Mercedes SL63 and SL65 AMG

By Ben Pulman

First official pictures

08 February 2008 10:44

SL63 AMG. Remember the name, because it’s what Lewis Hamilton will be looking at all year. Mercedes has let its in-house tuners AMG loose on the recently facelifted SL, and the result is not one but two supercar baiters. The SL65 AMG continues pretty much as before, while the new SL63 AMG wil be the Grand Prix pace car for 2008.

The SL65 AMG keeps its twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12, with 612bhp and 737lb ft being delivered through Merc’s five-speed auto ‘box. That means it’ll run to 60mph in 4.2 seconds while there are 390mm (front) and 360mm (rear) discs to stop this behemoth.

But it’s with a tear in our eyes that we wave goodbye to the SL55 AMG, and Mercedes’ supercharged V8. Hopefully the thought of 525bhp and 465lb ft will cheer you up. Welcome then, to the 6.2-litre V8-powered SL63 AMG. It’s the same V8 that powers everything from the C-class to the CLS, albeit in a slighty higher state of tune. We're cheering up.

Is the SL63 AMG as fast as the old SL55 AMG?

The 0-60mph sprint is actually 0.1 seconds slower than the outgoing car’s 4.5 second run. But you will have one of the world’s best and brawniest engines under the bonnet. And the new V8 also means Mercedes can fit its seven-speed auto. In the SL63 it features the company’s new Speedshift Multi Clutch Transmission. According to Mercedes it has a wet start-up clutch that replaces the conventional torque converter. That apparently means a more direct connection to the powertrain so the SL offers a more sporting drive.

The Speedshift MCT also has a double declutching function, and Race Start launch control. There are four modes for the gearbox and Merc’s clever ABC suspension is standard. The AMG button – the equivalent of BMW’s M button – also allows you to select your favourite set-up quickly. Both AMG-tweaked SLs have the clever folding metal roof, which open in 16 seconds.

And what if I want something hotter than the SL63 AMG?

Then clearly you have issues, but the SL Black is on the way. In the meantime Merc is offering a AMG Performance Studio to at least give your SL the Black Series looks. Carbonfibre exterior trim, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, AMG wheels, and bigger brakes for the SL63 are all part of the package.

Both cars will be available in the UK from April 2008. Expect the SL63 to cost £100,000, and the SL65 to top £150k.

Mercedes SL Black

By Georg Kacher

Spyshots

30 January 2008 12:17

The recently facelifted SL is just the tip of the sports car iceberg for Mercedes. CAR Magazine Online can today reveal the company’s plans for a hardcore SL65 Black Series that will transform the slick SL into a 670bhp hardcore coupe aimed at Lamborghini and Porsche.

The exclusive Black Series model, scooped here by CAR Magazine Online, will be launched in autumn 2008. It’s been developed in close cooperation with HWA of DTM/German Touring Car Championship fame. Only 400 units will be available – and you’ll need a stiff £193,000 (€260,000) to bag the ultimate SL, we hear.

The fixed-roof Black Series model sports much wider wings, massive 19/20in (front/rear) wheels, stronger steel brakes and a new Sportshift transmission which mates a new wet clutch (in lieu of the torque converter) to the familiar seven-speed cogworks.

Mercedes SL65 Black Series: the design

It’ll be easy to spot the uber SL, thanks to additional air intakes and a massive adjustable rear wing. Much of that soaraway price tag is spent on carbonfibre body panels, helping the Black shed a substantial 260kg over the SL65. Fireworks under the long bonnet are provided by the unloved SLR’s supercharged V8 developing a heady 670bhp and a maximum torque of 737lb ft, restricted to 555lb ft in first and second gears to protect the drivetrain.

SL65 Black Series goes GT2 hunting

This exclusive SL is aimed squarely at the Porsche 911 GT2 and Lamborghini Murcielago. The raw figures are certainly impressive, the Black Series SL accelerating to 62mph in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 3.9sec. The top speed is a totally unrestricted 200mph.

According to those in the know, there will be a six to nine month gap between the end of production of the SLR and the launch of the new Mercedes supercar which is being developed without the help of McLaren this time round.

Regular SL: the facelift

The rest of the SL range gets a refresh at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. There are new L-shaped headlamps, a single-bar grill and a freshened interior with optional Airscarf, plus numerous technical improvements: quicker and more direct steering, an updated telematics system, hard disc infotainment system plus AMG-developed drivetrain tweaks.

We’ll see all this on the new range unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show – spanning from the SL280 3.0-litre V6 to the SL63 V8. CAR Magazine Online will report live from Switzerland on 4 March 2008 – so stay tuned to read about all the unveils in the coming weeks.

Mercedes S400 Hybrid

By Ben Pulman

Spyshots

01 February 2008 11:20

Hello hybrid. CAR Magazine has caught Mercedes’ first hybrid model testing in Scandinavia before a European launch in mid-2009. This is the S400 Hybrid, and our spy shot under the big limo’s bonnet appears to show Merc’s second big step towards going green – the first was their NOx-busting Bluetec technology.

The S400 Hybrid will come with a 274bhp petrol V6, but mated to a hybrid module the S400 will have a total of 295bhp and 277lb ft. That means 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds but more importantly 35.8mpg and just 190g/km CO2. The equivalent 262bhp S350 will only do 28mpg while producing 242g/km CO2.

So what’s the hybrid technology like?

Somewhat complicated but there’s a disk-shaped electric engine that also acts as the starter motor meaning this S-class will have a stop/start system. The electric motor also helps to boost performance when accelerating, while under braking it acts as a generator, recovering braking energy. This energy is stored in lithium-ion batteries mounted in the engine compartment.

The technology has been developed in conjunction with BMW and GM. The Amercians have already shown the hybrid system in various SUVs, while BMW will use the technology in the new 7-series and X6.

And if I want my limo a little cleaner…

…You’ll have to wait a little longer. Mercedes is also readying two diesel hybrids, the S300 and S400. The S300 Bluetec Hybrid will appear first in 2010 and offer a frankly stunning 52.3mpg. Combined with Bluetec technology the S300 will also only produce 142g/km CO2. There’s no word from Mercedes yet on what diesel engine will power the S300, but the all-new E-class will come in 2010 as an E300 Bluetec powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine. Whether S-class buyers will accept anything less than six cylinders remains to be seen.

If you still want to be clean and green though, but with a little more power then the S400 Bluetec Hybrid will be along after 2010. Combined with the hybrid module the diesel V6 will produce 261bhp and 464lb ft, while still averaging 48.7mpg and emitting 154g/km CO2

How else are Merc going green?

Later this year we’ll see a CNG-powered B-class, and there’s already diesel and petrol hybrid Smart cars on the road, as well as electric versions. The M-class (which is facelifted this year) will gain hybrid power in 2009, 2010 will see a fuel-cell B-class, and 2011 will bring us a C300 Bluetec Hybrid.

In the meantime 2008 will see Bluetec technology reaching the R, ML and GL in 320CDI form. Whether these cars make it to the UK is another matter, as despite an 80 percent reduction in NOx, Bluetec technology currently increases CO2 output by a few points and therefore makes the system useless under Britain's current CO2 ratings system.

Beyond Bluetec and hybrids Mercedes' third step will be the Diesotto engine due in 2014. Read all about it here.

Beyond that 2014/15 puts us in diesoot tech