Next-Gen Mercedes SL AMG Doesn't Have To Be Driven Like Grandpa
Published: August 16th, 2011
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I’ve personally never seen a Mercedes SL driven in anything close to anger. In fact, most of the time I see an SL, it seems as though the driver is in no rush at all to return to pulling teeth or fixing braces. But, as with the “low-flying” forthcoming Mercedes ML AMG, the boys from Affalterbach are driving the new SL AMG like it’s meant to be… so you don’t have to. After all, that AMG badge does supposedly stand for more than “a little extra respect from the valet”…
More by Edward Niedermeyer
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I've seen 110 mph on a winding country road in an SL, but it was a Pagoda 280SL with a stick over 25 years ago. It probably wasn't much better suited to sports car duty than any of the barges that followed it. In the years since, I've driven or ridden in a 450SL, a 380SL, a 560SL, a 600SL, a 500SL, and an SL500, and none of them has inspired anything remotely resembling enthusiasm. I think my friend showed off the ability of the V12 SL to accelerate briskly, or I may be confusing it with a ride in a CL55.
Sadly most folks who could afford one of these with their own money usually are 40s to 60s at that age u think they can physically able to pull 1 g going around any bend without suffering a stroke, black out or even worse pop an aneurysm? unlike the lucky few who have inherited their parent's money or did well in the Dot com era, or sold merchandise from Bogota Columbia. Then they can afford the prancing Horses, Bull, Trident or Star insignia on the hood st s pretty young age.
The SL was once "the" aspirational luxury sports car. Every rich=guy or sexy girl character on Seventies cop shows seemed to drive one, and they were in every country club parking lot. Nowadays, you rarely see them as much. Part of it is the dumbing down of M-B as a brand, I suppose, and the market for this kind of vehicle is kind of flooded. I'm sure it's a wonderful car for those with the wherewithal and driving style to enjoy it. But the SL has been lacking a soul for a long time. Now that Porsche and Ferrari offer automatics, what's the point?
I had the privilege of flogging an SL55 AMG... it's a car that could def get you in a lot of trouble incredibly quickly. It's for the better that they are driven rationally, though of course it's also a bit of a shame. But they're too heavy to really thread through needleholes anyway. Shame speed limits in the US are so low.