5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE... NEW MERC-AMG SL ROADSTER
A handful of facts on AMG’s latest drop-top brute
1 IT’S AMG’S BABY NOW
That’s right, the SL range now completely belongs to AMG. This new one sits on a completely bespoke platform too. It’ll still be luxurious, but a lightweight composite aluminium chassis means it weighs less than two tonnes (just) despite the addition of two rear seats.
2 IT’S GOT A PROPER ENGINE
There won’t be a bonkers V12 this time around, but at launch there will be two iterations of AMG’s twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. The SL 63 will be the most powerful, with 577bhp and 590lb ft of torque. AMG is promising an E Performance hybrid at some point too – if it’s the same powertrain as the GT 4dr, that could mean 831bhp. Yikes.
3 THERE’LL BE NO LAIRY DRIFTS
Both of the V8 powertrains (the 63 and slightly less powerful 55) will get a nine-speed automatic gearbox and – for the first time in seven generations of SL – four-wheel drive. There’s rear-wheel steering as standard too, plus active suspension for the 63 and a whole heap of active safety systems.
4 THE INTERIOR IS FULL OF SCREENS
This may be a sports car rebirth of the SL but the interior is still mighty fancy. The company calls it ‘hyperanalogue’, with old-school dials being displayed on massive screens. That central portrait screen is 11.9 inches and can be electrically adjusted to stop it firing sunlight straight into the drivers’ eyes.
5 IT HAS A CANVAS ROOF
Yep, AMG has ditched the folding hard-top of the fifth and sixth generation SLs in search of a more sporting bent. The three-layer fabric roof saves 21kg and lowers the centre of gravity considerably. It also means there won’t be a cabrio version of the next AMG GT – there won’t be a need for one.