2009 MERCEDES-BENZ SL

Here for sale is my 2009 SL63 AMG, an extremely special and short run version of the R230 SL Mercedes.

Having always wanted an SL55 but never wanted the issues that plagued early R230s, along with the 5 speed conventional auto, it lent itself too far to grand tourer and too far from sports car, I never took the plunge, but always admired from afar.

In recent years however, after having inadvertently owned an SLK55 with the amazing M113 V8, this was such a brilliant little brute with shed loads of character, so much so, I turned my eye to the last run of the R230 SL series which had become more affordable, it's £120,000 price tag now a distant memory.

It ticked all the boxes; glorious naturally aspirated V8, very smooth and fast MCT gearbox, gremlins ironed out from early models and fresh facelift giving a more masculine and aggressive look, and so the search began.

This particular example I travelled the entire length of the country for but knew it would be worth it, it's been lavished with preventative maintenance, servicing and upkeep with all invoices present.

To describe this car and it's character, I can only say it's a total Jekyll and Hyde; the smoothest, creamiest most comfortable drive whilst receiving a massage can be interupted with a sharp stab at the throttle, immediately the once quiet quad pipes emanate a deep, powerful, thunderous rumble and crackle, the MCT fires through the gears with a spit between changes, the speedo chases the rev gauge and all 525bhp of the wet sump V8 fires into action inducing the largest grin you'll have all day.

It truly is a wonder and totally belies it's own weight, the ABC2 suspension works perfectly, comfort mode switches to sport mode and every bump is further felt, the turn in is sharper, flatter and more responsive than before, switch the ESP off and the rear wheels will try with all their might to break loose the 275 Michelin super sports on the rear, chirping while the whole car remains flat like a flying saucer.

All the while this marvel of German engineering has not one squeak, rattle or knock, over-built is an understatement, the quality is evident in every single component, from the real carbon fibre inserts throughout the interior, to the 1.5inch thick timing chain, the suspension arms, the brake calipers, the £6000 panoramic roof option with alcantara headlining, the stitched leather everything, there had to be justification for costing more than houses 15yrs ago, and it's all evident in the finished product.

Having spoke of its performance and power, I should add that my particular favourite feature of the SL63 is it's ability to cruise so quietly and comfortably for how it spends the majority of its life, following traffic at the speed limit.

Despite having 525bhp on tap, it doesn't come from a highly strung, popping and spitting 4/5/6 cylinder with wound up boost and remaps etc, instead it's reserved, discreet, unassuming to the uninformed, it can woft in almost silence with massage seats on, comfort suspension and gearbox settings, stop start traffic not an issue, for all intents and purposes an amazing commuter car.

In stark contrast, having previously owned V10 M5 with similar power from a similar era, the auto gearbox was horrendous, traffic would cause the SMG to dance more than work, in order to have any semblance of control it needed to be in 'manual' and driven very specifically which lead to a more stressful experience.

The SL does a much better job of fulfilling both roles, a super luxury cruiser but also a genuine sports car with supercar power.

All scuttle shake, steering column shake and gearbox issues found in the earlier R230 were gone from these facelift models, they really do act like a sports car instead of a GT.

Later models report little to no issues with the ABC2 revised suspension compared with earlier cars, a lot of older models have been converted to coilover suspension, however, in 95% of cases this leaves the cars without anti roll bars, a vital suspension component. I personally wouldn't trust that option and glad to report the ABC is totally faultless and works brilliantly on this car keeping it completely flat through corners at almost any speed.

Can also report no issues with the folding roof mechanism as per earlier models, no water ingress (although it's been garaged for most of its life including in my ownership), boot close mechanism works perfectly, SBC system perfect, it's genuinely a fantastic car all round, there isn't one fault to report.

The service history I will detail below in as brief a form as possible as its endless:

03.09.2010 - Mercedes Benz Guildford - 9,985miles

19.08.2011 - Mercedes Benz Guildford - 17,033miles

08.08.2012 - Mercedes Benz Guildford - 27,294miles

16.07.2013 - Mercedes Benz Guildford - 34,652miles

17.09.2014 - Mercedes Benz Guildford - 43,144miles

07.09.2015 - Mercedes Benz Brighton - 52,395miles

05.04.2017 - Mercedes Benz Peterborough - 58,473miles

01.05.2018 - Mercedes Benz Stratford - 62,666miles

26.04.2019 - Mercedes Benz Stratford - 67,006miles

16.03.2020 - Mercedes Benz Stratford - 71,799miles

19.10.2022 - Mercedes Benz Epsom - 76,761miles

14.06.2023 - Mercedes Benz Epsom - 82,458miles

03.09.2024 - Mercedes Benz Glasgow - 90,321miles

In between all these dates there are endless invoices for trips in and out of Mercedes for replacement parts, additional servicing or maintenance, SAMS units, ABC Struts, worn badges or trim pieces, £1000 on thr OEM headunit being rebuilt rather than replace with aftermarket, there are £2000, £3000, even £5000 invoices from Mercedes purely on preventative maintenance, or addressing any little niggles that cars will incur over the years. She's had no expense spaired at all and this shows as she is totally faultless.

Most recently I've replaced the injectors and idlers, tensioners and belts as a preventative measure, there is still warranty from Mercedes on roof hydraulics, SBC, boot lid motor and a number of other items which were replaced also, literally not one aspect of its maintenance or upkeep has been left to chance with cheaper garages etc.

Also have invoice for £900 ceramic coating by minutia detailing, again, only left in the hands of consummate professionals.

If requiring more details please feel free to get in touch, there's too much to list in all honesty.

May consider a cheaper PX but not looking for any swaps etc, funds are going into expanding business.