SL-Class (R231) [Official] Mercedes-Benz SL (R231)

[OBR]

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SL Shooting brake ...

 

[lukeswiss]

Saw my sales person today, was having a chat about SLs and Mercedes in general. This SL isn't very popular it seems....

 

[klier]

Considering it's such an iconic model, it's a failure of epic proportions.

 

[lukeswiss]

I want to love it.... Maybe if the roof was a little more squared off and the tail lights as well... and a less feminine optic to the lights ?

I drove the SL 63 in Germany, it's fantastic. A noticeable improvement over the old. I wonder what they'll do....

 

[Wolfgang]

This SL isn't very popular it seems....

Some MBUSA sales numbers...

2001 ....... 4,217
2002 ...... 13,717
2003 ...... 13,318
2004 ...... 12,885
2005 ...... 10,080
2006 ....... 8,462
2007 ....... 6,126
2008 ....... 5,464
2009 ....... 4,025
2010 ....... 2,385
2011 ....... 1,449
2012 ....... 4,899 <-- The new R231 SL debuts in June 2012 in the USA.
2013 ....... 7,007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SL-Class

 

[lukeswiss]

Would you compare 2002 with 2013 ? As they're both the first full sales years ? pretty interesting, I guess it could also be that there are many other cars in the market now, including at Mercedes.

 

[Merc1]

Things were different back when the R230 appeared, but it didn't hurt that it was a much prettier car then.

M

 

[Wolfgang]

Some gossip emanated from the Mercedes stand.

“The SL will be refreshed, of course. But you can expect it’ll be a bit more than the usual eyebrow tweeze.” - Someone in Mercedes design

Cammisa says: "That’s a relief, look at the poor thing. It needs a full-body Extreme Makeover."

Overheard in Detroit: Mercedes-Benz Gossip - NAIAS 2014

 

[Pagani]

Some MBUSA sales numbers...

2001 ....... 4,217
2002 ...... 13,717
2003 ...... 13,318
2004 ...... 12,885
2005 ...... 10,080
2006 ....... 8,462
2007 ....... 6,126
2008 ....... 5,464
2009 ....... 4,025
2010 ....... 2,385
2011 ....... 1,449
2012 ....... 4,899 <-- The new R231 SL debuts in June 2012 in the USA.
2013 ....... 7,007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_SL-Class

You can see the pre-crisis economic ebullience right into the SL sales numbers.

 

[Merc1]

Some gossip emanated from the Mercedes stand.


Overheard in Detroit: Mercedes-Benz Gossip - NAIAS 2014

Great read Wolfe!


M

 

[Pagani]

That white C400 is gorgeous. And look at that profile... gotta love a properly proportioned RWD design.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

2 years on from the launch of the SL it is VERY apparent that this design is from a different era and that it sat on ice for 2 years. Place this car next to the new S, C and S-coupe and you can see they are certainly not cut from the same cloth. Those cars have taken the quality of design and style to a whole new level for MB.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still quite fond of the SL, but it's a bit sad that such a hallowed car and the longest running nameplate in the automotive industry has been 'bastardised' to some degree.

 

[LaArtist]

The SL is a epic concept..the rear is good..the interior is SUPER..but that front.. its tragic..

I expect Mercedes to make it jaw dropping with the FL.. should not be to hard for them to manage

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Well they performed some pretty drastic surgery on the E-class quite successfully, so I have hopes for the SL too.

The interior is nice, but it's not a patch on the new S and S-coupe.

 

[DjordjeC63]

2 years on from the launch of the SL it is VERY apparent that this design is from a different era and that it sat on ice for 2 years. Place this car next to the new S, C and S-coupe and you can see they are certainly not cut from the same cloth.

Actually SL is starter of modern Mercedes design.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

The SL was conceived at that awkward time when leadership was being handed over from Pfeiffer to Wagener and there is a reason why it's supposed to get such a major FL. There's also a reason why there have been mumblings amongst MB's own designers that the car isn't what it should be.

Did you know that the headlights you see on the SL were actually grafted onto the car later on as it neared production after being frozen for 2 years?

I think all these little facts are telling.

 

[Merc1]

Fingers crossed then can save the SL's looks because the rest of the car is first rate. The quality and engineering is ridiculous.

M

 

[Monster]

The current SL only looks good in the proper AMG version.

 

[vios1]

This is a beautiful car, I bet the facelift will bring it to another level of breakthru!

 

[Centurion]

I'm glad you guys have finally come around and realised how weak of a design the current SL is. I have been opposing it since day one. There is a big disjoint between its design language and the shape of the car, which was carried over from the predecessor - they even use the same roof. So it's always come across to me a just a big facelift and it rarely works out well to put a new design language on an old body shape.

The person who penned the design didn't improve on the old design and neither did they introduce anything new besides putting a massive grille and big headlights on the car. That's simply not innovative enough, especially for a model like the SL which should stand for absolute beauty.