LOS ANGELES - November 15, 2011: The next-generation Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG sport utility vehicle is making its world premiere at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public November 18-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Three more high-performance Mercedes-Benz cars are making their North American debut at the L.A. Show - a long-awaited roadster version of the formidable SLS AMG gullwing coupe, the race-track-designed C63 AMG Coupe Black Series and the 415-hp SLK55 AMG featuring AMG Cylinder Management. Also during the Show, the L.A.-based Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy is gearing up for its freshman class of teenage drivers at its first training center in the U.S. On sale in the U.S. February, the 2012 ML63 AMG (518hp, 516 lb-ft) adds V8 performance to the new-generation M-Class line launched earlier this year, combining formidable AMG power with the all-wheel-drive traction of the renowned Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC system. In addition, an optional AMG Performance Package is being offered for the first time on the M-Class. Standard equipment on the new ML63 AMG includes a designo leather interior with a black headliner and Parktronic as well as the feature-packed Premium 1 and 2 option packages.

All ML63 AMG sport utilities are fitted with special AMG body work that includes deeper under-bumper aprons at the front and rear, more sculpted rocker panels under the doors and quad exhaust pipes. Inside, AMG sports seats are complemented by a leather-covered AMG steering wheel with sporty flattened bottom. Joining the popular ML350 (302 hp, 273 lb.-ft.) and the thrifty ML350 BlueTEC diesel (240 horsepower, 455 lb.-ft. ML63 AMG is powered by a direct-injection, biturbo V8 that produces 518 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. Among the exciting new cars making their North American debut at the L.A. Show, a Black Series version of the C63 AMG Coupe features a number of impressive refinements designed to make it the most powerful C-Class of all time. Thanks in large part to forged pistons, a modified engine control unit and lighter crankshaft and connected rods, its V8 now produces 510 horsepower, up from 451. Zero-to-60 mph acceleration takes 4.2 seconds.

Larger engine air ducts in the deep AMG front apron are complemented by two air outlets in the aluminum front hood. The Black Series suspension and brakes go well beyond the AMG components in the normal 2012 C63 AMG Coupe. For example, front wheel track has been increased, and the rear fenders are nearly two inches wider on each side to accommodate wider track as well as larger, staggered-width wheels and tires. Also making its North American debut in L.A. 2012 SLS AMG Roadster. With a retractable fabric top and conventionally hinged doors, the new convertible joins the highly successful SLS AMG gullwing coupe, the first-ever car designed and developed from the ground up by Mercedes-AMG, the company鈥檚 high-performance division. The SLS AMG can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 3.7 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 197 mph. With 563 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque, the 6.3-liter V8 engine is one of the world鈥檚 most powerful naturally aspirated V8s in production. Among its many special features, dry-sump engine lubrication (rare in the auto industry) along with a front-mid engine located well behind the front wheels, coupled with a rear-mounted transaxle, all contribute to impressive vehicle handling. The all-new SLK55 AMG is the first AMG model in a sports car line introduced earlier this year, and it鈥檚 also the first V8-powered car in the new SLK lineup. The 2012 SLK55 AMG is powered by a direct-injection 5.5-liter V8 that produces 415 horsepower and 398 lb.-ft. 0-60 mph acceleration of 4.5 seconds. The new V8 features an AMG Cylinder Management system that imperceptibly cuts off four cylinders during partial load, improving gas mileage considerably. Similar to a system used on 750-hp Formula 1 engines, all eight cylinders are activated smoothly whenever the driver needs more power.

The AMG version is a huge improvement over the standard MLs in how it goes around corners, yet it鈥檚 hard to fathom why going super fast around corners would really be a requirement in an SUV as big as this. That鈥檚 not to say it鈥檚 not fun, because it is. The side-to-side bodyweight shift found in the regular ML350 is basically non-existent in the AMG, yet it remains just as calm in comfort mode. It鈥檚 a shame the regular ML doesn鈥檛 get this suspension setup, for it would vastly improve its dynamics. During a quick sprint up Mt Glorious on the outskirts of Brisbane, the ML63 provided plenty of entertainment. In a sense, it hides well from the local constabulary as clearly no one is mad enough to drive an SUV fast up a mountain, right? In any sense, though, it needs to be driven with respect to its bulky size, so it鈥檚 not as planted as a Cayenne or even the previous generation BMW X5 M (new one coming later this year). A few times it tended to understeer when pushed hard into a corner and then you can clearly feel its weight.