The Mercedes Benz SL-Class has been manufactured since 1954, currently in the fifth generation of its technological evolution. It is a two-seater sports car with a retractable hardtop. The SL designation is derived from the German “sport leicht”, which literally translates into English as sport light, and is the flagship model of the Mercedes Benz car range.
SL models are available with a variety of engine configurations. While a V6 petrol engine with a displacement of 3.5 liters generating 231 hp powers the SL280, a turbo version of the same engine provides the power of the SL350 model, with an output of 315 hp. The V8 gasoline engine with a displacement of 5.5 liters that incorporates the SL500 model produces an output of 306 hp. The SL550 uses a 5.5 liter displacement petrol engine in V8 configuration with an output of 382 hp. Then there is the SL600 with a massive 5.5-liter turbocharged V12 petrol engine with an impressive 493 hp. It should be noted that some of these settings are region specific.
While all SL-Class vehicles are equipped with the latest 7GTronic transmission system, some models are available with the sport version of it. Allows manual gear changes using steering wheel mounted gear shift paddles.
The top-of-the-line models, the limited-production SL63AMG and SL65AMG, are built in Mercedes Benz’s high-performance production facility, known as AMG. The engines that power these vehicles are manufactured entirely by hand. The supercharged V8 petrol engine that displaces 5.5 liters and has a power output of 525 hp is used in the SL63AMG. The transmission is AMG’s new 7-speed AMG Speedshift MCT sports transmission, offering a race start option that can change gears in very fast times, which in turn ensures faster acceleration. The impressive SL65AMG is made in very limited quantities and is quite rare. With AMG’s 6.0L V12 turbocharged petrol engine producing 604 hp and AMG’s 5-speed Speedshift automatic transmission, it is the world’s most powerful production roadster. Both models are recognized as the pinnacle of automotive engineering.
As the flagship roadster of the Mercedes Benz company, the SL vehicle range is equipped with top-of-the-line safety and comfort features, a result of the company’s years of extensive research and development experience. It was touted as the first application in a road car of the Mercedes Benz “Sensotronic Brake Control” (SBC) system, which is programmed to send electronic instructions to individual brakes (ABS) that detect an imminent wheel lock under heavy braking. and they can pump the brake up to 30 times per second to avoid lockup. It also features an optional radar-based mechanism, “Distronic Adaptive Cruise Control,” which adjusts speed to maintain the chosen following distance between cars.
The advanced “Active Body Control” (ABC) suspension system virtually eliminates body roll during cornering, using conventional springs and shock absorbers with a hydraulically controlled servo cylinder. And finally, probably the most useful innovation from Mercedes is the “AIRSCARF” function. While driving with the hardtop off, at the push of a button, the surrounding air is sucked in by propellers at the back of the headrest, heated, and expelled through a nozzle. Altogether a very special vehicle.
