SL/R230: SL500 vs Porsche 911
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,653
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From: Ann Arbor
'03 SL55
The honest answer to your question is wrapped up in what it means for a car to be "fun to drive."
A 911 is quite a bit lighter than an SL and will handle transitions more quickly. As result it will run faster times on a road course, other things being equal. SLs also only come with automatic transmissions. If a person finds fun in manually shifting gears and engaging the clutch, a manny tranny 911 would necessarily be more fun.
However I and others find the SL to be immensely fun to drive. The engines are terrific, from the naturally aspirated V8s to the twin turbo V12s. The drivetrain is bulletproof. Steering is tight and precise. The brakes are also very good if light and subtle (and sometimes incorrectly described as "numb").
On a nice day, on an open road, with the top down, and the engine putting immense power to the wheels, the SL is an incredibly fun car to drive.
FWIW....
A 911 is quite a bit lighter than an SL and will handle transitions more quickly. As result it will run faster times on a road course, other things being equal. SLs also only come with automatic transmissions. If a person finds fun in manually shifting gears and engaging the clutch, a manny tranny 911 would necessarily be more fun.
However I and others find the SL to be immensely fun to drive. The engines are terrific, from the naturally aspirated V8s to the twin turbo V12s. The drivetrain is bulletproof. Steering is tight and precise. The brakes are also very good if light and subtle (and sometimes incorrectly described as "numb").
On a nice day, on an open road, with the top down, and the engine putting immense power to the wheels, the SL is an incredibly fun car to drive.
FWIW....
Last edited by jmf003; Apr 18, 2009 at 01:32 PM. Reason: fixed typo
Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 244
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From: Louisiana
2005 SL500
Excellent summation jmf003.
When one considers the "fun to drive" part of a car it is a matter of opinion. I, for one, would prefer the SL for daily driving. On a track though, I'd go with the 911.
Rook
When one considers the "fun to drive" part of a car it is a matter of opinion. I, for one, would prefer the SL for daily driving. On a track though, I'd go with the 911.
Rook
Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 83
Likes: 1
2007 S550 2009 SL550
The SL is a GT as opposed to a sports car. The 911 is a sports car equipped and priced like a GT. The main problem with the 911 as a GT is the incredible amount of noise in the interior. Porsche needs to decide whether the 911 is to be a GT or a sports car. If it is to be a sports car, then get rid of the navigation, bluetooth phone interface, and other types of things. If it is to be a GT, then keep the exhaust sound but get rid of the tire and general road noise.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 345
Likes: 1
2005 SL500
Quickness wise, the SL500 has great torque and "feels" faster off the line, BUT, there is no question that the 911 is the faster car overall. Both are great!! Different cars for different purposes.
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 67
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07 S550 & 05 SL55
vantage put it very well
the 911 is a true drivers car and the sl500 is more the cruiser in my opinion
other might tell me the sl500 handles great and is fast....this is true to an extent
the car has good torque but honestly not that fast also it handlse well for a car its size but definitely not the best handling car ive driven by a long shot
really depends what you want out of your car.....i dont drive the crap out of my sl because itll never be a true sports car but that doesnt mean it isnt a great street cruiser
i would not trade my sl for a 911 because the sl does everything i want it to
hope this helps a little
the 911 is a true drivers car and the sl500 is more the cruiser in my opinion
other might tell me the sl500 handles great and is fast....this is true to an extent
the car has good torque but honestly not that fast also it handlse well for a car its size but definitely not the best handling car ive driven by a long shot
really depends what you want out of your car.....i dont drive the crap out of my sl because itll never be a true sports car but that doesnt mean it isnt a great street cruiser
i would not trade my sl for a 911 because the sl does everything i want it to
hope this helps a little
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 337
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From: Montrose, CA
2007 SL550
+1. The SL won't outperform the Porsche -- it wasn't meant to. It's a 2-metric-ton car. M-B attempts to balance performance and comfort, while Porsche leans heavily to the performance end of the spectrum.
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Super Member
Joined: Dec 2003
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Likes: 6
Great job all of summarizing what the differences really are for these cars. Having spent a good bit of time in both I would say for a daily driver which also mixes in a great deal of fun, the SL is very hard to beat. The hard top is a game changer if you really want to be in the car all the time and it is a more comfortable car. That said, the 911 is a flat out awesome car with visceral appeal which has few equals. Drive them both and let us know what you think. I would recommend the SL550 (MY07 and later) as the engine upgrade with the 5.5 L is in my opinion significant and brings the two cars a bit closer together performance-wise. Good Luck.
