Daimler AG’s new Mercedes-Benz sports car is luring customers away from Porsche SE 911, even before the gullwing SLS AMG reaches dealers.

Orders placed in advance of tomorrow’s showroom debut in Germany mean that new customers may wait until 2012 to get behind the wheel of the 177,310-euro ($237,000) supercar. The sales have been taking a bite out of demand for Porsche as Daimler battles to lure younger, affluent drivers to Mercedes.

“The SLS is a hallmark, landmark, beacon product for Mercedes,” said Christoph Stuermer, a Frankfurt-based automotive analyst at research firm IHS Global Insight who estimates that the manufacturer will produce about 2,500 SLS cars a year. “Producing this model is very important for Mercedes as a brand. It’s a very motivational product.”