2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Edition IWC

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Edition IWC SpecificationsDrivetrain

Layout Front Engine, RWD
Differential Multi-Disc Limited-Slip Rear Differential (40 percent Locking) Transmission AMG

Speedshift MCT 7 Speed Automated Manual

Engine

Displacement 6.3 Liters
Engine Type AMG 32V V8, In-House Developed
Horsepower 518 hp
Torque 465 lb-ft.
Redline >7000 rpm

Exterior
Body Type Hard-Top Convertible, 2 Seat
Wheels 19 Inch AMG Twin-Spoke Forged Light-Alloy
Tires (F) 255 / 35 ZR 19
Tires (R) 285 / 30 ZR 19

Performance 0-60 mph 4.5 seconds
Top Speed 186 mph (Electronically Regulated)

Base Price: 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Edition IWC - Reported approx. $160,000

Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Edition IWC 500+ hp sports car
and watch combo: Never arrive late again

Mercedes-Benz AMG is following the lead of Italian automakers Lamborghini and Bugatti in branding the new 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Edition IWC in collaboration with one of the most exclusive makers of fine watches--or "chronometers," as Mercedes' customer base likes to call them--IWC Schaffhausen.

IWC Schaffhausen designers co-designed the SL63 Edition IWC interior with Mercedes AMG, the exclusive performance division of the German luxury sports car maker. The flawless deep brown and black two-tone leather seating and interior trim, combined with tasteful use of the Mercedes Benz AMG and IWC Schaffhausen logos throughout, make this a luxury convertible that happens to output supercar level AMG performance as well.

Under the hood, the SL63 AMG Edition IWC features the same 518 horsepower engine as the standard 2009 SL63 AMG car, a notch under the ludicrious power plant found in the exclusive SL65 AMG Black Series supercar but still more power than 99% of Mercedes Benz' well-heeled customers know what to do with. While some ultra-expensive high performance cars go for stripped interiors in favor of a minimalist aesthetic and weight savings, the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG is all about making the rich feel...rich.

With each and every one of the 200 limited edition SL63 IWC cars sold, Mercedes-Benz will throw in an IWC Schaffhausen "Grosser Ingenieur" (Great Engineer) chronometer, of which similar models command a base price rivaling some cars at the more economical end of the food chain. With that in mind and its sublime 6.3 liter V8, the AMG IWC starts looking almost like a performance bargain. Well... not quite.


Mercedes-Benz Debuts EXCLUSIVE SL63 AMG Edition IWC

Limited Edition Roadster Offered in Cooperation with IWC Schaffhausen

Mercedes-Benz AMG News Release

MONTVALE, NJ - Mercedes-Benz announced today a new limited edition roadster from their high-performance AMG brand, the "SL63 AMG Edition IWC". Based on the newest member of the iconic SL line-up, the SL63 AMG Roadster, the V8-powered, 518-hp SL63 AMG Edition IWC with 465 lb-ft of torque will be limited to a production run of just 200 units worldwide; only 63 will be offered in the U. S. All SL63 AMG Edition IWC vehicles will be delivered to customers along with an exquisite "Grosser Ingenieur" (Great Engineer) watch from the renowned Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen. The SL63 AMG Edition IWC goes on-sale in the U.S. during the fourth quarter of 2008.


Stylish Design Coupled with Precise Performance

Chief among the limited edition's exclusive features is an eye-catching designo Cashmere white paint with matte finish - the first of its kind on a production Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Contrasting matte finish carbon fiber on the side air dam vents, lip spoiler and rear diffuser further enhance the vehicle's already aggressive appearance, and this trim is continued in the interior on the center console and door panels. Electronically adjustable AMG sport seats are covered in designo Brown Premium leather upholstery with an AMG-specific perforation pattern, and feature multicontour and memory functions, heating and AMG badges. More subtle appointments such as black AMG floormats with designo Brown leather piping, AMG door sills with white illuminated AMG lettering and the IWC logo on the lid of the center console ashtray complete the luxurious cockpit of this unique vehicle.

Precision engineering continues under the hood, where the vehicle's 6.3-liter, 518 hp V8 engine produces an exhilarating 465 lb-ft of torque. Partnered with the all-new AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT seven-speed sports transmission the SL63 AMG Edition IWC accelerates from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds. Melding this power with nimble, athletic handling is the Mercedes-Benz Active Body Control (ABC) which virtually eliminates body roll in cornering, squat under acceleration and dive during braking.

Mercedes-AMG and IWC Schaffhausen: A luxurious partnership

Along with the vehicle, buyers of the SL63 AMG Edition IWC will also receive a limited edition model of IWC's "Grosser Ingenieur" watch. This exclusive chronometer has a stainless steel housing measuring an impressive 45.5 millimeters in diameter. The design of the watch's wristband and face compliment the vehicle concept. In addition, the back of the watch is made of sapphire glass that reveals the intricate mechanical clockwork with its automatic Pellaton winding system.

Mercedes-AMG has been collaborating with the time-honored Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen since 2004. In October of that year, the two companies presented their first jointly designed vehicle, the CLS55 AMG "IWC Engineer."

An Exquisite Starting Point - The All-New SL63 AMG Roadster

Forming the basis for the SL63 AMG Edition IWC is the newest member of the iconic Mercedes-Benz SL sports car family - the SL63 AMG roadster. Perhaps the sportiest SL roadster ever, the new SL63 AMG is powered by a 6.3-liter, all-AMG V8 engine that's coupled to a newly developed MCT transmission.

Featuring an innovative start-up clutch that replaces a conventional torque converter, the seven-speed MCT (for multi-clutch technology) transmission combines the direct connection of a manual gearbox with the lightning-quick automatic gear shifts of a Formula 1 race car. Topping off the SL chassis is an even more agile AMG sports suspension based on the Mercedes-Benz ABC active suspension.

MCT Transmission - The Best of Both Worlds

Providing the direct feedback of a manual transmission with the total convenience of an automatic, the new seven-speed MCT with AMG Speedshift is an all-new design available only in the new SL63 AMG and the SL63 AMG Edition IWC. Featuring seven speeds, four shift modes and a double-clutching function, the MCT transmission offers impressive versatility and even faster shift times.

At the heart of the new AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed sports transmission is a new start-up clutch, which runs in an oil bath and replaces a conventional torque converter. Thanks to its low rotational mass, the start-up clutch helps the transmission respond instantaneously and dynamically with no slip.

Fitted with four drive modes: "C" (Comfort), "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual), the transmission provides customized shift control for maximum driving pleasure, and does so with no interruption of power. In Comfort mode, smooth shifts coupled with a "soft" accelerator response are set up for silky smooth power transfer. In Sport mode, the engine and transmission interact quicker - upshifts and downshifts take place at higher engine speed. Gearshifts are around 20 percent faster than in Comfort mode. Switching to the Sport Plus mode cuts another 20 percent off shift times, while the sportiest mode, Manual, reduces shifting times by another 10 percent - a total reduction of 50 percent compared with Comfort mode. In Manual mode, the gearshifts take just 100 milliseconds.

Ultra-fast, spontaneous multiple downshifts are another forte of the new MCT sports transmission. For instance, kickdown will shift directly from seventh down to fourth gear or from fifth to second. In the "S" (Sport), "S+" (Sport plus) and "M" (Manual) modes, an automatic double-clutching function is active. Every manual or automatic downshift is accompanied by precisely metered double-clutching - from "S" through "S+" to "M" incrementally. Not only does double-clutching make driving more fun, but virtually load-free downshifting minimizes any jerking, a special benefit when braking into a curve.

Optional Performance Package for the SL63 AMG

An optional Performance Package is also available for the SL63 AMG, which includes even higher-performance components that are well suited for sporty-minded drivers:

· Electronically-regulated top speed raised to 186 mph (155 mph on standard)
· Vented compound front brake discs that are 15.4 inches in diameter
· Multi-disc limited-slip rear differential with a 40 percent locking factor of for enhanced traction
· 19-inch AMG twin-spoke forged light-alloy wheels
· Staggered-width tires: 255 / 35 ZR 19 in front and 285 / 30 ZR 19 at the rear
· AMG high-performance suspension based on ABC active suspension
· Smaller, two-tone AMG sport steering wheel with a flattened underside and silver-aluminum shift paddles and center spoke.

The First Engine Developed From the Ground Up by AMG

The SL63 AMG is powered by an AMG 6.3-liter V8 engine that features four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, bucket tappets (rather than rocker arms) and a variable intake manifold. Sharing no parts with Mercedes-Benz V8 engines, the 6.3-liter engine was a completely autonomous development at AMG.

Built almost completely from a high-strength silicon-aluminum alloy, the cylinder bores make use of a twin-wire-arc-sprayed (TWAS) coating, a process that results in impressively low friction and running surfaces that are twice as hard as conventional cast-iron cylinders.

The 6.3-liter engine block boasts an especially rigid bedplate acting as the overall support of the main bearings (similar to a one-piece set of main bearing caps), cast-in steel reinforcements and a sturdy closed-deck layout in the cylinder head area. The high-flow intake and exhaust ports form a vertical straight line, helping the 6.3 AMG engine rev freely to more than 7,000 rpm, yet the highly flexible AMG engine still produces nearly 90 percent of its peak torque at only 2,000 rpm.

A finely balanced crankshaft with six counterweights spins in five main crankshaft bearings. The crankshaft counterweights feature heavy metal plugs - a detail usually found only in racing engines - which means they can be significantly smaller, increasing power by reducing rotational inertia and oil drag.

Each forged connecting rod is precisely "cracked" with the help of a laser beam, so the irregular fracture contributes to its strength when the two halves are clamped around the crankshaft. The connecting rods and lightweight pistons are matched for extremely close weight tolerances that contribute to smooth running at high speeds. Small nozzles in the engine block spray cooling oil onto the underside of each piston crown.

The SL63 Gets Unique Styling Touches

The SL63 comes with a distinctive AMG front hood that's noticeably different from other SL models, as well as a new front apron with a more pronounced wedge shape, larger cooling air intakes and a black grille. Bi-xenon headlights with black surrounds and large round fog lights ringed in chrome and set well to the side emphasize the vehicle's width.

Hot air from the engine exits through side air outlets in the front fenders and from the "gills" behind the front wheels. Trim panels finished in matte silver with "6.3 AMG" lettering catch the eye, as do new outside mirrors with arrow-shaped LED turn indicators.

SL63 AMG body styling also includes deeper AMG side sill panels and a beefy-looking rear apron that incorporates a large black air diffuser and two pairs of chrome tailpipes. An AMG rear lip spoiler on the trunk lid reduces lift, especially at high speeds.

Finished in premium leather and genuine carbon fiber, the interior features standard AMG sport seats, an AMG three-spoke steering wheel and a sport instrument cluster with red tachometer and speedometer needles that swing to the max position and back whenever the ignition is turned on.


From Coupe to Roadster in 16 Seconds

At the push of a button, the SL's retractable hardtop can be fully opened or closed in just 16 seconds, transforming the car from a quiet, weather-tight coupe to a top-down open-air convertible. A hydraulic pump and 11 computer-controlled hydraulic cylinders power the system, and roof operation is controlled by a switch on the center console. A clever folding design allows for a surprisingly large cargo area of 7.2 cubic feet when the top is down. With the top up, the trunk holds 10.2 cubic feet.

The World's Safest Convertible

Widely acclaimed as one of the world's safest convertibles, the SL provides sports car performance with all the built-in safety that's expected from Mercedes-Benz. Since an open car can leave its occupants vulnerable in a rollover, Mercedes engineers met the challenge in the SL with the world's first automatic roll bar.

Normally part of the interior's rear-compartment surround structure, the padded, leather-covered bar pops up, locking in place in a third of a second if sensors detect an impending rollover. The driver can also raise and lower the bar by a switch on the console.

Shoulder belts are integrated directly into the seats for greater occupant protection, especially in roll­overs. The Mercedes SL was also the first car with side airbags, which are part of a safety system that includes dual front airbags and emergency tensioning retractors that tighten the seat belts in a collision.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2007, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 253,433 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 14 consecutive years of sales growth. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.maybachusa.com.