There are 805 horsepower and 1047 pound-feet of torque in the 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance plug-in hybrid monster. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine linked to an electric motor in the back makes this huge amount of power. The SL63 S E Performance will cost more than $200,000 when it comes out next year. Get used to seeing the name “E Performance” if you like big German racing cars. Mercedes-Benz is working hard to make its AMG lineup more hybrid. After the controversial four-cylinder C63 S E Performance, the S63 and GT63 S four-doors now come with V-8-powered plug-in models. Now it’s the turn of the beautiful SL racer. The 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance will be on sale the following year. Because it has a hybrid engine with 805 horsepower, this is the most powerful SL ever made. The three V-8-powered E Performance hybrids all have the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine and an electric motor on the back axle, but they all make different amounts of power. When a 201-hp electric motor is added to the SL’s eight-cylinder engine, it can make a powerful 805 horsepower and 1047 pound-feet of torque, up from its normal 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. Even though it has a lot of power, the SL is still less powerful than the 831-hp, 1082-pound-foot GT63 or the 1055-pound-foot S63. Mercedes says it takes the SL63 S E Performance 2.8 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. That estimate for the hybrid is too low because, in our tests, the regular SL63 with 577 hp hit 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. If the 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system notices a tire slide in the back, it can send the power of the electric motor to the front axle to improve grip. The synchronous electric motor is constantly stimulated and is linked to a limited-slip rear differential and a two-speed transmission. Mercedes says that the 6.1-kWh battery that powers it was shaped by what they learned from the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team. Above the rear axle is the battery. It puts power output ahead of optimizing the driving range. Mercedes has yet to say how far the electric car can go, but we don’t think it will go more than 15 miles before the gas engine starts up. The car is charged with a 3.7-kW AC charger that is built into the car. There is a button on the steering wheel that lets you choose from four different regenerative braking settings. The lowest setting lets you drive an electric car on just one pedal. The E Performance is different from older AMG SL models because it has trapezoidal tailpipes with grooves and a charging port under the right-side taillight. There is an “E Performance” badge on the front fenders and a red “SL63 S” badge on the back decklid. The wheels come in 20- and 21-inch sizes and the infotainment system has screens that are tailored to hybrids. The hybrid SL has dynamic roll control and steering that is done by the back wheels. A movable rear spoiler and an underbody spoiler in front of the engine are part of the optional aerodynamics kit for the SL63 S E Performance. At 50 mph, the front-axle lift is reduced by 1.6 inches. With its big ceramic brakes, the SL loses speed while gaining it back. Front discs are held in place by six-piston fixed brakes, and back discs are held in place by a single-piston floating caliper. The SL63 S E Performance will cost more than $200,000 since the base price of the non-hybrid SL63 is $188,150. Mercedes still needs to make the official announcement about the price. The sales will start next year, and more details will be shared in the months to come.
