2008 Mercedes SL65 AMG Shining Star by MR Car Design

Some have mistakenly thrown around the name ’Shining Star’ a little too loosely for our liking, and as is often the case, the vehicles with that sparkling name almost always fail to deliver. This, however, is not the case with MR Car Design’s work on the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG. The name ’Shining Star’ fits the sports car almost perfectly.

As the latest work of the Erftstadt-based auto tuner, this particular SL65 comes with a number of exterior improvements, including a new carbon bonnet courtesy of its compatriot and tuner-at-arm, Kicherer. In addition to the SLR-inspired bonnet, MR Car Design lowered the SL65 AMG’s ride height by 30 mm while also putting in a new rear bumper, black fender lights at the front, a mid-mounted black brake light out in the back, a new sport exhaust system, and a set of 20" forged rims courtesy of yet another aftermarket brethren, Carlsson. As for the interior, not a lot of changes were done except for the installation of custom-made Black Series dial lenses.

Under its hood, the SL65 AMG also gets a little boost in performance, thanks to software adjustments done on the ECU that netted an improvement on the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 engine from its standard 604 horsepower and 748 lb/ft of torque to 683 horsepower and 819 lb/ft of torque.

Overall, there’s plenty to like about MR Car Design’s work on the SL65 AMG and for the first time in a long time, the ’Shining Star’ name is more than just a title.