ONCE A GENTEEL grand tourer and, incidentally, a '90s Bollywood movie fixture, the Mercedes-Benz SL now stands rapidly transformed. In fact, one look at its scowling face, teeth-baring grille, and razor-sharp air-intakes and it's practically impossible to join the dots all the way back to the SL of 20 years ago, whose sole purpose was to breathe joy into long road trips in a way only a drop-top can. The kind that is accompanied by main character epiphanies and the forging of unbreakable bonds. From the Saab convertible in As Good As It Gets to the Goabound SL600 in Dil Chahta Hai-a plush, front-engined roadster can be quite an effective plot device.
This is, however, the SL55 AMG-a V8-powered, Affalterbach-made sledgehammer of a grand tourer that's part AMG GT lite and part Porsche 911 rival. It's a big, fire-breathing, do-it-all, sub-supercar with massive flared wheel arches and styling so aggressive you don't even have to look under the hood to find AMG's fingerprints all over it; it is, after all, the first SL to be developed by AMG. Should you pop the hood-and you absolutely should-you'll find a hand-built 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. The kind that's heading for extinction faster than the white rhino. Still, the SL55 AMG doesn't signify a terminal point in Merc's R&D, but rather a starting one. With an all-new aluminium monocoque and all-new underpinnings, it is one of the brand's most contemporary supercars and will even share bits with the upcoming AMG GT.
Esta historia es de la edición December 2023 - January 2024 de GQ India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 2023 - January 2024 de GQ India.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.