We have always said, never hire an automaker to keep a secret, because they can’t. They can’t even keep their new cars from being seen by photographers. This time, Mercedes-Benz has let its, what we think is the new 2012 SL 63 AMG out into the public.
From the start, it’s fairly easy to tell that this is all AMG. The long hood, AMG wheels, cross-drilled brakes, and folding metal roof give it away. The front of the car takes some design elements from the SLS, with a more upright front fascia. The interior will likely have a redesigned steering wheel, SLS-like center console, and a much improved computer system.
Powering this beast will be a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 with 536 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Need more torque to shred those tires into dust, AMG will offer the AMG Performance Package that will bump up the torque rating to 664 pound-feet.
UPDATE 12/15/2011: Check out our rendering of the future SL AMG!
What is a high-end sports car? Are they Italian performance machines like the Ferrari 458 and the Lamborghini Gallardo, or are they more sensible vehicles like the BMW M5 and the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG? We think they’re the latter.
For this top ten, we are going to set the price cap at $120,000, if you can call that a cap. That should eliminate most of the extreme vehicles, but keep the basic Porsches and so on within the limits.
What kinds of things are we looking for with high-end sports cars? Obviously, they need to be fast with agile handling and excellent driving dynamics. The car needs to look stunning with a functional yet stylish interior. It would also be great if it could stand the test of time, so reliability is also a factor.
Let’s review the previous winners of our sports car test. The Volkswagen GTI took the top spot in the entry-level test due to its excellent performance, build quality, and versatility. There were numerous winners of the mid-level test, as we had multiple categories. We chose the Audi S4, the BMW M3, and the Ford Mustang GT500 as the top cars in their classes.
Hit the jump to see the list.
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An 800hp Mercedes SL65 AMG by Brabus? That’s old school. Check out the new Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series that develops a total of 1000hp. Yeah, that’s more like it. Tuning firm, MKB, has manged to get this type of power out of the Mercedes after an enormous engine conversion that added 345hp to the already speedy SL65 AMG.
The engine conversion included new air intakes, turbo charger systems, cooling systems, and, of course, an ECU upgrade. The result? A sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, from 0 to 124 mph in 8.9 seconds, and from 0 to 186 mph in 21.5 seconds. Top speed has not been measured yet, but we imagine it will be significantly higher than the 198mph top speed provided by the standard Mercedes SL65 AMG. The total cost for the engine tuning is 116,800 euro.
"Our main goal with the new engine MKB P 1000 isn’t a new one. We simply want to give back the top speed performance to this SL with its high downforce-aerosetting. It should be v-max capable just like our other top speed efficient cars. And for this we need more than 800 engine horsepower," points out MKB CEO Panagiotis Avramidis.
The tuning package also includes a decent exterior design and refinement in the interior. The full package takes about three months to complete.
Press release after the jump.
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Get ready to spend some cash because Inden Design is ready to take it. They’ve developed a tuning package for the Mercedes SL63 AMG that will leave your wallets empty, but your Mercedes stacked. Their kit includes a new body kit and interior and technical changes.
The body kit starts off with a front spoiler bumper, fenders with ventilation openings, a complete hood with air intakes, sidesmolder-learn, a tailspoiler, and rear widening. This “base” body kit will cost the consumer € 19,900. Not a bad starting point, but it starts to get a little out of hand from there. If the consumer wants to add a hood, they’ll need to add € 3,500. A tail diffuser in carbon and a front flap of PE will add € 800 and € 999, respectively. Unfortunately, it doesn’t end there for the money the consumer will have to spend. Assembly of the package will run € 8,000 and adding a lacquer finish inclusive putty work will be € 7,500.
Hit the jump for some more calculations and the press release.
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The German tuner Wheelsandmore has unveiled a new tuning package for the Mercedes C63 AMG and the SL63 AMG that has taken them over two years to complete. Both models, in their standard versions, are powered by a 6.3 liter V8 engine, but Wheelsandmore has increased the output for both models.
For the sedan the power has been boosted to deliver up to 570 hp and 690 Nm of torque while the roadster delivers a total of 600 hp and 710 Nm of torque. Unfortunately, the tuner did not reveal any details on how these new numbers would improve the cars’ performances, but we expect the 0 to 60 mph sprint time to go way under 4 seconds.
The 6.3L engines received software updates and a complete stainless steel exhaust system. The exhaust system includes 4in1 manifolds, catalytic replacement tubes and rear sport mufflers with valve flaps, which are able to be controlled with a remote control.
Next to the engine improvements, both models come with new 20-inch wheels. The C-Class models receive ultralight forged wheel models “6Sporz” and “TS-1” and the SL 63 models carry the same 3-piece forged models with maximum sizes.
