SL/R231 A Deeper Look at the Turbocharged V6 for the 2015 SL400

Sep 5, 2014 | 07:55 PM

MAguilar

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A Deeper Look at the Turbocharged V6 for the 2015 SL400

Mercedes is putting a number of its eggs in this twin-turbo V6 basket. Not only will the aforementioned C-Class and ML-Class vehicles come equipped with it, but the C400 4MATIC and ML400 4MATIC will also have it. We can also expect to see it in the E-Class in the not-too-distant future. One historical note: this is the first time since 1998 (the year Mercedes dropped its inline-six engines from the SL lineup) that the U.S. has seen an SL roadster with a six-cylinder engine.

Read the rest on the MBWorld homepage.

Sep 7, 2014 | 02:07 AM

blue00r6

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2017 C43

I'm not sure how I feel about it. I think there is a certain presence that an SL should come to the table with, and (at least) a big V8 is one of those characteristics that define that presence.

Sep 7, 2014 | 07:18 AM

jbattan

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From: Oregon USA

2023 Mercedes EQS 580 SUV, 2023 Bentley Bentayga, 2023 Genesis GV60

At least I will no longer have an "entry-level" SL550. But I'm glad I'll get to 60 0.6 seconds faster; those are sub-seconds I'd never get back in life.

Sep 7, 2014 | 02:31 PM

Steinhart

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From: Scottsdale, AZ

2018 S 650, 2014 SL 550, 2017 911 TTS Cab, '13 F458 Spider

I wonder how big the market will be for this car, I personally don't see the attraction

Sep 8, 2014 | 10:27 AM

threeMBs

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Steinhart

I wonder how big the market will be for this car, I personally don't see the attraction

1. Its performance is on par (and then some) with R230 SL550 (a bit less power, but also less weight).

2. Its MSRP (when identically equipped) is $18K less than R231 SL550.

3. No dealer I know off (currently) discounts SL400 while 2015 SL550 does get discounted (I just ordered SL550 with 8% off the MSRP - extremely aggressive for a new MY car even if ordered).

Sep 8, 2014 | 11:17 AM

Steinhart

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From: Scottsdale, AZ

2018 S 650, 2014 SL 550, 2017 911 TTS Cab, '13 F458 Spider

Quote:

Originally Posted by threeMBs

performance is on par with 230, not 231?

so, one gives up some acceleration, has a bit lighter car, for 18k less than the V8, maybe slightly less with the V8's being discounted

now thats starting to make more sense, I can see the attraction, thanks

Sep 8, 2014 | 12:55 PM

threeMBs

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Yes correct. If they would not have given me a nice discount on an ordered car (nothing close to that on in-stock), for MSRP (or very close to it - $15K difference or so) I probably would have bought SL400 over SL550. In my specific case, the difference was about $11K. If I remember correctly, R230 SL55 with identical to R231's SL550 torque of 516 was over $30K more - so an easy choice for me. But for most people wanting just an SL while spending as "little" as possible, SL400 IMO will sell well and at MSRP (BTW, in 2003 I paid MSRP for my 2003 SL500 and 2015 SL400 is a significantly more of a car and a better car for even less money and adjusted for inflation is a great deal).