Mick you meanThanks for the hint, Rolf.![]()
I spent the last weekend with the new SL 500. Have to say I am impressed. In comparison with the last version MB managed to eliminate some little flaws I noticed on the earlier version.
What I liked:
1) 9-speed gearbox - 2100 rpm at 180 km/h, great for cruising on a highway, very brisk reactions to the paddles and quick shifting in Sport Plus
2) Dynamic select - quite significant differences between modes which broaden capabilities of the car, relaxed and comfortable in Comfort mode, really angry in Sport Plus
3) Exhaust - finally the SL 500 makes some noise, significant differences between Comfort/Sport/Sport Plus. Almost AMG noise in Sport Plus.
4) ILS - finally proper headlights
5) Curve mode - really interesting and useful for swift driving on curvy roads
6) Design - nice front finally
A more modern interior would be nice. Otherwise the car is superb.
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How does the car behave in curve mode, and did you like it?
Very interesting software engineering by Mercedes. I would love to try that out.From my point of view, it is a comfort oriented feature for typical (older) SL drivers. So it is not for track or sport driving, but for comfortable quick driving on curvy roads. The car is basically in comfort mode (comfortable suspension, slower shifting, keeping lower revs), but steering ratio changes significantly (quick ratio, very little turn of the steering wheel makes significant turn of the car), going inside the curve you can feel that the car tilts to the inside of the curve and then in the curve there is no body roll at all.
It makes sense if you want to drive in a relaxed way and in full comfort but quite fast on very curvy roads, that also might be of bad quality. It is sort of a gimmick, but makes sense in some situations.
The SL should go back to its roots from 1954. Sports and Light. And unique. The name SL in my book holds more value than AMG GT and the GT should have been the new SL even if it was developed by the AMG division. But now since the AMG GT is a separate model, Mercedes may redefine the nameplate and put it above the GT because the name SL deserve to be at the top of the ladder on the Mercedes-Benz's product platform.
That's a very good episode. The SL and SLC have taken a backseat as the A-Class and AMG GT are the new cool. There is a case for the SL to continue to exist as the AMG GT might be too noisy for some and the S-Convertible too big, but once the new E-Convertible hits the markets, the SL will be even less desirable.
From all the SLs they included in the video the one I have a sweet spot for is the R129. Give it to me in red and I'll chuck on my white chinos and light blue t-shirt. It's got the cult status of the Ferrari 355.
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