
Instagram: larry_chen_foto
