Wafting to the South Of France in an SL or SLK
Discussion
I'm a big fan of roadsters. Over the years I've owned a Scimitar SS1, a Panther Lima, every incarnation of the MX5 bar the ND and an MGTF.
During lockdown I spent nothing on restaurant meals, nights out, holidays, lunches, coffees, holidays or clothes. March saw me hit the completion of a PCP and handing my car back then not replacing it. Combine this with with clocking in a mass of overtime as one of a lucky few assigned to hold the fort at work during the pandemic and being old and ugly enough to have paid off my mortgage my bank balance has never ever looked healthier.
I quite fancy treating myself to a fairly fresh SLK or a not quite so fresh SL.
In my head I'm seeing myself wafting down the Autoroutes and Autostradi to somewhere like Cassis in the South of France or a little fishing village south of Livorno on the Tuscan coast.
One of the hardest trips of my entire life was hammering down from Central Scotland to Marseille in two days driving a NC MX5 roof down. I was wrecked. The noise, the buffeting, the bright light, the heat..... it was all too much.
In my fantasies the same trip will be a Breeze in a much softer, much more cosseting boulevardy, airconditioned Mercedes. Part of it is fueled by my own experiences of having owned or run as company cars C and E Class saloons and estates.
Can anyone with experience of either the SL or SLK tell me whether these cars will allow my dreams to come true or tell me my expectation are a bit too high.
During lockdown I spent nothing on restaurant meals, nights out, holidays, lunches, coffees, holidays or clothes. March saw me hit the completion of a PCP and handing my car back then not replacing it. Combine this with with clocking in a mass of overtime as one of a lucky few assigned to hold the fort at work during the pandemic and being old and ugly enough to have paid off my mortgage my bank balance has never ever looked healthier.
I quite fancy treating myself to a fairly fresh SLK or a not quite so fresh SL.
In my head I'm seeing myself wafting down the Autoroutes and Autostradi to somewhere like Cassis in the South of France or a little fishing village south of Livorno on the Tuscan coast.
One of the hardest trips of my entire life was hammering down from Central Scotland to Marseille in two days driving a NC MX5 roof down. I was wrecked. The noise, the buffeting, the bright light, the heat..... it was all too much.
In my fantasies the same trip will be a Breeze in a much softer, much more cosseting boulevardy, airconditioned Mercedes. Part of it is fueled by my own experiences of having owned or run as company cars C and E Class saloons and estates.
Can anyone with experience of either the SL or SLK tell me whether these cars will allow my dreams to come true or tell me my expectation are a bit too high.
SL.
Get over to the Brge 1-5 thread for some real MB beard knowledge. The SL500 has the air suspension which can be expensive, the 350 does not.
The SLK isn’t that great for comfort, my wife has one and we took it down to our house in Mumbles from N Wales and whilst it was fun in the twisties it’s just have the refinement of the SL, as the the wheelbase is too short.
My uncles has a diesel SLK, not for me at all, a roof down diesel should be banned.
The Porsche Boxster is just a no.
Get over to the Brge 1-5 thread for some real MB beard knowledge. The SL500 has the air suspension which can be expensive, the 350 does not.
The SLK isn’t that great for comfort, my wife has one and we took it down to our house in Mumbles from N Wales and whilst it was fun in the twisties it’s just have the refinement of the SL, as the the wheelbase is too short.
My uncles has a diesel SLK, not for me at all, a roof down diesel should be banned.
The Porsche Boxster is just a no.
Why is that? In October 2019 I took a friend on a bit of a tour down to Spain, across the South of France, into Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and back home again through France in my manual Boxster S. We both had plenty of room for luggage and space for a few collectibles from any interesting brocantes along the way in France, and neither of us felt sore or went deaf. I did all the driving as I couldn't easily get her insured on my car, and honestly it was an amazing trip. Can't wait to do something similar again!
I wish I could tell you.
Bought an SLK55 in 2019 to do a Euro trip or two... I can’t sell until I’ve taken it over (and under The Alps)
Maybe next year...
I think it will be a good long distance car though - engine nice and relaxed when wafting, and will just about manage 30mpg whilst doing it, good cruise control and AirScarf and heated seats just in case it’s a bit chilly. Pretty quiet and with good aircon and a great audio system with the roof up.
Bought an SLK55 in 2019 to do a Euro trip or two... I can’t sell until I’ve taken it over (and under The Alps)
Maybe next year...
I think it will be a good long distance car though - engine nice and relaxed when wafting, and will just about manage 30mpg whilst doing it, good cruise control and AirScarf and heated seats just in case it’s a bit chilly. Pretty quiet and with good aircon and a great audio system with the roof up.
I don't care which car you use but I strongly recommend the Fishing village south of Livorno , having driven down the Autostrada
from Genoa or La Spezia ,down the coast and also have been south of Pisa to Livorno and beyond .,,,,,
If you start from Genoa , there are dozens of tunnel to pass through on the A12 .
from Genoa or La Spezia ,down the coast and also have been south of Pisa to Livorno and beyond .,,,,,
If you start from Genoa , there are dozens of tunnel to pass through on the A12 .
Ferruccio Fan said:
I don't care which car you use but I strongly recommend the Fishing village south of Livorno , having driven down the Autostrada
from Genoa or La Spezia ,down the coast and also have been south of Pisa to Livorno and beyond .,,,,,
If you start from Genoa , there are dozens of tunnel to pass through on the A12 .
I know that road very well. Bridge tunnel, bridge tunnel for miles. Vada, Rosignano Marittimo is my favourite destination around that neck of the woods.from Genoa or La Spezia ,down the coast and also have been south of Pisa to Livorno and beyond .,,,,,
If you start from Genoa , there are dozens of tunnel to pass through on the A12 .
I did this 2yrs ago in my SL500, down through the Alps in to Italy.
Spent a few days around Garda before heading down to Rimini and the Adriatic.
Drove back up and along the Med towards Spain.
Never owned but have driven an slk and they are different from the SL, its certainly doable in the slk but the SL is on another level regarding comfort levels.
You can easily achieve 30+mpg in the bid SL too.
Roof up if you are unlucky enough to hit some bad weather or you need aircon to cool off.
On the ferry.
Lake Garda.
Adriatic coast.
No explanation.
Spent a few days around Garda before heading down to Rimini and the Adriatic.
Drove back up and along the Med towards Spain.
Never owned but have driven an slk and they are different from the SL, its certainly doable in the slk but the SL is on another level regarding comfort levels.
You can easily achieve 30+mpg in the bid SL too.
Roof up if you are unlucky enough to hit some bad weather or you need aircon to cool off.
On the ferry.
Lake Garda.
Adriatic coast.
No explanation.
I covered parts of Northern Spain and southern France en route to Le Mans in an slk a few years ago. I was certainly do able, but with the roof down for the duration, a little more space would have been nice.
I’m looking at changing the other half’s runaround at the moment and this thread has now got me looking at SLs again!
Always fancied one. Last time I looked at them I headed down the CL route instead, so it might be time to scratch that itch.
I’m looking at changing the other half’s runaround at the moment and this thread has now got me looking at SLs again!
Always fancied one. Last time I looked at them I headed down the CL route instead, so it might be time to scratch that itch.
Probably not as fresh as you're after but this manages the French waft thing OK. Albeit this model generates too much noise from the roof over 130 kph.
The trick to wafting is sensible wheels and not to hurry.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=gummi-pflege&adgr...
Pack some of this too, incase your car generates an annoying squeak.
The trick to wafting is sensible wheels and not to hurry.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=gummi-pflege&adgr...
Pack some of this too, incase your car generates an annoying squeak.
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