The flagship Mercedes-Benz SL has been a mouthwatering motoring prospect for 60 years. Ray Leathern has finally gotten his first ever taste of the sixth generation model.
Signifying ‘sport’ and ‘light,’ this new aluminium-bodied Mercedes-Benz SL is 120 kg lighter than the previous model (known internally as the R230) and sticks truer than ever to its simple but important mantra. One thing I’ve never understood, however, was how über-expensive Mercedes-Benz’s, like the SL, could encroach on the really exotic machines of the motoring world. We’re talking Bentleys, Aston Martins, Porsches, maybe even a cheap Ferrari or two.
I know the SL has a heritage that includes the stunning 300 SL Gullwing of 1954, but from a distance, I’ve never quantified how the prospect of a R1.6 million-plus, cookie cutter, Mercedes-Benz, would float anyone’s boat when, for not much more, they could be buying one of the exclusive brands.
No matter how long and hard I stared at the brochure and read the reviews of the previous SLs, I couldn’t justify it as anything more than a semi-retired, silver haired, pseudo-performance motorist’s car. Jeremy Clarkson had the old one for goodness sake and I bet he’d rather be home with an Irish coffee, a pair of slippers, his pipe and the daily news close at hand, rather than belting around a track in one.
Of course, unlike Mercedes-Benz’s bigger CL-Class, the SL does have some residual value to speak of. Should the time come to ever sell it, unlike a CL, the Mercedes-Benz SL has a folding tin-top, so it gets its Fort Lauderdale cruiser passport stamped too. The SL is also meant to be a much sportier prospect, but that’s not difficult when the CL is about as sporty as a weekend bowls tournament. In amongst this sea of wayward contradictions, what is one therefore to make of a newer, faster and more efficient SL?
I had some work to do to get my head around these contradictions and the three new models there are to choose from. I imagine the Mercedes-Benz SL’s appeal comes in its flagship-ness. It’s ‘über-ness’. Most journalists arrived at the local launch in Cape Town yesterday, (watch the exclusive video here), ready to be overwrought by a vehicle dripping in power and advanced Mercedes-Benz technology; myself included. We certainly weren’t disappointed. Let’s get the facts and figures out the way first.
Starting at R1 635 000, the Mercedes-Benz SL 500 employs a 4.7-litre bi-turbo V8, which produces 320 kW and 700 Nm of torque. The SL 500 will accelerate to 100 km/h from zero in 4.6 seconds.
For R2 120 000 you can step inside the SL 63 AMG, with a 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 that makes 385 kW and 800 Nm of torque. The SL 63 AMG is also available with the AMG Performance Pack that boosts power to 415 kW and 900 Nm of torque. The SL 63 AMG will accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, or 4.2 seconds with the AMG Performance Pack.
Finally, priced at R 2 621 000, the SL 65 AMG boasts a 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12, which churns out 463 kW and 1 000 Nm of torque. The SL 65 AMG launches from a standing start to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.
Each model has the AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission, which we are familiar with from previous AMG models.
That is a staggering artillery of price, power and torque figures to make even the most extreme Reich’s Marshal of the good old days proud. “Deutschland, Deutschland Über Ales”. Life in the SL is clearly meant to be the ultimate, sporting, power trip. Although a lot of the story here is in the under-the-skin use of aluminium to reduce weight, cosmetically the German’s have done a good job with the sixth generation SL. It borrows from previous generations, but doesn’t try to copy them outright. It is its own machine and while it may lack total flamboyance for the money Mercedes-Benz is asking, there is no denying it has presence and typical Mercedes-Benz über-ness.
The new botoxed face, front grille with louvers (two on the AMG’s, one on the SL 500) and lower skirts all around, now give it appropriate, modern menace. It looks good, but mature and still very easy on the eye. I’d argue it’s going for a Liam Neeson, ‘steely resolve’ kind of look, now that he’s become a bankable, yet lovable, action hero in his later years.
As you would imagine, there is a bewildering amount of technology on the inside of the SL, as is befitting of a new Mercedes-Benz. Some of the highlights include: ‘pre-safe’, that knows when you’re going to crash; radar guided cruise control; torque vectoring brakes; a magic sky roof that changes colour; as well as ‘active’ lane departure and lane change assist, which will pull you back into your lane like a disapproving house mistress if you stray over a line without consultation.
Three forward mounted cameras located in the windshield, constantly assess the lane you’re in and if they detect you straying, they will apply the brakes. The same occurs with the blindspot sensors in the rear bumper that monitor the presence of vehicles in an ark around you. First a warning and, if you still don’t react, the brakes are applied to pull you back in line. It is a bit unnerving the first time it does it for you.
The SL will also warn you if you’re accelerating too quickly towards a car ahead that you’re planning to pass for example. This specific bonger goes off a lot when you’ve got over 700 Nm of torque under your right toe. You can turn all the gizmos off of course, which is advisable in certain instances, because the SL can begin to rival a visit to the video arcade with its bongs, warning lights and vibrations coming at you constantly.
Where the Mercedes-Benz SL doesn’t make a meal of things is when you point that aluminium nose towards an open road and bury your foot deep into the luxurious carpet. The new range of engines, with their highly efficient performance and monstrous torque, are the modern equivalent of motoring nirvana. The SL as a whole is far less wild than other similarly powered V8 sports coupes you may encounter for the money, but trust me, it is still intoxicating.
This is not meant to damn the SL with faint praise, but it is safe, detached, high speed fun. I think people in the market for an expensive car like this will appreciate that. Don’t doubt for a second that the SL is hysterically fast, and don’t doubt that we completed our 400 km loop around the Western Cape in very quick time. I think the stretch of tarmac from Franschoek, via Villiersdorp and back to the N2, in particular, did not know what hit it when two SL 63 AMG’s, driven by myself and a colleague, attacked it tag-team style and showed it who’s boss.
Throughout it all though I did feel a little detached from the high speed experience. It was fast, agile, composed and the chassis displayed great rigidity with the roof up or down, but at times it felt like it was happening on a Play Station. It was easy and I knew the safety systems and adaptive chassis systems had my back all the time. Well, that’s how I felt from behind the steering wheel anyway, but the occasional glance towards my co-drivers white knuckle grip on his passenger door grab handle signified we were still going very, very quickly and he was certainly less relaxed. Glancing down at the speedometer showed we were in fact going twice the speed I thought we were. The Mercedes-Benz SL is absolutely mega at long distance, high speed thrashing I have to say.
I had the pleasure of driving the SL 63 AMG for the longest and most demanding leg of the launch route and it was by far my favourite. The SL 500 may be very impressive and virtually as quick off the line as the other two up until 70 km/h, but it does look a lot tamer compared to the AMG models. The SL 65 AMG is very fast in the mid-range, but for me it didn’t have enough traction off the line and the SL 63 AMG made the better sound of the two. The SL 63 AMG delivered all the thrills and even a little more dynamism and composure compared to the bigger V12.
The new Mercedes-Benz SL doesn’t come cheap, but I think the composed coming together of speed, comfort and technology in a mature package is always going to command a high price tag. The SL certainly is a very, very good car and is probably worth every penny.
| Pricing (incl. VAT and CO2 Tax) | |
| Mercedes-Benz SL 500 | R1 635 000 |
| Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG | R2 120 000 |
| Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG | R2 621 000 |
Prices include a 2-year/Unlimited km warranty and 6-year/120 000 km maintenance plan.
