Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed revealed: The most expensive SL has no windscreen
Only 250 units will be built
Just don't say SL to this car. Otherwise you might not get one. Although it is, of course, recognisably a Mercedes-AMG SL only without a windscreen but with a Formula 1-style halo. Only 250 examples of the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed will be built. The final version is now on show, presumably rolling out to privileged customers for a very high price. The price is still being kept under wraps.
As the first model in the highly limited Mercedes-Benz Mythos series, the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed celebrates its world premiere at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. Heavily limited or translated: Less car for more money. But Mercedes is not alone in this - just think of the thousands of special models of the Porsche 911.
Gallery: Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (2025)
AMG boss Michael Schiebe is certainly enthusiastic: "The Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed is the most direct way to experience performance and driving pleasure. Radically open, neither the roof nor the windscreen separate the driver and front passenger from the elements. You can experience the vehicle, the road and the landscape unfiltered with all your senses. [...] The PureSpeed thus combines the traditional strengths of AMG: highly emotional and very powerful vehicles that inspire - both at the sight and behind the wheel."
Highly emotional. Commendable after the rather under-emotional C 63 with plug-in hybrid. But back to the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed:
The Speedster's design is characterised by the combination of a low silhouette, long bonnet and very low-slung front end with a pronounced sharknose. The shark-like front is somewhat similar to that of the Mercedes-AMG One with a wide air intake and AMG lettering as well as a dark chrome-plated Mercedes star.
Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (2025)
Added to this is the aerodynamically optimised bonnet. The small, partially transparent deflectors at the front and sides are designed to keep distracting air turbulence away from the driver and front passenger. Aerodynamic, sharply contoured visible carbon fibre elements in the lower section of the vehicle form a stark contrast to the "sensual, rounded shapes of the upper section of the vehicle." The boot lid and rear diffuser are also aerodynamically optimised. Their design takes into account the missing roof.
The design of the 21-inch forged aluminium wheels is characterised by the carbon fibre cladding on the front and rear axles. The rear panelling is completely closed, which reduces air resistance. The front ones are open to optimise airflow at the front end and brake cooling. At the front, 275/35 R 21 tyres are mounted on 9.5 J x 21 inch rims, at the rear 305/30 R 21 tyres on 11.0 J x 21 inch rims.
The design team's precision work is also evident in the side sill panelling with aero flics. The muscular shoulders above the rear wheels with a wide track width merge into the boot lid and the wide rear apron.
The chassis of the PureSpeed consists of an aluminium spaceframe with a self-supporting structure. Other materials used in the car are aluminium, magnesium, fibre composites and steel. In addition, there are carbon parts for the aero elements on the front and rear aprons and side skirts, as well as the panelling behind the seats.
The retractable rear spoiler is one of the active aerodynamic elements. It changes its position depending on driving speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration and steering speed in five different angular positions (from 50 mph). Depending on the position, it can optimise driving stability or reduce aerodynamic drag.
Active aerodynamics are also concealed in the underbody in front of the engine. The carbon profile weighs two kilograms, reacts to the position of the AMG drive programmes and automatically extends downwards by around 40 millimetres at a speed of 50 mph. This creates the so-called Venturi effect, which additionally sucks the car onto the road and reduces lift on the front axle.
Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (2025)
Additional aerodynamic elements on the underbody, similar to those of the AMG GT 63 PRO, are intended to help compensate for the omission of the roof and thus improve downforce. There is also a lift system on the front axle, which protects the exclusive beast from nasty kerbs and the like.
The 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine with 585 PS and 800 Nm provides propulsion - how could it be otherwise? The sprint from standstill to 62 mph is completed in 3.6 seconds and the top speed is 195 mph.
A wet clutch replaces the torque converter in the 9-speed transmission. In addition, all-wheel drive is now a standard feature of a purist roadster in the AMG world. The PureSpeed relies on a chassis with semi-active, hydraulic roll stabilisation. Active hydraulic elements replace the conventional mechanical anti-roll bars. It also has rear-axle steering on board.
Braking is provided by a ceramic composite brake system as standard. The 6-piston fixed callipers at the front and 1-piston floating callipers at the rear are painted black and bear white AMG logos.
Not just aesthetically interesting: a halo system replaces the conventional A-pillars. The halo has been part of every Formula 1 car since 2018 and protects the driver's head in the event of an accident.
Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (2025)
In the PureSpeed, the system consists of a tubular steel bracket that is connected to the body shell structure of the vehicle in a fork shape. The roll-over protection system also includes two rigid roll bars, which are concealed under the scoops behind the seats. They are also part of the bodyshell structure. The halo is indirectly illuminated at the bottom with two narrow LED strips.
The fact that the PureSpeed is not for lovers of intact hairstyles can also be seen from the addition of two aerodynamically optimised helmets. They are painted in the colour of the car and have an intercom communication system. This should enable the driver and front passenger to chat intelligibly even when travelling at speed. Smartphones can also be connected to the intercom system, allowing phone calls and music to be played via the helmet loudspeakers.
AMG pays homage to motorsport with many other design details in its luxury special. The two scoops behind the seats are reminiscent of the 300 SLR.
The optional motorsport styling package offers a paint finish with a colour gradient from Le Mans red to graphite grey with a black AMG pattern. This alludes to the colour scheme of the Mercedes winning car in the Sicilian Targa Florio automobile race exactly 100 years ago.
That racing car was painted red - a colour reserved for Italian makes at the time. German racing cars, on the other hand, were traditionally painted white. The red colour scheme was intended to prevent the German car from being obstructed by Italian motorsport tifosi. The coup worked: The Mercedes 2-litre racing car with start number 10 crossed the finish line first, driven by Christian Werner. The starting number "10" can also be found on the front mudguards of the Motorsport Styling Package and refers to the victory 100 years ago.
The interior is finished in white and black. The performance seats come with a multi-contour seat function and climate control. The area behind the seats is finished in carbon fibre. As befits the presumably hefty price range, the interior is classy: high-pile floor mats, leather door sill panelling and an IWC analogue watch specially designed for the car.
Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed (2025)
There is also a Burmester high-end 3D surround sound system with 15 loudspeakers and 1,170 W of system power. A plaque in the centre console with the words "1 out of 250" indicates the limited edition of the Mythos model.
To ensure that the weather gods spare the car when stationary, a weather protection tarpaulin is included in the scope of delivery. It is stretched over the interior, including the halo, in the traditional manner and attached to the wheel arches. Each customer also receives a customised AMG indoor car cover.
Rare pieces from Mercedes:
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Mercedes Recalls 144,000 Cars For Blank Screens
Mechanic Asked To Name The Most Reliable Vehicle. His Response May Surprise You: ‘The Potential To Reach 650,000 Reliable Miles’
Man Buys Mercedes. Then Something Unexpected Pops Up On The Screen: 'They Are Sending Ads To The Car Now'
How Audi Turned Lamborghini's Hybrid Supercar Into Something Entirely Its Own
No Surprise: The New Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Will Be Pricey
'Walmart... They Let Me Watch': Man Goes To Jiffy Lube For An Oil Change. Then He Checks The Dealership
The Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 Coupe Is Still Odd, But The Inline-Six Helps: Review