Mercedes-Benz announced today that its gullwing wonder, the SLS, will go on sale in May of this year and will start at $183,000.

That's no small amount of money, but it's a whole lot cheaper than the phallic SLR it replaces. Let's see how that compares with some others in the class, as it were.

Mercedes-Benz SLS: $183,000
Audi R8 5.2 FSI: $150,200
Ferrari 458 Italia:$225,000
Lamborghini Gallardo:$208,000
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1:$107,830
Kia Soul Sport: $17,645
Aston Martin DB9: $179,450

Note: Some prices are for 2009 models. Some are for 2010 models. Either way, all of them are high

Mercedes-Benz SLS: $183,000
Audi R8 5.2 FSI: $150,200
Ferrari 458 Italia:$225,000
Lamborghini Gallardo:$208,000
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1:$107,830
Kia Soul Sport: $17,645
Aston Martin DB9: $179,450

Up from 631 HP

The German tuners from Domanig have created an upgrade program for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series.

Focus was on the 6.3-liter V8 AMG engine which in stock configuration delivers 631 HP (464 kW) but after Domanig worked its magic it now churns an impressive 800 HP (588 kW). In addition, the supercar was fitted with a KW suspension system featuring variant III adjustable dampers and a hydraulic lift system controllable through an iPhone app.

The SLS AMG Black Series was also fitted with glossy black 20-inch front alloy wheels wrapped around in Pirelli P Zero tires measuring 285/30 ZR20 and 21-inch rear wheels shod in 325/25 ZR21 rubbers.

As a reminder, Mercedes-Benz will discontinue the SLS in a few months and instead will introduce a smaller rear-wheel drive sportscar (codenamed “C190”) with a twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter developing somewhere in the region of 485 HP (357 kW) in the standard version and more than 500 HP (368 kW) in the Black Series derivative.

0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds

A supercar dealership in Dubai is selling an extremely rare FAB Design Jetstream SLS AMG Roadster. The convertible, that was presented during the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, is one of only a few in existence.

This matte red example has clocked a mere 500 km (310 miles) and is offered for 999,000 AED or about $271,000 at the current exchange rates. It features extensive visual changes as well as a modified 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine. The unit has a power output of 607 HP (452 kW) and 690 Nm (509 lb-ft) of torque at 4,600 rpm.

The SLS Jetstream covers the 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) sprint in 3.6 seconds before topping out at 325 km/h (202 mph).

Up from 622 PS

German tuner mcchip-dkr decided to fiddle around with a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series and increase its power.

As if the regular SLS AMG Black Series wasn't powerful enough, the aftermarket specialists from mcchip-dkr worked on the 6.3-liter V8 engine and bumped its output from the series 622 PS (457 kW) to no less than 654 PS (481 kW). The torque figure is also up by 1 Nm to 649 Nm (479 lb-ft) and all these power upgrades were obtained by remapping the engine's ECU which has also lowered fuel consumption.

The tuner is asking 3,199 EUR for its stage 1 kit which implies they are already working on a more potent stage 2 package addressed to a limited crowd since the SLS AMG Black Series is a niche model which has been discontinued to make room for the smaller and cheaper AMG GT.