The 2014 SLS AMG Black Series doesn’t have a straight-eight, but it does have the most potent 6.2-liter V-8 Mercedes-Benz has ever built. This is likely the last naturally aspirated gasp of the brand’s heavy-breathing M159 engine we’ll ever hear.
AMG has given the engine new camshafts, specially coated bucket tappets, a more efficient intake tract, more-durable crankshaft bearings, and a titanium exhaust system that shaves 29 pounds. The mighty V-8 goes out barking, spitting, and spinning all the way up to 8000 rpm. All 622 horsepower (up from 583 in the SLS GT) show up at 7400 rpm with 468 pound-feet of torque coming in at 5500 rpm. An angry Sprint Cup car–like thrum pulses out of the Black’s four exhaust tips to warn the hard of hearing.