Autoblog

Brabus 800 Roadster is a power-mad aristocrat

Chris Paukert — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

If we're being completely honest, we haven't exactly been in love with the aesthetics of the sixth-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. It's mostly a front-end issue, with its glowering eagle-eye headlamps and upright, dinner-plate-sized Three-Pointed Star coming across to us as overwrought. That's particularly troublesome for a roadster whose history has of the most elegant designs of all time in its back catalog. Somehow, the new R231 generation's brash visuals seem more at home on this Brabus 800 Roadster to us.

That's probably because the high-dollar German tuner has turned up the wick on the SL's visuals even further, with carbon fiber bodywork, a more aggressive aero kit, matte hood scoop and complex two-finish wheels. It's all-the-way committed to its brashness, in other words - and justifiably so. Anything with 800 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet of torque has earned the right to look however it wants, right?

Brabus started with the SL65 and its not-exactly-underpowered 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12, and went to town, fitting their own turbocharger and intercooler system, along with a less-restrictive exhaust system with driver-selectable sound levels and new engine electronics. The result is a 3.7-second 0-62 mph time, an electronically limited top whack of 217 mph... and one seriously compromised toupée.

Continue reading Brabus 800 Roadster is a power-mad aristocrat

Brabus 800 Roadster is a power-mad aristocrat originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

Michael Harley — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury, Quick Spins

Make way for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, the most wonderfully preposterous car I have ever driven.

There is absolutely no reason why any two-seat roadster should be fitted with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 developing 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, but I sure am glad that Mercedes-Benz doesn't see things that way.

Drop into the leather-lined cockpit of this $213,145 provocateur, floor the accelerator pedal as I did over and over again, and 60 miles per hour falls in a traction-limited 3.9 seconds. Top speed has been electronically held to 186 mph (this apparently saves Gulfstream jet owners from embarrassment). Forget the SL550 and SL63 AMG, the valets will trip over themselves attending to the tycoon driving this thoroughbred - it's the real deal.

Driving Notes

The handcrafted 36-valve V12 returns with a new internal designation of M279 (replacing the M275) and a matte carbon-fiber engine cover. Mercedes-Benz has updated the powerplant's turbochargers and improved engine airflow for the 2013 model year. This explains the 17-horsepower improvement and efficiency gains over its predecessor. The venerable five-speed automatic was also replaced with AMG's Speedshift seven-speed transmission (offering electronically controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport Plus and Manual modes), and the SL65 AMG now features an engine start-stop function.
Acceleration rates normally flatten as aerodynamic drag rises. The SL65 AMG seems to do just the opposite as it picks up speed like a rocket leaving the earth's pull of gravity. Full throttle applications release a throaty growl from the quad exhaust, accompanied by spine-chilling burbles as the transmission catches each gear. Downshifts are equally as pleasing as the V12 cackles and pops as each gear falls. Yet, during steady cruising the exhaust note is perfectly tame and proper.
Despite is substantial physical size, the SL65 AMG is surprisingly agile. It tracks well and the new electrically boosted steering is precise and nicely weighed. Cornering is flat, thanks to Active Body Control (offering both Sport and Comfort settings). The 19-inch wheel and upgraded monobloc brake package (lifted right off the enthusiast-tuned SL63 AMG), does its job commendably.
The cabin is a smart mix of luxury and sport. What leather doesn't cover is made of either woven carbon-fiber or brushed aluminum. The infinitely adjustable quilted seats are heated and equipped with the automaker's neck-heating Airscarf. The meaty three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel is wrapped in smooth leather with grippy Alcantera sides and aluminum wheel-mounted paddle shifters are standard. The convertible hard top, with its lightweight magnesium frame encircling the automaker's trick Magic Sky Control dimming feature, can be raised or lowered in about 20 seconds at the touch of a button.
Don't confuse the SLS AMG GT Roadster with the SL65 AMG, as each has very different role. The SLS is a true sports car, with a mission-appropriate ride, gnarly exhaust snarl and a moderate level of amenities. The SL65, on the other hand, is a luxury grand tourer engineered to make miles pass effortlessly beneath it chassis. One does not replace the other - a true boss owns both.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video]

Michael Harley — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives, Luxury

Affalterbach Additions Transform Benz's Heavy-Hitting Droptop

Saint-Tropez is a charming town in southeastern France nestled along the Mediterranean Sea. Internationally recognized as a summer playground for the wealthy and famous, it is also famed for its "clothing optional" beaches where more than just noses and shoulders get burned in hot weather. While still a couple months shy of warm weather and the influx of tourists, Mercedes-Benz chose to get an early start on the topless party by flying us to the Côte d'Azur for some seat time in its newest high-performance droptop, the 2013 SL63 AMG Roadster.

Our first taste of the new SL-Class was behind the wheel of the standard SL550 in Spain less than two months ago. The two-seater impressed us with its stout chassis, strong engine and lavish appointments - but it failed to stir our emotions. The base SL long ago steered away from being a driver's car, and its latest incarnation proved no different. It was, in effect, just a very capable and posh GT.

But the SL63 AMG, boasting upwards of 557 horsepower thanks to a burly twin-turbocharged V8, still seems promising. Its luxury appointments are nearly identical, yet it wears AMG attire and its entire powertrain has been upgraded to appease warm-blooded automotive enthusiasts. Do fresh duds and a new muscular system make a more compelling athlete? We roughed in the French Riviera to find out.

Continue reading 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video]

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes to bring Magic Sky Control to side windows?

Chris Paukert — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Government/Legal, Technology, Mercedes-Benz

We've had the chance to sample Mercedes-Benz's so-called Magic Sky Control technology in both the SL and SLK roadsters, and it's a pretty clever party trick. The technology can turn the overhead roof panel in either of the two-seaters from transparent to opaque by energizing the light-blocking crystals sandwiched in the glass. By electrifying the crystals, they reorder themselves, varying the amount of light that's let through the glass roof panel.

We've seen similar electrochromic glass technology before in the Ferrari 575 Superamerica, but that appears to have been a one-and-done effort in Maranello, whereas Mercedes-Benz is reportedly keen to spread the technology around to more of its lineup. And not only are Benz engineers looking at more models, they're apparently shifting their focus to side glass - in particular, rear side glass. In fact, Benz's Viano Vision Diamond concept van debuted with the technology at this week's Beijing Motor Show. We can see Hollywood lining up already - this technology has real merit for keeping the paparazzi at bay.

But blocking out TMZ's long-lenses isn't the only issue - there's not-inconsiderable concern of law enforcement. Window tinting standards vary wildly from state to state here in the U.S., as well as country to country globally, something that could prove to be a major hurdle for the German automaker's legal team.

Mercedes to bring Magic Sky Control to side windows? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes SL550 [w/video]

Chris Paukert — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives, Design/Style, Luxury

The Official Car Of Beverly Hills Gets A Dramatic Rework

Generally speaking, I'm a pretty measured sort of guy. But when it comes to convertibles, I'm a bit of a lunatic. I've been known to motor with the top down in all conditions - including light rain and snow - much to the bewilderment of other drivers (and quite often the chagrin of my passengers). For the most part, it doesn't matter if I'm driving in a bare-bones roadster or a lux-lined GT. Thankfully for my hapless guests, however, advances in technology have done much to assuage discomfort in poor weather. These days, there are far fewer tradeoffs associated with top-down motoring: improved aerodynamics, wind blockers, enhanced ventilation, sun-reflecting leather and, of course, seat heating and cooling - all features that have done much to make me better company. What's more, modern underlying structures are stiffer and there's little in the way of the noise, vibration and harshness penalties that there used to be.

In terms of innovation, nobody has done more to advance the everyday livability of the convertible than Mercedes-Benz. They kept the faith back in the late 70s/early 80s when nearly everyone had gotten out of the convertible business. They brought back the folding hardtop. They came up with the pop-up roll hoop to augment rollover safety. They created Airscarf. Aircap, too. Hell, with this 2013 SL550, they've even invented a new windshield wiper fluid delivery system to prevent errant spritzing when driving with the top down (more on that in a minute).

On its face, a typically sober German engineering approach would seem to be at odds with the very idea of a top-down bauble, but Mercedes has taken a very logical approach to building something so frivolous. Amazingly, this philosophy works in the SL's favor... most of the time.

Continue reading 2013 Mercedes SL550 [w/video]

2013 Mercedes SL550 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG packs an earth-moving 738 pound-feet of torque

Noah Joseph — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:44:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

It takes a special type of individual to take a look at a twin-turbo V8 roadster with 530 horsepower like the new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG and say, "Nope, that's not enough." And for just such an individual, Mercedes now presents the new SL65 AMG.

Unveiled here at the New York Auto Show alongside the facelifted GL and GLK crossovers, the new SL65 replaces its predecessor with a pair of turbos and twelve cylinders good for a monumental 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. It also gets a seven-gear Speedshift transmission that has been beefed up enough to handle all that twist in place of the five-speed that soldiered on through the last model.

All that is packed, of course, into the newer, (relatively) lighter new SL-Class, complete with Airscarf and Magic Sky Control and all that jazz. The new roadster sits at the very top of the SL range, and if the outgoing model is any indication, this droptop is likely to receive a starting price well over $200,000.

We were on hand for the new SL65's unveiled here at the Javitz Center, and you can join us for a closer look in the high-resolution image gallery above and the press release below.

Continue reading 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG packs an earth-moving 738 pound-feet of torque

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG packs an earth-moving 738 pound-feet of torque originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG is big and beastly, not so beautiful

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:41:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz

We'll come right out and say it: The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL isn't exactly pretty. And while this new SL63 adds all of the go-fast appearance bits befitting any AMG model, it doesn't exactly help the big roadster's appearance. And by the way, when we say big, we mean big. The photos don't quite do it justice - this is one seriously large two-seater.

Large and in charge as it may be, the 2013 SL63 AMG is actually far prettier beneath the skin. For one thing, it's 275 pounds lighter than the model it replaces, thanks largely to the use of high-strength but lightweight aluminum parts. Even so, this bad boy tips the scales at just over 4,050 pounds, but never fear - there's one heck of a powerplant underhood to get this grandaddy moving with a quickness.

Just like the entire new crop of AMG products, the SL63 uses Merc's twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter M157 V8, good for 530 horsepower and 593 pound-feet of torque. Tick the box for the optional AMG Performance Package and those numbers increase to 557 and 664(!) respectively. With that additional grunt, the SL63 will shoot to 60 miles per hour in just 4.1 seconds (4.2 without the Performance Pack), on its way to relaxed top speed of 186 miles per hour (non PP-equipped models top out at 155).

Glorious as it all sounds, we still can't get past the fact that the once-timelessly beautiful SL continues to get uglier and uglier with each new generation. Sigh. See for yourself in the attached high-res image galleries.

Continue reading 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG is big and beastly, not so beautiful

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG is big and beastly, not so beautiful originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes AMG launches new SL63 with W03 F1 car in Barcelona [w/videos]

Noah Joseph — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Performance, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury, Racing

Any outfit with the cash can buy a Formula One team. Integrating it into an existing automaker, however, isn't an overnight proposition. Both Lotus and Caterham are currently undergoing that process, but so is Mercedes-Benz.

The German automaker bought out what was then the World Champion Brawn GP team (previously known as Honda and before that, as British American Racing) a couple of years ago as a standalone racing team, and has been bringing it into the corporate fold ever since. This year, the team previously known as Mercedes GP has been rebranded as Mercedes AMG (as was the division that produces its F1 engines). To drive the point home, the company's broadened performance arm launched two very different cars under the same banner in Barcelona this week.

The main event is W03, the new single-seater that Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will be driving in the 2012 Formula One World Championship. Bound to the same new set of regulations as the other teams, the new Mercedes AMG W03 shares some of the same traits as the rest of the field - most notably the stepped nose section that Mercedes' PR team cleverly calls "distinctive." Since engine development remains frozen pending the launch of the new turbo six, the W03 is powered by the same FO108Z engine - all 2.4 liters and eight cylinders of it - as last year's car, and for that matter the latest McLaren and Force India challengers are, too.

While Daimler was at it, though, it has taken the opportunity to show off its new Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Roadster for the first time. Based on the SL-Class that debuted just two months ago at the Detroit Auto Show, the SL63 packs AMG's fast-becoming-ubiquitous M157 twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 with 529 horsepower, but unburdened of 242 pounds of excess weight from the outgoing model (thanks primarily to the widespread use of aluminum and magnesium where the last model was made of steel), the new SL63 AMG can rocket from 0-62 mph in 4.3 seconds (4.2 with the optional AMG Performance Package) while returning 30 percent better fuel economy.

Check out our high-res galleries of both open-top Three-Pointed Stars and hop through to the jump to see some videos.

Continue reading Mercedes AMG launches new SL63 with W03 F1 car in Barcelona [w/videos]

Mercedes AMG launches new SL63 with W03 F1 car in Barcelona [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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60 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Only a tiny number of cars have been unquestioned status symbols for six straight decades. The Mercedes-Benz SL is one of them, and - just like another one, coincidentally - it's new for this year. Although "Magic Sky Control" doesn't have the same classic ring as "pagoda roof," the R231 2013 SL aims to keep the streak going.

For folks who might not know where the streak began, there's a short refresher video after the jump that will speed you from the 1952 300 SL up to the present day. Enjoy.

Continue reading 60 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL

60 years of the Mercedes-Benz SL originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bizarre Mercedes SL fashion video with model Lara Stone isn't in Kansas anymore

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz has put together a fashion-shoot-and-video session with Dutch supermodel Lara Stone and the 2013 SL for Fashion Week, and the result is a vid that only those attending Fashion Week could understand. Which is, probably, half the point.

We shared the "making of" video with you back in late December, but it's apparently taken until now for the completed Alex Prager short to be completed. Back then, the film idea was presented as the Calvin Klein model trying to outrun a tornado, but it's not. Think The Wizard of Oz in Louboutins by Jim Jarmusch and you'll be close. Or you could just watch the video after the jump.

Continue reading Bizarre Mercedes SL fashion video with model Lara Stone isn't in Kansas anymore

Bizarre Mercedes SL fashion video with model Lara Stone isn't in Kansas anymore originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL is still the daddy

Chris Paukert — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:45:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style, Luxury

It's the eve of press days at the Detroit Auto Show, and Mercedes-Benz has kicked off the week in fine style with the premiere of its 2013 SL. While the 60-year-old franchise has periodically undergone radical revisions, the sixth-generation should look familiar to anyone who has seen the outgoing model, but that doesn't mean that Benz hasn't tugged and pulled the SL every which way. While the general form looks very similar to the fifth-generation roadster, there are subtle tweaks everywhere, the most noticeable being the eagle's-eye LED daytime running lamps.

As before, the two-seat roadster relies on a power folding hardtop, though the folding roof can now be had with Magic Sky Control, the trick bit of electrochromatic glass with variable opacity first offered on the SLK. The original SL nomenclature stood for Sport and Lightweight, but in recent years, the latter descriptor hasn't really applied to the big coupe. The 2013 model seeks to reclaim some of that featheriness with a new all-aluminum structure and body, and Mercedes says the new SL550 weighs about 275 pounds less than the exiting model.

A 12-percent bump in HP means that 60 miles per hour hits in just 4.5 seconds - the old car required 5.2 seconds.

Powered by Mercedes' 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8, the SL550 delivers 429 horsepower at 5,250 rpm and a whopping 516 pound-feet of torque from 1,800 rpm. As before, that power is routed through a seven-speed auto to the rear wheels. Apart from its lightweight aluminum construction and downsized engine, Mercedes has made a few other concessions to greener motoring including standard stop/start. Despite this, the 32-percent swell in torque and 12-percent bump in horsepower means that 60 miles per hour hits in just 4.5 seconds - the old car required 5.2 seconds. Top speed is limited to 130 mph, and judging from the engine, it sounds like you'll be able to say hello to the governor rather quickly.

Over the years, Mercedes has made many contributions to the art of year-round top-down motoring, with items like heated seats, HVAC systems with dedicated top-down modes, Airscarf, and so on. For 2013, the SL gains a new wiper blade system dubbed Magic Vision Control that streams wiper fluid along the blade to avoid overspray into the interior when the top is dropped. The entire wiper is heated as well.

The model seen here is the limited edition "Edition 1" launch specification, which wears 19-inch AMG alloys, Designo leather, Airscarf, Harmon Kardon surround audio and available Designo crystal silver magno paintwork. We should know a bit more about pricing before the car arrives in dealers this spring.

Continue reading 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL is still the daddy

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL is still the daddy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL brochure leaks ahead of Detroit reveal

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

It's getting darn near impossible for automakers to keep their latest wares hidden from view until they are good and ready to show them. Such is the case with Mercedes-Benz, who's latest SL has leaked to the internet courtesy of the crew at Autoblog.nl.

If we had to guess, we'd say these images come from a brochure of some sort, and they show the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL from the front and rear, along with the top up and down. We also get a lone shot of the interior, and though it's all in various shades of black and white, everything looks just as polished and stately as we'd expect from M-B's range-topping non-AMG machine.

We know that the 2013 SL will be a few hundred pounds lighter than its predecessor, but we don't yet know what range of engines will be in the "S-Class of Roadsters." We'd guess a few V8 options with the vestigial V12 hanging around for at least one more generation.

We'll just have to wait until the 2012 Detroit Auto Show to find out all the details, but in the meantime, have a gander at the pics in our high-res image gallery.

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL brochure leaks ahead of Detroit reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes SL prototype says you'll never catch me, copper

Noah Joseph — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

It's not every day that Mercedes-Benz comes out with a new SL. The roadster that anchors the top of the company's non-AMG production range tends to enjoy an unusually long lifecycle. The iconic first-generation Gullwing was on the market for ten years. The second-gen model lasted just eight years, but the third iteration was around for a whopping eighteen. The boxy fourth version was around for fourteen years, and the current model that replaced it has been on the market since 2003, with a facelift that came in 2008.

Fortunately, a new model is on its way and should put the MkV out to pasture after ten long years of service. Due sometime next year as a 2013 model, these are the clearest shots we've seen yet of what to expect.

Now stripped of all but a bare minimum of disguising, the 2013 SL looks a bit more svelte than the model it replaces, though that doesn't tell us if it'll be any lighter: the current two-seat folding hardtop convertible weights as much as some SUVs. The more upright front grille is both a nod to the SLS AMG and likely a measure to comply with pedestrian-impact regulations enacted in Europe.

It looks as though LEDs are lurking in the lower front intakes on either side, with what seems like it could house a side intake behind the front wheels. The test mule is draped in a new shade of copper we haven't seen before, and we suspect that those unflattering wheels are temporary. Take a gander yourself in our high-res gallery.

Mercedes SL prototype says you'll never catch me, copper originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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