The World's Most Powerful Roadster
The current Mercedes-Benz SL is arguably the best luxury roadster ever built. Despite the many challengers, from Cadillac's new
XLR and Lexus' SC 430 to the Aston Martin Volante or Maserati Spyder, there's no convertible finer on the market with or without a folding hardtop roof.
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| Many have tried to challenge the Mercedes-Benz SL, but it still remains the best luxury roadster ever built, and it's just about to get even better. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
Since its debut, the range has grown from the single-motor lineup. Alongside the 302 horsepower SL 500 is a new base model designated SL 350, which uses Benz's all-new 272 horsepower 3.5-liter V6. At the other end of the spectrum Benz offers the SL 600 with a twin-turbocharged V12 motor producing 493 horsepower and just short of 600 lb-ft of torque (590 to be exact). If harder-edged thrills are desired, Benz bridges the price gap with its SL55 AMG, a supercharged version of the SL 500. It produces the same 493 horsepower as the SL 600, but not quite as much torque at 516 lb-ft.
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| Not happy being beaten by the SL 600, Benz's AMG division has created the SL65 AMG, the world's most powerful mass production convertible. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz Canada) |
That's a pretty full lineup of top-tier sports cars, of which most enthusiasts who would no doubt be quite happy just to have a base SL parked in the garage. But M-B's AMG division couldn't have been satisfied with a regular Mercedes product besting its SL55, so the SL65 AMG was created.
The difference between the SL65 AMG and SL55 AMG is more than just 10 digits. Rather the number 10 better refers to the perfect score the judges should give AMG's new creation, as the SL65 stomps all over the supercharged V8 becoming the world's most powerful mass production convertible.
