Mercedes-Benz has let its AMG tuning department run wild with the spanners once again, and the results are pretty special.
The Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance - to give it the full and rather long-winded title - sees AMG’s infamous 4-litre Biturbo V8 engine partner up with the latest in battery and motor technology to deliver some rather insane performance credentials.
The small but mighty 6.1 kWh battery pack is paired with an electric drive unit that’s placed on the rear axle, itself providing a potent 201bhp to proceedings. Add this to the 603bhp produced by the V8 and Mercedes lands on a total system output of 805bhp. We’re not sure about the maths, but the acceleration figures don’t lie.
With all systems firing, it can gun from rest to 62mph in just 2.8-seconds, giving even the most feisty of modern electric cars a run for their battery-powered money, while the top speed has been electronically limited to 196mph.
A hybrid by name, but not exactly a hybrid by nature, the electric motor is only capable of around eight miles of emissions-free motoring, as it has been designed as a performance-enhancing feature, rather than something to save the planet.
The boys from Benz claim that the technology at play is heavily influenced by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team's Formula 1 hybrid race cars. The high power density battery packs have to be specially cooled using a non-conductive liquid that flows around all 560 cells and chills them individually so they can discharge at the optimal rate.
"Every battery needs a defined temperature for optimal power delivery. If the energy storage unit gets too cold or too hot, it temporarily reduces power to protect high performance components. The consistent temperature of the battery therefore has a decisive influence on its performance, service life and stability," Mercedes-AMG says.
Peak power is delivered to all four wheels, while rear-axle steering assists handling at speeds of over 60mph, as well as making low-speed manoeuvres a doddle. What’s more, there’s Active Ride Control to reduce body roll, as well as seven pre-defined driving modes to cater to all moods and tastes.
Despite its punchy performance figures, the most powerful SL ever made actually starts up in a silent 'Electric' mode, with a fake engine note pumped into the cabin to let you know it is switched on.
From here, drivers can pull away using just the electric motor, while Sport, Sport+ and RACE modes unleash varying levels of power and noise. There's also a 'Slippery' mode, which we assume is for things like ice, snow and rain, rather than hooligan drifting antics.
Mercedes-AMG is teasing this as a sort of 'first look’' affair at the moment, so it hasn’t revealed a price just yet. But expect the most powerful SL ever produced to cost north of £200,000 / €235,000 / $255,000 / $380,000.
