Give it an inch and this bad boy will pin your ears back.

With the money I spent to buy the 1974 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC sports I owned for five years in the 1990s, I could probably get the accelerator pedal and perhaps the control-laden steering wheel of the 2008 Mercedes sports I have been driving. Maybe with one AMG floor mat thrown in if I am lucky.

The first thing I feel like doing when I get into this gorgeous machine is sit there and take it all in. Cocooned in this rarified world, I feel special. And I have to work out what all those buttons do. One switch on the central console is perfect for the creaky knee. Push it and the car rises up to let you out at almost Camry level. Much more elegant than prising yourself out from the driving position so near to the tarmac. Handy for avoiding excruciating scrapes on driveways too.

The L-plater and I are cruising around the eastern suburbs. We are actually on the way to the library for him and work for me. But we are in no hurry to end the journey.

We have the roof down. The sun's out. We look at each other and smile. We can't talk because he's tuned the radio and turned it up so loud, we can't hear.

I lift my foot gently on to the accelerator, being careful not to damage the feather that's been holding it down. Any heavier pressure and the car generates power similar to a space shuttle launcher. Given the traffic, that's the last thing we need.

What's amazing about the SL 63 AMG is it has a big brother, the SL 65 AMG, which is the sports car equivalent of Godzilla.

But I'm in heaven already in this version. The sound from the big V8 is magic although I'm beginning to feel a bit like J.R. Ewing. I will need an oil well to supply the petrol. It is about now I find the dials have been turned to extreme fuel consumption mode, which gives the car fantastic performance along with an enormous thirst. I wind the settings all the way back to not-parched and consumption drops from 26 litres/100km to nearer 20L/100km, then to about 15L/100km.

This is the sort of car that demands respect in the same way you respect a hot stove. You know if you put a hand wrong - or in this case, a foot - you'll get burnt. It's a good thing I can't afford it. I wouldn't have a licence for long. You need a lot of control and a conservatism that generally comes with age and experience. How else do you fight the temptation to use the race-start function to surprise the hell out of motorcycles at lights?

Driving the SL 63 AMG is like a turn about the floor with the most wonderful dancer. It's lithe and fluid, graceful and sure-footed. But it's not perfect and that's a good thing because in my experience, perfection is followed by boredom.

So not knowing where you are at all times is almost a good thing. A problem arises when you are reversing with the roof up as the rear pillars are difficult to see around. Another visual issue becomes apparent when you drive up or down a steep, curving driveway. The ample bonnet prevents you seeing the kerb. It's a nerve-racking feeling that you may be about to mar those lovely 19-inch triple-spoke light alloy wheels.

Nor is this a great car to drive for long in slow traffic. We know doing so makes drivers nervous and jumpy and the car takes on the same mood.

What it really likes is being out on the open road, eating up long distances in luxurious comfort or taking corners in its stride on winding country roads - once you learn to relax and drive so your ears aren't permanently pinned back. By the time I am settled, the car is doing 10L/100km less in fuel consumption.

After a week in the SL 63 AMG, I feel confident to rate it way up there among the coolest cars on the road. It's sexy in a male way, just as the Jaguar XKR is sexy female. I'm extremely enamoured.

But I am wondering if, long-term, it would give me the pleasure the SLC 450 did. Maybe I should keep it for a while longer, just to make sure.

MERCEDES-BENZ SL 63 AMG

Price $401,235.

Extras Carbon-fibre exterior styling, $6355; remote boot-lid closing, $1070; protective undershield, $317.

Engine 6.3-litre petrol V8.

Power and torque 386kW, 630Nm.

Transmission Seven-speed automatic with shift paddles.

Fuel consumption 13.9L/100km combined.

Safety Stability control, four airbags, anti-theft alarm with motion sensor, automatic roll bar.

Brakes Ventilated discs with anti-lock and electronic brake assist.