I’m on the Pacific Coast Highway in a Mercedes SL. Life could be worse. The Californian sun ignites the ocean and palm trees whip past in a stop motion staccato rhythm as we cruise south from Los Angeles. When driving the latest in performance car technology with the roof down, on a gorgeous day, on one of the most famously scenic roads in the world, it is difficult to find much to complain about. I’m not even jetlagged, and that’s something, considering the 24-hours of flying, including a trip over the North Pole just to get here.
My day began with a fairly typical presentation during which all heads present seemed to nod in unison at the mention that Mercedes, with this new SL model, and more specifically with its AMG derivative, has perhaps created the finest car ever. After a coffee and some chitchat, it was time to test that claim. In teams of two, we were turned loose onto the roads of Newport Beach, feeling a little like we were on the set of Rich Kids of Beverly Hills.
But, barely out of the parking lot, my main aim was simply resisting the urge to drive like a maniac. (Perhaps watching Steve McQueen in Bullitt on the plane ride over wasn’t the best idea after all.) This being the good old US of A, chances are I’d be done the moment I try something stupid. And, sure enough, it wasn’t long before the long arm of the law caught up with us. After smoothly descending the canyons towards Lake Elsinore, following some magnificent winding mountain roads, we had decided to pull over for some situational shots. Barely a minute had passed however before an overzealous officer from the California Highway Patrol approached us. Now, the car may have been topless but we certainly weren’t, so to this day I’m not quite sure why we were in trouble but I’m told that pulling over on the side of the highway is frowned upon in those parts.
Shrugging our shoulders at the double-edged moniker “home of the free” we continued on our journey with an insolent roar from the V8 engine, which brings us to where we are now. I love how the AMG SL63 bellows like a NASCAR racer when you work the throttle brusquely, but do watch out, because the acceleration can be as face-meltingly brutal as it is brilliant.
Visually, the front section of the car has been totally reworked. Where the old model had big, twisted eyes and an unbecomingly flat nose, the new nose job makes the car look sportier, more harmoniously penned, and altogether more attractive. Unfortunately, the visual tweaks have largely been confined to the front end and when I probe as to why, I’m told by some of the engineers that toying with the rear end would have meant additional (read: expensive) changes to the roof and side panels.
The good news, however, is that the engine is better than ever. The twin turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 engine is as sweet as you like and allows for a sprint to 100km/h in just 4.1 seconds. The power has increased to 585bhp, as has a peak torque that has risen to 900Nm. Amazingly, none of this has prevented the magicians at AMG from eking out better fuel consumption. For those who understand such things, they attribute better efficiency to spray-guided direct petrol injection, an all aluminium crankcase, four valves per cylinder with camshaft adjustment and an air/water intercooler. Large radiators in the front and special vents in the hood ensure required heat balance for the engine. As I said, it really goes like the clappers, especially if you select the Race driving mode.
As with the last model, the mechanical rear-axle differential lock does a sterling job at reducing the slip on the inside wheel when cornering, and without any control intervention in the braking system. What this means is that you can step on it earlier as you come out of corners, you can brake later as you go into the next and drag times from standstill are much improved. I can vouch for all these points as we put each to the test on a stretch of road with aggressive hairpins buffered by sheer cliff drops somewhere in Orange County. My co-pilot, who happened to have recently completed his rally licence, insisted we drive this stretch of road “just a few times”, which at the time seemed like excellent idea but, on reflection, less so.
Another interesting new feature of the 2017 SL are the five driving programmes: Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, Individual and Race. These alter the car’s characteristics by modifying a whole host of parameters from throttle response to engine sound. Comfort is, as you’d expect it to be, perfect for the everyday commute. The Sport and Sport Plus modes give far better accelerator and steering response. But it’s the Race setting that puts you in Lewis Hamilton mode. One slight criticism concerning this function is that the response time for the electronic manual gear change should have been faster. Then again, the SL is not meant to be a racing car.
The sumptuous and terrifically comfortable interior of the SL63 reminds you of that. Nappa leather covers everything, including of course the chunky yet oddly shaped flat-bottomed steering wheel. And an analogue IWC clock sits at the top of the dashboard, supposedly to remind you of this car’s pedigree.
Undoubtedly, the SL63 AMG is impressive. And it should be, considering its 200,000 USD price tag. However, stopping off at a small town petrol station for an unplanned fuel stop (the SL63 can be mightily thirsty if you push it hard), we meet Cyril, a local shirtless yokel with shoulder-length hair covered by a wilting cowboy hat. He is standing next to a jaw-droppingly beautiful baby blue with a cream interior 420SL convertible from 1987. We exchange pleasantries while sharing a mutual adulation for each other’s cars and I must say, I do like being in the SL club. And you never know, maybe someday, in 2046, some whippersnapper will be ogling the anabolic charcoal brute I’m driving today. Here’s to hoping.
