Hein Wagner, a South African man who was born blind, set a new land speed record for the blind after hitting 200 mph in a Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series. He held the 200 mph speed for more than a half mile.

Wagner said that hitting 200 mph is a milestone for any drive, regardless of whether they’re sighted or blind. His record will be entered in the Guinness World Records and will replace the previous record of 191 mph set by a blind Belgian man.

In 2005, Wagner became the first South African man to set a world land speed record in a Maserati while traveling at a speed of 167 mph.

Refresher: Power comes for the Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series comes from a 6.0L twin-turbo V12 that produces 661-hp and a peak torque of 738 lb-ft. The engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. 0-60mph comes in at 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 200 mph.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series:

- By: Omar Rana

Source: News24

• •  6.0 V12 Bi-turbo producing 670-hp and a maximum torque of 738 lb-ft.
• •  0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds; top speed of 199 mph.
• •  550 lbs lighter than the Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG.
• •  Will cost you $300,000

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its new 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series in the U.S. at the 2008 LA Auto Show yesterday. We have to say, seeing the SL 65 AMG Black Series in person is a totally different experience then seeing it in press photos.

Only 175 units will make it to the U.S. so you better get your hands on one quick. Pricing starts at a whopping $300,000.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series – Live from 2008 LA Auto Show:

Click through for high-res images.

Completing the trio we’ve seen throughout the day, the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series is the last car being shown off today by the AMG Performance Studio. The new SL 65 AMG Black Series was a tough job for the AMG Performance Studio who worked on the new body design with large air inlets, wide mudguards and features such as the extendable spoiler. A large number of components were made from lightweight carbon-fiber knocking off 550 lbs when comparing it to its sibling, the SL 65 AMG.

Even the chassis of the new 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series received a completely new design to work with the rear axle limited slip differential and the 3-level ESP. AMG Performance Studio topped off the SL 65 AMG Black Series with 19 or 20-inch Dunlop sports tires, an AMG high-performance brake system and an all-black interior featuring nappa leather, alcantara and carbon fiber trims.

Other than that we already know that power comes from a 6.0L V12 biturbo engine making 670-hp with a maximum torque of 738 lb-ft. Mated to a SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 5-speed automatic gearbox, the SL 65 AMG Black Series goes from 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 199 mph. The transmission also allows four different drive programs and a double clutch function.

Want to know more? We did some thorough digging and found out pricing details for you. Pricing starts at 327,250 euros ($415,918 USD) with the first models to be delivered later this month.

Click through for the high-resolution image gallery.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series:

We’ve been hearing about AMG going green for a while and now CAR has a couple of new details on the diesel and hybrid future of the high-performance Mercedes-Benz models. According to AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg, AMG is getting ready to produce hybrid and diesel version of its cars that will also use low-weight material in order to keep performance at current levels.

Mornhinweg said that the new 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series, which is 250kg lighter than the SL 63, will be the last high-performance AMG to have such massive power. He said the upcoming Gullwing supercar will be the first new model that will produce a modest 571-hp.

Mornhinweg said that by 2010 AMG will introduce a mild-hybrid that will feature start/stop technology, lightweight components and will reduce fuel-consumption of the 6.2L V8’s by 30 percent. It will borrow a lot of the technology introduced in the new S 400 BlueHYBRID.

As for deisels, Mornhinweg says that AMG won’t do large torquey diesel models. Instead, AMG will lean more towards a smaller and more responsive diesel.

He is hoping that the new path will increase AMG annual sales to 30,000 units.

2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series:

Source: CAR

It’s been a while since we’ve seen anything new on the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG Black Series. While we wait for Top Gear to get their hands on one, Mercedes-Benz TV has released this video showing its DTM driver Bernd Schneider testing the new AMG beast.

Mercedes-Benz will be showing the SL 65 AMG Black Series AMG at the Paris Motor Show next month and we’re guessing we’ll get to see it at the 2008 LA Auto Show in Nov. with some pricing details.

Refresher owered by a 6.0L twin-turbo V12 producing 661-hp with a maximum torque of 738 lb-ft. Mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. 0-60 mph comes in at 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 199mph.

Click through for the video.