Autoblog

Click above for a high resolution image of the SL65 AMG Black Series

We haven't seen any photos of the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series except for the press photos and a few wallpapers we scrounged up. As far was we know, no one has actually seen the car in person outside of Mercedes-Benz, let alone photographed it. So imagine our surprise when we spotted one headed our direction while trying to crash the Ferrari-owners-invited-only North American debut of the Ferrari California in Monterey. We instantly forgot about trying to catch a glimpse of the Ferrari and turned our lenses towards the Black Series. Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz had no problem with us taking photographs of the car, and we were able to get plenty of detailed pictures. Enjoy the high resolution gallery below and we'll be back later with more from Monterey!

Gallery: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series Live Shots

The online editors of Motor Trend have decided to spill the beans, which allows us to finally confirm the information circulating the interwebs regarding AMG's latest flagship supercar, the SL65 Black Series.

AMG has cranked an extra 66 hp out of the twin-turbo six-liter V12, now boosted up to 670 hp, while stump-pullin' grunt remains the same at 738 pound-feet. Unfortunately, all that torque still needs to be converted through a conventional five-speed automatic. The power boost, however, is only part of the equation that unburdens each horse of 1.6 lbs, now pulling just 6.1 lbs-per-hp instead of the "lesser" SL65 AMG's 7.7 lbs-per-hp. That reduction is thanks in no small part (but many small parts) to an ambitious weight reduction program that does away with the folding hard-top in favor of a fixed carbon-fiber roof, itself shaving 88 of the total 570 lbs cut off the curb weight. That figure is now down to a slightly more manageable 4,080 lbs, which is still in SUV territory for a two-seat sportscar. Carbon fiber is also features on the flared front fenders, hood, rear underbody diffuser and racing buckets. That reduced weight is sprung on fully adjustable coils with an electro-hydraulic Active Body Control suspension and one-piece forged alloys wearing Dunlop Maxx GT tires in 265/35ZR-19 dimensions up front and 325/30ZR-20 out back.

A deployable rear spoiler, flat-bottomed steering wheel and Alcantara-clad interior also factor into the package, which Mercedes says would be capable of hitting 220 mph if it didn't electronically limit it to 186 (300 km/h), but 60 will come in the three-second range. The extra kit is complimented by a lower hood line enabled by the Black's exemption from pedestrian safety regs due to its small production numbers: Only 350 examples will be made in either silver, white, black or red.

[Source: Motor Trend]

Click above to view the new SL AMG in hi-res

AMG versions of Mercedes' top-of-the-line SL-Class roadster keep on getting more and more powerful, with virtually no end in sight as the scenery continues to rush by at unprecedented speeds from the well-appointed cabin. As if the 538-hp SL63 AMG and 604-hp SL65 AMG weren't time-warping enough, word on the street has it that Mercedes' in-house tuning division is working on a yet more powerful SL to headline its supercar-rivaling Black Series, spy shots of which we've seen popping up for months now.

Little is known at this point as to what features will distinguish the Black Series model from its only-by-comparison "lesser" stablemates, but reports indicate an even more thoroughly massaged version of the twin-turbo V12 in the – now this is a stretch – "standard" SL65 AMG. Sources suggest that while Affalterbach could have easily extracted 720 hp from the powerplant, the production version will be held back to only 680 horses. Performance will reportedly be further enhanced through the use of carbon-fiber body panels and a fixed roof, while upgraded brakes, suspension and rolling stock are sure to round out the package that promises to eclipse every performance Mercedes that came before it, including AMG Black Series versions of the SLK and CLK, and even exclusive supercars like the 574-hp CLK DTM and the company's current fastest model, the 650-hp SLR McLaren 722.

Production of the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, whose name takes far longer to pronounce than the car itself would need to hit 60, will likely be extremely limited and command a considerable premium, and we look forward to bringing you more as details emerge.

[Source: Inside Line]