Review | Mercedes AMG SL 55 4MATIC - The legend is updated
There’s a bloke around the corner from me called Dave who’s got a red 1970 Mercedes 280 SL roadster. It looks wonderful and sounds wonderful. Dave drove it to a Mercedes SL convention in Geneva last year. So, it’s wonderfully reliable too.
Dave’s steering wheel is enormous. The horn is a metallic hoop that is attached to the steering boss, roughly the same size as a Peugeot 208 steering wheel which, if you’ve not been in the compact Pug lately, has the same dimensions as a dinner plate or medium-sized pizza.
I popped in to see my Dave at the weekend because I had just taken delivery of the latest Mercedes SL.
Dave’s car is a second-generation SL. Mine is a brand new seventh-generation model. It was good to see a few retro touches in the latest SL cabin, which harked back to the 1970s. They also shared something which more recent SLs have dispensed with, a canvas roof, although this latest version is an engineering marvel and takes just 15 seconds to open and close. You can even operate the mechanism at speeds up to 45mph.
Dave’s old Mercedes doesn’t have a central touchscreen that tilts so that you can avoid reflections or be dazzled when you’ve got the roof open. Mine does.
Oh, and if you’re wondering from where the SL name is derived, it’s for Sport-Leich - ‘Sport Light’. This is what the original SL cars were all about because they were designed to be raced and not for cruising along the Côte d'Azur.
Mind you, Leicht is something that you could never say about the latest Mercedes SL because it tips the scales at close to two tonnes. Fortunately, there’s plenty of grunt under the bonnet to shift it because this Mercedes SL is the 55 model, which sits between the entry-level 381bhp 2.0 litre SL43 and top-of-the-range SL 63.
Power for both the 55 and 63 models comes from a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 which develops a very healthy 470bhp in the SL 55, which converts to a 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 183mph. The SL 63 577bhp version is 0.3 seconds quicker to 60mph and 12mph faster. Stick with the SL 55. Both return almost exactly the same 21.5mpg. The SL 43, as you’d expect, is more frugal, managing to get into the 30s for mpg (just).
And you know that when the magical AMG letters are included in a car’s name that the performance and handling side of things has been well and truly sorted. This is the first SL to have been launched under the guidance of AMG, which sort of hints that the ‘sport’ bit of the SL name can be taken seriously.
Permanent all-wheel drive comes as standard with the 55 and 63 models (hence the 4MATIC bit to the name), which has never appeared on previous Mercedes SL models, plus a small amount of rear wheel steer, all of which comes in handy when you decide to unleash the horses. Everything goes via a slick-shifting 9-speed auto box. The specially tuned exhaust gives you a cracking soundtrack. You really do need to drop the hood as frequently as possible.
Out on the road, the SL is a delight. It manages to find the happy ground between being a point-to-point performance car while also being a long-legged cruiser. It’s no longer a Dallas wives show piece; this is an SL aimed at those who like to drive as well as be seen. There are numerous options when it comes to driving characteristics. They range from cushy cruising to racetrack hooligans.
The front view and profile of the SL are very distinctive, but the rear gave a few admirers the impression that it was a Porsche sitting on my drive. You can either take that as praise or an insult. The pop-up wing gives a hint of the performance potential.
The interior is a work of art. No matter which trims level you go for, the Mercedes SL comes fully loaded. Oh, and it’s a 2+2, although the rear seats are for children or the local Hobbit - just chuck some jackets back there. The boot is tight, but you’ll squeeze in a couple of overnight bags quite easily.
After a few Mercedes SLs which didn’t hit the mark and had gone a bit soft and flabby, this latest version is back to legendary status.
Starting price is £108,030 for the SL 43 and £147,475 for the SL 55. Add another £24k for the SL 66.
Words: Graham Courtney
Pictures: Mercedes Benz
