Few AMG-branded models get the heart pumping quite like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series, and Jay Leno recently had the opportunity to sample a modified example owned by racing driver Graham Rahal.
The SLS AMG was built between 2010 and 2014 and was topped out by the Black Series model. AMG engineers performed a series of upgrades to the car’s 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 so it delivered 622 HP at 7400 rpm and 468 lb-ft (635 Nm) of torque at 5500 rpm. Rahal’s SLS Black Series has a little more than that.
Also Watch: The SLS AMG Black Series Is One Big, Bad, 622 HP Merc With An Attitude
Thanks to a big supercharger from Weistec, this example pumps out 825 HP at the flywheel and in this clip, the man behind Weistec, Michael Weiss, walks Leno through the various modifications adorning the car. Aesthetically the car is stock, which to our eyes makes it all the more appealing.
Mercedes-Benz ultimately retired the SLS AMG and, indirectly, replaced it with the new AMG GT that, unfortunately, doesn’t feature the iconic gullwing doors. The range-topping AMG GT R Black Series has yet to be released, and while it will inevitably be a blast to drive, we’ll always have a soft spot for its spiritual predecessor.
Weistec has also fitted this particular car with a set of aftermarket long-tube headers that connect up to the standard catback exhaust from AMG. It sounds absolutely mental and, according to Leno, “pulls very nicely.”