ON THE ROAD: MERCEDES-BENZ SL 65 AMG

Will this car kill the planet?

Not on its own.

Will the planet kill it then?

Possibly. With emissions laws in the European Union becoming ever tougher on cars that drink like blue whales, it’s likely we’ll see the SL 65 AMG either change drastically in terms of its firepower, or fade away completely. You may have noticed that the power figure has been quite constant for three generations now. That’s no coincidence.

The fun police are out in full force then?

Sadly yes. But for now, we do have it and it’s crazy fun. Admittedly we’ve never quite liked the hum it gives off, compared to the V8 noise by the SL 63 AMG. Nevertheless at full flight one tends to forget all about that and focuses on all the flying trees…

Does it not frighten?

It can be a bit eery, given that it will do 0 – 100km/h in nearly 4 seconds, if good traction is found. Power sliding the car is not a difficult thing, as it is constantly begging to have its loose rear end hang out. Be really careful here because 630 horses ain’t at all like riding the Durban July. That’s child’s play. On the other hand, the SL 65 AMG can be driven quite sedately on normal roads on a daily basis. If fact, we found this aspect of the car to be the most surprising. And welcome too. It goes over normal speed humps easily without too much side stepping, parks wonderfully thanks to some of the parking aids available (we had the optional reversing camera fitted), and has no issues with traffic.

It is the everyday supercar we often hear about.

Indeed it is. Comfortable AMG seats hug and kiss you as soon as you enter, and the familiar Mercedes-Benz switchgear is easily operated. There is the same kit level as found in the S-Class, so one doesn’t have to sacrifice comfort for speed. Here I include things like the COMAND centre with USB port for music, climate control, lane keep assist, massage function, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Don’t forget the sunroof.

Luckily we had Magic Sky fitted in our test unit. Magic Sky is that revolutionary electronic tinting system that dims the sunroof at the touch of a button, and “clears” it again with the driver’s permission.

But the car is still a Convertible right?

Oh yeah. Pull back a button and the whole hard top pulls backwards into the boot where it lays still until you will it up again. The whole thing takes about 20 seconds. A cool feature is the ability to open/ close it using the key fob while standing outside the vehicle. This one gets onlookers looking ever harder.

Vote?

Definitely Yay. Stonking performance from one of the industry’s best-known names. Plus it’s not so exclusive as to shut out the ordinary man who, if he cannot afford it, can at least spot one on the road once in a while. Pity it doesn’t sound like it looks.

QUICK STATS

MERCEDES-BENZ SL 65 AMG

ENGINE: 6.0-litre V12 Biturbo

POWER: 463kW between 4800rpm and 5400rpm

TORQUE: 1 000Nm between 2300rpm and 4300rpm

0 – 100KM/H: 4.3 seconds

GEARBOX: 7-speed G-Tronic

TOP SPEED: 250km/h

FUEL AVERAGE:  18.2 l/100km

PRICE STANDARD: R2 668 175

NATURAL RIVALS: Ferrari 458 Italia, Audi R8 V10 Plus

BABE-MAGNETIC FACTOR: Extremely High