2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
Minichamps - 519433820 (diecast)
Published 09/09/18
The Black Series is basically AMG’s creme de la creme, and the SL65 was the third car to receive the badge. According to an AMG press release, the SL65 Black Series is a “motorsport engineering thoroughbred, opening up new drive dynamic vistas to sports car enthusiasts”. PR boasting aside, it’s truly a helluva car. AMG only produced 350 cars, and new each costed US$ 320.000,00. Plus taxes. But how do you make a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series? Very simple.
To make one, first you need a regular SL65 AMG. It doesn’t matter that the car is already awesome as it comes out of the AMG factory. You want to make it even more awesome, so you give it the Black Series treatment. That consists of shaving off 250 kg (!!!) from the regular car, and messing a bit with the engine. The standard engine is a 6 liter bi-turbo V12 with DOHC and 48 valves. In reality that engine is perfectly darn good in stock form. But after AMG Performance Studio does its magic you get a 670 hp powerhouse that delivers massive 1000 Nm of torque. With that, the Black Series version of the car can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. And if you keep your foot down, it will go all the way to 317 km/h. So it’s blistering fast, almost SLR fast.
I always liked the SL65, so if I had one, it needed to be the ultimate SL65. My version of the car is from Minichamps’ “Top Gear” series. It comes in a bigger case and with a scale Stig figurine. The model is a typical Minichamps, therefore, (really) nice. The figurine is cool, but at least for me not exactly awesome – I’m just here for the car.