Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG: Comfortable power (pictures)

Small touches like the carbon fibre spoiler help make the SL 63 AMG look more special.

Quad, squared-off exhausts make the SL 63 AMG look pretty menacing.

They also help its rump look rather more exciting.

It's fair to say that the SL is a bit "snouty."

And shouty, actually.

It'll manage 0-62 mph in just over 4 seconds.

If you think that's quick...

...its top speed is 155 mph (limited), unless...

...you spec the AMG Performance Package.

The AMG pack ups the power to over 550bhp from around 530...

...and rips the limiter off the engine...

...pushing the top speed to 186 mph. That's quite brisk, isn't it?

This isn't the fastest SL, either.

The SL 65 AMG has more power, and will hit 62 mph in 4.0 seconds dead.

The 65 has more power than the SLS AMG supercar, too.

The chaps at AMG take a normal, sedate Mercedes-Benz and fill it with more power.

But, they don't do too much to the suspension...

...they do tune it, fret not, but they don't create a car that'll destroy your spine.

So what you end up with is a cruise missile that's rather comfy. As though it were made of moss.

The SL comes with plenty of toys to keep you comfortable while you travel at 186 mph.

It has massaging seats, with four settings (fast and vigorous is a favourite).

You can also have your seat heated or cooled. Which is nice.

As the SL is a convertible (I drove it in late October -- that roof stayed firmly up), you can have Mercedes' air scarf to blow warm air over your neck as you drive along.

One thing that we can't convey in pictures...

...is the incredible noise that falls out of its exhausts. It's simply incredible.

It's big, guttural, and mechanical. All the things a good V-8 should be.

As you'd expect from a top-end Mercedes, everything in the cabin is superbly made.

The paddles for changing gear are wonderfully machined and as a result they're just a touch nicer to use than common or garden plastic ones.

AMG badges are littered all over the cabin...

...to remind you just what the car's packing.

Each AMG engine is handmade, this one by a chap called Stefan. Thanks, Stefan, for making a stonker.

The SL 63 AMG weighs nearly 1,900kgs. Thankfully, it stops rather well.

This is the gear selector. It's machined metal topped with leather. On the top it has a stamp from Affalterbach, where AMG cars are born. Nice touch.

Interior flashes of quality make the AMG a wonderful place to simply sit.

But why sit still? You can enjoy the interior at speed. Legal speed, obvs.

Planting your foot results in a touch of lag, then the 63's two turbos spool up and fling the car forward.

The nose lifts slightly, so it's a bit muscle car-ish, if I'm honest.

Pace + noise = big smile.