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Meet the most powerful production car ever to wear the three-pointed star - the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series.
It is the result of bosses at Benz asking tuning house AMG to come up with a model that was a bit more adventurous than the current Black Series
heavyweight, the SL63 AMG and its 390kW V8.
And AMG did just that - bolting a twin-turbocharged V12 engine under the bonnet of a body and chassis that shares only 5 per cent of parts from the SL63.
It also wanted to make sure there was no confusing the new Black Series with the standard SL65 AMG car, and so the interior and exterior are completely reworked and the 95 per cent of unique parts are focused entirely on enhancing performance.
The front and rear bumpers are redesigned, the former to suck plenty of fresh air into the engine bay to cool down the raging power plant, and massive vents behind the wider front wheel arches improve airflow. A retractable electric rear spoiler is another feature.
A carbon-fibre hood, magnesium alloy wheels and a partially stripped-out interior making liberal use of carbon fibre and alcantara complement the power hike.
The 6-litre V12 engine in the SL65 develops 493kW (670bhp) at 5400rpm and 1000Nm of torque between 220-4200rpm. And that's with a torque limiter - without it, says AMG, torque would be up around 1200Nm.
The company says the super-coupe sprints from zero to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds and on to 200km/h in 11 seconds. Top speed is an electronically limited 320km/h, or a touch under 200mph. The V12 engine in the SL65 AMG generates 450kW.
New turbocharges developed specially for the Black Series SL65 are 12 per cent larger, and the optimised wastegate ducts permit increased air throughput and an even more impressive display of power in all engine speed ranges, says AMG.
The modified intake air ducting results in an even more spontaneous response. The new design for the AMG sports exhaust's mufflers reduce the exhaust gas backpressure and help increase the power output.
The acoustic side effect of this, says AMG, is to produce a distinctive V12 sound from the two trapezoidal tail pipes. The low-temperature charge air cooler, now 30 per cent more powerful, and the optimised water cooling system guarantee that the power generated under extreme dynamic driving conditions is exploited to the maximum and the greatest possible fatigue strength at high outside temperatures.
The SL65 Black Series has a kerb weight of 1870kg, 250kg lighter than the SL65 AMG, as the body uses lightweight carbon fibre. For example, the 14cm-wider front mudguard, the front apron with the visible carbon front splitter, the bonnet and the boot lid are made from composites.
So is the new roof. Not only does it now have an integral roll-over bar but, by no longer having the typical SL vario roof installed, the roof line has a significantly flatter profile. This is also evident from a glance at the bigger rear window, now placed at a less sharp angle to the boot lid.
The carbon-fibre rear spoiler, concealed in the boot lid, automatically extends 12cm at 120km/h, effectively reducing the lift force on the rear axle at high speeds. Looked at from the rear, the conspicuous feature is the new rear apron with its visible carbon diffuser. Concealed within it is the active cooling system for the rear axle locking differential.
New, twin-spoke design, AMG-forged alloy wheels - 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch at the rear - occupy the whole of each wheel housing and, with their black paintwork, high-sheen surface and matt finish, lend a note of extravagance to the side profile.
A five-speed automatic gearbox transmits power to the rear wheels. There is a choice between four transmission modes: "C", "S", "M1" and "M2" which has gearshift times 25 per cent quicker than the "M1" mode.
The torque converter's lock-up clutch guarantees extremely direct gearshifting in all driving situations right from first gear, says AMG.
The automatic double-declutch function not only makes shifting down more pleasurable, but reduces the effect of engine braking.
The SL65 AMG Black Series was test-driven for roughly 30,000km - 15,000km of which were on the Nurburgring north loop alone, acknowledged to be the world's most difficult race circuit.
