Beach Chair

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, First Drives, LuxuryAffalterbach Additions Transform Benz's Heavy-Hitting Droptop Saint-Tropez is a charming town in southeastern France nestled along the Mediterranean Sea. Internationally recognized as a summer playground for the wealthy and famous, it is also famed for its "clothing optional" beaches where more than just noses and shoulders get burned in hot weather. While still a couple months shy of warm weather and the influx of tourists, Mercedes-Benz chose to get an early start on the topless party by flying us to the Côte d'Azur for some seat time in its newest high-performance droptop, the 2013 SL63 AMG Roadster. Our first taste of the new SL-Class was behind the wheel of the standard SL550 in Spain less than two months ago. The two-seater impressed us with its stout chassis, strong engine and lavish appointments - but it failed to stir our emotions. The base SL long ago steered away from being a driver's car, and its latest incarnation proved no different. It was, in effect, just a very capable and posh GT. But the SL63 AMG, boasting upwards of 557 horsepower thanks to a burly twin-turbocharged V8, still seems promising. Its luxury appointments are nearly identical, yet it wears AMG attire and its entire powertrain has been upgraded to appease warm-blooded automotive enthusiasts. Do fresh duds and a new muscular system make a more compelling athlete? We roughed in the French Riviera to find out.Continue reading 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video]2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 May 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Chilean officials are asking fishermen to help save birds caught in nets after thousands of dead fowl appeared along the coast of the South American country this week.