With Audi and BMW toying with the E-Tron and 'i' electric vehicles, Mercedes-Benz needed an engineering defying car of their own. And eventually they did create one - the SLS AMG E-Cell.

Finished in an eye blinding shade of yellow the E-Cell EV impressed with a 525bhp via four permanent all-wheel drive electric motors, rotating to a maximum of 12,000rpm each. Being an EV, the 880Nm of torque is instantly available, accelerating the car to 100km/h in four seconds.

After almost half a year, the E-Cell got updated, more than in nameplate and colour to the SLS AMG Electric Drive (SLS AMG ED). The SLS AMG ED is the most powerful AMG vehicle that produces a total output of 740bhp and a maximum torque of 1,000Nm from four motors in each corner of the car.

The electric motor weighs 45kg, each, and distributes varied torque to individual wheels via an axially-arranged transmission design. At 13,000rpm, the SLS Electric Drive propels to a 100km/h in just 3.9 seconds to reach an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h making the 'Green' gullwing the world's fastest production EV.

Each battery module contains 72 lithium-ion cells and is engineered with collaboration between Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains in Britain. As expected this is also the quietest sports car in the world, but as evident from the video, it certainly isn't any less exciting.