Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Road test

Sometime around 1963, the Merc known as the Sport Leicht went on a binge and transformed from sports car to glamorous cruiser.

Forty-three years on, this is where we find ourselves - gripping hold of the 'wheel to more than two tonnes of SL65 AMG, replete with a monster twin-turbo V12 crammed under its bonnet.

A recent update has seen a few enhancements, if not attempts to shed the middle-aged spread. The five-speed auto 'box now has alloy paddle shifters to manually actuate its crisp, faster gearshifts, rather than buttons.

The ABC, or active Body Control system, keeps the car 60 per cent flatter than previously through corners and, along with quicker steering, effectively reduces the sense of heft, if not width.

At the soul of this car remains that epic engine, unchanged and still with torque levels capable of tugging the wrinkles right off the faces of its likely customer base.

Could the £149k price be a bargain after all? Just think of the savings on surgical intervention.