2008 Mercedes-Benz SL63 Reviews

That's the feeling you get — even nearly two decades later — when you're bestowed with the key to 386kW and 630Nm of German powerhaus roadster with a $400,000 price tag.My dad never had anything quite like this, although he certainly wants to, but ripping along a back road in something that actually handles was a novelty for a Jeep driver.Fast-forward 20 years from the 505 Executive Peugeot to the SL 63 AMG from Mercedes-Benz and the feeling is similar, although the G-forces in any direction are somewhat greater.The new-look SL 63 doesn't really handle so much as treat the road with disdain, ignoring corners and obliterating straights. We've had other examples of the facelifted SL and they get along pretty well, but the 63 puts them back into the cruiser category, shifting the goalposts well beyond kicking range.The all-alloy high-revving naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 — already seen in several AMG products — produces 386kW at a musical 6800rpm and peak torque of a very hearty 630Nm at 5200rpm.One of the great (and exclusive) features of the SL 63 is the seven-speed auto, which employs a wet clutch set-up instead of a torque converter. Aside from the fact that the transmission gives a big throttle blip on downshift, it shifts quickly (more than 20 per cent) and crisply in the Sport modes (a further 20 per cent in S+) and almost imperceptibly on Comfort mode. Full manual mode offers gearshifts (with paddles or the gearshifter) that take place in 100milliseconds.Short of being on a racetrack the transmission's top half is unlikely to experience the engine's redline, but at least in the firsttwo gears the demon scream of the V8 is addictive — as the instruments flash red to suggest an upchange.The paddles can be left alone as the S+ onthe dial, to select the automatic's mood, offers early downshifts and works well under brakes.The suspension and transmission settings can be programmed into the AMG button — in a similar vein to the M-button in a Beemer — so sports settings can be found quickly.The suspension can be tightened up at the touch of a button as well, or as part of theAMG button, and in Sport mode the body control is admirable — except, perhaps, from the tyres' perspective.The SL 63 sits amazingly flat and points its nose with the authority of a much lighter and more nimble sports car, although the tail feels as though it could bite a driver without the proper skills to control it, sans electronics.Comfort mode still does a good job of containing body roll as well as providing a decent ride quality.It's not a boulevard ride quality but it manages to iron most road bumps out with alacrity. Only when the low-profile (front 255/35 and 285/30 rear) rubber whacks something sharp in the road surface is thereany real disturbance.At full noise the SL 63 AMG hits 100km/h in 4.6 seconds and must feel like it's hitting a wall when the limiter kicks in at 250km/h.But with the flexible engine and seven-speed automatic the official figure for fuel use is 13.9L/100km, although we saw numbers nearer to 20 litres per 100km.It's easy to forget the SL is a convertible but lower the roof — a 16-second delay to proceedings — and the symphony is louder and even more delightful.Hit the seat heaters and the Airscarf system for a chilly night — or the seat coolers for other extremes — and the elements become far less of an issue.With bi-xenon adaptive headlights a night run becomes far easier as well, something that will make the seat-cooling fans less useful as well as reducing the sunburn factor.There are many ranks and titles used in marketing terms to describe cars. If the LandCruiser is “King Off The Road”, then the SL 63 is the Emperor — and there's a lot to like about its new clothes. SnapshotMercedes-Benz SL 63 AMGPrice: from $401,235Engine: 6.2L/V8 386KW/630NmTransmission: 7-speed automatic 0-100km/h: 4.6secondsEconomy: 13.9L/100km (claimed), 19.6L/100km (tested) 

Nothing clears the senses more quickly in the grip of winter than a top-down, mountain blast in a Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG. Finally, this 6208cc V8 has arrived on the big SL roadster, three years after it debuted and started trickling through the Benz family.The SL is the last port of call and its arrival coincides with the upgrades for the rest of the SL family. Along with a heavy revision of the 3.5-litre V6 in the SL 350, the 63 AMG stands as the biggest development in the facelift story.The SL 63 AMG offers mind-boggling performance, all of which is usable in a package that makes it simple to drive on the limit.You find yourself having to have a bit of a reality check midway through a drive. It's far too easy to slip into tarmac rally mode and forget there are speed limits to observe and cars coming around the corners ahead.All too easy to let the 63 have its head and charge around at full noise.Get it on a track and the SL 63 AMG gets you from corner to corner in a blink.It joins up the dots between corners with ridiculous pace, never nervous with its electronic safety systems working delicately behind the scenes and not impinging on the fun factor. Cornering grip and balance is superb.On the edge, there is a hint of protest from the front tyres before it bites and steers with authority after a mild adjustment of the throttle.There is an infectious rumble from the magnificent V8 soundtrack that intensifies as it bounces off walls and hillsides. Lift the revs for a sprint along a straight then change down several gears into a turn, blipping along the way, and the amplification of the exhaust note gives up its thoroughbred AMG roots.A race-start function, similar to BMW's launch control, can be programmed through an elaborate series of steps. The steering wheel must be at the straight ahead, ESP set to sport mode, select the race-start setting which is included on the switch that selects four driving modes and you are set for launch. With a press of the right-hand steering wheel paddle confirming your intentions, you then squash the throttle and the revs are automatically programmed to reach between 4000-4500 rpm.Then let the brake go and you fire off the line with the precision of a veteran racer. The race-start function automatically cancels once you hit 50km/h, which occurs in a blink of the eye.There is a protection facility built into the program so that if multiple attempts are made you can't program the race-start until the system determines it is safe to do so. Adjustable dampers and different driving modes tailor the 63 AMG for all situations and environments while an AMG button can short-circuit the steps you need to take by storing your favourite settings a bit like seat-position memory.The SL 350 benefits from a substantial engine tweak that gives it more power and torque and a fruity note when it revs out to 7200rpm.In fact the performance of this V6 is mightily close to the 5.5-litre V8-powered SL 500.The gap between these two has closed considerably and unless you want to be judged by the size of the engine you drive, it is hard to overlook the V6 in terms of bang for your bucks, especially when you take a look at the sticker price difference. The 350 is a particularly stirring drive and for $223,000 it really threatens to cannibalise the $306,000 SL 500.In the smaller SLK body, the 350 is also a rousing drive _ with the same engine that has a smidgen less power. The SLK 350 ($112,380 for the six-speed manual) also benefits from the direct-steer improvements, with a smoother more refined feel than the SL _ which is off a much older platform.A revelation of the SLK bunch is the entry 200k Kompressor that has more refinement and offers prodigious performance for a four-pot engine. Aided by a supercharger, the200k might be the baby of the bunch but it is far from a pushover. It is a neat little package with a blissfully flexible little engine, tailored to go harder yet maintain reasonable fuel performance with a combined city/highway figure of 8-litres per 100km.