Just in case there was any lingering doubt about the suitability of the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E Performance in the UK as opposed to its German heartland, rest assured: it doesn’t really make any sense at all. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a hugely likeable V8 drop-top - very far from it. How many of our favourite AMGs from years gone by, after all, have been gloriously overengined, overengineered and over the top? Nobody needs a plug-in hybrid SL with more than three times the power of a Golf GTI, in much the same way that nobody needed a seven-seat, 6.2-litre E-Class, or a twin-turbo V12 S-Class, or a small estate with more than 200hp per litre. But some may well want one, because it’s all just so ludicrous. In an increasingly stringent world, there’s still a wild AMG unicorn out there with 200mph potential and enough pulling power to rearrange the solar system. Even at a price point very few can afford (again, just like the good old days), it’s hard not to be just a little won over by the madness of it all.
The E Performance hybrid side of the SL is familiar from other installations like the S-Class plus both two- and four-door versions of the AMG GT, with a modest battery (4.84kWh usable) and 204hp motor lending a knee up to the hot-v V8. AMG promises that the full whack of the pair’s potential is always available, regardless of battery status, because that’s what’s possible in F1 and this is meant to harness F1 tech (bear with); certainly it never feels anything less than 816hp and 1,047lb ft strong. Often somewhat more than.
All that being true, the approach can lead the driver to feel a little conflicted initially; there’s barely the range to link up villages, let alone make a journey on, with the ‘Electric mode unavailable’ all too frequently seen because the juice has been depleted and the V8 is needed again. Yet despite the focus on keeping the battery light and efficient, this is still a 2.3-tonne car, with a plug flap tacked on the SL’s rump rather clumsily. There seems to be much of the PHEV palaver without many gains.
On the other hand, and as AMG will be keener to point out, a small battery is an easily regenerated one. Stop trying to run the battery out for easy anti-PHEV points, save EV running for urban areas and you’re seldom without, because the SL is always working to bring the battery back to life with regenerative braking. One of the eight (!) Dynamic Select modes is Battery Hold, to retain some charge for later in the journey, and the AMG dials on the wheel can be used to adjust the strength of the regen, none of which feels too extreme - all the way to one-pedal driving. The battery and motor temps are included on the screen with gearbox and oil, which is good fun if you’re also a nerd. Combining an instant mpg readout with a miles per kilowatt hour equivalent on the same screen will give you a headache. Point being that the Electric Drive Unit is made to feel like another powertrain to engage with and get the best from, rather than just a means to an end. Even if seeing something like 20 per cent in the battery and 0 miles of range feels a bit silly.
The power is utterly irresistible, too. Our drive of the SL 63 SEP is at a similar time to the new M5 and, while not any kind of rival, it’s interesting to note the similarities and differences between a pair of monstrously fast twin-turbo V8s with hybrid assistance. The AMG’s is the slicker powertrain, handing over more neatly between electric and combustion power; there’s much less hesitancy and delay if the Comfort setting needs to call on the V8 rather than just 204hp of motor. Equally, it seems quicker to shut down the engine as well when it knows that electric can be utilised. The SL’s feels like an agile, intelligent hybrid setup; if 25mpg on a brisk cross-country hour isn’t going to change the world, it’s mighty impressive for the weight and power. A V12 SL would probably be doing half that.
And the power - sorry, yes, the power. Nothing with this 4.0-litre V8 has ever felt remotely sluggish, because it’s never made less than 476hp over the past decade, though hybridisation really does make it into a different animal entirely. That feeling of another powertrain on top extends to the acceleration, the 63 just utterly relentless in the way it accrues speed - above and beyond even quite senior AMGs. It still rumbles and thunders and gurgles with the best of them, only now the speed soars like a pinball machine high score, numbers almost indecipherable and with no real idea of when it’ll stop. There are some super short early ratios as well, with second done by just 50 and third not much more than 70, so there is realistic scope to experience the full, almighty swell of acceleration from lagless lower reach to rampant top end. Perhaps assisted by the electric here, the nine-speed auto feels more cooperative than in some other installations. Certainly you’d never guess it was even remotely struggling to cope with a four-figure torque output.
That’s the vibe of the whole car, in fact - effortlessly capable and freakishly unflustered given the performance potential. As per all the R232 SLs, the 63 PHEV is a really solid convertible, feeling like precious little is sacrificed in terms of rigidity for the dropped top. This one also benefits from the AMG Active Ride Control with semi-active roll stabilisation, like a standard ‘63, with hydraulically interlinked dampers as opposed to conventional anti-roll bars. Having not driven the regular one it’s impossible to make a comparison with a car a quarter of a tonne lighter, though this E Performance felt nicer than a 55 AMG. Not through any tremendous improvement in feel or ability, but because the roll stabilisation lent it a comfier gait when required that felt more appropriate for an SL. As a heavier, less urgent derivative, you aren’t as inclined to drive the 63 like a sports car.
Considered more as a super GT, the E Performance really impresses; it feels like a V8 SL made a heck of a lot faster, rather than one encumbered by additional weight. Race mode is just as daft as might be expected (or indeed hoped for) in a car like this, with hair-trigger throttle response and some very silly overrun burps; ally that to hyper-alert four-wheel steer and the E Performance can feel like a wild ride to begin with, especially as that most aggressive mode ramps up the tension of the ride also. Calm down both the car (to something like Sport) and your inputs, to do less and expect more of the steering, and the SL is a very easy car to rub along with. It’s a 2.3-tonne Mercedes convertible that can properly manage yumps, bumps, abrupt changes of direction and even a bit of tomfoolery. This isn’t just a barely contained powertrain - the SL can really handle such potency, its driver encouraged to make the most of it. Which is entertaining, to say the least. Where an uber AMG may once have appealed despite its dynamic shortfalls, here it can charm because of them.
Sure, a DB12 Volante remains a more tactile, invigorating convertible to drive. A Bentley GTC will likely offer up greater opulence and sense of occasion. A non-electrified 63 will surely offer up a huge amount of why this E Performance appeals, for roughly £20,000 less. None of that should detract, however, from what’s a hugely likeable AMG SL. Electrification gives the car a character all of its own, without compromising the innate ability of this generation. With the acceleration of an RPG as the cherry on top. Those fortunate to be spending £200,000 on a cabrio must give it a try.
SPECIFICATION | 2025 MERCEDES-AMG SL 63 S E PERFORMANCE
Engine: 3,982cc, V8, twin-turbo, plus permanently excited synchronous electric motor and 4.84kWh (usable) battery
Transmission: 9-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 816 (system output; ICE 612@5,750-6,500rpm plus 204hp electric motor)
Torque (lb ft): 1,047 (system output) (combustion 627@2,500-4,500rpm)
0-62mph: 2.9 seconds
Top speed: 197mph
Weight: 2,320kg
MPG: 36.7
CO2: 175g/km
Price: £198,345 (Ultimate spec, Premium Plus £190,845. This one £202,345 as tested)
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