The new SL65 Black Series adds a lot of beef to the look, especially with the muscular rear wheel arches to accommodate larger wheels and a wider body. The tape across the side suggests no loss of definition here, and the doors are exposed because they are among the few large body panels still fashioned of steel, rather than carbon fiber. The retractable spoiler generates up to 77 pounds of downforce at higher speeds.

Electrohydraulic brakes were swapped in favor of a traditional hydraulic system, and to minimize curb weight, the Active Body Control suspension was replaced with an adjustable coil-over setup. The Black Series weighs in at 4345 pounds, 210 pounds less than the SL65, and although an impressive stat, the European version sheds an additional 300 pounds by using single-piece racing-style bucket seats and air-bag-less carbon-fiber door panels that wouldn't meet U.S. side-impact regulations.

As the name might suggest, the car’s interior is all black: Nappa leather, Alcantara, and carbon fiber. AMG logos abound, and the Black Series gets a smaller, flat-bottomed steering wheel. The speedometer reads up to 360 km/h—224 mph—and the tachometer features LED shift lights.

The V-12 is loud and boisterous, making its presence known. With a firm suspension, the SL 65 Black offers exceptional body control. A quicker steering rack offers fantastic on-center feel, but those enormous wheels severely limit steering angle. If you plan to make a u-turn, you'll need nearly 48 feet, the equivalent of a 4-lane interstate highway.

The SL 65 Black Series is grounded in AMG's signature philosophy "One Man, One Engine". This means the 6.0-liter V12 biturbo engine is hand constructed with ultimate attention to detail by a single AMG engineer before it is lowered into the body of the car. From there, no venues were spared in saving weight, increasing power (from the addition of lightweight carbon fiber elements to boost), optimizing engineering developments like an enlarge gas turbocharger, and improve engine cooling system. Additions to improve on-track performance include a new light weight coil-over suspension to a steering system that is more responsive defined the engineers' process in conceiving and producing this pillar of AMG accomplishments.

In 2009, only 350 copies were built (fewer than 200 coming to the U.S.) carrying an estimated price tag of $348,000 each.

Click here to learn more about the Mercedes SL 65 AMG Black Series.