SL-Class (R231) [Official] Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG (R231)

[Betty Swollocks]

How did the new SL look and "feel" in person?! I think everyone's clamoring to know, considering the pics are so hit or miss.

Looked great on the outside. Headlights look fine, at least on the 63 AMG. The interior is ruined by the assymetric layout.

 

[K-A]

That damn asymmetrical layout. Forgot about that. Looks terrible. Looks terrible and very eye sore noticeable on the SLK which I've sat in. Odd that they didn't force a fix on that.

 

[Monster]

That damn asymmetrical layout. Forgot about that. Looks terrible. Looks terrible and very eye sore noticeable on the SLK which I've sat in. Odd that they didn't force a fix on that.

This is just a speculation, but you can see from the design sketches, the screen was shown to be located in the dead center



But then I suppose packaging/engineering issues emerged later in the development stage so the position of the screen has to be moved slightly off center.

I also sat inside the new SLK last week, the off set screen isn't that noticeable in person.

 

[Wolfgang]

^ That looks like the smaller screen in the sketch?

Supposedly with the larger one the layout became asymmetrical.

 

[K-A]

Ahhh, that bothers me so much, especially for a $100+K car! Unacceptable!

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

There's a reason for it, I'm sure.

 

[Wolfgang]

Hartmut Sinkwitz is responsible for interior design.

Here he shows a W176 A-Class sketch which might have an asymmetrical layout?

Official Thread - Mercedes-Benz SL (R231)

Here we go guys: Stuttgart – With the completely redeveloped SL, Mercedes-Benz continues a tradition that began 60 years ago. The letters "SL" have ever since been synonymous with a symbiosis of sportiness, style and comfort – and with groundbreaking innovations. The new SL has been produced...

www.germancarforum.com

 

[Tarek]

Ahhh, that bothers me so much, especially for a $100+K car! Unacceptable!

Go to your nearest dealer and sit in one.

 

[K-A]

I can't wait to.

Guaranteed it will bother me immensely. I hate asymmetry, always have, especially when it's done in a way as to it being clearly forced instead of "artful".

We'll see.

 

[Yaz]

Ahhh, that bothers me so much, especially for a $100+K car! Unacceptable!

Agreed! It works in the SLS, so why not in the SLK & SL? One of my guesses is that since the SLS is wider, the dash is wider, so they were able to move the screen and vents around. While in the SLK & SL, they don't have the space. If they were to move it to the left a little bit, the left vent would be too close to the instrument cluster.

Another thing I wanna talk about is those nasty, plasticky covers they put between the screen and the vents/dash to fill the area the small screen can't cover. It looks cheap IMO, and in the FL C, it's the worst:


There's gotta be another way to do this.

This is just a speculation, but you can see from the design sketches, the screen was shown to be located in the dead center

But then I suppose packaging/engineering issues emerged later in the development stage so the position of the screen has to be moved slightly off center.

I also sat inside the new SLK last week, the off set screen isn't that noticeable in person.

Works in sketches and CAD, but not in real life? And if you look to the left of the steering wheel/ instrument cluster in those sketches, there's no airplane round vent. So maybe when they added it, it took some space.
This reminds me of this story: The secret message left on a Porsche concept car

Hartmut Sinkwitz is responsible for interior design.

Here he shows a W176 A-Class sketch which might have an asymmetrical layout?

In the sketches behind him, the screen is between two vents, but in production it's above three vents. So maybe they tried to avoid the asymmetry in the SLK and SL by adding another vent and moved the screen above them.

 

[K-A]

Well put. That rear pic of the SL with the top down showing the center stack looks AWFUL and unrefined/unresolved. On a car who's interior is so exposed (Convertible), you'd think M-B would avoid that misstep at any cost. Clearly, the parts-bin sharing matched with the SL's interior dimensions (I believe this is not a shared platform, correct? Hence the mismatching of parts size-coherency perhaps) forced them to crudely implement the center stack.

As for the screen, I see what you're saying there as well. On my E-Class, it hides that honeycomb-type of flat plastic in the screen housing, and along the edges of the screen, they use a shiny black lacquer, which not only looks more elegant but also better integrated as it gives the screen a larger visual impression.

 

[Wunderkind]

Yes, Mercedes should have jettisoned the eyeball air-con vents and went for something smaller and retangular. I can see why they did it because the Mercedes exec's wanted the family resemblance for all it's sportcars models (i.e. SLS, SL, SLK). But it just doesn't work in the narrower SL and SLK and hence the bad offset compromise. The lower part of the dashboard on the R231 conceptual sketch is more 3-Dimensional whereas the production version is flatter and less appealling. It would have been more expensive and probably altered gradient and height of the centre stack (where the COMAND and air-con control module are).

I wouldn't say it's a poor effort. But more a case of bad execution.

 

[mini_cooper4]

I heard that Ugly Betty will be driving the SL63 the next season

 

[Levi68]

I do not like the shift off the centre of the upper dashboard either. A friend of mine has an S Class W140, and it is the same thing. The centre consol is in the middle. But because the instrument board is wider, it pushes the air vents on the passengers side. In fact, I even have the feeling the steering wheel is not in the centre of the drivers seat, but is stacked 3 cm to the centre of the interior.



This issue was gone with the S Class W220, and that is how I like it.

When the interior is straight/flat, I want it to be symetric, if it is driver orientated, then asymetry is not a problem. But unlike BMW (E30, E36, E46, F30, E90 was an exception) which has driver orientated interiors, Mercedes are not so I want them to be symetric.

The SLS is ok, but the SL is again wrong. I even think the steering wheel in in the middel oft he instrument cluster, but not in the middle of the drivers seat. Unfortnately I did not pay attention when I was at Geneva. What need to be done was to push the upper dash 3 cm to the left, just get it in the centre. What was so difficult to do?
Green line is the centre. Red is was makes the aysmetetry, it is the useless gap. Violet is the center of the upper dash. Pink is all the upper part that should be moved a few centimeters left so that the red should disapear and the green and voilet line would overlap. No all red markings are of the same size but a symetric interior could be done.

 

[omoderncultureo]

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG

 

[Kowalski]

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[tristatez28lt1]

After a few years on the naturally-aspirated temperance wagon, the AMG-fettled SL V8 is back on the boost, with a downsized twin-turbo engine and all-new aluminium clothes.
Read on for CAR Magazine's first drive review of the new 2012 Merc SL63 AMG.
So the orginal SL55 was powered by a supercharged 5.5, and the outgoing SL63 by a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre motor. What’s under the bonnet this time?
It’s the 5.5-litre twin turbo V8 that’s been available in Merc’s hot saloons and coupes for the last year, although it retains the 63 badging. The unblown V8 was a fantastic engine, but 20mpg didn’t suit the Merc suits concerned with green matters, and some of Merc’s customers felt it lacked torque after the tyre-shredding 55. The new one should shut the whingers up.
Exactly how much power are we talking?
That depends whether or not you select the optional power pack. The standard car delivers 530bhp and 590lb ft, up from 518bhp and a kia Picanto-esque 464lb ft in the old 63, and hits 62mph in 4.3sec, 0.3sec faster than before. But thanks to an extra helping of boost pressure, the power pack car pumps out 556bhp and a transmission-terrifying 664lb ft. That knocks another tenth from the 0-62mph sprint, It also adds close to £10k to the price, which is why Merc estimates only 25% of buyers will say yes to tyre distress.
The SL55 was dominated by its engine and the 63 tried harder to be a proper sports car. Where does this one sit?
It’s your classic all-rounder: stonking straightline go, impeccable refinement when you’re mooching along, but absolutely pointy, grippy and balanced enough to indulge in some serious A and B-road law breaking. At 1845kg, it’s no lightweight, despite the 125kg daintier aluminium body, but it corners without roll thanks to its active body control system and the structure feels unbelievably stiff. Scuttle shake? Forget it.
The seven-speed auto ‘box (as before, mated uniquely to a wet clutch, rather than a torque converter) isn’t as sharp as a Ferrari California’s dual clutch transmission, but the only real disappointment is the electric steering, which is quick-witted and responds in a very linear fashion to inputs, but never quite keys you into the action in the way a Jag XK’s steering does. Which means the SL63 remains a rung down from the SLS when it comes to fun.
Any other tricks up its sleeve?
Well, everything that’s great about the new SL is great here. With the roof closed, it’s as tight and squeak-free as a coupe. Or you can drop the top, raise the windows and brilliant wind deflector and, after a few minutes, you’ll be wondering why you ordered that blue headlining. Cabin quality is noticably improved over the old car’s, if still lacking the bespoke feel of a Bentley, and you can still lift up the folded roof to get at your luggage, rather than having to erect the whole thing.
Sounds good, but having mulled it over, I’m not convinced that 556bhp and 664lb ft of torque is enough
Fortunately for the truly unhinged, the bi-turbo V12 makes another appearance under the SL65 banner, bringing 613bhp and 738lb ft and sub-4sec 0-62mph capability for around 50% more money than the £112,000 Merc wants for the SL63.
Verdict
We’re not big fans of the latest SL’s styling, although it seems to fit better with the AMG’s butch persona, and the 63’s slightly surgical steering is a little disappointing, given that this is the most performance-focused version in the range. If we did half stars, that’d still only be enough to knock the SL63 down to 4.5, so good is the rest of the package. But as we don’t, we’ll call it 5. If you’re in the market for a big GT, whether hardtop or roadster, and have £100k to spend, this is the car to beat. And before you throw another £60k away on an SLS roadster, be sure to consider the SL.


How much? £112,000
On sale in the UK: Autumn 2012
Engine: 5461cc 32v V8, 530bhp@5500rpm, 590lb ft@2000-4500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 4.3sec 0-62mph, 155mph, 28.5mpg, 231g/km CO2
How heavy / made of? 1845kg/aluminium
How big (length/width/height in mm)? 4633/1877/1300




CAR's rating

Handling

Performance

Usability

Feelgood factor

Readers' rating

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results/First-drives/Mercedes-SL63-AMG-2012-CAR-review/

 

[Merc1]

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I absolutely love this car now, the SL63 that is. Still can't get with the SL550 because of that face.


M

 

[Tarek]

No reviews of the SL65 yet?

 

[Pagani]

It may be a while for the 65, as it comes in November. So we may have to wait till October or so to read reviews, if at all, since it is a limited edition.