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Model: SL 350 / SL
500 / SL 55 AMG / SL 600 / SL 65
Retail Price: starting at 60,000 pounds (80,000 euros or 90,000 dollars MRSP) Competing Models: "Competing Segment" on right side of "Best Autos & Cars in the World" page More information on: www.mercedes-benz.com
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In
autumn 2001, Mercedes-Benz continued its long SL-Roadster tradition with
the launch of a technically sophisticated sports car with the current Mercedes-Benz
SL. In June 2004, it was crowned with its top model: the SL 65 AMG. The
new open-top two-seater is the fifth generation of this successful Mercedes
series, a series which began its quest for world glory in 1954 with the
legendary "gullwing-door" 300 SL. Since then, the Stuttgart brand has produced
more than 500,000 of these exclusive sports cars which dreams are made
of. A combination of state-of-the-art electronic chassis systems, which
is unique to the world, enables the new SL to serve up an unparalleled,
dynamic driving experience and, at the same time, provide maximum active
safety. Impressive lines symbolise the new SL sports car's technological
superiority and, at the same time, ignite feelings of passion, enjoyment
and excitement at the prospect of open-top motoring. Today, as the S-,
SL- and SLK-Class model series Director, Frank Knothe is responsible for
full-vehicle development and testing of all these models. Knothe worked
with Mercedes Development Chief Rudolf Uhlenhaut in the past, father of
the legendary 300 SL Gullwing in the 1950s.
The
designer of the current SL, Murrat Guenack, has captured the spirit of
the great grandfather of the SL family from 1954 discreetly yet effectively.
And, in so doing, he has given the SL a bright future to go with a past
steeped in tradition. Classic SL features stylishly and harmoniously combine
with more recent Mercedes forms which propel the roadster far into the
future. The headlamps are one example, a new and markedly more dynamic
variation on the familiar "four-eyed" theme. Further proof of the sheer
design quality of the new SL can be seen in the perfect integration of
the newly developed vario-roof which communicates the same messages whether
open or closed: uninhibited driving pleasure and unmistakable elegance.
The vario-roof transforms the sports car into an adventure car without
compromise, combining the driving pleasure of an open-top roadster with
the comfort of a Mercedes coupé. At the push of a button, the roof
can be opened or closed within 16 seconds, during which time a new, intelligent
tilting mechanism ensures that the roof components retract into the top
section of the boot to save even more space. Under this is a luggage compartment
with 235 litres of capacity. When the vario-roof is closed, the boot of
the new SL-Class (including the luggage box in the spare wheel well) holds
a total of 317 litres, 52 litres more than the predecessor model.
Thanks
to an integral vehicle safety concept, the SL-Class is on course to set
the standard for a whole new generation of sports cars. The concept encompasses
every aspect of vehicle safety – from crash avoidance by means of electronic
safety systems such as ABC, Brake Assist or ESP, and the high-strength
body structure, to the fastest possible rescue of the car's occupants in
the event of an accident. Occupant protection is optimised by the high-strength
body structure and, among other things, two-stage airbags for the driver
and passenger, new head-thorax bags in the doors, new integral seats, seat
belt tensioners, belt force limiters and the sensor-controlled roll-over
bar. Leather, fine wood and aluminium are the materials used to guarantee
classic SL exclusivity and quality in the interior. Mercedes customers
can choose from two types of leather, four high-quality trims and five
interior colours. Shimmering matt chrome provides the surround for the
four individual instruments in the SL cockpit, and adorns other lovingly
crafted interior details. The cockpit immediately catches the eye by virtue
of four individual instruments in the classic chronometer design, evoking
images of the sports cars from days gone by. The SL legend with its long
heritage is truly alive!