If you’ve ever driven a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, in coupe or roadster form, you know how extreme the car is in stock form. Its hand-built 6.2-liter V-8 cranks out 563 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, enough to deliver a 0-60 mph run in 3.8 seconds, yet the car remains comfortable enough for long-distance touring. It really is a supercar that can double as a daily driver, as long as your bank account can handle its care and feeding.
If the stock SLS AMG is a bit too soft for your tastes, Mercedes-Benz has you covered. It’s announced a Black Series variant of the SLS AMG Coupe, and it promises to deliver even more wretched excess, admittedly at the expense of the car’s grand-touring strengths. Expect the SLS AMG Black Series, however, to take no prisoners on the race track of your choice.
2014 SLS AMG Black Series – image: Mercedes-Benz
Under the hood is a 6.3-liter V-8 that now cranks out 622 horsepower, dropping the 0-60 mph time to 3.5 seconds (likely dictated by the limits of the rear tires’ adhesion). Like the base model, top speed is electronically limited to 196 mph, but you’ll be getting there much quicker in the Black Series Coupe.
2014 SLS AMG Black Series – image: Mercedes-Benz
To ensure the car corners with the same enthusiasm it accelerates with, an AMG coilover Adaptive Performance Suspension is standard. AMG lightweight wheels wear sticky rubber, and massive carbon-ceramic brake rotors further reduce unsprung weight in all four corners.
2014 SLS AMG Black Series – image: Mercedes-Benz
If the body design looks familiar, it’s inspired by the SLS AMG GT3 racer, and borrows heavily from the competition car’s aerodynamic bag of tricks. Even the hood is designed to reduce front end lift while ensuring sufficient airflow for engine cooling, meaning that the SLS AMG Black Series will be tack-ready right off the dealer’s showroom.
2014 SLS AMG Black Series – image: Mercedes-Benz
Pricing and availability have yet to be announced, and only a limited number of cars will be imported. If you want one of your own, now is the time to pay a visit to your local Mercedes-Benz dealer.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
