Rare Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

A rare black 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, one of 350 built, leaving Cars and Coffee at Finish Line Auto Club.

One thing I've always liked about Mercedes-Benz is that despite being a reasonably attainable luxury brand, it doesn't hesitate to offer its wealthiest clients the most insane factory model variants imaginable. Why on earth would anyone need a convertible CLK stripped down to a street-legal DTM race car, or an S-Class with a 600-hp twin-turbocharged V12, or a six-wheeled G-Wagen lifted so high you can see truck drivers at eye level? The SL-Class, which until the latest generation had become more of a heavyweight luxury touring convertible, was no stranger to the AMG V12 Biturbo treatment. While visually almost identical to standard SL's, the SL65 cost as much as some Ferraris and Lamborghinis and had even more power, making it one of the ultimate factory sleeper cars.

But what if you wanted a more aggressive design and even more power, and you had even more extra money to spend? Here's the perfect car for you. The SL65 Black Series came from the factory with bodywork wild enough to fit right in at a Liberty Walk meet. The turbos are bigger, and the engine now makes 661 horsepower instead of a meager 604. The car has an automatically deploying rear wing like many supercars. And for the sake of keeping weight down, the roof is now fixed in place. So much for an open-top luxury tourer. If you can handle this car's $300,000 price tag and want the top down, just buy yourself another SL. There's really no reason this car should exist. But thanks to Mercedes, it actually does, and it's fricking awesome. With only 350 units built, it's sure to become a collector's item. And since Mercedes has discontinued the V12 engine used in the AMG "65" cars, I believe this is, and will always be, the only twelve-cylinder Black Series model.

Would you put miles on this car if it were in your collection, or leave it stored away to preserve value? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!