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

[Yaz]

I'm guessing the AC vents were taking a lot of space, but still, this is unacceptable.

 

[Wunderkind]

Unfamiliar is innovation and revolutionary if implemented right. Off Centering a screen in a fashion that looks like they don't want you to even notice, but didn't have the capability of figuring out how to harmoniously center it, is just very poor design to me. I wish we could hear their explanation on why the off-center.

It's got to do with a few things, first of all the driving position. I'm sure Mercedes interiors would have wanted the dashboard and evereything there to be centered. But that would have meant the instrument binnacle would have to be located further away from the centerline of the car. That would have liberated more room for all the ducting and plumbing for the air conditioning unit behind the dashboard. But the driving position would have been skewed (that is, the pedals, the steering wheel, and the hip-points of the driver won't line up) and that's not good for the driver.

At the end, it's a compromise.

 

[Wolfgang]

Asymmetry is in.

e.g.

Zaha Hadid - As we can see, most of her works are asymmetry. It was because when she was a child in Baghdad, she was thrilled by the asymmetric mirror. It evoked her interest in the asymmetry things.



Bing Concert Hall, Stanford, Ennead Architects

 

[Cashmere]

Hartmut Sinkwitz, director interior design competence center, is likely resonsible for the asymmetry?

haha, I see what you did there.

 

[vios1]

After looking at all the photo posted, I believed the new SL has great design and the more you see it the more you like it. Just similar to other MB design it will slowly grow on you and it is timeless.

At first, the front look weired to me but after looking at the profile of customer SL are targeting. The old school design fit it well, what we need is let the time to judge the beauty of this car.

 

[Shining Star]

I'm happy with it. The rear and the sides are both great; and the front looks stunning with the AMG pack. I do take issue with the standard bumper. It appears as though the upper part of the front fascia is sagging over the lower part, which is why, for me, IMO, there is such a wide difference between the AMG pack and the standard bumper. I will say this: the car looks hideous from this angle, and the color being worn is positively awful.


The headlights seem way too big for the car in this photo, but not in any of the other photos. I look forward to seeing it on video. The interior is lovely, especially the new shifter and aluminum accents, as well as the seats. A fantastic job inside.

Without the AMG pack, this car is really ugly, at best a minor disappointment. With the AMG pack, I have no complaints. But Mercedes has got to do a better job of designing their bumpers; the SL, SLK, ML, and S all need work IMO in this area. And there better be full LED headlamps, but sadly I don't think it's happening right now. Mercedes would have used them in the photo shoot as they did with the CLS. Why does a car that stickers for 20k + more than a CLS not have LED headlamps? BMW and especially Audi are way ahead in this area.

 

[Merc1]

The outgoing SL, the R230 just got a lot more attractive to me and there TONS of them out there to be had at great prices.

LED lights are not standard on the CLS either, they'll most likely be an option on the SL too.


M

 

[Sunny]

Asymmetry is in.


e.g.

Zaha Hadid - As we can see, most of her works are asymmetry. It was because when she was a child in Baghdad, she was thrilled by the asymmetric mirror. It evoked her interest in the asymmetry things.

Bing Concert Hall, Stanford, Ennead Architects

I don't think the asymmetry in the interior of SLK and the SL is an intentional design feature. If it was they wouldn't be trying to disguise it. It probably arises out of some engineering limitation.

 

[Wolfgang]

trying to disguise it.

If they intended to hide it, why pose in front of it for Auto, Motor und Sport?

 

[HighestOfHigh]

My goodness...the negativity from Benz fans is shocking!

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Headlights stays upright, thats good old style from the past. Im 99% sure that this new SL looks amazing IRL.

btw about headlights

I think that spy pic might provide some perspective and maybe some hope, in that the front doesn't photograph well. Maybe in real life, it'll all make sense. But then again, that Motor Trend article is kind of damning.

BTW, does this car have MBC( Magic Body Control) ?

"Magic" Body Control? Really, M-B's got Merlin working for them? Maybe if I wasn't in such a cynical mood, I would find it cheeky, but I'm just so tired of all this cheesy marketing BS-ery that's going around in companies that only depended on their engineering prowess. You know what companies I'm talking about....

end mini-rant.

 

[Nexus]

Klier, I'll bite on the LCD screen placement:

It is utterly UNACCEPTABLE for M-B to put an OFF-CENTER/ASYMMETRICAL LCD Screen/Vent relationship in the interior if a $100+K car.

Hell, I don't think the lowest priced cars on the Market have off centered interior designs. You guys might overlook this as something small, but it is an important and goes-without-saying showing of "Design Capability", and M-B fumbled it. It's embarrassing to see frankly, and speaks a lot of the current Design Team we have working on these cars. Other than that, I do love the interior, it's very graceful, classic, no huge slabs of wood to try and out-do the others, just elegant and classy. On that particular front, I have faith that M-B's Design Team aren't only about boastfulness.

With the exterior, I like it, then I don't like it. I don't hate it at all, but the front end is very bad, namely due to the AWFUL headlights. Absolutely horrendously shaped, and graphic'd. The grille is just your typical "huge mouth gaping open angular Star Grill" look that M-B is playing out. I would have preferred something more elegant. The hood seems to take the usual flame surfacing of the sides, and it looks slightly BMW'ish, but it actually works and looks pretty subtle.

The sides, I like, but there's a lack of "special", of monolithic and elegant grace. On one hand, it's elegant and restrained compared to the overstyled sides of the CLS, but on the other, it's still a little immature-sporty like many generic cars nowadays. I find their to be heavy hands all over this car, but this time it's not in the lines and styling, but in the proportions. The car looks tense, not comfortable in its own skin.

Now, all that said. There are 3 types of current Benzes on the market for me: Ones I love, ones that I'm okay with, and ones I hate. This SL surely isn't one that I'll hate, aside from maybe the headlights and off-center LCD Screen which I'll never agree with, so I'll wait and see where it falls within those categories. On its own, it's a great looking car with some quirks, as an SL? I'm not feeling the magic *YET*, but there's potential. So far I might have to say that a highly Optioned 6-Series Coupe might be more enticing to me in terms of Design.

The S I feel is going to be troublesome with the detailing.

It's not the first time they have done this though, both the W140 and the R129 had asymmetrical interiors.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

It's not the first time they have done this though, both the W140 and the R129 had asymmetrical interiors.

Dude, good call, I was totally about to post that example.

 

[PHYBENZ]

I think the reason the headlights looks so bad in the photos is because you can't appreciate how 3 dimensional they are. The top part which is perpendicular to the grill and headlight in the photos just make it look like one huge piece. I think in real life it may look better. I'm hoping it does!

 

[Merc1]

My goodness...the negativity from Benz fans is shocking!

2 reasons.......this is an SL and its borderline ugly from some angles and goofy from all others except the rear. That just isn't right. Its like Elephants climbing trees, that shite ain't supposed to happen.


M

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I honestly think that there is a need to see this vehicle, particularly the front end, in person. Designers are exploring 3 dimensional elements that just dont work on paper. If the 1-series front end has a 3D treatment, it would be considered mild compared to what they're doing here with the SL headlights and grill.

 

[Sunny]

If they intended to hide it, why pose in front of it for Auto, Motor und Sport?

I did not say they were trying to hide it physically. Obviously, what sense would that make since they were actually going o put in a production car and the whole world would see it.

But the design it self tries to disguise the asymmetry instead of using it as a design element like say the interior of the 6er does. Which makes it difficult for me to believe the underlying motivation for the offset is to use it as a design element and not there cause of some underlying engineering reason. Now, I might be wrong and it could indeed be a design element, in which case, just offsetting something by a few inches to one side is IMO a rather very timid and pointless way to implement asymmetry in the design and doesn't have much in common with architectural examples of asymmetric design you gave before where it is substantial and deliberate. But then again, I find it difficult to believe this 'offset by an inch' is really a design element.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Earlier in this thread I said the profile was the opposite of a wedge. I was wrong, it's very wedge-like.

 

[DblPen]

is it just me or gear lever and knob next to it is extremely similar to bmw's? and headlamps looks something audi would make. I Dont really like the design, but i have a feeling that it will probably grow on me

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

2 reasons.......this is an SL and its borderline ugly from some angles and goofy from all others except the rear. That just isn't right. Its like Elephants climbing trees, that shite ain't supposed to happen.


M

It'll grow on you...just you wait.