Steve Chapman, CEO of duPont Publishing Inc., has taken delivery of the very first SLS Roadster in the country, which is now sitting in the company’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida. Chapman won the unique opportunity to option and take delivery of the very first 2012 SLS AMG Roadster in the United States at the fifth-annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance last February.

We were able to take photos of the AMG Alubeam Silver SLS Roadster as it sits in museum / showroom at the duPont REGISTRY. The exclusive nearly $13,000 paint is accented by a red fabric top and Classic Red design Exclusive Leather interior. Options include an indoor car cover ($370), carbon-fiber trim package ($4,500) for the interior, red brake calipers ($1,000), AMG leather / Alcantara steering wheel ($500), 10-spoke alloy rims ($2,400), and Bang & Olufsen 1,000-watt sound system ($6,400). Starting at a base MSRP of $196,100, the car’s total retail price comes out to $226,595.



The 2011 Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance auction—benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County—also sold the opportunity to order the first 2012 R8 GT Coupe and 2012 Mercedes CLS63 AMG Limited Edition "C"—one of only 30 produced.

Like the original 300SL Roadster, the SLS Roadster ditches its fixed roof and classic gullwing doors for an open-top design complete with conventional doors with sedan-style pulls. Another exterior change is the elongated trunk lid. Any safety concerns are snuffed out with the car’s fixed roll hoops for rollover protection.



Other than those exterior modifications, the SLS Roadster will stay true to the SLS AMG’s awesome blend of show car, track toy, and grand-touring vehicle. Power will come from an AMG-built 6.2-liter V-8 engine producing 563 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Power is diverted to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Despite losing the car’s top and the 90 or so pounds added from the convertible mechanism, Mercedes-Benz quotes exemplary acceleration statistics, including 0–60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 197 mph.

Provided by duPont REGISTRY