The Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed Is Here To Make You Feel Like An F1 Driver*

It’s getting cold out there, at least in the northern hemisphere, and there’s nothing like a car with no roof or windscreen to really ram home the fact that it’s four degrees and cloudy outside. Welcome, then, to the production-spec Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed.

We first saw this limited-run haircut-ruiner as a concept back in May, and the production car looks… pretty much exactly the same. Though Merc’s being coy about it, the PureSpeed is pretty clearly based on the SL and gets the same powertrain as the SL63, the spiciest non-hybrid version of Merc’s roadster.

That means AMG’s ubiquitous 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in 577bhp, 590lb ft guise, linked to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and variable four-wheel drive. It’ll hit 62mph in 3.6 seconds and crack on to a top speed of 196mph, at which point a wasp to the forehead would probably feel more like a paintball. Helmet-wearing is highly advised.

Helpfully, Merc supplies a pair of aero-optimised crash hats, colour-matched to the car and fitted with an intercom system so you and your passenger don’t have to sit in awkward silence as you barrel along.

You can’t not notice the halo bisecting the cockpit, a design cue borrowed from the world of F1. Integrated into the PureSpeed’s structure, Merc says it’s an important safety element, and while we’re not sure it’ll do much to shield occupants’ heads from errant debris in the way an actual F1 car’s halo does, it should at least provide a bit of extra rollover protection. We have our own thoughts on whether this is something that should be finding its way onto road cars, though.

There’s the usual range of clever aero stuff at play, with a deployable rear spoiler that cycles through five different angles once you’re above 50mph, and an active underbody element that drops down by 40mm – also above 50mph – to create a venturi effect beneath the car.

Like the SL it’s based on, the PureSpeed gets Active Ride Control adaptive suspension, ceramic composite brakes, and rear-axle steering.

Despite a lack of basic amenities like a roof, this is still a Merc, and therefore still plush on the inside (if you can even call it that). There are heated leather sports seats, and a beefy 15-speaker Burmester sound system, which should do a commendable job of fighting with the onslaught of wind noise. Unique to the PureSpeed is an analogue clock in the dash made by posh Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen.

The first of Merc’s new Mythos series of limited-run cars – akin to the likes of Ferrari’s Icona specials – just 250 PureSpeeds will be made. Merc doesn’t say how much it costs, but we expect nobody’s going to be cross-shopping it with a boggo A-Class.