Forget the McLaren SLR. Move over, CLK DTM coupe. Here's a car with the potential to eclipse them both. And, like them, it flaunts Mercedes-Benz's illustrious three-pointed star. Talk about choices!
Depending on your point of view, the spectacular 661-hp, twin-turbocharged, 6.0-liter V12 SL65 AMG Black Series, revealed here in all its production glory, is either an inspired effort from a company whose reputation was built around world-class engineering or a dinosaur from an era of fossil-fuel-depleting mania.
In other words, does the world need another ferociously powerful road-going car that can hit 60 mph in less than 3.9 seconds? In a time of soaring gasoline prices and prolonged economic downturn, are there enough people prepared to fork out the $320,000 that Mercedes is asking?
AMG will build 350 SL65 Black Series during the next 12 months. The carbon-fiber-bodied supercoupe is a signal that Mercedes is more determined than ever to see its increasingly active AMG division exploit both the heritage of its earlier Silver Arrow race cars and its Formula One presence with a series of high-priced performance models.
Until now, appearances of the new car, which replaces the discontinued McLaren-built SLR, have been limited to grainy spy images of disguised prototypes. But with less than six months before the first customer will take delivery, Mercedes gave AutoWeek access to an early production version.
Mercedes regards the Black Series as a technology showcase, so you can bet that elements you find here will make their way onto future AMG models. In fact, there are clear indications that the new car will influence the upcoming SLC, Mercedes' secret new gullwing coupe and convertible set to reach North America in 2011.
"Naturally," says development boss Tobias Moers, "we're always seeking to move forward with technology, and once we have the quality and price under control, it makes sense to apply it to our standard models."
Moers won't say what elements are being considered for production, but carbon-fiber body construction will play a role at AMG in coming years. It is used for the hood, fenders, roof and trunk. In combination with other weight-saving measures adopted, the 4122-pound Black Series undercuts the SL65 AMG by an impressive 550 pounds.
A quick glance tells you this is no run-of-the-mill AMG model. The exterior, penned by AMG design boss Claus Hieke, places emphasis on cooling air reaching the mighty engine. There are seven ducts up front, three in the bumper, two atop the hood and two in the fenders. Adding to the aggressive tone are heavily flared wheel arches. Moers describes it as an SL65 AMG on steroids. He's right. The only things shared with the SL65 AMG, upon which it is loosely based, are the headlamps, doors, mirrors and tail lamps.
In a significant move, AMG has ditched the SL65 AMG's folding roof. It is replaced by a fixed one that blends with the rest of the body and incorporates an integral roll cage. Other major changes center on the redesigned trunk lid, which supports a retractable spoiler that motors out at 75 mph.
The twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12 has larger turbochargers, a more efficient intercooler and a revised exhaust with less back pressure. The three-valve-per-cylinder engine's output has increased 57 hp, to an SLR-beating 661 hp at 5400 rpm. Torque remains at 738 lb-ft, developed on a band of revs between 2200 and 4200 rpm and limited from an actual peak claimed to be about 884 lb-ft.
Channeling drive to the rear wheels is a beefed-up version of Mercedes' five-speed automatic transmission featuring the latest evolution of AMG's Speedshift software. Mercedes says it is quicker and smoother on full-throttle upshifts. The monumental torque ruled out using AMG's seven-speed MCT (multiclutch technology) gearbox but has led to the inclusion of a locking differential complete with its own oil cooler.
With a power-to-weight ratio of 353 hp per ton, the Black Series promises to be one of the fastest-accelerating Mercedes road cars. Final numbers haven't been announced, but Moers hints at a 0-to-62-mph time of less than 3.9 seconds, 0 to 124 mph in about 10 seconds and 0 to 186 mph in less than 30 seconds. Top speed is limited to 199 mph, but the car is geared to hit 220 mph at the engine's 6200-rpm cut-out in fifth gear.
AMG's engineering efforts go further than just the driveline. There are some serious changes to the underpinnings, too. The track is four inches wider in front and three in the back. The suspension retains the same basic design of lesser SL models, a four-link arrangement at the front and five-link in back. But the spring links, camber struts, pushrods and wheel carriers are new and, for now, unique to this model. As with earlier Black Series models, the rebound and compression rates, ride height, wheel alignment and camber rates are adjustable. The tires, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GTs, are 265/35ZR-19 at the front and 325/30ZR-20 at the rear.
To keep weight down and reduce complexity, the advanced ABC (active body control) and AirMatic (air springs) found on the standard SL65 AMG have been abandoned. The steering, speed-sensitive with hydraulic assistance, is carried over. With revised kinematic properties for the front axle, AMG says the ratio has increased 8 percent.
Reining in the heady performance is the biggest brake package AMG has ever had on a road-going car, a combination of fixed six-piston calipers acting on giant 15-inch vented and cross-drilled rotors up front and four- piston calipers with 14s in back.
The reworked underpinnings were tuned on the Nürburgring's demanding Nord-schleife circuit in what Moers describes as the company's "most intensive" new-model program to date.
Production will be at the Mercedes plant in Bremen, Germany, with final assembly at AMG's expanded workshop in Affalterbach on the outskirts of Stuttgart. Of the 350 to be built, 200 are expected to head to the United States, which remains AMG's largest market. Moers rules out an extension in production, saying, "Once we've reached 350, that will be it. Our tooling won't allow for any more."
