Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series 2013 Review

Not so much:
>> Ferrari-like pricetag
>> Relatively small output increase
>> Nothing else

Nothing in Australia comes close to Phillip Island when it comes to testing exotic, race-bred machinery in the environment for which it was designed.

So when Mercedes-Benz Australia was granted access to one of the left-hand drive SLS AMG Black Series cars used at the global launch in France less than two weeks ago, it air-freighted it direct to our most famous full-time racetrack for a select few lucky Aussie journos to sample.

Naturally, therefore, it was with trepidation that I took to the spectacular high-speed circuit in the only SLS Black outside Europe, four months before first local customer deliveries of the limited-edition $639,000 supercar take place here.

But I needn’t have worried because, with the stability control set to mandatory Sport mode, when the SLS finally loosened its tenacious grip on the freshly laid surface, the top-shelf AMG’s back-end stepped out so progressively and controllably that I wished the electronic aids weren’t there to spoil the fun.

Not that breaking traction in Phillip Island’s notoriously fast sweepers was easy. In fact, in heart-in-mouth 200km/h-plus corners like ‘the hayshed’ and the rapid downhill left-hander before Honda hairpin, the wider and stickier 20-inch Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tyres, firmer suspension and slightly lower centre of gravity combined to deliver astounding grip levels, virtually eliminate bodyroll and ensure unequalled stability.

Our man in Europe criticised the ease with which the Black was upset by mid-corner bumps at Le Castellet, but we had no such problems on the smooth new Island tarmac. Where the standard SLS might bobble, drift and make you hesitant, the Black hunkered down and dared you to accelerate harder and earlier out of every bend.

Yes, like any car, AMG’s flagship Black Series does its best work when the hard braking’s done before you wind on steering lock into a corner, and will understeer if you don’t -- just as readily as its glorious 6.2-litre V8 will power oversteer the car out of corners.

But because its steering is so responsive to even the smallest inputs, because there’s so much more front-end bite and because the ceramic brakes are so incredibly effective -- pulling the 1625kg Gullwing up from high speed with physics-defying force, lap after lap -- the ultimate SLS punishes ham-fisted driving at the limit much more than the car on which it’s based.

At the same time, because it offers so much more feedback, reacts to driver input more directly and is noticeably faster in a straight line, the Black makes mere mortals feel quicker and rewards driving finesse more richly than its donor car, which is no slouch on the racetrack itself.

Of course, while that sort of sensory overload is unprecedented for a Mercedes production car, you’d expect something special from the sportiest Benz road car ever -- let alone one that costs more than a Ferrari 458 and commands a $170K premium over the standard SLS.

Indeed, for the price of a C 63 you don’t get a lot extra over the standard SLS, at least on paper. There’s an extra 44kW over the standard car’s already-substantial 420kW for instance, but it comes at the expense of 15Nm (still an adequate 600Nm).

Combined with a 20 per cent shorter final drive ratio and closer internal gear ratios, the result is claimed zero to 100km/h acceleration in 3.6 seconds, which is one-tenth quicker than both the full-time Gullwing and Porsche’s soon-to-be-replaced (and much cheaper) 911 Turbo.

But it’s underneath the car where wholesale changes result in a more dramatic step change to chassis dynamics than with any other Black Series, allowing it to generate higher cornering forces with less body movement.

First there’s a 70kg weight reduction program including plastic front wings, a carbon-fibre bonnet, titanium exhaust system, lithium-ion 12V battery, carbon-fibre torque tube and carbon-reinforced plastic drive shaft.

Then there’s an electronic differential lock to channel the prodigious power more effectively to the rear wheels, wider wheel tracks, a bigger and more adhesive contact patch and 10mm-lower mounts for the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to help drop the whole show’s roll centre.

Naturally, there’s an array of extra standard equipment too, including AMG Ride Control variable damping, AMG ceramic brakes, AMG sports bucket seats, Blind Spot Assist, black designo leather trim and a range of carbon and Alcantara interior options.

There are still options, but they’re limited to items some customers may find distasteful, like carbon front and rear spoilers, red Alcantara interior trim and AMG ‘Solarbeam’ yellow hero paint, which adds a further $15K.

Those that don’t need to justify the extra dollars will take solace in the fact this is the most extreme example of the Gullwing produced so far, short of the race-ready GT3 version.

Don’t believe us? During a lull in proceedings motoring.com.au recorded GT sportscar racer Peter Hackett lapping Phillip Island in about 1:41, which is probably closer to his best in the SLS race car than the standard Gullwing.

As bold on the outside as it is loud on the inside, the SLS Black isn’t for the faint-hearted and could well be one of the last examples of red-blooded naturally aspirated V8 rear-drive German engineering.

Without doubt, the best Black Series ever is more than the sum of its parts and better than its spec sheet suggests, but it takes a track like Phillip Island to prove it.

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