Mercedes-Benz and its in-house tuner AMG have finally released first details and images for its extreme Black Series edition of the new SL65 AMG. Priced from $320,000 in the U.S. and €309,000 in Europe, the new Mercedes supercar comes with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 developing 661hp (493kW) at 5,400 rpm and a heady 738 lb-ft (1,000Nm) of torque. This is 20hp (15kW) up on Mercedes’ own SLR McLaren 722 edition supercar.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed automatic gearbox equipped with AMG’s new speedshift program, which is able to shift gears in just 250 milliseconds. Combined with the sledgehammer V12 and the upgraded gearbox, the new SL65 Black Series will accelerate from 0-60mph in just 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 199mph. This top speed is actually limited by the gearbox's final ratio.
The acceleration is aided by an extensive weight reduction program that sees the car shed some 250kg over the standard SL65. The final kerb weight of the new Black Series is 1,870kg, brought about by extensive use of carbon-fiber, a fixed roof, a stripped interior and more aluminum components instead of steel ones. The car’s bonnet has also been replaced with a carbon unit and is joined by a carbon bootlid spoiler, which rises at speeds in excess of 60mph.
Other features include a new adjustable suspension set-up, a wider track, larger brakes, an integrated rear diffuser and a lower hood.
The car’s overall length measures in at 4,589mm, width at 1,960mm and 1,286mm in height. Its wheelbase stretches 2,560mm. Fitted up front are 19in forged alloys wrapped with 265mm tires, and in the rear is a pair of 20in wheels with 325mm rubber.
The new SL65 Black Series will make its world debut at October’s Paris Motor Show before going on sale early next year.
Reader Comments
Wed Apr 16 2008 12:57 AM
Wizards Lore says
5 speed auto ?? ummmm MB time to get out of the dark ages
Wed Apr 16 2008 3:22 AM
Jason says
their old 5-speed automatic is the only transmission they have that can handle the torque. SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY EIGHT lbft. thats ridiculous!! they are fine tuning it to be a little more modern, though, i've heard.
the torque issue is why they went away from 55s to 63s because the superchargers brought too much torque for mercedes newer 7 speed auto to handle.
Wed Apr 16 2008 11:03 AM
RDfan says
I don't see the point of this. At 4,000lbs with a slush box it's still going to be a fish out of water on the track and no fun to drive unless pointed straight.
Thu Apr 17 2008 9:26 AM
Germandude says
Exactly, 4080 pounds is just too much. I know, it's a Benz and you get all the luxury stuff with it, but cars need to shed weight badly! If the people in the 50ies or 60ies had known that cars of the early next century would weigh in at 2 tons, thy would have dies of shock.
Wed May 21 2008 12:46 PM
chris says
I think this car is gorgeous.. the render anyways. agressive as hell,.. which it should be with that engine.
guys, Jason nailed it right there.. the only transmission that merc has that can actually handle this engine is the 5 speed auto. this engine is comparable to what you would find on a tractor for gods sake. its a monster. this would actually be lighter than the merc amg slr, which is stellar, cause THAT car is essentially the same except... bigger.
Wed May 21 2008 12:50 PM
Gus says
Give me those dark ages. With that much power you don't need 7 gears, you need THREE!
And give me that mass, that incredibly safe, comfortable, MASS! I'm sure this thing will outrun anything any of us own, and still be fantastic everywhere else. No lightwieght car that bounces all over the place on bumpy freeways.
Get real, this car is aimed at older, WEALTHY people who want a monster that can keep up with just about any supercar and still be an everyday, comfortable driver...
Wed May 21 2008 1:00 PM
Ivan says
I agree with Gus, with so much torque, it will be a good ride with 4-speed gearbox. Fuel efficiency suffers though, but not like you care if you can get one of these babies.
I don't see why MB has black series SL though. It wants to be a track car, but it will never be. Just stick to AMG 63. There must be demand, if they created it.
Wed May 21 2008 1:04 PM
chris says
exactly.. this thing is a battle cruiser. blazingly fast, with 16" guns..
Wed May 21 2008 4:22 PM
Andy says
its the same transmission as the slr, if it is good enough for the slr it is good enough for this.
Wed May 21 2008 5:44 PM
chris says
exactly andy; and might I say, much nicer. I mean, the SLR, legendary. already. but this.. smaller, more aggressive looking, it would be a really hard day at the import dealer deciding on the M3 or this. I know they're two different cars but in the end, all I want is a 2 door coupe with a small fusion reactor under the hood.
Wed May 21 2008 9:53 PM
Trevor says
I like it, well done...
Thu May 22 2008 9:54 AM
Alan says
Not so convinced, i would personally prefer a 599, so much classier. In recent time, AMG models has become too aftermarket looking with big scoops and buldges. My favourite MB is still SL55, i think they striked the prefect balance between style, performance, luxury and everyday usability. It's much more understated and much more elegant looking
Thu May 29 2008 9:03 PM
Toni says
True Alan - but also M and RS or S models from competition are already looking too much aftermarket so Mercedes has to do it as well. If AMG wouldn't do what competition does everyone would be talking how ordinary and plain an AMG version looks like. I have to say that I wasn't thrilled with the latest ML, SL and C AMG models but now - they really do represent pure power and anger and they do mean bussines. I also liked the old SL55 but compare it to the SL63 - like night and day.
Sat May 31 2008 3:28 AM
lexlife says
I'm beginning to like the styling of the new headlamps - at first however I was not pleased.
I like it now especially the IWC ltd edition version. Looking forward to seeing the new styling in person as the CL has also grown on me after a test drive.
Fri Jun 6 2008 4:14 PM
Don says
Haha,, 1000nm! Will be the most insane car on the road. I think Mr. Shremp has forgotten that nomal people still have to buy tires and go around corners. But it is interesting to see that it is in fact possible to put a nuclear power station under a bonnet'',
Wed Jun 11 2008 12:53 PM
Roman says
saw the new sl-65 the other day, and it looks really good with those new tailamps
Wed Jun 11 2008 1:32 PM
MyWheelsOnWalls.com says
Yep, thats black alright!
Wed Jun 11 2008 1:46 PM
jeff says
does anybody know what kind of stereo's come in this model.
Tue Jun 17 2008 4:59 AM
Layne says
I absolutely love the looks of the updated SLs. Everytime the pace car comes out during an F1 race I just sit there and drool for a while.
Thu Jul 10 2008 11:52 PM
Paul says
I know this is a stupid comment, but the speedometer needle looks like it moves in the picture. Optical illusion.
Fri Jul 11 2008 12:48 AM
justin says
GUYS I NEED SOME HELP I CANT STOP DROOLING EVERYTIME I SEE THIS CAR! i thnk this is the coolest car on earth and that 5 speed gearbox is gona dominate anythin and less gear shift thats a plus on the highways
Fri Jul 11 2008 1:03 AM
burke says
According to some experts, this AMG-tuned Mercedes should be the Corvette ZR-1 killer...It is possible but I doubt it. The Vette I saw on the video driving around Nurburgring showed an almost perfect power-weight ratio. An indicator of this is that the Vette took almost no time to achieve maximum engine rev in every gear!...Rumors say that the Mercedes is expected to lap the Nordschleife in less than 7. 36; but this is still far from 7.24. Besides, when we contrast $320,000.00 vs. $100,000.00, that is $220,000.00 difference! With less than a quarter the difference price I can buy a Lingelfelter package that will surely add a few hundreds of certifiable HP's, which without a doubt will cause the Vette to outperform any Mercedes in any performance event.
Fri Jul 11 2008 2:46 AM
Roman says
speechless, the color, the wheels, everything just works, way to go mb i am counting the days till i get to see one of these on the road.
Fri Jul 11 2008 3:42 AM
vb says
Of course the SL can't cope with the ZR1 when it comes to "bang for the buck". It's way too heavy and still too luxurious. But then again, it's just more luxurious. A masterpiece of German engineering. Everything fits perfectly, you might wanna buy your house just to buy one and live in it. :D
Fri Jul 11 2008 3:42 AM
vb says
of course I meant "sell your house"
Fri Jul 11 2008 4:11 AM
nbsmatambo says
omg, looks so nice =o
Fri Jul 11 2008 7:47 AM
Dandan says
still a heavy ******! this engine is unreal but seems better places in a CL than a supercar to me duno why...it could do with lambo/slr doors and being 500kilos lighter then it would be amazing
not a fan of the new merc stlying, I think they ruining the CL and the regular SL but this works
Fri Jul 11 2008 10:54 AM
justin says
r u joking Dandan how is the CL ruined its a masterpiece it looks stately and it was a wry smile upfront to terrorize the hightway doing 130. and for burke what do you get for that corvette... let me it has less power, and downright pathetic torque comparing to the MB, looks like it has the world's largest tires in the back and would you rather be seen pulling up in one of these or do u want to loos lik an cheapass and pull up in the corvette?
Fri Jul 11 2008 12:57 PM
Dante says
Ahhhhh, the SL65 Black, I love this thing. Granted of course I can't afford one, but still. AMG had great success with the last Black Series they made and I think this will follow that trend. But that torque, that's the same torque as Audi's biturbo V12 TDI that they showed in the R8 concept! An engine that runs on gasoline, but has the same torque as a turbo diesel! That's just nuts, forget vipers, forget vettes, this thing just KILLS. I'd love to see some videos of it, or even see it on Top Gear or Fifth Gear when it's released.
Fri Jul 11 2008 1:26 PM
Andrew says
Okay, stop. You said that cars need to shed weight badly. This one did, over 500 pounds against the original SL65.
Mercedes, stop. This is how much? Sorry, I'm taking a 599 for that price.
Fri Jul 11 2008 1:57 PM
christian says
lambo style doors dandan, you gotta be kidding me, those strictly suit lambo's and a couple other vehicles, they would look like shit on this vehicle.
Fri Jul 11 2008 2:03 PM
justin says
Andrew above 100 mph this mercedes should be able to outrun the 599 because of the twin turbos which produce a flatter torque curve therefore having that much torque compensates for the 127 lbs lost the car actually weighs 4080 lbs not 4122lbs that motor authority put up, the only reason why this car accelerates to 60 so slowly because of the massive amount of torqe that lights up the back tires expect the street start to b faster. So for this ammount of money i would want a car that bullets all the way to the redline on 5th gear, the ferrari only slowly approaches it. And for the same amount of money you get an almost track ready car
Fri Jul 11 2008 7:03 PM
Andrew says
The huge amount of torque?
Okay, so why add all this horsepower if it's not going to improve the 0-60 time much at all?
Remember the Saleen S7? It was certainly capable of less than 3 seconds to 60, but no magazine could best 3.4.
When your hp rating is this high, adding more won't help acceleration much at all and it still will hurt at the pump. Give it extra diet instead.
Fri Jul 11 2008 7:06 PM
Andrew says
But if your calculations are true, Ferrari is going to be sweating this thing and wishing they never swelled the price tag $70,000 in one year. It used to be $250,000!
I was so sure the Aston Martin DBS was going to fail because you could get more car for the same money in the 599, but since the 599 is surging past 300K, there's a case now to buy a DBS.
But, I still prefer the 599's cockpit to all of its competitors, including the SL65 Black.
Sat Jul 12 2008 2:32 AM
justin says
Andrew, Power and Torque is lik salt and peper you have a little 2 much of each something will go bad, in this case something went horribly wrong, with 738lbs of torque the rear tires will go into a wheelspin until either traction comes on or until you hit 2nd gear. Therefor rendering all that bhp useless in first gear, but when it comes down to 2nd all the way to 5th all that power surges through those rear tires and assuming they have enough grip you should feel g's hurling at you(more lik .7g's) but my point is that power comes into play because either the redline has been moved up or the torque goes up a little in higher gear where it can handle that torque idk. But that power help the car do better times on the street start and top gear acceleration which would definetly cream the 599 with a NA 6 liter V12. the 599 cant match the torque therefore dosen't have that thrust that drives the merc sry its a little confusin im kinda in a rush wrintin this i hav somethin to do
Sat Jul 12 2008 2:37 AM
justin says
"When your hp rating is this high, adding more won’t help acceleration much at all and it still will hurt at the pump. Give it extra diet instead. "
The extra diet wont help at all because there will be definetly aftermarket tuners that will replace the 5 speed with a transmission with taller ratios and at those speeds without that weight the car will most definetly lift off judging by how dedicated are the amg with a 2 ton coupe and by how small that spoiler on the end it, and Merc cant pull les weight out of it the engine already weighs almost 600lbs and only one of the rear wheels can top the scale at more than 150lbs easily, the transmission might only be a 5speed but you can bet on it its been reinforced with high strengh steel which also adds weight
Sat Jul 12 2008 8:06 AM
Dandan says
to Justin...
please don't tell me you prefer the new facelifted CL over uber chic old style CL? The old one has the perfect rearend and backwindow going and is so much more sublte than the new one which just looks like a big Merc
Sat Jul 12 2008 8:13 AM
Dandan says
and to christian...the SLR has lambo-esque doors
Sat Jul 12 2008 1:41 PM
alilua says
Why Nissan gt-r accelerates so fast then? It's heavy. It dos'n have that much power.
Sat Jul 12 2008 4:06 PM
CK says
Well I thought this could be the most decent car Merc has made in years. But OMFG than I saw the video. Where is the sound? That's not nice at all.
Sat Jul 12 2008 6:44 PM
justin says
to dandon, i prefer the front end of the new cl the back end of the old cl and the side of the new cl and the interior of the new cl, overall i i would buy the new cl.
to alilua, random but it acelerates so fast because the all wheel drive system is lik 72% rear wheel torque bias or somethin lik that percentage someone correct me if im wrong but that helps it so it down't do donuts and the twin turbos create a more linear torque curve so it has the 370 so lb ft of torque anywher from 2000 to i thnk 6000 rpms.
Sun Jul 13 2008 2:56 AM
anthony says
Mercedes continues to out-do itself, the BEST keeps getting BETTER!
Sun Jul 13 2008 4:34 PM
ohmy says
So Gus, how early will we see this car riding on PCH on a sunday and in and around the Newport area....
aggressive looking car, im liking it. specs wise its a freaking beast!
Mon Jul 14 2008 12:32 AM
Guber says
43 reply, must be a record. This has to be the only car I would ever consider buying from Merc, if I could ever afford it. Downright sinister.
Fri Jan 16 2009 9:37 AM
Countach says
Still need some getting use to the new headlamps. I prefer the last rounded ones tho. Anyway, aggressive design on this fella. Love it! Looks slim but damn, this fella is heavy!
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