If you’re all about the numbers, this is the Mercedes-AMG for you.
Like He-Man, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance now has the power. All of the power, in fact, thanks to extra engine boost and a new electric motor added to the rear axle. The electrified SL now makes a whopping 805 combined horsepower, which according to Mercedes, is good for zero to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.
Just the engine alone—AMG’s ubiquitous 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8—makes 603 hp, with the electric motor providing the other 201 ponies. I’m no mathematician but that adds up to 804, not 805. Either way, even more eye-popping is the torque, though. The engine makes 627 lb-ft but when combined with the electric motor it makes 1,046 lb-ft of peak torque. I can only imagine what the monthly tire bill for AMG SL63 E S Performance owners will be.
Providing the juice to that electric motor is a 6.1 kWh, 400-volt battery, which can be plugged in and charged up via the awkwardly placed port in the rear bumper. And while the new hybrid SL can drive solely under electric power, Mercedes hasn’t yet revealed its electric range. However, it likely won’t be very far, considering its small battery and the fact that Mercedes claims the battery is designed for “fast power delivery and draw rather than longest possible range.” The battery is liquid-cooled and maintains a steady 113 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows it to be used for heavy regenerative breaking if the driver wants, so much so that the SL63 can be one-pedal driven.
In addition to all of that power and hybrid goodness, the SL63 S E Performance gets some handling and braking goodies, too. Mercedes Active Ride Control uses adaptive dampers and active anti-roll bars to keep its hefty curb weight in check. The standard SL63 weighs just over 4,200 pounds, so expect this new hybrid version to be a bit beefier, thanks to the additional hardware. It has six-piston front brake calipers and carbon ceramic discs to help slow it down, while all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-steering help it through twisty corners, too.
There hasn’t been a Mercedes SL this nutty since the R230-generation AMG SL65 Black Series. While this new hybrid SL won’t sound like it’s splitting space-time like the 661-horsepower Black Series did, it makes far more power. Admittedly, 805 horsepower in an SL is a bit wacky, as SLs are supposed to be dignified grand tourers. But in an increasingly electric era of sports cars, we should cherish the last few wacky gas-powered cars we’re going to get.
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