The launch of the new Mercedes-AMG SL line-up brought forward the biggest rival the BMW M8 Convertible will have to face. Up until now, the M8 was rather alone in its segment, having to look at much more expensive alternatives to find a proper rival. The one that came closest was the Bentley Continental but now, the SL 63 AMG will take that place as the two are definitely aimed at each other.

Therefore, a photo and spec comparison of the two was only natural. On the design side of things, it’s hard to declare a winner. That’s because design is not exactly an objective topic. As the saying goes: to each his own. There are some similarities though, from the fact that both cars claim to be four seaters but can actually accommodate only two adults in absolute comfort, to the certainty that the materials used inside will be of the utmost quality. The SL is also 15 centimeters shorter than the M8 which means the BMW might actually be the more practical choice. There are other similarities as well. Both cars use textile roofs and both claim to fold them in 15 seconds, at speeds up to 31 mph.

On the technical side of things, the similarities continue. Both cars use twin-turbo V8 engines and both come with all-wheel drive as standard. The SL range kicks off with the 55 AMG model, which has 476 PS at its disposal, and falls short of the M850i and its 530 HP. The same goes for the top-end models too. The SL63 will have 585 PS at its disposal from the twin-turbo V8 under the hood, while the M8 boasts 600 PS, not to mention the Competition version with 625 PS.

Looking over the acceleration numbers, things are pretty interesting still. The Mercedes-AMG SL 55 model will apparently do 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds, while the BMW M850i is just a tad bit slower, at 4 seconds flat. On the other hand, the Mercedes-AMG SL 63 version will do the same benchmark speed in 3.6 seconds while the BMW M8 Convertible will reach that speed in 3.4 seconds, with the Competition version shaving another 0.1 seconds off that time. So, which one would you pick at the end of the day?

[Photos: BimmerToday]