The year 2001 marked my first encounter with the hallowed halls of AMG. Unannounced and perhaps a bit naive, I found myself peering through a chain-link fence, gazing longingly at rows of menacing Mercedes-Benz machines. Years later, an SL55 AMG found its way into my garage, a car I cherished for its ability to inject sheer terror into unsuspecting passengers. Yet, it always felt like a magnificent engine desperately seeking a chassis, better steering, and more responsive brakes – a steroid-pumped boulevard bruiser. Now, stepping into the 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG, the question is: has AMG truly addressed these shortcomings?
Mercedes bestowed a contemporary refresh upon the SL’s aesthetics after six years. The result is striking, albeit less elegant than its predecessor. The SL63’s design team seems to have embraced a philosophy of excess, layering tasteless plastic elements upon more tasteless plastic components. From the V-shaped front spoiler lip to the ostentatious AMG badge on the flank, culminating in the frankly dreadful rear diffuser, the new AMG look evokes the somewhat unkind English idiom “mutton dressed as lamb.”
Perhaps it’s more akin to a wolf clad in gaudy, bejeweled wolf’s clothing. Ignite the 6.2-liter AMG engine – a powerplant churning out a formidable 525 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque – and the tachometer and speedometer needles instantly pin themselves to their respective limits. Your gaze is then drawn to the words “6.3-liter AMG” proudly engraved on the dashboard. The car vibrates with an enthusiastic, deeply resonant exhaust rumble, practically begging its driver to find a rival and engage in a street duel, and I mean right now.
A novel addition for this model year is “Race Start.” Intrigued, I sought out an empty parking lot, cautioned my wife to secure her beverage, and began exploring the array of new buttons, anticipating a breakthrough. When initial button-pushing yielded no immediate launch control, a call was placed to my trusted AMG advisor in Germany. The instructions were intricate: engage AMG mode, disable traction control, manipulate the transmission dial (more on this later), firmly apply the brake, pull the right paddle, and await confirmation.
Affalterbach, we have a problem. My wife, in fact, had drifted off to sleep during my launch control initiation attempts. Ultimately, frustration led to simply flooring the accelerator and entrusting the electronics to manage the rest. While SL55 owners might boast about their supercharged engine’s off-the-line prowess, the SL63’s optimized gearing effectively negates any such advantage. Rest assured, no SL63 proprietor will face embarrassment at traffic lights; it roars from standstill to 60 mph in a mere 4.2 seconds.
Mercedes has thankfully abandoned the Sensotronic electronic braking system in the SL line, and I anticipated improved pedal feel and modulation. Regrettably, this is not entirely the case. The brakes, while powerful, still exhibit a grabby and somewhat detached sensation. The new squared-off steering wheel, initially appearing to be another stylistic flourish, surprisingly proves to be comfortable in hand, the rhomboidal plastic piece at the bottom notwithstanding. Interior revisions are otherwise subtle. The abundance of plastic remains excessive for a vehicle in this price bracket.
The Airscarf system, integrated into the headrests and designed for open-top comfort in cooler weather, appears decidedly ungainly, with a somewhat robotic aesthetic. The SL’s COMAND system has been updated, seemingly achieving parity with the more contemporary S-Class in terms of capabilities. However, the absence of the rotary controller knob raises usability questions. Frankly, my Garmin Nuvi GPS unit surpasses the SL63 AMG’s electronics in user-friendliness. On a brighter note, the enlarged gear indicator numerals on the central gauges proved exceptionally… helpful.
The SL63’s new transmission is AMG’s response to the dual-clutch automated manuals prevalent in Volkswagens and Ferrari’s F1-style paddle-shift systems. The SL63’s SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7 knob, situated adjacent to the transmission selector, toggles between two automatic and two manual modes. In automatic mode, the transmission compromises smoothness, particularly at lower speeds, where gear changes are accompanied by unceremonious clunks. Paradoxically, the smoothest shifts materialize in the most aggressive manual mode; the SL63 is no longer merely a boulevard cruiser.
A button for cycling between sport and comfort suspension settings resides directly beneath this “multi-clutch technology” knob. Adjacent to it, another button labeled “AMG” pre-selects sport settings for both the transmission and suspension. The comfort settings deliver a remarkably compliant ride, while the sport setting remains entirely livable for everyday driving.
In either mode, initial cornering behavior is remarkably flat. The active body control settings have been refined to inspire greater confidence, and the car rides on 19-inch wheels, yet the fundamental physics of a 4300-pound German two-seater remain. Hurl this hefty machine into a tight corner, and predictable understeer manifests. A built-in race timer? A Porsche Boxster driver would simply chuckle.
While the SL55 possessed a somewhat piecemeal feel, the 2009 Mercedes SL63 AMG exudes a greater sense of cohesive engineering and thoughtful design. This uber-SL leans more towards Affalterbach’s performance ethos and less towards Stuttgart’s luxury focus, positioning itself as a more credible rival to BMW and Porsche in the realm of driver’s cars.
However, the $150,000 price tag opens up a vast landscape of compelling sports car alternatives (not to mention AMG’s notorious depreciation). And the SL63 isn’t even the apex predator of the SL range; that title belongs to the $187,000 SL65 AMG. One can’t help but wonder if the SL63, at its price point, is somewhat… pedestrian. It’s no surprise then that AMG is diligently developing a Black Series SL, promising even greater power and reduced weight, aiming to truly elevate the SL’s sporting credentials.
