2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550
First Drive Review

"This is the biggest step we’ve taken from one generation to the other,” says Mercedes-Benz chief engineer Juergen Weissinger, regarding the new and underfed sixth-gen Mercedes SL. With the exception of its windshield frame, which is made from high-strength steel, most of the body shell is aluminum, a Benz first. The panel behind the 17-gallon gas tank is made of even lighter magnesium. Weighing 3950 pounds, according to Mercedes, the new SL is about 270 pounds lighter than its predecessor. “It is like you’ve chucked out a heavyweight fighter with his luggage,” notes Mercedes’ aluminum-construction expert, Thomas Rudlaff.

So, heavyweight duly chucked, we fire up the new SL500—that’s right, 500, which is how the car is badged in Europe because the old SL500 is so fondly remembered, and because, to Germans, numbers are as evocative as romantic verse. (Note that neither the European “500” nor the U.S. “550” accurately accounts for the displacement of the 4.7-liter V-8.) Our first impression:  Agility is up, thanks to both the lower curb weight and the more powerful V-8 engine, even as the SL retains its smooth character. The twin-turbo V-8 provides 429 horsepower and some serious high-quality audio. But its torque is even more impressive: The twin turbochargers increase twist from 391 pound-feet (in the previous SL550) to 516 in this new one: Hard on the throttle, the new car feels as powerful and insistent as the SL63 AMG.  As a result, we expect the new SL to match the SL63’s 4.0-second 0-to-60 time. Virtually all its torque is lurking at 1800 rpm. Even fully loaded with new safety and comfort features—Pre-Safe, Attention Assist, intelligent lighting, lane keeping, active blind-spot assist, internet access, and a soft-serve frozen-yogurt machine (only eight calories per serving!)—the thing doesn’t feel weighed down. It just glides.

Equipped with a stop-start system but no cylinder deactivation, the new V-8 burns 22 percent less fuel than its predecessor, accord­ing to Mercedes. After more than 120 miles of spirited driving on winding Spanish roads, the SL’s trip computer quoted 13.4 liters per 100 kilometers (17.6 mpg), which is a competitive (and realistic) number. The familiar seven-speed automatic splits up the engine’s torque well, offering comfort and sport modes in addition to a manual mode for changing  gears via shift paddles.

Respecting the market positions of the SLS AMG and the upcoming SLC  AMG, the new SL has no appetite for racetracks. The car comes across as laid-back but unruffled on narrow winding roads. Thanks to its ­lighter front end, more direct steering, and a 1.5-inch-wider front track, the new SL turns in to corners with more precision; a 2.5-inch-wider track in back means that rear adhesion is also improved. In fact, this SL’s cornering attitude is pretty close to neutral.

Its adjustable damping system can be preset to comfort or sport, but the differences are marginal. The optional adaptive suspension never firms up to metal-bushing levels, which is as it should be, though load changes in fast corners provoke as much body roll as in a Jaguar XK or Aston Martin Vantage. Ambitious drivers can select the AMG sport pack, which lowers the body by 0.4 inch. But we say, if  you want an AMG, buy an AMG.

As it stands, there’s a lot of magic here. The retractable hardtop—with its selectably transparent glass—is called Magic Sky ­Control. And the Magic Vision Control wind­shield wipers spray fluid just ahead of the sweeping blade for improved visibility.

What is not so magical, at least to our eyes, is the way this thing looks. It’s ironic that a car that moves this gracefully should look so ungainly. The rear end is fattened for cargo, the front is high and bluff for ­pedestrian safety, and the grille and the headlamps sit on distinctly different planes. When we ribbed a Mercedes employee that the car looks like its front and back ends were ­designed by  two different people,  he fixed a dead-eyed gaze on us and held up not two but three fingers. Guess $106,375 doesn’t buy beauty anymore.