Mercedes-Benz is proud about its sixth-generation SL, and it has every reason to be, as it has created a technological tour-de-force in the premium roadster segment.
It hasn’t taken its time in rolling out hotter versions, either: if you thought the SL63AMG with 530hp or 557hp if you opt for the performance package, would suffice, you should reconsider.
You see, a twin-turbocharged 5.5 V8 is quite fine, but bolting two turbochargers onto a 6.0-liter V12, as Mercedes-Benz has done with the SL65 AMG, allowed the company to break the 600HP and 1,000Nm (737 lb-ft) barriers, even if it’s mostly about bragging purposes.
Following Mercedes’ own history lesson about its iconic roadster, Drive road test editor Chris Harris took the brand new SL along with three of its predecessors, the original 1954 W198 300SL, the 1963 W113 “Pagoda” and the 1972 R107 for a spin to see what has changed over the years.
You can watch the video and learn verdict along with which of the four impressed him the most, right after the jump.
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