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Walkaround
The Mercedes-Benz SL is surely one of the most beautiful cars produced today. From the jutting chin of its front bumper to its four-eyed headlamps; from its racy front fender air intakes to the sexy shoulders over its rear tires, the SL is not only the style leader for Mercedes-Benz, but for the entire high-performance roadster segment.Since 1957, when the iconic Gullwing Coupe was replaced by a new 300SL Roadster, the flagship two-seater Mercedes has been completely re-engineered only four times. The company says that the current SL pays homage to its 50-year history while offering a new interpretation of roadster excitement. The air inlets in the front fenders are inspired by the original 300SL of 1954, with narrow, wing-like chrome gills echoed in the hood. The four-eye headlamp pattern has the two lamps on each side melding into one another. They represent the latest in lighting technology with a circular Fresnel lens that concentrates the light emitted by the standard xenon low beams. From the side, the rising beltline contributes to the car's rake, and continues the wedge theme established by the 350SL in 1972. At the rear, the triangular taillights use 27 LED bulbs designed to illuminate more quickly. The SL65 AMG is distinguished from other current SLs by its large below-the-bumper air intake, sculpted side skirts, 19-inch AMG wheels, and V12 Biturbo" lettering on its front fenders."
Interior Features
The interior design of the SL is unique even in the world of Mercedes-Benz, differing significantly from the company's famous sedans and even its stylish, ultra-luxury CL coupes. Two large round pods carry the primary instruments, using smart, colorful purple graphics shared by no other Mercedes. The instrument panel and center console are well organized and feature the Mercedes COMAND screen that operates the sound system, navigation, and telephone, with redundant controls on the steering wheel. Below center, just ahead of the shifter, are the ventilation controls, similar in style to the twin round controls used in the M-Class SUVs.The leather-covered seats are supportive and superbly comfortable. They're larger and more sumptuous than those in previous-generation SLs, and Mercedes says they'll adjust for the 95th percentile body type. Dynamic multi-contour seats are available that give a continuous massage. Also available are seats with active ventilation. The relatively low seating position in the SL can tire the legs on daylong trips, something we discovered on a drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in the SL600's 12-way multi-contour seats with ventilation. It seemed more comfortable than a Cadillac XLR or Corvette, however, because you don't feel like you're sitting on the ground. Visibility is better from the SL as well. Everything is trimmed in sumptuous leather and rich wood. Even the headliner is nicely trimmed in suede-like material. Whether the top is up or down, there isn't much trunk space, but we found the trunk system works well with a few small bags that maximize the space, offering plenty of luggage room for a long weekend. Also, the compartments behind the bucket seats will hold a good amount of stuff and are lockable. The SL offers 10.2 cubic feet of trunk space with the top up, 7.3 cubic feet with the top down. The SL is not whisper quiet. There's enough road noise to compete with the stereo in the small cabin. Drop the top and the sound system compensates automatically for the increased road noise. Mercedes worked long and hard to ensure that you can still hold a normal conversation with the top down and the side windows lowered, even at high road speeds. Keyless Go uses an electronically coded card to replace the normal fob-and-key arrangement. As long as you have Keyless Go in your pocket or purse, you simply walk up to the car and touch the door handle, which automatically unlocks; then, once seated, you touch the knob on top of the shifter to start (or stop) the engine. Pretty handy when you've got a double armload of groceries or dry cleaning. No need to struggle to get that key out. Passive safety features include frontal and side-impact head-and-thorax airbags as well as knee airbags. A rollover protection bar automatically snaps up if its controlling computer senses that the car is tipping over.
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