The 577bhp Mercedes-AMG Purespeed is Affalterbach’s answer to the McLaren Elva
The PureSpeed speedster is the first in Mercedes-AMG’s mythos series of ultra-exclusive specials, featuring a V8 powertrain and an AMG One-inspired design
Just a few months since development came to a close, Mercedes-AMG has revealed the ultra-exclusive Purespeed speedster in its final form. With just 250 set to be made, it’s the first in the Mythos series of ultra-limited models, aimed at the lucrative limited-run special market that’s proliferated in recent years with the McLaren Elva, Aston Martin V12 Speedster and Ferrari Monza.
The Purespeed is very clearly related to the Mercedes-AMG SL and is therefore based on the platform the latest in the line of long-serving Mercedes roadsters shares with the second-generation Mercedes-AMG GT. What is obviously different is the lack of a windscreen and roof, with the PureSpeed sharing more in silhouette with the McLaren SLR Stirling Moss of 2009.
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What it doesn’t share with the Stirling Moss is the modern F1-style halo that anchors between the two rollover hoops and reaches over the cabin to meet the car at the base of the very low aero screen. This is a replacement for a conventional A-pillar that provides additional protection for the occupants in the event of an accident. The device is also aerodynamically optimised, both to improve cabin refinement and reduce drag. As are the two helmets that will come with each of the 250 examples.
The front facia below the headlights diverts away from the SL and its traditional ‘Panamericana’ grille. Instead, it appears to be very much inspired by the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar, itself shot through with F1 influence – including an engine transplanted (with many extra steps) from the 2015 title-winning Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 car.
Under the bonnet is the same 4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 you'll find in the SL63, sending an identical 577bhp and 590lb ft of torque to the ground through a nine-speed automatic transmission. Despite the removal of the roof, performance stays the same, matching the SL63 with a 3.6sec 0-62mph sprint and 196mph top speed flat-out.
Following its debut, Michael Schiebe, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, said: 'Thanks to the car’s radically open design with no roof or windscreen, nothing separates the driver and passenger from the elements, allowing them to fully appreciate the vehicle, the road and the landscape with all their senses. In this way, the PureSpeed bundles the traditional strengths of AMG: highly emotional and very high performance vehicles that inspire – at a glance and behind the wheel.'
Mercedes-AMG hasn't disclosed a price for the PureSpeed, but given its bespoke design and limited status, expect it to be quite some way above the £171,965 starting price of the SL63 on which it's based...
