The SL might not have the badge kudos of a Lamborghini or Ferrari – and, let’s face it, it’s more expensive than the costliest model from either Italian manufacturer – but it is an extremely accomplished and breathtakingly hardcore machine. That it still manages to feel refined and entirely unintimidating while being so focussed is astounding. Top marks, then, to AMG for coming out fighting when pressures environmental and economical could so easily have neutered this project.

Still, the SL65's driving character is largely a product of its 4,342 pounds, which is 210 pounds lighter than a standard SL65. This much weight in a car this dynamically capable is an unusual and even bizarre combination. This heavyweight package's natural physical resistance to accelerating, stopping and turning is crushed by massive power, huge brakes and a stiff suspension.

There's no escaping the consequences of the SL's mass while cornering or braking. As a result, we found less confidence than we'd like in the steering feel as the car turned into a corner. This SL is also very, very stiff, which hurts front grip. More suspension compliance would likely increase grip in many situations.

The transmission is slow to respond to downshift requests. It has the ability to subtly match revs to reduce drivetrain loads to the rear wheels under braking, but this often happens so late that it's self-defeating. This could be because there's ample torque available to exit any corner in any gear and AMG engineers know it. Still, any car that lacks a direct connection between its engine and rear wheels provides less control than we'd prefer for track driving.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz SL65 Black Series is a very capable track car. And it will be nearly as quick as other cars this focused and powerful. But because of its weight and automatic transmission, we find it less engaging and more difficult to manage than its competition.

The Black's ride quality on the road is, well, stiff, which until recently was expected in a car this capable. Chevy's Corvette ZR1 changed the standard of measure, however, so now we're less likely to excuse less than perfect adaptability to highway travel in a car this expensive.

The automatic transmission is more at home on the street during normal driving, where it can seamlessly blend gears as easily as the Black Series bends physics. Wood the throttle and response isn't instant, but once the power comes on stream, the electronic babysitting gets under way immediately, reducing boost and leading the transmission to shift to taller gears.

The best part? We witnessed such intervention when conducting this exercise at freeway speeds. And honestly, it's all rather silly. Between the engine's instant turbo response and subsequent boost reduction and the transmission's indecision about which gear to use, acceleration is heavily over-managed. Better control over the powertrain with a transmission that uses a clutch rather than a torque converter — plus some intelligent throttle control — would produce quicker acceleration with 50 hp fewer.