Spy Shots: Next-gen Mercedes SL63 AMG beefs up

Well, take a look-see at what our intrepid band of spy photographers have just netted. Apparently, the go-fast gurus at AMG have been hard at work on a bevy of new Mercedes-Benz goodies, including the car you see above. Underneath all of that cladding lurks the next-generation SL63 AMG. Even with all of the plastic obscuring its bodywork, it's clear that the engineers intend for the folding hardtop convertible to have some healthy air intakes in the front fascia. Why? We're guessing it has something to do with the manhole-cover sized front brakes on this mule. Take a close look at the front stoppers and you'll see six-pot calipers squeezing on cross-drilled rotors.

That's probably a good thing considering that from what we understand, the SL63 AMG is slated to pack 571 galloping horsepower from a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. Something tells us we're going to need those galactic brakes to bring this thing to a stop. Word has it that an AMG Speedshift seven-speed gearbox will provide shifting duties, too. Sounds like a tasty piece of heavyweight German engineering to us.

[Source: CarPix]