Mercedes’ luxury roadster gets more serious about sport.


At the Geneva auto show, Mercedes-Benz officials were stressing the company’s green aspirations ad nauseam—and then rolled out the latest AMG model, the 518-horsepower SL63 AMG. With a 6.2-liter V-8 engine underhood, this car is about as green as your average logging company.

The SL63 replaces the previous SL55 AMG, powered by a supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 that produced a mere 510 horsepower. The new car also features facelifted styling and interior revisions, plus a modified version of the company’s seven-speed transmission.

It certainly looks the part. The exterior changes that have been applied to all SL models make the car look more contemporary. The SL63 adds an aggressive front fascia and side skirts to signal its more sporting mien, plus standard 19-inch wheels and tires. Inside, there’s a special AMG steering wheel, gauge cluster, and shift lever to accompany other SL revisions that include an iPod interface and a Bluetooth phone hookup that both work pretty seamlessly.

Sophisticated Transmission

The most interesting feature of the car, however, is buried from view. Mercedes has decided to mate its conventional seven-speed planetary gearset with a multi-plate wet clutch (instead of the usual torque converter) to make the closest thing Mercedes has to an automated manual gearbox. Where BMW and Audi have gone the twin-clutch/twin-shaft gearbox route, the AMG engineers cite weight as one reason for this solution: a twin-clutch gearbox that could handle the SL63’s 465 pound-feet of torque would weigh at least 44 pounds more. The fact that Mercedes already builds its own planetary gearsets must have factored in, too.

The transmission has five modes, selected by a rotary dial next to the shift lever: standard (comfort); sport; sport plus; manual; and a launch control function. The sport and sport plus modes produce progressively faster shifts and heavier doses of revs while downshifting. The manual setting is self explanatory, allowing the driver control of the ratios via either the shift lever or steering-wheel-mounted paddles.

As with the previous SL55, Mercedes offers a Performance Package that features a more aggressive tuning of the Active Body Control (ABC) suspension system; a torque-sensing limited-slip differential; and bigger front brake rotors, up in diameter from an already monstrous 14.2 inches to 15.4. The package will likely cost about $14,000 on top of a projected base price of $133,000.

Luxury Cruiser and Serious Sports Car

The upshot of all these changes is a pretty special automobile that is both luxury cruiser and serious sports car. Leave the transmission setting alone, the stability control on (there are three modes), and the ABC in its comfort mode, and the SL63 will eat up highway miles quite serenely; the only clue to its more aggressive demeanor is a truly spectacular V-8 engine note that wouldn’t disgrace a NASCAR event. The transmission isn’t quite as smooth as a conventional automatic in town, but it is way better than the Sequential Manual Gearbox in the BMW M6.

Go aggressive on the ABC, transmission, and skid control settings, and the SL63 is a fast, satisfying back-road car. Nicely weighted, faithful steering is allied to good body control and a reasonably neutral chassis balance. On the track, you discover that 4350 pounds of automobile doesn’t respond well to attempts to brake and turn at the same time, when it will plow mightily, but it can be slid around like a much smaller sports car if one is patient on corner entry and uses the prodigious torque to unglue the 285/30 rear tires.

Fitted with the Performance Package, the SL becomes something of a track star, thanks to better body control, sharper turn-in, and even more powerful brakes. Using the launch control function, we predict a 0-to-60-mph sprint of about 4.2 seconds. Top speed is governed to 155 mph—the car gets there with alacrity and a soundtrack that is borderline illegal, along with whipcrack upshifts.

The SL63 isn’t as sporting as a Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet, but it is a compelling alternative—and makes one wonder why anyone needs to spend half a million dollars on an SLR roadster, unless they just want to flaunt the amount of money they’ve got.


2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG - First Drive Review / Mercedes-Benz AMG Performance / High Performance / Hot Lists / Reviews / Car and Driver - Car And Driver


M

 

nice write up. cool. sorada.no thanks

 

I'm desperate to try out that new gear box. Sounds like loads of fun.

 

Don't know why they didn't go double-clutch. 44lbs...so what when the car weighs 4,400lbs. However, move from slushboxes is a good thing though Black series owners will be crying themselves to sleep.

 

Germancar1, thx for posting

Car magazine uk has a review online as well....a tad more insightful....but they don't hand out journalist jobs to just anyone....so look fwd to actually driving this car in Apr when one of my CL63 030-driving colleagues gets his SL63 030 (he's having his airshipped into CA)....my copy arrives in May on the more frugal slow-boat from Germany....

Back in ?Aug06 had both '07 SL65 and '07 997TT Coupe Tip/PCCB at same time and was able to do 2-3K mis on each car on interesting roads....IMO, SL65 was clearly a more engaging, well-balanced car vs 997TT Coupe (not even the ?200lb heavier, softer Cab), obviously in straight-line, but even in mtn twisties....stuff I could easily discern as an OK amateur driver.....

IMO, 997TT is a fairly underwhelming benchmark for SL63 030 to exceed....997TT's only real strengths are brilliant steering and superb PCCB pedal feel (in dry only).....but 997TT has glaring turbo lag; an effeminate Prius Turbo exhaust note; Luddite gearboxes; poorly sorted PASM damping on bumpy stretches of mtn twisties; issues w/PCCB brake response in wet, etc etc.....and all kinds of daily-use incompetence....poor ground clearance; puny 17gall fuel tank and 12MPG; no Bluetooth/iPod/sat radio/TeleAid; and a glovebox-sized trunk....

 

On twisties, the 997TT easily bests the SL65. I suggest a high performance driving course for you sir.

Save for it having one less ratio, how is the gearbox luddite compared to your 63s? Genuinely curious? As for 12mpg, I'd say that's worse case given experience in the 996variant.

Don't get me wrong, the SL65 is beautiful, safe and has god's own engine but have to hand out credit where it's due and P-cars HANDLE.

 

Although I'm a MB-enthousiast as well, I marked the points I simply can't agree with - not even when looking through so-called 'MB-glasses'....

I don't know exactly what MPG the 997TT gets - but I'm sure a full tank of gas in a CL63 won't bring you any further than a full tank of gas in a 997TT, so it doesn't really matter that it only holds 17gall - oh well, filling up might be a bit cheaper..

IMO, comparing the SL to a 917TT is not a smart idea simply because they are too different. Porsche didn't design this car with a huge trunk() and all other technical gizmos in mind - they simply wanted to build a fast and great handling car. And man, they were succesfull...

In fact, if I had the spare change, I would get both: One (the SL) for cruising top-down, the other for the speed-kick and direct response the SL won't be able to deliver - no matte if SL63 or 65...

 

Wow what a great improvement ME WANTS THE NEW SPORT EXHAUST and the New MCT pieces.. Hope we can add that to our old 07's

 

Car looks terrible compared to the current classic AMG SL's. Great gearbox though.

 

Looks good in these pictures....

I have a feeling that in person this car is going to look really good.

Can't wait to get my hands on the MCT.....

 

Thank you for sharing, after this great read I am definatley convinced in getting one if I had the opportunity to do so; what is great is due to the lack of torque the car with the 030 performance package handles more like a sports car rather than a GT/Touring car.

 

I will wait for sl BS and sl65. Would love to see a 650-700hp sl BS

 

Don't believe what the mag's write. Wait and drive one and then make up your mind.

 

08 SL55: 4,365 lb

Wow, they managed to shed a whole 15lbs off!

 

..And thats assuming they didnt round, not including the margin of error, and not specifying how much fuel was in each car!

And a ton of other variables

 

saw one on the 405 freeway in socal today and wowww so much nicer in person...

 

Yeah, everyone who has seen it in person has been saying that.

I can't wait to check it out up close.

 

Talked with one of the sales guys at my dealership yesterday. He thinks it looks bad like they did a half *** job. I have to agree. Should of changed the rearend widend the rear wheel area and had some vents infront of the rear tires. Might then look balanced?

 

I saw SL63 in New Jersey yesterday and it does look better in person.

 

sick!!

 

Awesome

 

Wow, that is the lamest first post I have ever seen. Welcome to MBWorld.

 

How are people seeing these already? Test cars?

 

I test drove this car today for fun at Mercedes World here in the UK. As a CLS 63 owner I am more than familiar with the performance of this marvel of an engine but in this SL model the sound is truly staggering!!! I could listen to it all day. If the exhaust system becomes avaliable for the CLS I will have to get it.

For all of you who love such sounds I urge you to find some way of having a listen. Exhaust notes for me may never be the same again!