Edmunds CarPool

Opening Statements

Karl Brauer for the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Finally, a competitor worthy of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG's all-conquering awesomeness. I must admit, the Ferrari 458 Italia is the first prancing horse exterior design I've actually liked since the 355. It's nice to have a lust-worthy Maranello sports car back on the market. But at the end of the day, it's still just another mid-engined, V8 Ferrari. They've been making this car since 1975, and they'll likely be making one in 2075. If you're a member of the Ferrari-of-the-month club ... well, first you should adopt me. But you'll probably also cycle through the latest mid-engine Ferrari every couple years with the same Timex consistency that Accord and Camry buyers exhibit.

Me, I like to keep things interesting in my garage. That means no over-exposed, over-priced, under-utilized eye candy that needs an $8,000 service every 2,000 miles. The SLS AMG is not the latest in a long line of gullwing supercars. M-B produced the last one over 50 years ago. And like all Mercedes-Benz products it's meant to be driven, because it's got the engineering might to cash the checks its low-slung body writes. Speaking of cash, the 458 Italia starts out a cool $40,000 more than the SLS AMG, and that's before the dealer adds in his own $40,000 "I-love-to-rip-off-rich-guys" fee.

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG: Higher durability, lower price, cooler doors. That equals one-of-a-kind value, something only the best supercars still offer.

John DiPietro for the Ferrari 458 Italia
"Just another mid-engined, V8 Ferrari" That's a-like saying "Just another Victoria's Secret model." If it's not a-broke-ah, then why a-fix it? If a midengine design is outdated, maybe somebody should tell the guys who design Formula 1 racecars. And you want to talk engineering might? How about 570 hp and 3,042 pounds against your 563 hp and 3,573 pounds? How about a diet there Mr. SLS? You outweigh my 458 by over 500 pounds. So not only does the Italia have a superior weight to power ratio, it also weighs considerably less which of course helps handling.

I'm not going to argue the point about maintenance; of course the Ferrari will require more. But truly gorgeous things tend to be higher maintenance...just aska my mistress! But let's be serious, an SLS AMG isn't going to be exactly cheap to keep either.

As far as the price difference, you gotta pay for high art. Apart from the grille and front fenders, the SLS does a-nothing for me. A supercar should have more presence - the old 300SL had it in spades. But unless you're going to drive around with those fancy doors open, the SLS ain't got much. To me, it looks like a big bar of soap with fifth-generation Prelude headlights and an S2000 CR's hardtop. I know Daimler had a dalliance with Chrysler, but wasn't aware that Mercedes had a fling with Honda.

Rebuttals

Brauer:
The 458's weight advantage would theoretically serve it well in the twisties, until one (or more) warning lights flares up and it coasts to the side of the road as the SLS AMG storms by - basso-profundo exhaust at fill honk. I don't think new Ferraris are as delicate as the older models, but I can't see paying a quarter-million dollars with even the slightest chance of a mechanical or electrical failure lurking in the wings - and those issues still lurk with prancing horses. In today's world you can have it all - styling, performance and real-world reliability without ludicrous maintenance schedules and 401K-draining service fees - IF you buy the right supercar in the first place.

And I still say a mid-engined Ferrari is a supercar cliche while the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is a once-in-a-half-century engineering marvel. That means not only better value today, but better re-sale value tomorrow. In four years the AutoWeek classified pages will load up on 458s (just as they have on 430s over the past six months) when the next-in-line, mid-engine Ferrari hits the auto show circuit. Yawn...

DiPietro:
Though I acknowledge that older Ferraris don't have the best reputation for reliability, I would hope they've improved in that area in more recent years. Besides, just as so many Ferraristi have in the past, I'm willing to take that risk for the opportunity to pilot such a beautiful, fantastic machine. And I wouldn't be so quick to predict a rosy resale value for the latest Mercedes-Benz exotic. Remember their SLR McLaren of just a few years ago? Value sank faster than respect for LeBron James. Yes, a 300SL Gullwing of the 1950s commands big money, but not as big as a Ferrari of the same vintage. Have you priced a similar-era 250 GT lately?

But that doesn't a-matter to me. I'm looking at the here and now. I just a-wanna drive the one of this pair that's a-gonna move me more than physically ... though the 458 would seem to have the SLS beat in that regard as well.

So which car and country wins?