SL/R231: Next generation SL - hard top or soft top?
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From: South Florida
2013 SL550 (Lux Sport), 2006 CL55 AMG (Muscle). S550 (Wife's Sedan)
Sadly, this is where we are, I suppose....
For just as Streamliner said, it's highly unlikely that MB/AMG gave much, (if any), consideration to what current SL Class Owners think, or care about, when designing the next generation SL Class.
Last edited by bob55; Apr 24, 2019 at 08:08 PM.
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From: Brookshire, Texas & Cat Spring, Texas
2019 SL550/2023 EQS 580 SUV
Mercedes is going after a new set of owners/customers with the design change on the SL. There are not enough of us previous owners ready to buy for them to justify building the SL as it is now. Younger customers love excess technology unlike us older folks. Where Mercedes is in a bind is that can the younger crowd afford a 100k automobile? Not very many folks percentage wise own something this expensive to drive.
Last edited by Utopia Texas; Apr 25, 2019 at 09:23 AM.
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From: South Florida
2013 SL550 (Lux Sport), 2006 CL55 AMG (Muscle). S550 (Wife's Sedan)
Mercedes is going after a new set of owners/customers with the design change on the SL. There are not enough of us previous owners ready to buy for them to justify building the SL as it is now. Younger customers love excess technology unlike us older folks. Where Mercedes is in a bind is that can the younger crowd afford a 100K Automobile?
The younger Car Buyer is far less likely to be in a position to buy a $100K+ Roadster, so that isn't likely the MB 'Target Market' for a new generation Soft Top SL Class....
So now the question becomes: Just what group is the target market for the 'Soft Top' next generation 232?...
While I'm reasonably sure the necessary Marketing Research was done, it's very hard to understand just what group of Buyers MB is really going after with the Soft Top 232...
For the past 17-years, the SL Class has been in it's own unique 'lane' due to the very popular folding hardtop which made the car both a coupe and a convertible. Now it seems MB wants to jump into the same space occupied by BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, etc. However, taking that approach would significantly increase the level of competition so it makes very little sense...
One would hope that MB has a strategy that is something more than just an attempt to grab market share from other brands in an already 'crowded' 2+2 High End Roadster space, but at this point I really do have to wonder!...
That would be such an ugly scenario for the SL Class going forward!
Last edited by bob55; Apr 25, 2019 at 04:37 PM.
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2023 S Class 2013 SL
To reiterate, as I said long ago reference MB going soft top, "Son, there's money to be lost here, best to reconsider". Young folks predominately rent, can't even afford roofs over their heads, much less expensive convertibles.
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From: Brookshire, Texas & Cat Spring, Texas
2019 SL550/2023 EQS 580 SUV
Possibly some of the Silicon Valley Corporations that have safe spaces for employees, Segways to ride up and down the halls and bring your puppy to work days can give away SL’s as Friday door prizes..... 
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Don't get me started on The People’s Republic of California! If we didn’t have our children’s families right here, with six grandchildren and everybody dug in, we would be outta here lickity-split.
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From: Brookshire, Texas & Cat Spring, Texas
2019 SL550/2023 EQS 580 SUV
A lot of upscale California folks have moved to the Austin, Texas area to escape the madness. Unfortunately they bring liberal views with them and are trying to make Austin into a mini California. We are trying to build a wall around Austin to keep the crazies inside!
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From: Corona Del Mar, CA
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
A lot of upscale California folks have moved to the Austin, Texas area to escape the madness. Unfortunately they bring liberal views with them and are trying to make Austin into a mini California. We are trying to build a wall around Austin to keep the crazies inside!
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Utopia, you hit the nail on the head with the last sentence of your post!...
The younger Car Buyer is far less likely to be in a position to buy a $100K+ Roadster, so that isn't likely the MB 'Target Market' for a new generation Soft Top SL Class....
So now the question becomes: Just what group is the target market for the soft top 232?...
While I'm reasonably sure the necessary Marketing Research was done, it's very hard to understand just what group of Buyers MB is really going after with the Soft Top 232...
For the past 17-years, the SL Class has been in it's own unique 'lane' due to the very popular folding hardtop which made the car both a coupe and a convertible. Now it seems MB wants to jump into the same space occupied by BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, etc. However, taking that approach would significantly increase the level of competition so it makes very little sense...
One would hope that MB has a strategy that is something more than just an attempt to grab market share from other brands in an already 'crowded' 2+2 High End Roadster space, but at this point I really do have to wonder!...
That would be such an ugly scenario for the SL Class going forward!
The younger Car Buyer is far less likely to be in a position to buy a $100K+ Roadster, so that isn't likely the MB 'Target Market' for a new generation Soft Top SL Class....
So now the question becomes: Just what group is the target market for the soft top 232?...
While I'm reasonably sure the necessary Marketing Research was done, it's very hard to understand just what group of Buyers MB is really going after with the Soft Top 232...
For the past 17-years, the SL Class has been in it's own unique 'lane' due to the very popular folding hardtop which made the car both a coupe and a convertible. Now it seems MB wants to jump into the same space occupied by BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, etc. However, taking that approach would significantly increase the level of competition so it makes very little sense...
One would hope that MB has a strategy that is something more than just an attempt to grab market share from other brands in an already 'crowded' 2+2 High End Roadster space, but at this point I really do have to wonder!...
That would be such an ugly scenario for the SL Class going forward!
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2002
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,534
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2002
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2019
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Mazda
I had a look in the BMW forums for the next generation BMW 4 series convertible. A huge majority are sad it is going back to soft top, with some saying things like
- "its 2019, how can we not have the technology to have a hard top that is relatively lightweight?"
- "its 2019, we still have tent(fabric) on cars..."
- "its a step back.....the past 13 years has been good BMW, why go back to soft top???"
- "I went to BMW for the sole reason of a hard top convertible. Now its gone"
- "Ragtops are ugly"
Yeah.....maybe, just maybe, electric cars are supposed to be lighter than ICE cars right? If so, having metal hard top convertibles should be much more manageable because the weight is quite low to begin with?
- "its 2019, how can we not have the technology to have a hard top that is relatively lightweight?"
- "its 2019, we still have tent(fabric) on cars..."
- "its a step back.....the past 13 years has been good BMW, why go back to soft top???"
- "I went to BMW for the sole reason of a hard top convertible. Now its gone"
- "Ragtops are ugly"
Yeah.....maybe, just maybe, electric cars are supposed to be lighter than ICE cars right? If so, having metal hard top convertibles should be much more manageable because the weight is quite low to begin with?
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,534
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
I had a look in the BMW forums for the next generation BMW 4 series convertible. A huge majority are sad it is going back to soft top, with some saying things like
- "its 2019, how can we not have the technology to have a hard top that is relatively lightweight?"
- "its 2019, we still have tent(fabric) on cars..."
- "its a step back.....the past 13 years has been good BMW, why go back to soft top???"
- "I went to BMW for the sole reason of a hard top convertible. Now its gone"
- "Ragtops are ugly"
Yeah.....maybe, just maybe, electric cars are supposed to be lighter than ICE cars right? If so, having metal hard top convertibles should be much more manageable because the weight is quite low to begin with?
- "its 2019, how can we not have the technology to have a hard top that is relatively lightweight?"
- "its 2019, we still have tent(fabric) on cars..."
- "its a step back.....the past 13 years has been good BMW, why go back to soft top???"
- "I went to BMW for the sole reason of a hard top convertible. Now its gone"
- "Ragtops are ugly"
Yeah.....maybe, just maybe, electric cars are supposed to be lighter than ICE cars right? If so, having metal hard top convertibles should be much more manageable because the weight is quite low to begin with?
Super Moderator
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 10,534
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From: Land of 10,000 lakes
AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
I always have to be careful though as any wax can kill the finish. I have separate buckets, micro fibers, etc. for matte vs. glossy. There is a whole collection of matte paint products, even matte tire shine
That said, the matte paint is at least as durable and just as easy to care for. This is our winter car and MN winters can be quite brutal. Salt, other chemicals for road safety and idiot drivers, this 600+ hp car has been better in deep snow than our S-class.
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From: Massachusetts
1986 560SL, 2017 E300, 2018 Sl550, 2020 E350
Hi Wolf,
Question Re your garage floor.
I like you live in the snow belt (me in Ma) wonder how you find the "open grid" floor tiles looks like you have.
I have always admired the look but, felt for us in the snow belt bringing in mud ect in the winter would clog up the grid and muck up the floor under and make difficult to maintain ect.
Do you have any comments, suggestions ect?
Looking forward to your response.
Steve
Question Re your garage floor.
I like you live in the snow belt (me in Ma) wonder how you find the "open grid" floor tiles looks like you have.
I have always admired the look but, felt for us in the snow belt bringing in mud ect in the winter would clog up the grid and muck up the floor under and make difficult to maintain ect.
Do you have any comments, suggestions ect?
Looking forward to your response.
Steve
