New Photos, Video Footage and Full Details on 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG

After yesterday's surprise reveal on the sidelines of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 presentation in Barcelona, the German automaker has now gorged us with extra high-resolution photos and a new video of the 2013 SL63 AMG roadster.

The most powerful version of the new SL series will launch in Europe this May with prices in Germany set at €157,675 (US$206,600) for the SL 63 AMG and €189,269.50 (US$246,900) for the "Edition 1", while the optional AMG Performance Packages goes for €14,280 (US$18,600). Mercedes said U.S. sales will start later in the year, with pricing to be announced.

For the first time, the SL63 AMG will be available with a choice of two outputs.

The base version of the 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 delivers 530bhp (537PS) at 5,500 rpm and 590 lb-ft (800Nm) from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm for a 0 to 60mph sprint time of 4.2 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.3"), and to 124mph (200km/h) in 12.9 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155mph (250km/h).

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First Official Shots of 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG

The new Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG roadster made its first appearance this morning when F1 drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg presented the car at the German team's official Formula One test in Barcelona, Spain, ahead of its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in early March.

At the heart of the high-performance version of the new SL is AMG's new M157 engine, which is used on a variety of other Mercedes models such as the CLS 63 AMG sports saloon and the ML 63 AMG SUV.

The 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 unit is good for 529bhp and 590 lb-ft of torque, propelling the hardtop roadster from standstill to 60mph (96km/h) in 4.2 seconds en route to an electronically governed top speed of 155mph (250km/h).

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Mercedes Presents New 2013 SL63 AMG during Formula 1 Car Launch

Today’s Mercedes-Benz event at the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain was supposed to be all about the presentation of it's new Formula 1 car during the first day of the 2012 season’s official tests.

Yet the 2012 F1 racer wasn’t the only Silver Arrow that was launched at the Barcelona track: as you can see in the video that follows, Michael Schumacher arrived on the pit lane driving the brand-new 2013 model year SL63 AMG.

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Living Legends: Oldest Mercedes 300 SL in Existence Shines at the Detroit Motor Show

Sad to say, many classic vehicles are often left to rot and inevitably make the dreaded trip to the crusher, after being stripped out of anything that can be recycled.

Thankfully, that’s not always the case and some vehicles survive even after 6 decades. Even though the first-ever 300 SL, a racing model from 1952, was destroyed, the second car that was built with chassis number 194 010 00002/52 survived as it was in Mercedes’ ownership.

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New Mercedes-Benz SL and E-Class Hybrids Make their World Debut at the 2012 NAIAS

Launching the world’s most fuel-efficient full-size car and a brand-new groundbreaking roadster is not a bad way to draw people to your stand and that’s exactly what Mercedes-Benz did at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show with the two hybrid versions of the E-Class and the sixth generation of the SL roadster.

The diesel-powered E300 BlueTEC Hybrid returns a fuel economy of 4.2 lt/100 km on the European combined cycle (54.6mpg US). Its powertrain combines a four-cylinder turbodiesel engine with an output of 204HP and 500 Nm (368.7 lb-ft) of torque with a 20 kW (27HP) and 184.3 lb-ft (250 Nm) electric motor, and features an auto stop/start system, regenerative braking, a pure electric mode and a “sailing” function.

Since diesel models are not yet popular in the North American market, Mercedes also launched the E 400 Hybrid as well. The internal combustion unit is a 306HP and 272.9 lb-ft (370 Nm) V6 that runs on gasoline fuel, while the electric motor is the same as the E 300 BlueTec’s. The E400 Hybrid’s average fuel economy in accordance with American CAFE standards is 27 mpg (8.7 lt/100 km).

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL: Feast Your Eyes on 60 High-Res Photos and the First Official Videos

The last couple of days, the sixth-generation of the Mercedes-Benz SL roadster has been one of the hottest subjects on the web – and rightly so, as it introduces several new technologies that will eventually trickle down to the premium automaker's other models.

There's a lot to mention, but one of the highlights is the aluminum bodywork, which significantly reduces weight and has a positive effect on both agility and handling as well as fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

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Mercedes-Benz Dishes Out Official Details on the 2013 SL Roadster

After the first official photos of the all-new 2013 SL hit the web on Tuesday, it was only a matter of time before Mercedes-Benz itself disclosed all the juicy details about its new luxury roadster model, which will make its official world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

For starters, the new SL, code-named R321, is the first mass-production Mercedes car built almost entirely from aluminum, with the same material used for the multi-link front and rear suspensions. As a result, its weight has been reduced by up to 308 pounds (140 kg) compared to its predecessor.

Using aluminum has not only reduced weight, but also increased agility providing sportier handling characteristics.

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Official Photos of 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster Hit the Web

At first, it was the brochure shots and now, it's an Armageddon of official photos of the brand-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL that have spilled onto the internet ahead of the hardtop roadster model's scheduled world premiere at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.

Aside from the obvious when it comes to the boxier styling language, which is closely modeled after the smaller SLK, what we now about the new SL is that it is the first mainstream Mercedes model to feature an almost exclusively aluminum construction that make it some 140kg (308 pounds) lighter than the car it replaces.

The 2013 SL keeps the current model's folding top with Mercedes-Benz's Magic Sky Control roof with a glass structure being offered as an option.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster Brochure Scans Leak onto the Web

It’s no secret that Mercedes-Benz has almost completed work on the next iteration of its SL roadster, as the German company itself recently published several technical details along with official shots of the car, albeit still wrapped up in camouflage.

However, if these leaked scanned images of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL brochure turn out to be true – and from what we can tell, they seem genuine, you can get your first gander at Stuttgart new roadster model in the gallery after the jump.

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Rare Classic Cars Including a DB5 Owned by George Harrison Going Under the Hammer

An Aston Martin DB5 or a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster is, no doubt, a sought-after classic that commands a high price. The bill, however, rockets skywards when a celebrity has owned the classic, as is the case with some of the 36 cars going under the hummer in the Coys True Greats auction that will be held in London on December 7.

“There are some extremely interesting cars on offer which could be the ultimate Christmas present,” said Managing Director of COYS, Chris Routledge. “The classic car market is one that is still buoyant and many people are looking at cars as an investment that is also fun.”

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It’s Official: Mercedes-Benz Reveals Tech Info and Photos of Brand-New SL Roadster

Since 1954, Mercedes-Benz has released five generations of its luxury “Sport Leicht” (that’s German for Sport Lightweight) roadster, or as well all know it, the SL-Class. Now the time has come for the introduction of the sixth generation SL – and it’s not a moment too soon as the current model has been in the market since 2001 having received two facelifts, one in 2006 and the other in 2008.

Over the past year, we scooped the 2013 SL several times and even published photos of its body-in-white that recently made their way onto the web. But now, the Stuttgart-based carmaker has come out in the open, officially revealing a batch of photos and info on its new roadster that will be unveiled before the end of the year.

Though Mercedes doesn’t actually show us the finished product, the company gives us new photos shot during the development phase and more importantly, a detailed insight on some of the new SL’s novel features.

For the first time, the new SL is constructed almost entirely (89%) from aluminum, with the exception of high-strength steel integrated in the A-pillars and the (even lighter than aluminum) magnesium in the rear panel.

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Structural Photos and New Details of 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL hit the Web

We have been following the development of the new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL for quite some time now having recently spied a prototype with minimal camouflage that enabled us to see many aspects of the hardtop roadster's design.

Naturally, as we're nearing closer to its debut that will take place at next year's Detroit Auto Show in January, more information is coming out. Earlier this week, German magazine Auto Motor und Sport published a set of what appear to be official pictures of the next SL's body-in-white, along with some very interesting details.

The images suggest that the all-new luxury roadster will retain the familiar SL silhouette while adopting styling cues from other Mercedes models such as the boxy nose that is becoming the brand’s new “face” and the SLK’s “Magic Sky Control” retractable rigid roof.

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SPY SHOTS: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster Loses the Heavy Cladding

Mercedes' big hardtop roadster model is entering its final development phase as we near closer to the next generation SL's launch date in the second half of 2012.
The current iteration of the SL, codenamed R320, has been in production since 2001 having received two facelifts, one in 2006 and another, more extensive makeover, in 2008.
The next SL will be brand new from the bottom up sporting a new platform architecture while sharing certain key components such as the suspension bits and electrical systems with the SLS AMG.

Read Why Steve Jobs' Car Never Had a License Plate

Steve Jobs, the charismatic founder of Apple and Pixar, was a man who changed not only the way computers are made and marketed, but also popularized a number of novel products, such as the iPhone and the iPad, which made buyers form long lines outside Apple stores and the competition always play catch-up.

Sadly, Jobs passed away on October 5 at the age of 56. After his death, one of the rumors circulating the web was that of his car’s number plate – or rather its absence.

Some said that he didn’t care about paying the fines, as he surely could afford to, while others claimed that he had somehow obtained a special permit to drive without one.

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Inden Design Applies the Black Series Treatment to the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

Since 2008, Mercedes-Benz has been producing a special edition version of the SL65 AMG called the Black Series that comes with a fixed carbon fiber roof, a wide body kit, an upgraded V12 and numerous other performance and styling enhancements. If you happen to like the look of the Black Series but prefer to keep the retractable hardtop of the standard SL65 AMG, you may want to check out Inden Design’s latest tuning package. Read more »

Geneva 2011: Carlsson C25 Royale is a Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG in Disguise

Carlsson showed up at the Geneva Salon with a new version of its C25 supercar dubbed Royale. Based on the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG, the heavily customized coupe with the fixed rooftop will be built in a limited run of 25 units. Company officials said six vehicles have already been sold and will be delivered to the customers in 2011. According to Carlsson, each C25 Royale takes six months from order to delivery.

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U Spy: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster Convoy Scooped in Spain

Carscoop reader Frank Jonas hit the Mercedes-Benz jackpot when travelling in Spain last week, he stumbled upon a convoy of camo'ed SL prototypes, which were accompanied by several other vehicles with the star on their bonnet including an example of the current generation of the German firm's hardtop roadster model.

"On my trip to the south of Spain last week I had the opportunity to take some pictures of a heavily camouflaged Mercedes-Benz Coupe/Cabriolet, most probably the next SL," Frank told Carscoop.

Although Mercedes has done its best to disguise the SL by covering it in heavy cladding, we can see that the new generation model keeps its predecessor's two-piece folding hard top, while the styling is expected to adopt the German firm's more "artsy" design philosophy as seen on the latest CLS and recent concept models such as the F800 Style, along with a more in-your-face front grille.

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MR Car Design Tunes up the Pre-Facelift Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG

The pre-facelift Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG is the object of MR Car Design's latest tuning program. The exterior kit for the hardtop roadster model includes a lightweight carbon fiber hood from Kicherer, smoked up turn signals all around and the rear diffuser from the newer 2009MY SL 65 AMG. A set of shiny 20-inch alloy wheels from Carlsson and custom-made Black Series gauge dials inside complete the styling package.

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A Short History of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster

It might not be a widely known fact, but strictly speaking, the Mercedes SLK roadster has a 55-year-old pedigree. Allow us to explain. When the German automaker presented the first SLK concept study in 1994, it was continuing the firm's small roadster tradition which stated back in 1955 with the 190 SL.

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Tokyo Auto Salon 2011: Notice anything Strange with this Picture?

Those of you who stayed with us last night (East Coast time), probably followed Phil's live coverage of the first day of the Tokyo Auto Salon 2011, which runs from January 14 to 16. We'll have more from the Makuhari Messe convention center tonight, but for now, we'd like to draw your attention to this particular photo.

At first, you'll probably focus on the glitzy, star-studded Mercedes SL roadster with the gold grille, but look a bit closer on your right and you may see something very strange and perhaps disturbing...

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