The latest Mercedes-AMG SL goes back to its roadster roots. This time it’s a sophisticated 2+2 soft-top road runner that takes just 15 seconds to get topless, and it can do this at speeds of up to 60 kilometres an hour. It also retains its classic roadster proportions — the hood seems to stretch out ahead of the driver for a time zone!

When it’s launched in Canada this year, the SL will be offered with just one engine — a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. This hand-built unit generates 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque anywhere between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. The fury is then fired though a nine-speed automatic transmission with a wet multiplate start-off clutch in place of the usual torque converter and, for the first time, all four wheels.

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