Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Mercedes-Benz
Spy Shots: Details on the Mercedes-Benz SL65 Black Series
We've already been given a taste of what the next Mercedes SL will look like ahead of its official unveiling in Geneva this March and despite the previous spy shots, we were still in the dark about what would come after AMG worked its wizardry on Mercedes' new high-dollar coupe. CAR was able to get the exclusive details on the SL65, which is being built in cooperation with HWA, the same folks who develop vehicles for the DTM/German Touring Car Championship.That means that prodigious power is only the tip of the iceberg. But to be specific, 670 hp and 737 lb.-ft. of torque will be squeezed from the supercharged V8, with torque being limited to 555 lb.-ft. in first and second gears to avoid all the oily bits from being strewn across the tarmac.
In keeping with the Black tradition, AMG will outfit the coupe with massively flared fenders, plenty of aero-enhanced body panels (made up of carbon fiber), upgraded brakes, and a new Sportshift transmission that uses a wet clutch to transmit power to seven speeds. 19-inch wheels will be mounted in front, with 20-inchers out back and according to CAR, the Black Series will be around 550 pounds lighter than its pedestrian counterpart.
To make sure that absolute power doesn't corrupt absolutely, the price of the SL65 Black Series is set around £193,000. Stiff, but considering the SL can be flung to 60 in 3.9 seconds and can top out at 200 mph, it's officially in supercar territory. Sales will begin six to nine months after the last SLR rolls off the line and will share the McMerc's exclusivity with only 400 examples being produced.
[Source: CAR]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
srDRIVEN 7:50PM (1/30/2008)
I'm all for the Black Series in almost any MB model, but this new SL is so ugly, I don't know if the Black Series can do enough in performance to overcome that ugly mug. Not to mention that price.... ouch
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aleanse01 8:14PM (1/30/2008)
Wait, I'm confused... There will be 3 AMG SL's: The SL63 with the 6.2 V8, the SL65 with the biturbo 6.0 V12, and the SL65 Black Series with a supercharged V8? So two SL65's? Someone please clarify. Regardless of what they call it or what kind of engine it has, I'm very excited about this!
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madgamer 8:51PM (1/30/2008)
It seems like it wouldn't use the V8, as then it would have even more power out of a V8 than the SLR, and in a similar form factor. That could do some serious maybach-style cannibalizing of sales, as even if you just converted that pounds to dollars, it's cheaper than an SLR convertible by quite a bit. Then again, who knows, as they do some whacky stuff with the engine choices.
madgamer 8:54PM (1/30/2008)
Never mind, it says right in the readlink that is IS infact the SLR's drivetrain boosted up. Strange imo.
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MAOR 9:11PM (1/30/2008)
Awesome! Black series vehicles are amazing, except for the SLK, redo that one. Missed it a bit on the first try. Carbon footprint this, that... Theres only gonna be 400 of these, half of which wont even be driven I bet. Factory widebody with the engineering to match, who can complain?
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David Wiles 12:33AM (1/31/2008)
Another week, another 600+hp, tuned, limited production and utterly unaffordable Mercedes. This is almost as bad as the weekly Mustang variations. Who cares?
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slotownbrian 1:50AM (1/31/2008)
Amen...who needs nearly 700 horsepower when these things are going to be stuck on the 405 EVERYDAY? There are so many better ways to do rich, it's unbelievable.
Gooch 6:19AM (1/31/2008)
Not all rich people live near the 405 -- and if they're rich enough to afford this, they're rich enough to take the helicopter in to work. Or better yet, they don't "work" like normal wankers...
Cars like these don't commute. They're for pleasure, pure and simple. The rich probably keep the majority of their toys at their summer home next to some bucolic lake in Michigan or Minnesota.
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