2026 Mercedes-AMG SL63 S E Performance Test: Sound and Fury
Key takeaways
- The SL63 S E Performance's potent plug-in hybrid powertrain generates some serious numbers, at a cost.
- View exterior photos Michael Simari|Car and Driver The Mercedes SL-class underwent a major change in its latest generation, ditching its roadster form in favor of a four-seat convertible layout.
- Even ignoring its $209,250 base price, the SL63 S E Performance is a truly extreme machine.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
The SL63 S E Performance's potent plug-in hybrid powertrain generates some serious numbers, at a cost.
View exterior photos Michael Simari|Car and Driver The Mercedes SL-class underwent a major change in its latest generation, ditching its roadster form in favor of a four-seat convertible layout. It also started sharing its powertrains with the fixed-roof AMG GT coupe, including the top-of-the-pops 63 S E Performance setup, a plug-in hybrid powertrain that produces some positively aggro power numbers. Of course, reaching for the gold ring of all-out performance requires some sacrifices to the SL's inherent luxurious nature, but it manages to balance everything quite nicely.
Even ignoring its $209,250 base price, the SL63 S E Performance is a truly extreme machine. Under the SL's long hood lies a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 producing 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet. Add to that a 201-hp, 236-lb-ft electric motor and a battery with 5 kWh of usable energy, and you get a stonkin' 805 horsepower and 1047 pound-feet of twist, which is fed to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission.