Video: Bernd Schneider drives the Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series

Posted Tue Sep 9 2008 12:29 AM by Nelson Ireson

Comparing a street-legal car with a dedicated race car is almost always an unfair proposition. Doing away with the necessity for street-legal operation means performance can be maximized at the cost of every remaining ounce of practicality, often yielding a car that is so ill-mannered the driver actually has to wear earplugs or risk hearing damage. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, however, the comparison is not entirely unfair, and the fact that it was made by DTM (German Touring Car Masters) driver Bernd Schneider makes the comparison all the more compelling.

At 550lb (250kg) lighter than the standard SL65, with bulging flared fenders and a twin-turbocharged 6.0L V12 developing 661hp (493kW) at 5,400 rpm and 738 lb-ft (1,000Nm) of torque, the SL65 AMG Black Series is a street car with few rivals, on or off the track. In this video, Schneider takes the car through its paces, illustrating the blazing pace of a luxury supercar capable of 3.9 second 0-62mph (100km/h) runs and a 200mph (320km/h) top speed. Having been instrumental in the development of the car himself, his familiarity with it makes for genuine entertainment.

Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

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Reader Comments

Tue Sep 9 2008 3:48 AM
Layne says

I must own one!!!!
Tue Sep 9 2008 9:31 AM
lexlife says

Immense love for this creation.
Tue Sep 9 2008 10:13 AM
Gus says

Crazy car.
I guarantee you'll see this one on wrecked exotics. Because it's a Benz SL, it won't transmit to the driver just how fast the car is moving, and many owners will take it beyond it's limits without even knowing they were about to hit them. Stability control can't erase Physics...

But still, it is a beautiful creation.
Tue Sep 9 2008 11:47 AM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says

I have one question!

Why is it that in any MB video it talks about power and how it transmits that power to the road but when I watch Top Gear or read about it in a magazine all they talk about is when you mash the throttle you just sit there with the traction control clicking away, answers anyone?

Other than that it certainly looks the business...
Tue Sep 9 2008 1:30 PM
keith wong says

Did you watch the ep when Clarkson reviewed the CLK AMG Black Series? He gave it a pretty good review and I'm pretty certain they said the SLR had loads of torque whether it was Clarkson testing it or Hammond. Frankly I can't wait till the stig gets his hands on this beast, then we'll see how it compares to the others.
Tue Sep 9 2008 5:45 PM
SteveSteve says

yer clarkson drove a CL65 and said it has too much torque for the tyres so it needs the traction control to ensure not all the power goes in one big bang...this car will have a silly number of torques

can't help wondering though how much extra power they could have easily squeezed out of that engine...I mean surely with the twin turbo they could take it over 700 and be pushing for 800 without too much strain on the engine? or they just going to leave that to Brabus???

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