MERCEDES BENZ SL AMG Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

2016 - Present

After five years on the market, the SL received a well-deserved facelift for the entire range, and that included both AMG versions, the SL63, and the SL65. The SL started as a premium roadster for the German carmaker, but later on, it received more powerful engines and special treatments from the AMG department. For the car's fifth generation, introduced in 2011, the motorsports specialists developed new or improved drivetrains and braking systems. But they were constrained to the older five-speed gearboxes, which could withstand up to 1000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque. Further developme...

2016 - Present

The SL-Class received an important update in 2016 when the 65 AMG was introduced to the market. It offered a thrilling performance and exclusive luxury. It was a true, open-top, GT car. After Mercedes-Benz started to build the 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox, it was difficult to install more powerful engines on its cars. The previously used 5G-Tronic was able to cope with up to 1000 Nm (737 lb-ft) of torque, while the new 7-speed was not. Further improvements led to the AMG Speedshift MCT 7, which was able to deliver the desired performance. The rest of the SL-range was fitted with the 9G-Tro...

2012 - 2016

Mercedes-Benz decided to downsize the AMG engines but kept their big numbers on the tails. Mercedes-Benz SL was fitted with a range of different engines, from a small 2.8-liter to the massive, 7.3-liter V12 unit installed on the 1999 SL73 AMG. But times were different, and there was no need to produced huge engines to get big numbers for power and torque. Moreover, a big engine was heavier and destroyed the car's handling. So, the German carmaker ordered smaller engines with bigger outputs from AMG. The 2012 SL63 AMG was the first to feature the new front fascia, with twin blades ...

2012 - 2016

The SL lineup was one of the most famous ranges in Mercedes-Benz's range, and after the establishment of the Mercedes-AMG brand, it took over the production and the branding of special models, such as the mighty SL 65. With over fifty years of presence on the market, the SL stretches its nameplate to the famous 300 "Gullwing" of the '50s. Even though it was never sold in large numbers, such as the more common C-Class or S-Class, it was a powerful brand ambassador for the three-pointed-star carmaker. The new generation, dubbed R231, was available with AMG branding fo...

2008 - 2011

The fifth generation of the SL had few AMG special products in its lineup. Before the mid-life cycle facelift had a supercharged 5.4 V8 unit, which was replaced in 2008 with the bigger 6.2-liter V8 unit. For some, it sound like a downgrade, but the new, naturally aspirated engine, was rev-happy. The SL 63 AMG wasn't slow at all. The 525 hp and the 630 Nm (465 lb-ft) of torque are good values. It had a new, 7-speed Automatic AMG Speedshift (dual-clutch), compared with the 5-speed automatic gearbox from the SL 55. But the fact is that the new SL63 was slower with 0.1 seconds in the 0-100 ...

2008 - 2012

The hard-top convertible 2008 SL65 AMG was one of the vehicles with the highest torque in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. But besides the high-performance drivetrain, it was a luxury roadster as well. In March 2008, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the second facelift for the SL-class. It was unusual for a brand to build two facelifted versions of the same generation. Between 2001 and 2008, there were new pollution and safety norms that were changed and the customer's expectations were higher. The 2008 SL65 AMG featured a new headlights design, whit the former double-rounded unit discarded. A new...

2008 - 2012

In 2008, just before the world financial crisis burst, Mercedes-Benz launched one of the wildest SL models ever: the SL 65 AMG Black Series. With a V12 bi-turbo engine under the hood, it could shred tires like nothing due to the massive 1000 Nm (738 lb ft) of torque. The transmission is via a 5-speed automatic gearbox with three settings: Sport, Manual 1 and Manual 2, the latter being claimed as 20% faster than the M1 setting. Sporting a front end similar to that of the latest SL 63 AMG with a single-slate grille, L-shaped HID headlights and redesigned front and rear bumpers, this aggress...

2006 - 2008

Mercedes-Benz refreshed the entire SL-Class lineup in 2006 and unveiled the SL65 as its contender for the fastest rocket-launcher on wheels roadster in the world. Sometimes the question about how much power is too much power arises among the petrolheads. The SL65 AMG had the answer for that and proved that 612 hp was too much. Worth mentioning that the carmaker had to limit the engine torque to 1000 Nm (738 lb-ft) because the gearbox couldn't handle more. As for the tires, they couldn't keep up with that monstrous, twin-turbocharged V-12 engine which was, by the way, too heavy f...

2006 - Present

After 19022 units produced from the SL55 AMG between 2001 and 2006, the facelift brought major improvements to enhance the car's look and performances. The SL55 AMG was the most powerful car that left the Mercedes-Benz factory lane in 2001 when it was introduced on the market. Meanwhile, the SL65 was introduced to the market with even more power. Still, the customers considered that the SL55 was a better choice. The revisions for the 2006 SL55 AMG brought a new grille, inspired by the SL65 AMG. The front bumper was redesigned and looked more aggressive than before. Due to its invo...

2004 - 2006

The SL65 AMG broke the power barrier of the SL55 AMG, which was the most powerful production car in the world when it was introduced in 2002, and it had the torque limited. The SL roadster was a huge success for Mercedes-Benz. It was a mix of beautiful styling, a wide range of engines, and a flagship that rocked the supercar world. It also had the glorious name of the legendary SL model that helped its sales. The fast, sleek, roadster received the big, twin-turbo V12 engine from AMG in 2004. From the outside, there were few clues to let others know that it was the top version of the SL...

2002 - 2006

The SL 55 AMG was the fastest car in the world fitted with an automatic transmission at the time of its launch. Its power and performance transformed the car into a high-performance GT. The fifth generation of the SL was introduced at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show. The most important change over the previous generation was the introduction of the retractable hard-top instead of a canvas top. The SLK success was a convincing recipe, which was adopted by the luxurious GT vehicle. With a raked front fascia and windshield, the SL looked more like a sports car, but its luxurious interior an...

1999 - 2001

In 1998, at the Turin Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the updated SL range: the R129 series. One year later, one of the best versions, the SL55 AMG was unveiled. The times when a bigger engine meant a faster car were almost gone in 1999. The European customers didn't look only for higher output. They required a better handling and a smoother ride. For these aspects, the SL55 AMG was considered by many as a better car than the more powerful SL73 AMG. While the lesser version featured a V8, the latter was fitted with a V12 unit, and the car was 160 kg (351.7 lbs) heavier. From th...

1999 - 2001

The horsepower battle between Mercedes-Benz and its main rival, BMW, led to the creation of this unique roadster fitted with the monster engine: the SL 73 AMG. BMW didn't have anything in its stable to compete against the SL, so Mercedes-Benz made an intelligent move and transformed that advantage into an even bigger one. Even though it knew that the V12 powerplant was very heavy and the SL fitted with it didn't handle the curves as well as the V8-powered ones, it still did it. And the result was one of the most expensive vehicles in the carmaker's stable. In those days,...