Filed under: Videos, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series dyno'd [w/VIDEO]
Click above to view the video after the jump
When Mercedes picked an engine to motivate the SL65 AMG Black Series, the German automaker didn't fool around. A V12 powerplant carries more than enough punch for most supercars, but Mercedes strapped on a pair of turbochargers to ensure that the Black Series was ridiculous enough to justify its price tag. The net result is 670 hp and 738 lb-ft, or enough muscle to propel a two-ton vehicle to 60 in 3.8 seconds.
Armed with a dyno, some spare time and a healthy dose of curiosity, Automobile decided to test for themselves the power of the mighty Benz. The Black Series didn't disappoint, pulling down 573 hp @ 5300 rpm and 682 lb-ft @ 3620 rpm at the rear wheels. The Black Series SL65 showed its superiority over the S65 AMG, as the more spartan AMG Benz put down 36 fewer ponies and 61 fewer lb-ft. At 5500 rpm, the Black Series' beefier turbos out-muscled the the S65 by 100 hp and 100 lb-ft. Hit the jump to view video of the SL65 AMG Black Series as it went through the paces on the dynometer and set the speakers to 11.
[Source: Automobile Magazine]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kumail 10:11AM (12/29/2008)
i like the speedometer, but not the other gauge. i also like how towards the end of the video, the gauges got all blurry, awesome. want.
Reply
Jared 9:32AM (12/30/2008)
Amazing car! Wasn't there a rumor out there when the car released that Benz could put over 800 ft.lb's to the rear wheels but the tranny couldn't handle it? Twin turbo v12 makes my dreams wet :)
Chris 10:35AM (12/29/2008)
The wheel blocks in that picture will only be good if they are running the car in reverse.
Reply
MikeW 11:06AM (12/29/2008)
Maybe they were testing both reverse gears?
or they were already finished testing.
Autohog 10:55AM (12/29/2008)
That's to stop the car rolling backwards. It could happen since the car is strapped at the back (haven't seen the vid yet; opinion based on the pics).
Chris 11:07AM (12/29/2008)
straps at the front, and straps at the back. typically you see blocks at the front of the wheels since most of the time the car is trying to push itself forward off the dyno. However the second set of blocks is sitting right there, i'm willing to bet the picture was taken before setup was finished. i just thought it was funny.
Reply
3seriesisking 11:39AM (12/29/2008)
What an absolute beast!
Reply
xpolarx 11:56AM (12/29/2008)
I love this car...but I'm a bit confused. Why does it weigh so damn much? The body panels are all cf, so where's the dead weight? This thing would be unstoppable if it weighed a 1,000 lbs less.
Reply
Carl 1:06PM (12/29/2008)
I don't really know what makes them so heavy ether. I have though the same thing about my E63 AMG. It has very little (if any) weight savings bits. It would blast past any vette or viper on the road if it was not such a tank. It is really fast for a sedan, I don't have any gripes @ 535HP and 4.2 sec 0-60. I have some mods, that is not stock obviously. But it could be super fast it is weighed a bit less (800-1200Lbs).
Audi is getting that way too. See RS6 2009.
Chris 4:00PM (12/29/2008)
Its still a Mercedes, which means it still has all the luxury items. you'd be amazed at what the interior bits alone weight. Heated electric seats are not light. Then there is the safety stuff, and everything to meet regulations. it adds up fast.
TheCleaner 5:48PM (12/29/2008)
urm, am I reading this right? merc quote 670 hp and 738 lb-ft, and when they dyno'd it they got 573 hp and 682 lb-ft? Sorry but how is that not terrible, being almost 100hp down on the quoted figure..
Reply
Matt 7:57PM (12/29/2008)
573 hp was to the wheels..... Awesome!
J 5:59PM (12/29/2008)
Theres somethign with this dyno, i didnt quite get it..like the other guys were saying.. but no way thats possible
Kiiks 6:51PM (12/29/2008)
That's less than 15% parasitic drivetrain loss, which is about as good as RWD gets. I'm sure the 670 number is crank HP so 573 wheel HP is actually quite good. I was actually expecting a lower Dyno figure. Either their drivetrain is really good, or they undervalued the engine power.
Either way, I want one.
Oreoleo 6:39PM (12/29/2008)
I suppose MB's values were from the crankshaft. drivetrain loss, with those dyno figures - it's about 14.5% loss. isn't this an slushbox though? not sure if it's dualclutch. Would be too little of a loss for an auto i think.
Reply
axamoroger 4:02AM (1/26/2009)
I don't think it has the dualclutch.
So I agree, 14,5% is a bit low!
Most people reckon (and say) 18%...
In that case, it has 699 HP crank!