Out of all car brands, Mercede-Benz has the longest history. After all, it was the car company that started it all through Karl Benz – the de-facto inventor of the first combustion-powered car, in 1886. Although the Benz Patent Motorwagen was not a fast car with its one-horsepower, single-cylinder engine, it eventually led to the founding of what would later become Mercedes-Benz. Throughout its entire history, Mercedes was a brand that chased perfection and performance.
Combined with the company’s rich motorsports history and good-old, German engineering, this led to some truly mind-blowing creations, some of which were not road-legal. Among them were vehicles, built specifically to break speed records that would put even hypercars like the Bugatti Chiron to shame. When we say Mercedes did some truly epic things performance-wise, we do not exaggerate and what’s even more mind-boggling is the fact some of those cars came in the 1930s and were responsible for some of the longest-held records. Without further due, these are the 10 fastest Mercedes sports cars ever made.
10 1955 Mercedes 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe: 180 Mph
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The Mercedes 300 SLR is a high-performance variant of the 300 SL that came a year earlier, in 1954. Its fixed head variant, dubbed the Uhlenhaut Coupe, after its designer, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, is currently, the most expensive car in the world. Last year, the Mercedes-Benz Museum, in Stuttgart, sold one of only two existing 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupes for $142 million, at a special auction.
Its 3.0-liter, naturally-aspirated, M196 S, straight-eight engine put out 310 horsepower and 234 pound-feet (317 Nm), allowing for a top speed of 180 mph (290 km/h), making it the fastest road-going sports car of its time. Its open-top, racing variant enjoyed a successful racing career with drivers like Sir. Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, behind the wheel. Sadly, the 300 SLR is also associated with the 1955 Le Mans disaster, which prompted Mercedes's long absence from racing.
9 2018 Mercedes AMG C63S (C205): 180 Mph
The 2018 Mercedes AMG C63S was the first compact sports car from Mercedes to benefit from the brilliant M177, 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8. Luckily for fans (and Mercedes), the downsized V-8 managed to fill in the shoes of the old M156 V-8 rather well. With the letter "S" added to the AMG C63, output rose from 476 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (650 Nm) to 510 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm).
The C205-generation C63 proves that, despite going the downsizing route, it's still a tire-shredding lunatic. The AMG C63 comes exclusively as rear-wheel drive, but still manages a 3.7-second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h). The top speed is an Autobahn-worthy 180 mph (290 km/h).
8 2021 Mercedes AMG SL55: 183 Mph
The 2021 Mercedes AMG SL brought back a few traits from old-school Mercedes SL models, such as the soft convertible top and the two plus two layout. Two of the three powertrain options for the AMG SL feature the M177, 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that was first introduced in 2014, as the replacement of the naturally-aspirated, 6.2-liter M156/M159 V-8.In the lesser, "55" version.
The twin-turbo V-8 produces 476 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm). That power is sent to all four wheels and managed through a nine-speed, Speedshift automatic. This allows the mid-spec AMG SL to hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.7 seconds on to a top speed of 183 mph (295 km/h).
7 2011 Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series: 186 Mph
Often regarded as the last, old-school C63, the 2011 Mercedes C204 C63 AMG is the epitome of German Muscle.The iconic, 6.2-liter, M156 V-8 did not require forced induction to make up to 517 horsepower and 457 pound-feet (620 Nm) in the bonkers Black Series version. This range-topping variant gave the C63 AMG fender flares, new front splitter, canards, and a tall rear wing, all of which made of carbon fiber.
The seven-speed DCT was recallibrated and the suspension stiffened, but the C63 Black Series remained a tire-shredding maniac. With a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) time of 4.0 seconds, it could give its turbocharged successor a run for its money. Despite the aggressive body kit, which increased downforce, the C63 AMG Black Series was able to power through to 186 mph (300 km/h).
6 2013 Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series: 196 Mph
The Mercedes SLS AMG is the first Mercedes sports car, developed from ground zero, by AMG. It was only natural that the Black Series treatment would be bestowed upon this retro-futuristic homage to the 1954 Gullwing, eventually. The end result was a wider, lighter, stiffer, and lower variant of the sleek SLS AMG that was still road-legal, but track-focused. The 6.2-liter, M159 V-8 remained normally-aspirated, but received more aggressive cams among other improvements in order to produce 631 horsepower and 468 pound-feet (635 Nm).
The seven-speed DCT was recalibrated for snappier gear changes, resulting in a 3.4-second 0 to 60 mph 997 km/h) time. A fixed rear wing worked with the rest of the body to pull the car toward the ground at high speeds. Because of thi, the more powerful Black Series was actually slwoer than the standard SLS, with a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h).
5 2021 Mercedes AMG SL63: 196 Mph
In 2021, Mercedes reintroduced the SL. The two letters stood for “Sport Licht” (Sport Light) although the last few generations were not much of either. The new R232 generation, however, changes that as it is the first SL, developed by AMG. The model is also built on the same production line as the AMG GT sports car and shares a lot of components with it, making it, by far, the sportiest Mercedes SL ever produced.
The R232 comes in three guises with the range-topper being the AMG SL63. It comes with a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that packs 585 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm). The 9G automatic and 4MATIC all-wheel drive is standard and allows the car to reach a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h).
4 2017 Mercedes AMG GTR: 198 Mph
The Mercedes AMG GTR was the most powerful version of the AMG GT that didn't feature a flat-plane crankshaft. The 4.0-liter, M177, twin-turbo V-8 produces anywhere from 476 in base setup to 730 horsepower in the flat-plane GT Black Series. The AMG GTR's version of the 4.0-liter unit still retained the iconic, burbling V-8 sound.
Moreover, it backed the aggressive tone with 585 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm), which allowed the 3,428-pound (1,555 kg) Benz to rocket to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 3.4 seconds. The AMG GTR boasts massive power, but also, aggressive aero that helps keep it planted. This epic mix of raw power and downforce resulted in a top speed of 198 mph (317 km/h).
3 2008 Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series: 199 Mph
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Back when the SL was a heavy, old man’s GT car, it was entirely up to AMG to take the vanilla model and turn it into a proper speed lunatic. The result from one such exercise is the R230-based Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series. The mad scientists from Affalterbach took the standard, behemoth of an SL65, and made it wider, lighter, and frankly, too powerful for its own good.
The 6.0-liter, M275, twin-turbo V-12 packed 670 horsepower and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm), which the car struggled to put to the ground. The 5G automatic was the only transmission at the time, capable of holding up to the massive torque (which was electronically limited). The car’s top speed was limited to 199 mph (320 km/h).
2 2013 Mercedes SLS AMG GT: 199 Mph
In 2010, Mercedes introduced a modern homage to the 1954 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing. In the coupe variant, the neo-retro sports car featured the iconic gullwing doors and a more powerful, dry-sump version of the 6.2-liter, naturally-aspirated V-8 engine. This was also the first Mercedes sports car, entirely developed by AMG.
The 2013 SLS AMG GT version is the second most powerful after the track-focused Black Series, but is the fastest, having a top speed of 199 mph (320 km/h), thanks to 592 horsepower and 479 pound-feet (650 Nm). As with all SLS AMG variants, power is sent to the rear through a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic.
1 2020 Mercedes AMG GT Black Series: 202 Mph
In 2015, Mercedes AMG introduced a successor to the neo-retro SLS AMG. Dubbed the AMG GT, it ushered a new age in Mercedes sports cars and started the modern designation of the brand’s performance models, with the AMG abbreviature before the model name. In many ways, this was a more focused sports car than the SLS.
The M159, 6.2-liter V-8 was replaced by the 4.0-liter, M178, twin-turbo V-8. In 2020, came the range-topping AMG GT Black Series, which also introduced a version of that engine with a flat-plane crankshaft. It put out 730 horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm). Despite the racetrack-optimized, aggressive aerodynamics, the AMG GT Black Series still managed 202 mph (325 km/h).