Short Take Road Test
The lexicographers who update the work begun by Noah Webster in 1806 define torque as "the force that acts to produce rotation, as in an automotive vehicle."
Yeah, right. You can almost hear Lieutenant Commander Data. Dry. Rational. Devoid of emotion.
We suggest a more evocative description. Particularly when rotational force is served up in the quantities under scrutiny here. How about "Whoooooo- eeeee!" or "O-mi- gawd!"
Cut to the department of elapsed time. From a standing start, the Mercedes SL600 can hurl its 4501-pound bulk to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Does that sound like a very brief interval? Clue: yes.
Allow us to illustrate.The Porsche 911 GT2 we tested in March 2002—456 horsepower, 457 pound-feet of torque—required 3.8 seconds to achieve mile-a-minute velocity. The Dodge Viper we tested in November '02—500 horsepower, 525 pound-feet—took 3.9 seconds. The 911 GT3 and Ferrari Challenge Stradale in our January issue each clocked in at 4.0 seconds.
Let's check the next notch on the elapsed-time yardstick. The 911 GT2 covered the quarter-mile in 12 seconds flat, the Viper in 12.1, the GT3 and Stradale in 12.3 and 12.4, respectively. The SL600 did it in 11.9. That's not quite as quick as the Ford GT, but it would have put this elegant Benz in a tie for fifth place (out of 15 cars) in the quarter-mile elapsed-time competition in our September 2002 "Supercar Challenge."
Yet another contrast: The SL600 trumps the SL55 AMG, even though the AMG edition weighs in a tad lighter (4411 pounds), packs the same horsepower (493), and is the designated SL family hot rod. But in our November '02 test, the SL55 managed only— only!—4.5 seconds to 60, and cruised through the quarter in 13.0 seconds at 110 mph.
So what's up with that? Torque, that's what. It's not that the SL55 is deficient in this power commodity. Its supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 produces 516 pound-feet across a broad plateau of grunt that ranges from 2750 to 4000 rpm. Our test characterized its thrust as prodigious, and we stand by that assertion. But if the SL55's torque is prodigious, the SL600's is—what? monumental? heroic? elephantine?
Fed by twin turbos with twin intercoolers, the SL600's SOHC 36-valve, 60-degree aluminum V-12 spools up 590 pound-feet of torque, maintaining that mountainous level from 1800 rpm to 3500 rpm. The five-speed automatic offers a three-mode manumatic function, just as it does in the SL55, but with such an abundance of muscle, augmented by quick throttle response, it seems superfluous. When the driver wishes to summon haste, he has only to tramp on the pedal and the V-12 will mash him against the seatback in a flash.
Although heavyweight punching power is this car's métier, there's more to the SL600 than shrinking the time between points A and B. Mercedes-Benz's active-body-control system keeps cornering attitudes level, the steering is quick (albeit not particularly tactile) at 2.6 turns lock-to-lock, there's adequate grip (0.88 g) from the 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tires, and decent braking performance—178 feet from 70 mph.
However, for all its hefty athleticism, it's the unique blend of punch and posh that will justify the SL600's princely pricing. The tab starts at $129,270, including $2600 in guzzler duties—about the same as a Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet. That includes all the self-indulgences you'd expect from a top-of-the-line Benz—orchestral audio, superb seating, elegant interior furnishings, and, of course, the convenience of a hardtop convertible.
Our test car had $7600 worth of enhancements that do not, in our view, enhance: $3010 for the Distronic distance-maintaining cruise control, $1060 for Parktronic proximity warning, $1840 for the transparent Panorama roof with sunshade (hey, it's a convertible, fer crissake), and $1040 for Keyless Go (what is the point?). You could make a case for the $650 tire-pressure monitor, but however you add it up, it's clear this car is not for young up-and-comers who just cracked the six-figure salary frontier. It's for the slightly older guy whose finances allow latitude for very expensive toys, a guy, furthermore, who may have lost some interest in power slides and oversteer but retains a strong appetite for longitudinal g loading.
For that guy, the SL600 is just about perfect.
