If we haven't hit peak oil yet, surely the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG V12 Roadster will lead the parade into a lawless hellscape where you'll sell your children for a jerry-can of premium. It'll be worth it, trust me. Take my hand and follow the sweetly resonant thump-thump-thump of an AMG 6.0-liter V12 and its 738 lb-ft of gravity twisting torque to the Thunderdome.
I'm not one to get overly excited about Mercedes roadsters. They tend to whisper when I prefer my luxury drop-top sports cars to scream. The new SL 65 V12 lets out a banshee yell with the engine off. Though, given the 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, I'd recommend keeping the glorious mill on as much as possible. Bad for your checkbook. Terrible for the environment. Good for the soul.
There's no consensus about the aesthetic of the new SL, but I'm smitten with it. There's not much homage here. Just strong character lines and a perfect silhouette whose gentle rake implies a continuum of motion. It also has a quality of lightness, backed up by an increase in aluminum that provides a decrease of 254 pounds over the outgoing body.
This particular SL 65 is one of the "45th Anniversary Edition" cars built to celebrate the car's anniversary. They're only building 45 of these collector's items, each in this handsome Designo Magno Graphite color. Other exclusive details include high-gloss chrome everywhere, a "twin blade" grille, matte finish carbon fiber on the exterior bits, and a carbon fiber/aluminum engine cover.
Prices will be astronomical and absolutely worth it.