Mercedes-AMG SL 63 Manhart Pumps Blue Blood And A Gold Sprinkle

By now, every tuner that matters in the automotive world has a few upgrades on its shelves for the new-gen Mercedes-AMG SL. After all, we’re talking about a car that will turn two years old in four months (yep, time does fly). Manhart is now joining that list with a comprehensive makeover and a power boost.
 

Last time we wrote about one of the German tuner’s projects, we showed you their take on the BMW M3 Touring. Only that build and the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 pictured above have nothing in common, not even Manhart’s signature exterior look, which is only present on the roadster.
 

Speaking of that, the SL 63 sports a black finish decorated with gold trim. This tells the car crowd that it came from Manhart, and the new wheels round off the exterior makeover. Measuring 10×22 inches, the Y-spoke monoblock set was shod in Hankook Ventus S1 Evo2 tires in sizes of 295/30 at the front and 335/25 at the rear. The brake system remains standard, but the tuner’s logo is displayed on the calipers.
 
Now, while the exterior may not be something to write home about unless you’re really into black and gold, the power boost is. You see, Manhart gave it an air filter upgrade, improved the intercooler, and fitted it with their MHtronik powerbox. The result is 697 hp (707 ps/520 kW) and 690 lb-ft (935 Nm) of torque. To handle the extra oomph, the transmission was tweaked, and if you must know, it still delivers everything to the all-wheel drive system. The OPF-delete sport downpipes with 600-cell catalytic converters are on the options list, and since they don’t feature TUV approval, they are intended for markets outside Germany.
 

Would you be curious to find out how quick the tuned SL 63, which was rechristened the SL 700 S, is with these upgrades? Well, you’re not in luck because Manhart is keeping the performance specs close to its chest. Nonetheless, it should be slightly faster than the stock car, which takes 3.6 seconds from 0 to 62 mph (0-100 kph). The standard SL 63 tops out at 196 mph (315 kph), and its bi-turbo 4.0-liter V8 produces 577 hp (585 ps/430 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque. The lesser SL 55 is three-tenths slower and enjoys 469 hp (476 ps/350 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm).
 
For now, this is where Manhart drew the line, but they promise additional enhancements in the future, which will be aimed at the cabin of the three-pointed star company’s roadster. They haven’t said what they’ll do to the cockpit, but we can probably expect new upholstery options, different pedal pads, fresh floor mats, and a few other modifications.