The Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance Will Melt Your Brain With Speed

The last thing the normal Mercedes-AMG SL63 needed was more power. With 577 horses on tap, it could tear through 0-60 launches and roll into triple-digit speeds with ease. But as the never-ending march of technological advancement has proven, there’s always room for improvement. Enter the E Performance. 

Using a hybrid motor mounted at the rear (and a bit more power from the twin-turbo V-8), the Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance adds 228 horses, for a total of 805 hp and 1,047 lb-ft of torque. Numbers once reserved for top-tier exotics, now available on the iconic Mercedes convertible. The best part is, that extra thrust doesn’t ruin what makes the modern SL a nice cruiser.

Thankfully the transition to hybrid power hasn’t soured the SL’s good looks. This car looks the best it has since the R230-generation car of the early 2000s, with correct proportions and a sleek, angry face that avoids veering into brutish. Those correct body lines are the result of a switch back to a cloth soft top, away from the power-folding hard top that’s plagued the SL for over 20 years. 

That switch to a ragtop hasn’t helped the SL’s weight. The normal SL63 weighs 4,321 pounds, and all of the hybrid gear slaps on an extra 500 pounds, roughly. It takes just a few corners to get a sense of just how heavy this thing feels. 

Being a big heavy boat is normal for the SL, but this takes things to mid-size truck levels of heft. Thankfully AMG’s Active Ride suspension is standard. It eschews traditional sway bars for hydraulic lines that connect the four dampers together, each with their own actuator that can connect or disconnect a corner to improve ride or stiffen things up to sharpen handling. 

I can’t tell you the suspension was flawless, as I only got an hour with the SL driving on some exceptionally smooth German back roads. But considering how impressive the equipment felt on cars like the GT63 and the G63, I have no doubt it could handle any bump you throw at it. 

The drivetrain is an equally impressive thing. It combines AMG’s spectacular 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 with a rear-mounted electric motor mounted where the rear differential would sit. Combined, the system makes 805 horsepower and 1,047 pound-feet of torque—frankly comical numbers.

Dipping into the throttle rewards with instantaneous response; the electric motor doles out 201 hp from zero rpm, filling in any delay the turbos have pushing air into the V-8. It’s a feeling of momentous, never-ending thrust I haven’t felt elsewhere… other than the GT63 E Performance, a car that shares this SL’s underpinnings. It feels a lot like a pure electric car when it comes to straight-line acceleration, except the power doesn’t die off, even when you crest 150 mph. 

Though I wasn’t able to explore the SL63’s full potential on Germany’s derestricted Autobahn highways, it’s clear there’s a similar amount of performance available. I hit 192 mph in the GT63, and I have no reason to believe this SL wouldn’t do the same. Face-ripping fast, yet somehow still relaxed and pleasant behind the wheel. A true drop-top GT weapon. 

Despite the SL’s heft, turns are handled with grace. The steering is incredibly quick, with an extremely narrow on-center point. The nose responds with the slightest hint of input from the driver, tucking the long hood into bends with a surprising level of agility. This car is one step softer and less responsive than its fixed-roof GT63 counterpart. 

To me that’s a good thing. An SL isn’t meant to be the be-all, end-all in the convertible sports car arena. This car is meant to be a pleasant, fast cruiser that can handle a twisty road if you need it to. And it nails that brief. 

Where the SL disappoints is the cabin. Almost every control or adjustment is handled through an 11.9-inch portrait-oriented screen that rests on the dashboard. Things like drive modes and entertainment are easy to mess with, but I wish the climate control weren’t trapped inside a touchscreen. There isn’t even a volume knob; sound is adjusted via a slider button at the bottom of the screen. The touch-capacitive buttons on the steering wheel are infuriating, tough to use, and easy to mis-click. It takes a few hours to get acquainted with them, but even when you do, they’re not nearly as pleasant as a simple set of real buttons. At least the bucket seats are nice.

With a starting price north of $200,000, that interior is a tough pill to swallow. But the E Performance makes up for it with truly mind-bending levels of acceleration. A few full-throttle pulls and you’ll forget about bouncing through 83 menus to fold down the roof. At least, Mercedes thinks so.

That extra 201 horses from the electric motor springboards the SL63 from just another luxury convertible into a true rocket ship. I’d say that’s worth the extra $20,000.