[jim501]

They have nailed these last 2 black series!! Hate to think what they are going to cost here. It's going to be pushing the Lambo/Ferrari prices.

[OzCarSightings]

Estimated price in the UK is around $250K GBP which is just over $500K AUD without all the extra costs we incur....so you're right.

[YSS]

i called BEA - they know nothing about it

if its here and 500k, show me where to sign.

this is a monster and frankly, i am 90% convinced that german is the only way to go. 

[Aircon]

i called BEA - they know nothing about it

if its here and 500k, show me where to sign.

this is a monster and frankly, i am 90% convinced that german is the only way to go. 

no no no....500k plus duty, LCT and GST.

[AshSimmonds]

The S65 is listed at AU$474k, in the UK it's £149k, and in the states it's US$195k.

So - how much change from $750k you think you'll drive this one away for if it's £250k / US$320k?

FWIW - the "standard" SL65 is listed at AU$492k.

[mhh]

The S65 is listed at AU$474k, in the UK it's £149k, and in the states it's US$195k.

So - how much change from $750k you think you'll drive this one away for if it's £250k / US$320k?

FWIW - the "standard" SL65 is listed at AU$492k.

The Black is going to be one expensive car to be sure, but you need to take care comparing prices between markets as different levels of optional equipment can distort the picture.  Also, in the US market, heavy premiums are paid for new models in demand which doesn't occur here.  Recent currency movements favour importers too. All things considered, I'd be surprised if the SL65 Black cost as much as $750K here.   

Anyway, at this level a hundred grand either way doesn't make much difference to demand.  In fact, if a higher price adds scarcity, it makes the car more attractive to the punter with the means to purchase.

[YSS]

The Black is going to be one expensive car to be sure, but you need to take care comparing prices between markets as different levels of optional equipment can distort the picture.  Also, in the US market, heavy premiums are paid for new models in demand which doesn't occur here.  Recent currency movements favour importers too. All things considered, I'd be surprised if the SL65 Black cost as much as $750K here.   

Anyway, at this level a hundred grand either way doesn't make much difference to demand.  In fact, if a higher price adds scarcity, it makes the car more attractive to the punter with the means to purchase.

maybe im not the typical exotic buyer.
rarity is a much smaller consideration than the vehicle / value / performance equation.
the price of such a car would determine completely my inclination to purchase - i rekon it would be plus or minus 75k would clinch it. i cancelled the F430 scuderia purely on price. ithink that car was, IMO, was 50k too much - maybe 75k too much.   
there is a barrier in my mind i just wouldnt pay for any car and a barrier in my mind with respect to what an SL65 black is worth.
outside that barrier, i couldnt justify a purchase - with or without means.

 

[SiFi]

It sounds like it will be coming to Australia:

ripped from here: http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=55220

SL65 AMG Black Series: Mercedes’ new supercar
Greg Cable, drive.com.au, July 22, 2008
   
The latest performance car from Mercedes-Benz could be the last supercar as we know it, Greg Cable writes.
 
Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series

A month after Mercedes-Benz declared it will spend $23 billion on producing a range of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles (including hybrids) the maker has unveiled its fastest and most powerful production road car yet.

When Mercedes began developing the Black Series three years ago, fuel prices in the United States were about 53 cents a litre, so with prices now double that, the new model perhaps couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Like Porsche and Ferrari, the German maker concedes it has to rethink how it gets such performance.

“AMG is on the record as saying that they are investigating and researching new technologies to provide a level of performance that is kind to the environment,” Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says.

“It won’t be the last [supercar] but certainly for the future there will be technologies at work in AMGs to reduce their [carbon] footprint.”

But, despite petrol prices, Mercedes-Benz is holding more than 80 deposits from customers around the world, leaving fewer than 270 of the planned 350 cars up for grabs.

Of the nine cars earmarked for Australia, five have been sold. They are expected in showrooms next May, priced around the $550,000 mark.

This latest Black model follows the lead of the earlier SLK55 AMG and CLK63 AMG Black Series models.

It provides Lamborghini Murcielago-challenging performance, dramatic exterior styling, a sumptuous two-seat interior, and guaranteed top-shelf exclusivity. This car is proof that Mercedes is more determined than ever to mix it with the supercar elite.

Under the bonnet is a tuned version of the standard SL65 AMG’s twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 engine. Power is up by 43kW to 493kW, while torque remains at 1000Nm.

Testing is yet to be finalised but the company expects a 0-100kmh sprint time of less than 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 320km/h (limited).

Even with this performance, the Black model uses less fuel. Its average is 14.4L/100km.

The coupe has a heavy focus on weight saving and extensive alterations to the mechanical package – aimed at creating a car worthy of filling the void soon to be left by the axing of the SLR from mid-2009.

It also acts as a test bed for developments slated for Mercedes-Benz’s forthcoming SLC – a car described by insiders as the spiritual successor to the iconic 300 SL, complete with gullwing doors – due in 2011.

There are strands of the SL65 AMG’s DNA in the body. However, the visual link between the two is tenuous. The only features shared are the shape of the grille, headlights, windscreen, mirrors, doors and tail lights. Everything else has been heavily reworked.

The highlight is the roof. AMG replaced the standard hardtop with a fixed structure that has new rear-quarter windows and a larger rear screen to provide the car with an altered visual character.

The body construction is high-tech. Apart from the aluminium doors every panel is made of lightweight carbonfibre. The coupe’s overall weight undercuts the SL65 AMG by 250 kilograms.

Ten prototypes were built, at least two of which have been used to certify various crash regulations.

Australian versions have seatbelts anchored at the B-pillar and no side airbags. They will be numbered and have a unique plaque.

 

[AshSimmonds]

$550k - 5/9 already gone.  YSS get in quick, if you can find out where the hell they're selling them from...

Edit: sent an email to David McCarthy for more info.

[mhh]

I wonder how involving a drive it would be.  The quality and ease of driving will be up there but a sports car with an (actual slushbox - not double clutch etc) automatic gearbox?  I'm not sure