* Specs: 6.2-liter V-8 with 571 horsepower; 7-speed dual-clutch transmission; rear-wheel drive.
* Speeds: 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds; top speed, 196 mph (estimated by manufacturer).
* Price: $250,000 (est.)
* On sale: April 2010

The heir to the famous Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gull wing from the 1950s, and alternate for the SLR, is creature prepared for its world press launch--and Motor Authority heads soon to California to be among the first to drive the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.

After months of drip-fed teasers, spy shots, and recently, details and photos from the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, the SLS will get its field day starting this Sunday, as Motor Authority hits Laguna Seca and the Monterey peninsula in the uber-Benz two-seater.

High Gear Media heads to Monterey and Laguna Seca to join up with the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG for our first drive.

The SLS car is the successor to the current Benz SLR roadster and former coupe, but this time around, the German automaker's put an emphasis on low weight to go with astonishing power, as it hunts down some of the track-ready luster that graces most Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The new SLS AMG features a curb weight of 3,571 pounds thanks to an aluminum spaceframe, which also provides an almost perfect front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52 percent.