An Exquisite Starting Point – The All-New SL63 AMG Roadster
Forming the basis for the SL63 AMG Edition IWC is the newest member of the iconic Mercedes-Benz SL sports car family – the SL63 AMG roadster.
Perhaps the sportiest SL roadster ever, the new SL63 AMG is powered by a 6.3-liter, all-AMG V8 engine that's coupled to a newly developed MCT transmission.
Featuring an innovative start-up clutch that replaces a
conventional torque converter, the seven-speed MCT (for multi-clutch technology) transmission combines the direct connection of a manual gearbox with the lightning-quick automatic gear shifts of a Formula 1 race car.
Topping off the SL chassis is an even more agile AMG sports suspension based on the Mercedes-Benz ABC active suspension.
MCT Transmission – The Best of Both Worlds
Providing the direct feedback of a manual transmission with the total convenience of an automatic, the new seven-speed MCT with AMG Speedshift is an all-new design
available only in the new SL63 AMG and the SL63 AMG Edition IWC. Featuring seven speeds, four shift modes and a double-clutching function, the MCT transmission offers impressive versatility and even faster shift times.
At the heart of the new AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed sports transmission is a new start-up clutch, which runs in an oil bath and replaces a conventional torque converter.
Thanks to its low rotational mass, the start-up clutch helps the transmission respond instantaneously and dynamically with no slip.
Fitted with four drive modes: "C" (Comfort), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M"
(Manual), the transmission provides customized shift control for maximum driving pleasure, and does so with no interruption of power. In Comfort mode, smooth shifts
coupled with a "soft" accelerator response are set up for silky smooth power transfer. In Sport mode, the engine and transmission interact quicker – upshifts and downshifts
take place at higher engine speed. Gearshifts are around 20 percent faster than in Comfort mode. Switching to the Sport Plus mode cuts another 20 percent off shift
times, while the sportiest mode, Manual, reduces shifting times by another 10 percent – a total reduction of 50 percent compared with Comfort mode. In Manual mode, the gearshifts take just 100 milliseconds.
Ultra-fast, spontaneous multiple downshifts are another forte of the new MCT sports transmission. For instance, kickdown will shift directly from seventh down to fourth
gear or from fifth to second. In the "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual) modes, an automatic double-clutching function is active. Every manual or automatic
downshift is accompanied by precisely metered double-clutching – from "S" through "S+" to "M" incrementally. Not only does double-clutching make driving more fun, but
virtually load-free downshifting minimizes any jerking, a special benefit when braking into a curve.
Optional Performance Package for the SL63 AMG
An optional Performance Package is also available for the SL63 AMG, which includes even higher-performance components that are well suited for sporty-minded drivers:
- Electronically-regulated top speed raised to 186 mph (155 mph on standard)
- Vented compound front brake discs that are 15.4 inches in diameter
- Multi-disc limited-slip rear differential with a 40 percent locking factor of for enhanced traction
- 19-inch AMG twin-spoke forged light-alloy wheels
- Staggered-width tires: 255 / 35 ZR 19 in front and 285 / 30 ZR 19 at the rear
- AMG high-performance suspension based on ABC active suspension
- Smaller, two-tone AMG sport steering wheel with a flattened underside and silver-aluminum shift paddles and center spoke.
The First Engine Developed From the Ground Up by AMG
The SL63 AMG is powered by an AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine that features four valves per
cylinder, variable valve timing, bucket tappets (rather than rocker arms) and a variable intake manifold. Sharing no parts with Mercedes-Benz V8 engines, the 6.3-liter engine was a completely autonomous development at AMG.
Built almost completely from a high-strength silicon-aluminum alloy, the cylinder bores make use of a twin-wire-arc-sprayed (TWAS) coating, a process that results in
impressively low friction and running surfaces that are twice as hard as conventional cast-iron cylinders.
The 6.3-liter engine block boasts an especially rigid bedplate acting as the overall
support of the main bearings (similar to a one-piece set of main bearing caps), cast-in steel reinforcements and a sturdy closed-deck layout in the cylinder head area. The
high-flow intake and exhaust ports form a vertical straight line, helping the 6.3 AMG engine rev freely to more than 7,000 rpm, yet the highly flexible AMG engine still
produces nearly 90 percent of its peak torque at only 2,000 rpm.
A finely balanced crankshaft with six counterweights spins in five main crankshaft
bearings. The crankshaft counterweights feature heavy metal plugs – a detail usually found only in racing engines – which means they can be significantly smaller, increasing
power by reducing rotational inertia and oil drag.
Each forged connecting rod is precisely "cracked" with the help of a laser beam, so the
irregular fracture contributes to its strength when the two halves are clamped around the crankshaft. The connecting rods and lightweight pistons are matched for extremely
close weight tolerances that contribute to smooth running at high speeds. Small nozzles in the engine block spray cooling oil onto the underside of each piston crown.
The SL63 Gets Unique Styling Touches
The SL63 comes with a distinctive AMG front hood that's noticeably different from other SL models, as well as a new front apron with a more pronounced wedge shape, larger
cooling air intakes and a black grille. Bi-xenon headlights with black surrounds and large round fog lights ringed in chrome and set well to the side emphasize the vehicle's width.
Hot air from the engine exits through side air outlets in the front fenders and from the "gills" behind the front wheels. Trim panels finished in matte silver with "6.3 AMG"
lettering catch the eye, as do new outside mirrors with arrow-shaped LED turn indicators.
SL63 AMG body styling also includes deeper AMG side sill panels and a beefy-looking rear apron that incorporates a large black air diffuser and two pairs of chrome tailpipes.
An AMG rear lip spoiler on the trunk lid reduces lift, especially at high speeds.
Finished in premium leather and genuine carbon fiber, the interior features standard
AMG sport seats, an AMG three-spoke steering wheel and a sport instrument cluster with red tachometer and speedometer needles that swing to the max position and back whenever the ignition is turned on.
From Coupe to Roadster in 16 Seconds
At the push of a button, the SL's retractable hardtop can be fully opened or closed in just 16 seconds, transforming the car from a quiet, weather-tight coupe to a top-down
open-air convertible. A hydraulic pump and 11 computer-controlled hydraulic cylinders power the system, and roof operation is controlled by a switch on the center console. A
clever folding design allows for a surprisingly large cargo area of 7.2 cubic feet when the top is down. With the top up, the trunk holds 10.2 cubic feet.
The World's Safest Convertible
Widely acclaimed as one of the world's safest convertibles, the SL provides sports car performance with all the built-in safety that's expected from Mercedes-Benz. Since an
open car can leave its occupants vulnerable in a rollover, Mercedes engineers met the challenge in the SL with the world's first automatic roll bar.
Normally part of the interior's rear-compartment surround structure, the padded, leather-covered bar pops up, locking in place in a third of a second if sensors detect an
impending rollover. The driver can also raise and lower the bar by a switch on the console.
Shoulder belts are integrated directly into the seats for greater occupant protection,
especially in rollovers. The Mercedes SL was also the first car with side airbags, which are part of a safety system that includes dual front airbags and emergency tensioning
retractors that tighten the seat belts in a collision.
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