The Mercedes SLS AMG went into production in 2010 having been unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Penned by Mark Fetherston, it was conceived from the outset to be a spiritual successor to the now legendary 300 SL Gullwing, as well as a literal successor to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, after production of that had come to an end in 2009.

Like the 300 SL, the defining elements were its iconic gullwing doors, relatively lightweight body and phenomenal powerplant, the latter of which endowed it with genuine supercar performance and one of the most evocative V-8 soundtracks of the modern era.

The engine itself was a development of the 2010 International Engine of the Year award-winning 6.2-litre naturally aspirated “M156” V-8 that AMG had developed for its “63”-variant models of car.

Despite sharing the “M156” block, the extent of the upgrades bestowed upon it for the SLS earned it its own engine code and it became the “M159”.

Compared to the standard “M156”, the “M159” adopt...