The 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance is a plug-in hybrid pushing out 805 horsepower and 1047 pound-feet of torque. This monstrous output comes via a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 paired with a rear-mounted electric motor. The SL63 S E Performance arrives next year and should cost north of $200,000
On-Sale Date: Summer 2024
Price: $200,000 (est.)
The current Mercedes-AMG SL63 debuted in 2021 with V8 power, followed by a four-cylinder SL43 model in 2022. Now the most potent Mercedes SL63 S E Performance goes on sale in 2024 with 816 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 with hybrid power. There’s no official pricing yet, but expect an MSRP north of $200,000 to start.
While all three V-8-powered E Performance hybrids use a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 paired with an electric motor on the rear axle, they each achieve different power outputs. The SL’s eight-cylinder is rated at 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, with the 201-hp electric motor bringing the total to a mighty 805 ponies and 1047 pound-feet of torque. That’s some serious muscle, but the SL still sits below the 831-hp, 1082-pound-foot GT63 and 1055-pound-foot S63 in Mercedes-AMG’s hierarchy.
Mercedes claims that the SL63 S E Performance rips to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. The standard 577-hp SL63 reached 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds in our testing, so that estimate for the hybrid sounds conservative to us. The electric motor’s power can also be sent to the front axle via the 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system if more traction is needed when wheel slip is detected at the rear.
The permanently excited synchronous electric motor is mated to a two-speed transmission and a limited-slip rear differential. It is fed by a 6.1-kWh battery sitting above the rear axle, which Mercedes says is inspired by learnings from the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team. Instead of maximizing driving range, it focuses on rapid power delivery. Charging occurs via a 3.7-kW onboard AC charger, and while Mercedes has yet to quote an electric driving range figure, we wouldn’t expect more than 15 miles before the gas engine kicks in. Four different levels of regenerative braking are selectable via a steering-wheel button, with the most extreme mode providing one-pedal driving like in many EVs.
