First Drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG
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05-02-2012, 09:10 AM
First Drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG Teamspeed First Drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG
Mercedes’ sportiest SL has gone green. But don’t worry…
By Richard Aucock - Teamspeed contributing editor
What is it? The car that sits between the SL 500 and SLS AMG as Mercedes’s ‘everyday supercar’
Why do I care? Ditching the old normally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 for a twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 has restored the torque that buyers of the original SL 55 AMG so loved (and which SL 63 AMG MkI buyers so missed).
How fast is it? 5461cc V8, 537ps@5500rpm, 590lb ft@2000-4500rpm, 0-62mph 4.3sec, 155mph vmax (AMG Perfromance Pack: 5461cc V8, 564ps@5500rpm, 663lb ft@2250-3750rpm, 0-62mph 4.2sec, 155mph vmax)
How much is it? $146,695 Base Price
It was a familiar question I asked AMG vehicle development manager Arnulf Paulat: how long have you been working on the SL 63 AMG? But his answer may surprise those who still think of AMG as simply a tuner of Mercedes: “Two years, maybe more.” And that’s on top of the many years of development Mercedes did to create the SL itself.
Yes: a manufacturer in its own right since Mercedes took 100 per cent ownership in 2005, AMG is the biggest German performance tuner we perhaps all still under-appreciate.
And the SL 63 AMG? It too is much more than a new-shape SL with an AMG-tuned 5.5-litre V8. That old SL 63 AMG was a real gem, all nicely balanced and lairy handling plus an engine that was deficient in torque but didn’t half wail when on song. The new AMG needs to beat this goal, not just meet it: that’s why Paulat’s team have been so busy.
The need to meet a goal that sits apparently quite contrary to an AMG staple has also been a challenge. Customers’ top reason for buying an AMG is the engine, and “performance, performance, performance” is what the brand is about, says head of product development Thomas Rappel. But the new car also had to be greener than the old one, to chime with its buyers’ sense of social awareness.
Much greener: Mercedes targeted a fuel economy figure of less than 10 litres per 100km. In real money, that equates to an expected 22.8mpg on the US test cycle, a full 30 per cent more economical than before. But AMG has, remarkably, achieved this. Tickbox checked.
How? Through the adoption of that 5.5-litre V8 biturbo already seen in the S-Class. A drop in capacity is compensated by the two turbos, which have the happy byproduct of restoring the all-rev torque owners so loved from the original supercharged SL 55 AMG. “The torque monster is back!”, proclaimed Rappel. The sense of delight from all at AMG with regard to this is palpable.
OMG: it’s AMG
Mercedes ensures you are in no doubt as to which SL packs this super efficient new V8 engine: the latest SL is the most distinctive AMG-honed version of a series Mercedes yet. Key to it is a new AMG family look for the front end, containing styling elements that will in time roll out to other AMG models.
The most obvious aspect is the double bars on the grille, poking out of the three-pointed star face and giving the necessary rear view mirror impact AMG is so keen for its cars to have. Further down, there’s another cue – a polished metal centre section to the lower front splitter, accentuating the sharper ‘vee’ shape of the nose. Again, to ensure there’s no missing this even a mile off.
With the requisite big wheels, bootlid spoiler, quad exhausts and rear diffuser, it carries real visual purpose, especially with some AMG Performance Studio options added on. This is intentional as AMG bosses want clear differentiation from the AMG sport equipment packages people fit to SL 500s. It’s for this reason that the interior is so distinct in key areas too: unique steering wheel, gearlever, trim panels and AMG control buttonry. Even the gearlever now carries the AMG crest – as does the keyfob, something that, again, all 2012 Mercedes AMG will soon boast.
The heart of any AMG is the engine, though. Each hand-built by one person, this 5.5-litre motor is, in AMG-speak, dubbed M157 (important, this: AMG is a firm that speaks not of car series, but engine series – the M157 SL 63 as opposed to the M156 SL 63, for example).
On paper, it’s a no brainer: 537hp in standard guise, or 564hp with the optional AMG Performance Pack. Both beat the old normally-aspirated 6.2-litre motor – and there’s also a hurricane of extra torque too, 800Nm in standard guise or 900Nm in AMG PP. The old car had just 630Nm, which many customers found disappointing – particularly given how the original SL 55 AMG had 700Nm. This restores the rightful order, and reinstates the famed shove customers find so alluring.
OMG: it’s fast
More power plus more torque plus an all-aluminium bodyshell that helps make the SL 63 a huge 125kg lighter than before means only one thing: near-supercar levels of performance. 0-62mph takes 4.3 seconds and it takes just 8.6 seconds more to double this.
It’s remarkably fast, not least because it’s being delivered by a Mercedes SL rather than something super-exotic. There’s no hysterics, no sense of major effort, just brutal sheer power, put down to the tarmac with the minimum of fuss via two rear wheels boasting huge reserves of tarmac-chomping traction.
The profile of power delivery is as impressive as its potency. The torque maximum swells quickly, stretching from 2000-4500rpm, and it’s this big fat wodge of drive that you maximize on the move. It’s enhanced by a near-complete lack of turbo lag and a beautifully progressive accelerator pedal that’s linear and responsive. The last fraction of travel releases a monumental explosion of power.
The noise is less raw that before, because of the twin turbos, but the characteristic exhaust cacophony is still there. You only really hear this with the roof down, meaning it’s a treat for pedestrians rather than occupants: inside, the V8 rumble is more mechanical and less thrilling than before, albeit still with a clear enough V8 mandate.
It’s a pity none of the MCT gearbox’s four modes quite hit the spot, either being lazy with downshifts (despite the torque largely compensating) or holding onto gears too long. The best compromise seems to be Sport+, but it does sometimes need a nudge to change up when it should. Solid metal steering wheel paddleshifters don’t always react fast enough to be a truly satisfying override either.
OMG: it handles
Despite developing the supercar SLS, plus models of repute such as the C 63, AMG is not renowned for its chassis expertise. This car suggests it should be. To the standard SL, AMG has lowered it, rewritten the ABC active ride control software, fitted bespoke 19-inch wheels, revised the rear axle elastokinematics and designed brand new front suspension struts and wishbones. Why? To give the AMG handling response (and differentiation from the stock Mercedes) sought by the brand and expected by its customers.
This manifests itself primarily in fast steering that’s very reactive and directs an equally incisive front end. The nose is packed with grip and darts with controlled immediacy in a way most unexpected form a large and still relatively heavy sports car (not least one with an open-top roof, remember). With two-mode weighting, it’s a pity the steering ultimately lacks meaty feel even in sport mode, for the accuracy and reaction to inputs it boasts are impressive. But it’s not a dealbreaker as it’s otherwise very rewarding.
BMW likes to fit loads of buttons for loads of setup choice in the suspension. Things are simpler for AMG: there are just two choices – Comfort or Sport. Comfort is just that, using the suspension’s creamy air cushioning to ease away irregularities. The slower-speed reaction to potholes is on the firm side, which could be an issue for those living in battle-scarred cities, but higher speed control and pliancy are exemplary.
But it’s also sufficiently absorbent in Sport, which tightens up body control and damping rate without throwing away the ride comfort. More importantly, this mode reduces bodyroll and further enhances reaction to the alert steering. In Sport, the SL AMG really shrinks around you, possessing agility and alacrity of a much smaller car, apparently without hesitancy.
Basically, this car inspires confidence. It’s not only so easy to control but also has lots of mechanical cohesion too. Yes, it has huge power and headline-grabbing torque levels, but this doesn’t turn the rear wheels into Catherine Wheels because traction is substantial – and well-judged electronic aids mean any excess is metered away subtly and swiftly, without pause. So clear is feedback from the powertrain and chassis, driving the SL AMG very quickly is rewardingly simple.
What we have here is a fast car whose speed can be used, a model that cruises almost as sleekly and as quietly as any Mercedes but which also has agility, precision and, yes, genuine reward in corners that you simply won’t credit until you sample it.
No wonder it took AMG so long to develop. This is a thoroughly engineered car with subtle skill, that can thrill with its lottery win power and acceleration while also threading along a tight, nuggety backroads with apparently more ability even than the smaller and wieldier SLK AMG. That’s quite an achievement.
Icing on the cake? It’s now officially green: it’s so efficient, it doesn’t even get hit with the US gas guzzler tax. Green isn’t simply good here: it’s great.
