For the 2017 model year, Mercedes has raised the baseline of the SL-Class with the SL450, which replaces the SL400. There’s still a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 up front, but output is up from 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque to 362 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. The 9-speed 9G-TRONIC automatic replaces the outgoing 7-speed gearbox. Designers restyled the front end and added standard LED headlights.
Our particular test vehicle has been loaded up with a bunch of goodies, including designo Cardinal Red Metallic paint and Deep White Nappa leather, the selectable roof panel tinting of Magic Sky Control, the upgraded Bang & Olufsen BeoSound audio system, the conveniences of the Premium Package, and the safety tech of the Driver Assistance Package. When you add all of those features (and the destination and delivery fee) up, the SL450 goes from a base price of $86,950 to an as-tested price of $108,385.
If you haven’t had a chance to drive the new SL450 yet and have questions about how it rides, turns, brakes, accelerates, etc., just send them our way. We’ll be happy to answer them – after we drive the SL to and from COTA again to watch the ChumpCar World Series. You can post your questions in the dedicated forum thread below or at the bottom of this post via Facebook.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
