The 577bhp Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed will do 195mph… with no windscreen

Remember the sleek two-seat Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed unveiled earlier this summer? We’ve now got word of its outputs and can confirm it’s capable of some very BigSpeeds… when you’re not tootling around Monaco, obviously.

Make for the hills above instead, and you’ll be treated to 577bhp and 590lb ft from its biturbo V8. That’s good for 0-62mph in 3.6s and a top speed of 195mph… with no windscreen. But fret not, because occupants are provided with helmets to shield them from an army of surprised bugs.

That grunt translates to the road through a nine-speed multi-clutch transmission and Merc’s trusty 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system, with other goodies including active suspension and ceramic brakes. It’s shaping up well then, for Merc’s most poster-worthy supercar since the AMG-One.

Sitting proudly above that bespoke body is a Formula One-inspired 'halo', which even has ambient lighting. Of course. Oh, and those helmets we mentioned have built-in intercom systems to allow you to maintain conversation with your passenger at BigSpeeds.

Pity yer average SL - from whence this PureSpeed came - does without the *huge* air scoops behind the seats, transparent deflectors at the front and lots of extra carbon in sections like the 21in forged aluminium wheels. We’re not sure the red/black/grey livery is the most flattering for this shape though.

The PureSpeed kicks off Merc’s new line of exclusive ‘Mythos’ cars, which will hark back to various racers from the past with subtle flashes in design.

Just 250 of these will be built for an as yet undisclosed price, but expect it to sit a few leagues north of the £198k needed for a decked out, range-topping SL63 ‘Ultimate’. Yeah, this thing won’t BeCheap.