As with 98% of the 231's sold in the USA, neither the Coral Gables SL 450 Designo listing nor the West Palm Beach SL 450 Designo listing have the ABC option. However, aside from that, both these cars are very well equipped, low mileage CPO's that are very seldom seen.

These 'special edition' Designo exteriors and interiors are certainly very unique and quite rare!...Just check out those While Piano Lacquer Steering Wheels!...

Coral Gables - https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

West Palm Beach - https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-...ckType=listing

 

on mine, the TWO inner buttons are blank; what's "button #3" on this car do?

 

It is not 98%, to even close. This has been discussed before. But on the 450 it is more common not to have ABC as it is considered the budget version of the SL (albeit a great one), but 450's will not feature any $4k options on the car. Expensive options make the car less desirable to new car buyers.

In regards to any special editions; Mercedes has a talent to create expensive edition models that always lack key options, thus making them less desirable and as usual in the US, one cannot add any additional options to a special edition. The above SL's are a good example as is the S550 Concours. Beautiful car that lacks numerous key options and thus making it almost unsellable at the price point.

 

Status screen of ABC on Comand. This one is from our 2017...

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfman

It is not 98%, to even close. This has been discussed before. But on the 450 it is more common not to have ABC as it is considered the budget version of the SL (albeit a great one), but 450's will not feature any $4k options on the car. Expensive options make the car less desirable to new car buyers.

In regards to any special editions; Mercedes has a talent to create expensive edition models that always lack key options, thus making them less desirable and as usual in the US, one cannot add any additional options to a special edition. The above SL's are a good example as is the S550 Concours. Beautiful car that lacks numerous key options and thus making it almost unsellable at the price poyint.

Agreed. You would think that special edition cars would have all the options and be considered “top of the line” examples of the model. In addition, in most all cases, only one or two color combinations are offered on these specials and sometimes, some of the finish choices are, IMO, on the odd side. I think the Porcelain/Black interior looks SO much better with the Black Ash trim, but if you want one of these Designo Editions, you are stuck with the Champagne White Piano Lacquer trim, which to me, clashes with the Porcelain leather. It is almost unimaginable to think that the upcoming “Grand Edition” SL, with its over-the-top interior, will not come with ABC. So, for me anyway, ordering a “Plain Jane,” regular edition, with the ability to have it just the way I want it, was the only way to go.

 

The (2) Florida 450SL's are simply Blue, Designo Edition's of 'Mighty Mouse'

The AMG SL65 wheels on these SL450's make that pretty clear!.. .

What's a 'Mighty Mouse'?.. - It's an SL450 (V6) with AMG SL65 (V12) wheels, and possibly also ceramic AMG-like brakes, an AMG rear spoiler, AMG grille parts, or other type of 'exclusive-to-AMG' exterior cladding!....

In the past, such mods were done to create 'AMG Poser Cars', and 'Poser Guy' might even have gone so far as to attach an AMG badge to the rear deck of his 'non-AMG' SL Class vehicle! .I can remember actually laughing out loud whenever I saw one of those on the road!....

Clearly, having good taste matters of course, and thankfully today MB has already given us some AMG modifications as factory options, like certain AMG alloy wheels, and AMG 'Sport' steering wheels. These are current options that can be added as factory options for the SL450 and SL550. In fact, at the very beginning of the 231 model run, (2013), USA 231 models received the AMG 'Sport' body styling package as the 'factory standard', while it remained an option known as the 'AMG appearance package' for all the European 231's....

Hopefully, nobody here would ever go 'full poser mode' by adding AMG badging to an SL450 or SL550 when making modifications!.., but there can be a tendency to go 'overboard' with modifications to the extent that the MB Factory Warranty is threatened and the car's value is significantly diminished by over-modification!...

That said, people do seem to have 'better taste' when making 231 modifications as compared to some of the very 'tacky' attempts to impersonate AMG's that were seen on previous generation SL Class vehicles!..

 

There is no such thing as full poser. Either poser or not. Poser is placing a AMG model badge on the trunk. Nothing else. Not even the AMG badge alone might qualify as poser as Mercedes has done that on standard MB models with the AMG body kit.
Also certainly not AMG wheels or AMG parts. Every SL in the US obviously has the AMG body kit by default.

Meanwhile MB in the US renamed many AMG packages to sport packages while in Germany every SL can add the AMG appearance package. This actually includes AMG branded carpets and steering wheel. Other models show additional AMG branding.

 

Don't shop shippers by price and do NOT use a broker. I have shipped several cars myself and have paid for several cars to be shipped to me.

The best companies are:
Intercity
Reliable
Horseless Carriage
Plycar

Their drivers are experienced professionals. Around a $1/mile is what you should expect to pay.

Good luck.

 

I wouldn't put an AMG badge on ever- but I do like the chrome bits of the SL63/65 on the sides and front. I am just not sure if the SL AMG Front fascia and bumpers would be able to be put on My SL550?

 

I do like a red Desingo edition- pretty Blingy!

 

'Any kind' of major expenditure is worth a 2nd thought at the very least....and probably more than that!

Dino's experience has made that point very clear!.....

 

That's one opinion!


Here's another:

'Think Twice' before buying, (or building), any 'Mighty Mice'....

 

I like the way the color looks in these photos as well. Almost looks like a real, solid color red. The problem, at least for me, is that Cardinal Red Metallic almost NEVER looks like these photos. It almost always photographs as a red, but tends to look way more orange in real life. Believe me, as someone who REALLY wanted a red SL, I tried to love this color, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

 

The SL63 is the same as the SL550, metal-wise. It would require a complete bumper kit if the grill and intakes are of interest. On the rear, only the diffuser and tailpipes would be required. The side trim in chrome can be just added just like the chrome trim from the special edition models.
On the first gen R231, the AMG front clip looked much better due to its smaller grill but on the facelift model there would be no value IMO. The chrome bits do look very good on blue cars. I would consider those.

 

[QUOTE=bob55;7854629]
'Think Twice' before buying, (or building), 'Mighty Mice'./QUOTE]

Not sure what the problem is here Bob, or why you keep picking on my car or what I’m doing to it. I’m not trying to make my car into anything that one might consider to be a “poser,” I’m just putting things on it, that I feel should have been available from the factory, but were not. To be a poser, IMO, one MUST replace the model designation with one from a more expensive or higher performance model. Like if I were to badge my SL450 as a 550 or a 63 or 65, which I have no intention of doing. I have decided, however, to change my model designation, to something more reflective of its whimsical, “unicorn” status. I’m going to badge it as “SL45MM.” When folks in the know see the wheels and the brakes and then the model designation, it should cause some to do a few double takes. Let them try and figure out what MM means.

Here’s a last photo before surgery. Brakes go on tomorrow.

 

[QUOTE=Streamliner;7854667]Not quite sure about Bob's issues either. He is surprisingly controversial about the cars of others and keeps on justifying why certain features options are not needed or useful, never mind the 2 extra speakers on the prior model I discount this as he doesn't have enough experience with these SL's to know the difference. Can't judge what you haven't experienced

You are ending up with the car you like based on what you feel was missing. You will obviously own this for the long run. It'll be a perfect fit and am happy for you. On the badge, however, I recommend debadging it like Germans do or making it a "SL450 MM". This way you stay true to what you drive. You can buy a couple ML 350 badges from MB to create the double M.

 

[QUOTE=Wolfman;7854679]Wolf, I have been on the sidelines a lot recently, but I have kept up fairly well. Having stated that, I must say that I could not agree more with you on all counts!

 

[QUOTE=Streamliner;7854667]Sh*t whats there to pick on? Looks awesome and love those wheels with the white

 

And some light pinkish in the bright sunlight...

 

I love the frequent use of the bold font just in case we dimwits can’t figure out what the point is.

 

Seems there are a few people who need to 'chill out' and stop distorting what was actually said. If you've been following the thread over the past week or so, you know that I 'conveniently' referred only to the (2) Brilliant Blue Designo SL450's currently offered for sale here in South Florida as 'Blue Mighty Mice' since those happen to be SL450's with SL65 alloy wheels. (See Post #106). I 'certainly never mentioned 231's belonging to anyone else on this forum despite having just received such an accusation. It's nonsense to believe otherwise...go back and read it for yourself!. Anything I said about the (3) Florida SL450's is relevant only for those (2) cars.

I also mentioned that I consider the Florida SL450's very unique and highly desirable cars. (In fact, I first said that way back in Post #98 of the thread).

As previously noted, both those cars are 'special Designo Editions' with AMG SL65 wheels as well as other unique Designo equipment and both remain unsold at the present time..

Wolfman, (in his post #103), suggested such cars are possibly 'unsellable' at the present price points due to how these (2) unique cars were equipped by the Factory. (I don't necessarily agree with his statement, but perhaps there's a lesson to be learned from it nevertheless). What I said in Post #112 was partially in regard to that earlier 'unsellable' comment from Wolf with regard to 'special editions' like the (2) Florida cars in our earlier discussion, however it was also in response to his definiton of 'poser' in post ;#107. My reply was simply to 'think twice', about the implications when adding AMG mods or when buying special editions and I stand by that. The full context of the discussion is relevant, but apparently that was 'lost' by some people.

I also noted in Post #106 there have been 'AMG Posers' with rather poor tastes in the past which, like it or not, just happens to be 100% true!. Some of those early 'posers' went much too far, adding AMG Badges; to non-AMG SL's, even racing stripe decals on the hood in some cases. Yes, some of those cars actually made me laugh, and there are lessons to be learned from those 'past posers' as well!

Just 'what' might make someone think any particular SL450 is a 'poser' isubjective, and in the eye of the beholder, but I suspect we could all agree that adding an AMG badge to a non-AMG SL would be one 'extreme' example of 'poser behavior'. Whether it's the only possible 'poser' example, (as Wolfman would have us believe), remains subjective!

For perspective, (and just for the record), I must tell you that I happen to be the proud owner of a 'genuine' 2006 CL55 AMG, in addition to my 2013 SL 550.

For anyone who 'thinks' I said something contrary in some earlier post to what I just stated above, please take the time to go back and re-read all the recent discussion so you know 'precisely' what was said before passing judgement. These misleading criticisms and distortions are rather ridiculous. and not indicative of what was actually said, since they were not a reference to any car other than the (2) Blue Designo Edition Cars.

I repeat once again, there were (2) very specific (unsold) SL 450's mentioned by me within this thread; and I 'conveniently' referred to those as Blue 'Mighty Mice' simply because those are SL450's with AMG SL65 Wheels. Clearly neither one of these 'unsold' Florida SL450's belongs to anyone on this forum, nor did I ever suggest that either is any kind of 'poser car. There is no reason whatsoever for this silly controversy.. The only ''other 231 that I mentioned in this thread was my own 2013 SL550.

If you are someone who 'didn't read' all the recent posts, or someone who somehow 'misunderstood' what was actually said, then any perceived 'issues', you feel may exist are actually your issues, not mine!

 

PLittle confused here - would the chrome accents on the upper edge of an SL AMG’s front intakes fit on an SL550?

 

I am considering NOT including those intake things- Not my personal favorite but the Chrome bottom "splitter" and the side chrome strips and the WHEELS make for a perfect SL look.
ANd I am more than happy with the 8 cylinder power of the S550- no need to change any badging- I am just giving it the "SL" trim

 

No. The chrome from the Special Edition SL's air intakes would fit as that is a regular SL bumper

 

The side strip will work. The front bottom splitter will not.