30 October 2008
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Friday November 7th is a day circled in red on DR’s diary, for that’s the day we fly to California to test what surely ranks amongst the most exciting new cars of 2008: AMG’s outrageous limited edition SL65 Black Series.
Doubtless you’ve pored over the official images, watched the videos and marvelled at the potential of this outrageous twin-turbo V12-engined monster.

Or perhaps you’re one of those odd folk who have already dismissed the latest Black Series creation as yet another over-engined, over-weight Benz. Either way we’d like to know what you’re expecting from the most extreme road-going Mercedes since the CLK GTR, and what you’d like us to ask the AMG engineers who have created it.

In case your memory needs refreshing here’s a quick reminder of this hard as nails SL’s vital stats. Thanks to the replacement of the SL’s folding metal roof with a fixed top made from carbon fibre and aluminium it has shed the best part of 250kgs.

The bonnet and boot are also fashioned from carbon fibre, and there’s a sizeable pop-up spoiler that deploys above 75mph. Okay, so the car still weighs 1870kgs, but with 661bhp and a torque peak of 780lb ft (limited from an extraordinary potential maximum of 936lb ft) it promises truly monstrous in-gear performance.

The acceleration figures are equally epic, with AMG suggesting the Black Series – fitted with a stronger five-speed automatic transmission in place of the usual seven-speed ’box – will reach 62mph from a standstill in 3.8sec, 124mph in less than 10sec and 186mph in under 30sec. Top speed is restricted to 199mph, but as the car is geared for 220mph doubtless it’ll bang into its limiter with the ease a C63 hits 155mph. And yes, AMG has also hinted at a Nordschleife lap time of sub-7min 45sec.

Only 350 of these outrageous machines will leave AMG’s Affalterbach HQ near Stuttgart over a period of two years. The majority – 200 cars or so – will be heading to the USA, while just nine UK customers are expected to take delivery of their £200,000+ super-Benz.

We’ll know just how lucky they are in just over a week’s time.

 

That thing is just INSANE!!
Saw it (along with the new Veyron Grand Sport) on the fornt cover of Car mag in the UK today so bought it...
SICK

 

absolutely love it

 

Wow...it is such a beast...but that price point is pretty insane...

 

There are 5 coming our way, if I was in the market and not hit with the financial crises this would be in my drive way.

 

I love it also but that price is just crazy...