First Drive Review
We could argue all day about whether the new Mercedes SL is a sports car or a plush cruiser for the wealthy and middle-aged. It certainly isn't a thinly disguised racer, but it does put virtually all the German company's formidable armory of technology at the driver's disposal. There is no more technically advanced roadster anywhere in the world.
So let's agree to disagree about whether a hefty 4200-pound car whose SL designation stands for "super light" has betrayed its origins as a Le Mans winner in the '50s. You will know if this is the kind of car that would make you feel good-and whether you can afford the $86,000 that the SL500 is expected to cost when it becomes available here in March.
The original 1954 300SL was a two-seat gullwing coupe, but most of the SLs that followed were convertibles, supplied with removable hardtops to justify their exalted prices. The newest SL is a coupe and convertible in equal measure-and changes from one to the other simply by fingering a switch between the seats.
Of course, the smaller and less expensive Mercedes SLK showed the way with its retractable hardtop. The only snag with the SLK is that when the roof disappears into the trunk, there isn't much space remaining for luggage.
The new SL could not require such a compromise. Its roof is a masterpiece of engineering. It takes just 16 seconds to raise up, separate into four pieces, and fold into the trunk. The cleverest part is how the glass rear window flips over to nestle under the roof panel so the retracted roof takes up much less space and leaves enough room for a couple of medium-size suitcases-or golf bags-underneath. And to make stowing easier, the whole folded roof assembly lifts up at the touch of a button inside the trunk.
With the roof in place, the SL is a cozy coupe. Drop the top, and there is the choice of a breezy ride with the windows down or fairly serene progress with them up and the mesh wind blocker in place. There are only two seats, though; unlike some of its predecessors, the new SL does not have kiddy space in the rear.
If you need more room, Mercedes will direct you to the bigger, more expensive, but quite similar-looking CL coupe. The CL500 was the first car to have Active Body Control (ABC), a semiactive suspension system that provides very accurate wheel and body control using electronically directed hydraulic plungers. The new SL has this system as well, along with anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control, combined for the first time with Sensotronic electrohydraulic brake control.
