The epitome of style has it all — and then quite a surprising lot more, too. But it’s savagely thirsty and expensive.

Every now and then we do something that changes the way we look at what we do – we experience something about a car that alters our perception on a brand, a product or where the goalposts have sat for a while.

We knew we’d love the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG – there is little doubt that we would not come away from such a significant machine without being in awe of it.

No with 450kW and 1000Nm of tectonic plate-shifting power under my right foot, it was clear I’d get a bit horny about it. Did too – took it for a ride around Mpumalanga – across moonscape coalfields blurred by midwinter smog and littered with coal trucks that made it possible to continually revel in overtaking ability that’s not repeatable by anything out there these days.

So severe it is that you can feel that poor traction and stability control writhing to try control the beast every time you unleash it to cannon past whatever you have to overtake. And let’s not forget that fold-down drop-top, sublime style and brand new face to impress and dazzle whoever wants to next snap it on their mobile phone camera to impress their pals at the pub. So to drive it is a privilege that borders beyond celebrity.

Fully equipped with probably every car gizmo invented, SL 65 has it all and that kitchen sink too – and although there may be an aspect or two in there that even that svelte makeover can’t hide from its age, who cares, really.

We were expecting SL to reset our acceleration record book and it did so with ease – bashing its predecessor to second to keep the title of the quickest accelerating car we’ve ever tested. And we have to refer you to those overtaking acceleration numbers in the test – not every day do you see that!

Roadster from heaven

So obsessed with everything beyond those one or two aspects of its age the facelift can’t hide, we were naturally impressed with this R2.1-million 2.1-tonne roadster from heaven. But we still had to take it to Kyalami and we went there thinking what was to follow, perhaps extinguish one of the ten stars we’d thus far rated it at…

Expecting a handful, I selected the sportiest drive mode, lit up the ABC button and buckled in with the roof up. And for the first time in these tests so far, I kept the traction and stability control – albeit in Sport – on.

I’d even thought my laps through the previous evening as I lay awake in bed – I mean 450kW and 1000Nm on road rubber on Kyalami in a R2 bar ride even had me going.

But that was all in vain…

Accelerates like the space shuttle

As I’d planned, I set out gingerly at first expecting to have to work out how to best drive the beast fast, but I was quickly at ease. The SL65 AMG totally defies its size and mass – it brakes brilliantly, turns in like a dream and picks out that apex like a fish eagle snatching its bass, puts the power down beautifully and accelerates like the space shuttle blasting off.

Keep aware of how quick it is and respect the brake markers and it stops square, if racecar squirrelly, and repeats that precise handling repertoire no matter what the corner.

I got braver and drove harder – paying due attention to keep it as active as possible without pushing it into the zone where that nanny takes over and retards and corrects everything. I went there expecting to fight to get this car to turn a 2-minute 8-second Hot Lap, but after my first tour I was expecting far better, but still not quite expecting the mid 2:05 that flashed up…

Clearly the transmission advances through that lock-up almost-manual ‘box, the advances of that brilliant ABC active suspension set-up and a couple of other little tricks have transformed a bit of a sleeper into a track tool to strikes fear into the heart of anything anyone cares to call a rival…

A small error on the second lap gave a 2:06 and then knowing and understanding it as well as I could in three laps, I put together a neat one and it rewarded me with a 2:04.9.

Let’s put that into perspective – we turned a 2.04.8 in the super-trick Audi R8, an M3 runs a 2.05.8 and an M5 manages a mid-six.

Yes, SL 63 is hugely powerful but to turn in the kind of lap times it did – on road rubber and at an all-in mass of two and a half tonnes, is another story altogether. We underestimated the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG – we always took it as a bit of a sleeper – a dragster that would not really cut the Kyalami mustard.

Boy, were we wrong – this thing is a pedigreed, point-perfect track weapon of absolute note. And if this is a sign of things to come from Merc AMG, then we can’t wait – roll ‘em out – and the sooner the better…