The new SL

[Ari]

Had a quick search for a topic on the new SL but couldn't see one.

There's a road test in this month's Car Magazine. Seems they've made it 'sportier', which is a bloody shame for what was always a great GT car. It can now compete with a Porsche 911 for dynamics apparently. Road roar was mentioned too, the death nell of a great GT car (noise generally). Roof has gone fabric, saving 40kg I think it said, but the car is 200kg (or something) heavier anyway as now 4 wheel drive plus other new tech.

And the boot is half the size.

It looks great, it's got (rather pointlessly small) rear seats now, and of course it's a tech fest inside with a massive iPad type thing in the centre console which makes the outgoing SL look seriously dated by comparison.

So not all bad, but it sounds as though they have lost what made the previous SL really great - the hard top coupe/convertible aspect and the long legged refined GT aspect, which seems a shame.

[stef1808]

Can’t think of any modern new iteration of a car that’s become more sportier and less GT so doubting the SL will be any different

[Doofus]

I'm really not a fan of Mercedes current design trend, and on top of the ugly grille, the back half of the new SL looks like a 911.

[swisstoni]

It was covered on here a couple of months back.

It’s a bit of a blob in photos. I can see loads of echos of previous SLs especially the oldest ones. But it doesn’t seem to all add up to a happy looking thing.

Could be a grower though.

[LeeM135i]

To be different I have to say I like it. I am a fan of the AMG GT which has very similar looks.

Its the first SL I would buy, in a few years when they are in the second hand £50k-£60k price bracket.

[Doofus]

LeeM135i said:

To be different I have to say I like it. I am a fan of the AMG GT which has very similar looks.

Its the first SL I would buy, in a few years when they are in the second hand £50k-£60k price bracket.

To be fair I absolutely hate the AMG GT. It looks like it was drawn by a nine year old.

I have owned 2 R107s, 2 R129s, 1 R230 and an R231. I will not own an R232.

[Ari]

LeeM135i said:

To be different I have to say I like it. I am a fan of the AMG GT which has very similar looks.

Its the first SL I would buy, in a few years when they are in the second hand £50k-£60k price bracket.

I can see why you would, if you want a sportscar it's excellent. However it does feel a bit like Mercedes has vacated a sector they owned (hard top convertible GT car) and joined one already well populated by manufacturers arguably already doing it better (Porsche 911 etc).

[Ari]

Doofus said:

To be fair I absolutely hate the AMG GT. It looks like it was drawn by a nine year old.

I have owned 2 R107s, 2 R129s, 1 R230 and an R231. I will not own an R232.

I have a R231 also, and I can't see me moving on to the R232. In fact it's really hard to know what you can replace the last of the 'proper' SL for. Bentley, stunning but too dear, no local dealer and a soft top, Ferrari Portofino, has the metal folding roof but again out of my league financially and I suspect overly sporty. Aston Martin, soft top, too dear for me (there's a theme here isn't there?), no local dealer. BMW 8 Series, soft top and a bit meh, Audi don't do anything at all 'top end convertible' except the R8, too sporty. 911, ditto.

Honestly, what else is there that does what the now previous model SL did? Solid roof convertible comfortable refined GT?

[Luke.]

Ari said:

I have a R231 also, and I can't see me moving on to the R232. In fact it's really hard to know what you can replace the last of the 'proper' SL for. Bentley, stunning but too dear, no local dealer and a soft top, Ferrari Portofino, has the metal folding roof but again out of my league financially and I suspect overly sporty. Aston Martin, soft top, too dear for me (there's a theme here isn't there?), no local dealer. BMW 8 Series, soft top and a bit meh, Audi don't do anything at all 'top end convertible' except the R8, too sporty. 911, ditto.

Honestly, what else is there that does what the now previous model SL did? Solid roof convertible comfortable refined GT?

A soft top is far classier than a hard top.

[Jon39]

I sense some disappointment here with the latest SL.

Perhaps time to consider my favourite cars.
Even available with Mercedes engines.












Wonderful.

[trevalvole]

Ari said:

I have a R231 also, and I can't see me moving on to the R232. In fact it's really hard to know what you can replace the last of the 'proper' SL for. Bentley, stunning but too dear, no local dealer and a soft top, Ferrari Portofino, has the metal folding roof but again out of my league financially and I suspect overly sporty. Aston Martin, soft top, too dear for me (there's a theme here isn't there?), no local dealer. BMW 8 Series, soft top and a bit meh, Audi don't do anything at all 'top end convertible' except the R8, too sporty. 911, ditto.

Honestly, what else is there that does what the now previous model SL did? Solid roof convertible comfortable refined GT?

The Lexus LC - it is a soft-top and probably doesn't ride as well as previous generation SLs but still.

[Ari]

Luke. said:

A soft top is far classier than a hard top.

I disagree completely I'm afraid. A fabric tent stuck on top of a car will never look as good as a decent folding metal roof.

[Ari]

Jon39 said:

I sense some disappointment here with the latest SL.

Perhaps time to consider my favourite cars.
Even available with Mercedes engines.












Wonderful.

Wonderful indeed, no argument there.

But fabric roof (or fixed), nearest dealer is 100 miles away and (perhaps morte pertinently) I can't afford one!

I also wonder whether they are as quiet, comfortable and refined as a Mercedes SL.

[Ari]

trevalvole said:

The Lexus LC - it is a soft-top and probably doesn't ride as well as previous generation SLs but still.

That's probably about the closest now, although as you say, soft top. Plus the interiors of Japanese cars always look and feel a bit cheap, even expensive ones.

I wonder whether it really sounds like this?

https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/lc-convertible/...

[trevalvole]

Ari said:

trevalvole said:

The Lexus LC - it is a soft-top and probably doesn't ride as well as previous generation SLs but still.

That's probably about the closest now, although as you say, soft top. Plus the interiors of Japanese cars always look and feel a bit cheap, even expensive ones.

I wonder whether it really sounds like this?

https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/lc-convertible/...

Quite possibly - wasn't the LFA known for making a good noise - it would have to be the 5.0 V8, not the V6 hybrid. On my PC screen at least, the LC interiors look very classy with the dash in the same colours and similar materials to the seats and door cars - like some of the older Mercs and perhaps some current Porsches.

[AC43]

Luke. said:

Ari said:

I have a R231 also, and I can't see me moving on to the R232. In fact it's really hard to know what you can replace the last of the 'proper' SL for. Bentley, stunning but too dear, no local dealer and a soft top, Ferrari Portofino, has the metal folding roof but again out of my league financially and I suspect overly sporty. Aston Martin, soft top, too dear for me (there's a theme here isn't there?), no local dealer. BMW 8 Series, soft top and a bit meh, Audi don't do anything at all 'top end convertible' except the R8, too sporty. 911, ditto.

Honestly, what else is there that does what the now previous model SL did? Solid roof convertible comfortable refined GT?

A soft top is far classier than a hard top.

I completely disagree. I'm not really into convertibles and the only one I've every seriously considered is an SL precisely because of the metal roof. I'd have one with the pano as it would be up most of the time anyway.

[RDMcG]

Doofus said:

To be fair I absolutely hate the AMG GT. It looks like it was drawn by a nine year old.

I have owned 2 R107s, 2 R129s, 1 R230 and an R231. I will not own an R232.

Still have my R230 from new.This new car does nothing for me,

[originals]

Ari said:

trevalvole said:

The Lexus LC - it is a soft-top and probably doesn't ride as well as previous generation SLs but still.

That's probably about the closest now, although as you say, soft top. Plus the interiors of Japanese cars always look and feel a bit cheap, even expensive ones.

I wonder whether it really sounds like this?

https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/lc-convertible/...

The Lexus LC500 interior does not look or feel cheap.

Plenty of videos of how they sound on you tube.

[Ari]

trevalvole said:

Quite possibly - wasn't the LFA known for making a good noise - it would have to be the 5.0 V8, not the V6 hybrid. On my PC screen at least, the LC interiors look very classy with the dash in the same colours and similar materials to the seats and door cars - like some of the older Mercs and perhaps some current Porsches.

Good point. The LFA is one if the best sounding cars ever!

[Ari]

originals said:

Ari said:

trevalvole said:

The Lexus LC - it is a soft-top and probably doesn't ride as well as previous generation SLs but still.

That's probably about the closest now, although as you say, soft top. Plus the interiors of Japanese cars always look and feel a bit cheap, even expensive ones.

I wonder whether it really sounds like this?

https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/lc-convertible/...

The Lexus LC500 interior does not look or feel cheap.

Plenty of videos of how they sound on you tube.

Cheap was unfair. They just don't ever seem to have quite the class of a good German car. I can see what they're trying to achieve, all high tech and whatnot, but there's always just a feint hint of Amstrad about them.

They feel a bit, what if Toyota tried to make a luxury car...