This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.
Lightweight, athletic, luxurious
With the completely redeveloped SL, Mercedes-Benz continues a tradition that began 60 years ago. The letters “SL” have ever since been synonymous with a symbiosis of sportiness, style and comfort – and with groundbreaking innovations. The new SL has been produced for the first time almost entirely from aluminium and weighs up to 140 kilograms less than its predecessor. Its highly rigid all-aluminium bodyshell provides the basis for agile, sporty handling that has been taken to an entirely new level, coupled with exemplary roll characteristics and ride comfort. Even better driving dynamics come courtesy of the new direct petrol injection engine in the SL 500. This engine is more powerful yet at the same time up to 22 percent more economical than the V8 engine in the outgoing generation.
Other new features include the unique Frontbass system, which turns the luxury sports car into a concert hall regardless of whether the top is open or closed, and the highly efficient adaptive windscreen wipe/wash system MAGIC VISION CONTROL; it supplies water from the wiper blade to the windscreen – as required and depending on the direction of wipe.
The new SL from Mercedes-Benz offers considerably more sportiness and
comfort than its successful predecessor, setting new benchmarks in the luxury roadster segment. Add to this absolute suitability for everyday use – making it an unparalleled all-rounder amongst sports cars. In short: anyone who talks about the new SL is talking about passionate, refined motoring of the highest calibre.
Eckart Mayer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz South Africa says: “There are millions of cars in the world and thousands of different models, but there are only a handful of automotive icons. The SL is one of them: it has class, it has style, it has superb levels of comfort and luxury, and it blends all of this with unbelievable sportiness and dynamism. Virtually no other car can meet Gottlieb Daimler’s maxim as perfectly as the SL: the best or nothing.”
Lighter and more rigid: sophisticated all-aluminium bodyshell
The new-generation Mercedes-Benz SL takes the meaning of the famous letters “SL” – super-light – literally. Consistent weight reduction is one of the most outstanding design characteristics in the new SL – as was the case in its namesake, the original SL of 1952 with its lightweight tubular frame. For the first time Mercedes-Benz has implemented an all-aluminium bodyshell in a series-production model. Only very few components consist of other materials. The designers use the even lighter magnesium for the cover behind the tank. High-strength steel tubing is integrated in the A-pillars for safety reasons.
“The new aluminium bodyshell weighs around 110 kilograms less than it would using the steel technology from the predecessor. The result is perceptible and measurable, as less weight means more dynamism and less consumption. In other words: the motoring enjoyment increases, the environmental burden decreases,” adds Mayer.
The aluminium structure is not only lighter but also proves superior to the predecessor’s steel construction in terms of rigidity, safety and comfort. This is achieved thanks, among other things, to its intelligent lightweight construction with components optimised for their specific task. Thus, diverse processes are used to make different kinds of aluminium depending on the use the component is to be given: the parts are made by chill casting or vacuum die-casting, worked into extruded aluminium sections or into aluminium panels of different thicknesses. The result: high rigidity, high safety levels and better vibration characteristics.
Although the new SL is even more comfortable and has more safety devices on board than its predecessor and therefore does actually sacrifice some of the weight saved through the aluminium bodyshell, the scales show some astonishing figures: the new SL 500 (1785 kg) weighs around 125 kilograms less than its predecessor.
Driving pleasure: frugal, powerful engines and agile suspension
Powerful while accelerating, effortlessly superior across all speeds, nimble on winding roads – the new SL provides no end of driving pleasure. Apart from the powerful engines, the sportily tuned yet comfortable suspension, which also boasts an intelligent lightweight construction, proves outstanding performance.
For instance, the steering knuckles and spring links on the front axle are also made out of aluminium to reduce the unsprung masses. The same also applies to virtually all the wheel location components on the rear axle.
The new SL 500 is available with two different suspension systems: the SL features semi-active adjustable damping as standard. The optional active suspension system ABC (Active Body Control) is available as an alternative.
Both suspension variants are combined with a new electromechanical Direct-Steer system featuring speed-sensitive power steering and a ratio that can be varied across the steering wheel angle. This ensures excellent straight-line stability and, therefore, a high degree of assuredness when travelling at highway speeds and makes the SL very agile. It also reduces the amount of steering required when parking and manoeuvring.
