The next-gen Mercedes SL63 AMG has officially been caught testing, aaaaaaaannnd...there it is. Much like the SLS and recently-revealed CLS, the front end of Merc's new hardtop roadster will sport a more in-your-grille fascia (punny, I know). It's so blunt and brutish, I'd say the German firm's stylists could have been helping Dodge with the 2011 Charger.
Up front you'll notice the padded bra covering wide-mouth AMG intakes, while the bigger alloys are there to house bigger AMG stoppers. Suspension and other special bits will probably be as differentiated as the current generation's lineup ("sportier" and "edgier" and so on), and the interior should feature an SL version of the new kinked center stack we're seeing in Benz's sporty models.
As for the car's powertrain, no surprises here as the SL63 will be motivated by AMG's all-new 5.5 liter Bi-Turbo V8 (still don't like that it's a "63" model, no matter what reasons are thrown behind it) hooked to a 7-speed automatic. The engine currently puts down 536 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque in the facelifted CL63 AMG, but those numbers could be tweaked by the time the new SL debuts.
Much like previous models, we can expect a speed de-limiter and probably a performance package that would bump the hardtop convertible SL63s output up to 563 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, throw in some bigger wheels and tires, and add some carbon fiber in the engine bay.
By Phil Alex
