Mercedes-AMG SL 63 4MATIC+, viewed with the magnifying glass

Loyal readers will note that our man -Ward- already had the honor to try out the new Mercedes-AMG SL 63 4MATIC+ and they are correct! He had the chance to blast around Nice in one of the most awaited cars of this year. But now -thank God- I also had a go in it!

An icon reinvented

The Mercedes SL -or Sport Leicht- started its story in 1952 on the racetrack with the 300 SL and 2 years later with a road-going version. Fast forward to 2022, and Mercedes-Benz brings us the 8th generation of the SL (R232). In the previous sentence, there’s a little mistake: for the first time in history, the SL is a Mercedes-AMG-only car! Instantly raising the bar for other brands and AMG themselves. The SL comes (or will come) in a four-cylinder AMG 43, a V8 AMG 55 4Matic+ and our AMG 63 4Matic+.

Powerhouse

Last year, I had a lot of fun in another Mercedes-AMG-only model: the AMG GT. That car produced 530 hp out of the 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8, a “warming up”-number for this 585 hp and 800 Nm gentleman beast. The four-wheel drive (AMG Performance 4Matic+) combined with the 9-speed Mercedes-AMG Speedshift MCT and a neck-snapping launch control will fire off the car to 100 km/h in just 3,6 seconds and onto a top speed of 315 km/h. We wouldn’t recommend trying to hit that top speed topless. At 250 km/h, it gets pretty windy and you’ve wished for a helmet at 280 km/h.

For a little while, I was doubting about comparing the AMG GT and SL 63 AMG in this review. But what are the alternatives? A 535 hp Aston Martin DB11 Volante or a Porsche 992 convertible? The Aston Martin will keep up with the luxurious feeling and the Porsche will feel as sporty (or just that bit more sporty) as this SL. Would I say the SL is as sharp as the AMG GT? Almost! Only at the absolute extreme, you will notice the biggest differences with the AMG GT. Don’t forget: the SL is a roadster and has four-wheel drive, 2 things making the car heavier and just a tad less sporty.

But how did Mercedes-AMG pull that off? Making the SL 63 AMG almost as sporty and nimble as the AMG GT! Well, they put four-wheel-steering (up to 2.5 degrees at a speed lower than 100 km/h) on the SL so the car feels a lot smaller and takes every tight corner with ease. It’s very impressive that Mercedes-AMG gave this SL 63 such a sharp handling feel in combination with its natural ability to give the driver all the comfort you made to love from previous models. The chassis, the suspension, the engine and the gearbox work in perfect harmony -with every setting (normal, sport, race, …)- in every situation! From the “hit the apex at the Nurburgring” up to the “a detour along the French Riviera”!

Fine lines

Whilst we’re at it on the “comparing it with the AMG GT”, let us continue. You could make it easy on yourself: the SL AMG gives more female exterior vibes, while the AMG GT screams masculinity! No, gender neutrality or fluid stuff, here! Words like graceful and gentle appear automatically when I’m writing about the SL AMG. Don’t think for a minute it’s a disadvantage or that those things make the SL look less sporty. No, the SL looks like the females I like to see in the gym.

Mesmerizing eyes -the lights- surrounded by a beautiful face! An instant smile for the clean lines of the tight body with a tad of fake in it (the side vent, didn’t need those) and then that booty. Oh yes, that booty. MC-Hammer once shared these wise words “I like big butts and I cannot lie” and I know for a fact he’s talking about this Mercedes-AMG SL 63! Certainly in this typical Mercedes blue color.

Big pad-thingy

The Mercedes-AMG SL is like all the new Mercedes, very digital! Like always, a perfect working and clean digital cockpit in front of you that you can control with the buttons on the flattened sports steering wheel with -of course- heating in it (just like the seats, but they are cooled and massaged as well)! In the middle -in between you and probably a beautiful young woman- there’s an 11.9-inch portrait-format multimedia touchscreen. To avoid disturbing light reflection, the screen electrically adjusts between 12 and 32 degrees. It’s cool to see, but such an important thing! I can still remember the time in the Jaguar F-type R P575 convertible when reading your infotainment system was an impossible task! But not all is good with the screen! To open and close the roof, you use a swipe on that screen. 30% of the time it didn’t work and if the sun was on the screen for more than an hour, you would definitely burn your finger!

And the burned finger was the only thing I really didn’t like about the SL interior. Okay, I broke my back trying to fit myself on the backseats of the car, because 2+2! Leave the back seats for your very small children or your designer jacket on the way to the golfclub! Because -and Mercedes really tells this on their website- the boot is big enough to easily fit a golf bag. I don’t play golf, but I assume they’re right!

Mercedes-AMG SL 63 or Mercedes-AMG GT

The SL 63 starts at an eyewatering 202.554€ (BE), but for that money, you already get a pretty complete car! Some AMG goodies will bring up the price a little bit more to 219.566 €. It’s 60.000 euros more than the AMG GT, I have tested last year. But I get the people who really want this SL! You have history! Personally, I think I would go for the AMG GT. Why? If you spend that much cash, your personal preference (exterior-wise) will play a huge role and then it’s hard to defend the extra 60 K.