Would it surprise you to learn that the term “breakfast run” was coined in South Africa? Sunday morning drives in a car, or motorcycle rides to restaurants, have been a local tradition since the late 1970s.
This past weekend was another chance to engage in this institution in a pair of new Mercedes-AMG SL 63 and GT 63 S coupés, similarly styled but differently positioned cars.
It was an invitation from Mercedes-Benz SA for me and other motoring journalists to experience a weekend in its new luxo-sport dreamboats, culminating in an early Sunday breakfast run to Aroma Coffee Roastery in Hazelwood, Pretoria. For the less initiated, the block of eateries between 16th and 18th streets is hot car haven, new and old.
SL 63 AMG
The Mercedes-Benz SL badge is steeped in history. All seven generations are favourites and the latest model, code-named R232, is the disrupter of a 71-year legacy. It harks back to the SL 300 of 1954 with 2.0l four-cylinder power; the new model launched in 2022 in hybrid SL 43 guise. The original 300 SL also debuted with a 1.9l four-potter, the last of its sort until now.
The latest derivative to be made available in South Africa, and my weekend ride, was the non-hybrid SL 63 powered by a V8 motor churning out 430kW and 800Nm, channelled to all four wheels. It’s a fast car with a 3.6 second sprint to 100km/h and 315km/h top speed. The recipe of a 2+2 grand tourer prevails, but now underpinned by the livelier AMG GT suspension, making the most agile SL in history.
GT 63 S
In our three-car pack were an SL and a pair of the top-tier GT 63 S models — the fastest accelerating Mercedes-AMG now — with potential to scorch from 0-100km/h in just 2.8 seconds, about 0.1 second faster than the AMG One. If coffee is the tonic to a slow Sunday morning, the car I describe as the modern day 300 SLR Uhlenhaut will rocket you into next week.
The GT 63 S is powered by a 4.0l V8 biturbo engine paired with an electric motor to achieve a total system output of 600kW and a whopping 1,420Nm. Where there is a clear road, burying the throttle unleashes a violent torrent of power and in any of the nine available gears from the automatic transmission.
The handling is polished and poised, able to handle and transmit the potent power to the road no matter the surface quality or radius, with no issues. MBSA co-CEO Cladius Steinhoff says it’s designed to be taken on road, track and breakfast runs. The late greats, Sir Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio, would be proud.
Aroma Coffee Roastery, Hazelwood
Seated at Aroma, it’s difficult to focus on tucking into any of the many scrumptious meals on offer. McLarens, Porsches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis whizz by and I had momentary heart stoppage when a convoy of baddy American V8 muscle cars swept past, including a black 1968 Dodge Charger. In a scene taken straight from the script of the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt, it was followed by a period-specific Ford Mustang GT500.
The Mercedes-AMG SL 63 is priced from R3,983,284 and the Mercedes-Benz GT 63 S sells for R4,386,749. Both cars are sold standard with two-year/unlimited kilometre warranties and five-year/100,000km maintenance plans.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.