E55 KEV

Any care to translate this German about Face-lifted SL:

"Im Jahr 2005 steht das Facelift des SL's an. Eigentlich sollte er nach schon 2001 im SLR Look erscheinen, doch es war keine Zeit mehr das schon fertige Design des SL's noch einmal zu überarbeiten. Deshalb bekommt der SL den SLR Look beim Facelift. Neu im SL ist dann auch die neuen V-Motoren. Dazu zählt ein V6 und ein V8 Motor plus die AMG-Variante. AM SL 600 wird erstmal nichts geändert. Doch die V6 und V8 Motoren werden komplett umgestellt. Sie werden im Hubraum auf drei und vier Liter reduziert und erhalten eine Turboaufladung. Dadurch sollen die Leistungsdaten gegenüber den jetzigen Modellen steigen, der Verbrauch aber sinken. Im SL-Facelift feiert dann auch die 2. Generation des ABC Premiere! Auch auf dem Sicherheitssektor sollen neuartige Lammella-Airbags bei einem Seitenaufprall oder Überschlag den Kopf und Arme des Insassen schützen."

vraa

In the year 2005 the Facelift of the SL's lines up. Actually it should appear after already 2001 in the SLR Look, but it was not no more time that already manufactures Design of the SL's again to revise. Therefore the SL gets the SLR Look with the Facelift. Again in the SL are then also the new v-engines. In addition a V6 and a V8 engine count plus the AMG variant. IN the SL 600 first times nothing is changed. But the V6 and V8 engines are completely changed over. They are reduced in the capacity to three and four litres and receive a turbo-loading. Thus performance data are to rise in relation to the current models, which consumption however sink. In the SL Facelift celebrates then also the 2. Generation of the ABC premiere! Also on the safety sector new Lammella Airbags is to protect the head and arms of the passenger with a seitenaufprall or an estimate."


btw.. holy crap that looks like a photochopped SLR on a SL front! lol

blueSL

I do wish they'd drop this idea of trying to ape the front look of the Formula 1 cars. It wouldn't be so bad if they were being successful at it but the fact is that Ferrari are wiping the floor with them.

vraa

ouch.. blueSL hits it on the mark.. perfectly! lol

FInality

Didn't the SLR concept come out waaaayyyy before the Enzo pics did?

blueSL

My point is that putting Formula 1 design cues in a road car is only meaningful if you're successful in Formula 1. Ferrari are, Mercedes are not.

We know how the Maybach has turned out, we'll see whether the SLR is any better.

Mercedes had to compete in the Bentley/Rolls Royce arena and the Maybach is what they came up with. The new Bentley (aka Volkswagen) is fresh and exciting. The word is that the new Rolls-Royce (aka BMW), just weeks away, is stunning and will blow the Maybach away.

I find it difficult to believe the SLR will be as well received as the Pagani Zonda, even with all the help from McLaren. It will be interesting whether there will be future collaborations like this, McLaren are a company which is stronger on ego and style than on substance.

As big a fan as I am of Mercedes, there are some sectors where they just do not hack it. You guys in the US do not have the A-class and its Vaneo derivative which looks like something out of a cartoon.

dNA3D

True blueSL. And BTW, Mercedes does nothing in F1 but supply the engines. McLaren engineers do everything else.

FInality

The engine is a majority of what makes up a car....

Besides Ferrari is just very dominant this season. Mercedes has won F1 titles in the recent past.....

Back in 1998, 1999 & 2000 where great years for them ie the time the SLR was conceived. Granted they are not doing that well now but give them time

F1 wins never stay with the same team for too long eg Honda.

in reference to the Zonda I dont think we sill see any car as exotic as the Zonda for some time even the Koenigsegg CC is not getting the attention the Zonda is......

knihc2008

what the hell are "lammella airbags"?

tango

facelift 2005??????? thats too soon for a facelift.. im sure all you sl owners out there will get pissed! only 3 years?! daz worse than bmw

mookie

I dont believe the pictures,

knihc2008

i don't think the 2005 facelift will be that drastic, probably something more subtle like this year's s-class face-lift.

Sammy7783

The SL will not get any drastic facelifts for at least a decade... I can guarantee that. That Picture is of an SLR/SL photoshop mess... Yuck...

Gunther

Pic is real....but of the 2005 SLK.

mattnaz

The pic is most likely from Lotec. http://www.lotec-gmbh.de/. From what I have been told the facelift is not suppose to take place untill the 08 model in late 07.

FIXEDupW209

I doubt that mercedes would put the slr front end on the SL because it would be too similar of a car for far less the price. If you notice on the side, you will notice the mclaren emblem which proves sammy's hypothisis that it is photoshopped.

the maybach doubled the phantom's sales! (tried finding the link but couldn't 300 phantoms were sold to the maybach's 600)

So i would say that mercedes has won in that field. And there really isn't a car besides the porsche GT that competes with the SLR. the enzo is about 300 thousand dollars more expensive.
i

benzosl

First, a facelift in 05' would **** off thousands of current SL owners who are in a lease through 06' or 07' or purchased with the assumption they will keep at least 4 or 5 years....why put the race look on an everyday roadster? It would seem to cheapen the agressiveness of the pure sports cars like Ferrari and SLR.

In regards to the Maybach, time will tell. I am a huge fan of Mercedes and had the luxury of driving the short wheel-base Maybach at my dealer as a neighbor purchased one. It is a truly fantastic car, however I was taken around NYC to do Christmas shopping in a Rolls' Phaeton (I think I mispelled) and it was an amazing experience. As great as Benz and Maybach are, it is hard to compete with the experience of being in a Rolls with those big wings at the end of the hood; interior appointments were VERY nice and it felt "rich."

Mustard

So right - its a dogs dinner of a facelift if that's it (which it isn't) and it would spell the end of my interest in the SL.

There is a styling progression that would suit the SL when the major facelift comes in 07/08 - it will focus on the theme of a refined but simple stared grill and I simply don't believe it will have the F1 nose.

However, i don't think the new Roller is much of a styling tour de force - it looks like an enlarged new Audi!

NastyAluQuadra

BlueSL - how is the Maybach turning out?

Is it bombing? I personally would rather have the Roller Phantom anytime, (if I were spending 250k on a saloon).

I've only ever seen one Maybach, so perhaps sales are very poor? (I've seen a couple of Rollers)

(PS on subject of facelift - SL will almost certainly get the SLR look, question is when - I'd guess it'll be half way through the model life (like the new C Class), hence make that an actual 2005-6 timescale (four years in from 2001 launch). I think it'll look great too, like the new SLK).

Gunther

It's my understanding that MB intends to hang onto the current bodystyle for at least 8 years making the complete redo of the SL around '11 or '12. There will probably be a refresh around '07 or '08.