The best Mercedes SL in decades

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published 28 January 2022

“Few things in the automotive industry are as anticipated as the arrival of an all-new Mercedes-Benz SL model,” says Michael Harley in Forbes. The new SL, developed with AMG, Mercedes’ renowned performance wing, is no exception. It is the culmination of luxury, masterful engineering and technological innovation in “one beautifully sculpted package”. Not that pedestrians will have long to admire it, says Hannah Elliott on Bloomberg. It may have the good looks to rival any modern Porsche or Chevrolet, but with a 4.0 litre V8 engine under the bonnet, passers-by won’t be able to keep their eye on it for long.

Mercedes has injected a surprising amount of power into the AMG SL. It comes in two flavours – the SL55 and the slightly racier 63, with a top speed of 195mph. And whereas the original SL from the late 1950s was lucky to maintain an 80mph cruising speed on the highway, “you’ll have to actively rein this one in”. Inside, it has all the “latest technologies, comfort settings, fragrances, and textiles that make it feel special without forcing them upon you”. The whole package clocks in at a hefty 1,895kg, every ounce of which glues itself to the road, says Georg Kacher in Car magazine. As the AMG SL tears from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds, “the adaptive sports exhaust plays Godzilla vs Kong at every blip of the throttle”. It produces an impressive 590lbs of torque on the tarmac, more than enough to deliver a bite-sized adrenaline rush. And let’s not forget that it’s a convertible, blow-drying your hair on command.

No doubt, this is a heavy car, says Greg Kable in Autocar. And yet, despite packing in every luxury you could want, “it operates with the fluidity of movement and responsiveness to inputs of something much lighter and more Spartan”. The big increase in body stiffness, lower centre of gravity and networked suspension with four-wheel steering results in “sweetly struck handling and great athleticism”. Mercedes has yet to say how much it will cost, but expect to pay around £120,000. For your money, you will get the best SL in decades.