Keon

Why the hell are people complaining? Yeah the car is a bit big but otherwise it's amazing. I'll probably be replacing mine with an SL55 performance line. The LSD and race mode is a must, but I find the AMG performance seats to be a bit uncomfortable. AWD is a huge plus, and with the LSD it'll break necks.

348SStb

Sounds like you haven’t owned a German car with rear wheel drive and lots of power. Maybe you have, so no offense. But I have a 2019 V12 S65 in addition to my aforementioned SL63 — and there are zero issues managing the power. These cars are so smart in the way they analyze traction — they are safe and it’s hardly possible to even hear a chirp. I had a Carrera GTS rear-wheel drive with PDK and I put it head to head with my brother’s almost identical awd 4S and the awd car exhibited zero advantages at dead-stop acceleration and around high-speed exit ramps at speeds of 70-80mph and almost 1g of lateral force.

I would say on the contrary: rear-wheel drive ain’t what it used to be precisely because of the advanced technology of the last 6-7 years: torque vectoring brake, highly advanced limited slip differentials, highly advanced ESP, and other computers knowing exactly what’s going on and analyzing the situation. All-wheel drive is great at the drag strip but otherwise a marketing gimmick utilized mostly to satisfy the American trophy wife and others who do not know that winter tires even exist.

PatrickGGG

Still looks like a 911 with the roof up!

Panama

Where does all this weight come from??? I thought MB investment in the AMG design and aluminum frame and going to a ragtop was all in an effort to engineer a lightweight SL. Heck, this thing weighs A LOT MORE than my 450.

The MPG will not be a selling point with this weight. And I don't care how much money you have, some people still look at the price of a gallon of gas and I expect it will require premium grade.

far2000

Best looking 2 door on the Market currently................

hyperion667

Love the exterior, do not like the interior. My .02 cents

Wolfman

Doesn't look like you actually read what I wrote...
Tobias Moers had previously stated that they are moving to all wheel drive due to customer demand. Obviously AWD puts power down better, no matter how good the traction control is.

Germancar1

Most of the complaining is of the clueless variety. They have no idea how the car drives of feels and yet they've already made up their minds. It's like listening to a bunch of old biddies yacking at the piggly wiggly. Like any Mercedes convertible has ever been small or light weight in the last 50 years outside of the SLK or the AWD kills the car all of sudden or the one I truly love about it replacing the S-Class cabrio and being a jack of all trades. Hell that is what a GT car is in the first place. Part sports car, part luxury/touring car. I would love to see a car that has all the "stuff" on board as the SL that is lighter with a V8. That said, I'm not in love with the look, but the engineering appears first rate.

M

Germancar1

When has MPG ever been a "selling point" for a car like this? If you're worrying about fuel costs on a six figure car............you're in the wrong car. The weight comes from AWD, V8, not to mention the roll over protection and the strength it takes to make a open car rigid and safe in an accident. The SL hasn't been a lightweight car in years and it would have been a lot heavier if rendered in all steel.

M

Streamliner

Without seeing the car in person or driving it, I KNOW that I don’t like the rear seats, the removable wind screen, the itsy-bitsy trunk and the ridiculous (in a convertible) touch screen I won’t mention the “weight saving” fabric top. They have replaced our luxurious, top down cruisers with yet another rocket ship that will go way faster and accelerate way quicker than most buyers are capable of handling. MB went out and built a 4-seat Corvette and only a C7 to boot!

Panama

Anybody that thinks the public does not care about MPG has not been watching fuel prices and fuel availability - especially in Europe and California. The rarified few that do not care will buy something else anyway.

As for weight, it really surprises me--- that's all. I think it weighs almost as much as my Jeep Cherokee SUV with 4WD that I traded for the Expedition. I thought all the great AMG engineering was to engineer a sporty ALUMINUM framed lightweight SL... let's see... SL: Sport Light ---Sportlich-Leicht. It weighs a LOT more than my 2017 450.

I love my 231 ... SL450 .... absolutely love it. I hoped for something better in the 232 upgrade because my wife and I thought we would trade up for a 2022 pre-owned SL in a year or two .. but with what I am seeing --- rear seats, cloth top, heavy weight, etc. --- we will not be in the market. And that computer screen is just ugly. I do love the colors though....wow.

SteveL1

Although I like the over all looks of the new SL, I have some major reservations about the quality of ride with the top down, which I tend to do whenever possible. The removable wind screen seems like an afterthought, and will likely be a deal breaker for me. I’m not concerned about performance as my ‘13 SL550 is more than adequate as it is. I’m looking for a comfy, top down driving experience that has room in the trunk for golf clubs with the top down for my 7 mile drive to the golf course. I absolutely loved the looks of the GT C when it came out, but the lack of comfort and stupid small trunk drove me away. The interior looks nice except for the huge iPad on the console. Will definitely have to wait to see and drive one in person before I pull the trigger.

Panama

I doubt very very seriously that a full size golf bag will go in that trunk...probably not even a Sunday bag. I have not seen the trunk in person though and admit I could be mistaken. But the information I read with comparisons and specs sounds like it is not big enough for a set of clubs. Just my opinion.. And the windscreen will be back there too.

And I cannot begin to realize their thoughts on the windscreen that is manual and manually folds up and stores in the trunk. What are they thinking?? Saved some money though....just like going to the ragtop. And the change to the cloth top was not for weight...it saved 50 pounds or so.. if they wanted to save weight,, leave off the rear seats which look unusable to me anyway.

Germancar1

Buyers man, not the public. What the general public thinks about this car doesn't mean anything to anyone as they can't get one either way. No one buying this car that can truly afford it is worry about MPG. . It's an absurd notion that someone would be buying a 2-seat V8 GT car with 469 or 577hp would be worrying about gas. It would be even heavier if it were all steel. The SL hasn't really been lightweight in over 35 years. The R231 SL450 is a 3900lb car and that is already obese for a 2-seater and that's a V6, not a V8, AWD and 4WS like the new SL55 and SL63. There is a lot of hardware under this car. Why not wait and see how the car drives instead of creating a problem when there isn't one or before you've experienced it. I don't get that tendency here.

M

slk55er

I posted this on another thread about the Motor Trend review...

It is a shame to corrupt the SL lineage with this "update". It should have a new name as I've suggested before -- there are a lot of letters in the alphabet. My biggest complaint is not just the 2+2 with no hardtop and still weighing 100 pounds more. It is the ugly huge tablet screen which is a distraction to responsible driving, particularly in a high-performance vehicle, not so much of an issue in a lumbering S series. The Motor Trend photo even shows a reflection on the screen -- or is that a highlight to indicate to the distracted driver what was selected by mistake? Yuck! Glad to have a 231.

I'll add....Mercedes, why not forget the car and just start selling the center screen as a tablet as an upgrade to an iPad?

places

Well, firstly you're discussing with actual buyers not "the public" man. Not sure when the last time you bought or owned an SL. I can say there is some thought given to MPG by a chunk of the SL market and S market as well seeing as there is no real idea where gas prices might go in the next couple years. It's not just an affordability issue for some, I wouldn't minimize it.

js_cls

Sadly its easier for people to type on the internet and complain. I for one am excited as I would never have considered an SL for the past 20+ years, but now I am already on my dealer's list for one of the first models to come to the store. I plan to test drive it extensively of course before any purchase though. Its clear that with this car MB is not targeting the same market, anyone who had an SL450 before probably wouldn't even consider this vehicle as its a different animal all together, its now an AMG and V8 only vehicle, and with that will cater to a different crowd. To those who don't want a new SL, oh well, I don't think MB will be losing sleep over them.

wizee

You’re right that a grand tourer is supposed to be a mix of sports car and luxury cruiser traits, and this is such a mix. My gripe with it is that it’s not very compelling / impressive in either role. Look at the 2003 SL55 - it had the performance of a contemporary 996 Turbo, was much more quiet and comfy, had a much nicer interior than the 996, and combined great body control with soft ride through ABC. It was a standout - a great sports car, and a great cruiser.

Now look at the new SL63 compared to modern competitors like the Porsche 992 (and even C8 Corvette now that their interiors have drastically improved). The rear seats are about the same size as a Porsche 992, suspension tech is the same as the 992 (conventional springs with adaptive dampers and active anti roll bars), interior quality is comparable to the 911 (Porsche interiors have improved a lot since the 996), and I don’t expect that much of a gap in road noise either (the Porsche 992 is much quieter and more refined than older ones). However, now the top of the line SL63 has the performance of a base 911 in the straights, and I don’t expect it to even be close in handling given the weight differential and loss of ABC.

After 19 years, R232 SL63 is a pretty marginal advancement over the R230 SL55 in acceleration, and a downgrade in ride and handling with the loss of ABC and weight gain. Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 has made massive leaps in performance and refinement since the 996, such that you get performance that wipes the floor with the R232 while still having comparable practicality, space, luxury, and refinement.

I still think the R232 interior is nicer than the Porsche 992, and the R232 will probably have its suspension tuned a bit softer, and a bit less interior noise, but the extent of those advantages over the 992 are much smaller than the extent of the R230’s advantages over the 996. Meanwhile, relative performance has dropped from 911 Turbo levels to base 911 levels.

EDIT: I see there is an option for air suspension on these. Adjustable spring rates (through air suspension) coupled with the active anti-roll bars could at least give the ride comfort of the old ABC system, albeit not quite the same level of body control in softer states. I’ll reserve my judgement on that suspension till I get to try one. The air suspension option and associated ability to get a really soft ride could be a compelling reason to consider this over a 911.

js_cls

It was slower than the 996 Turbo Cab (auto) let alone even the 996 Carrera S (RWD + Manual) of its time. It only matched or beat the Carrera S in rolling starts and top gears.

996 Turbo Cab Auto

996 Carrera S RWD 6MT

SL 55

This is all speculative. No one has driven an R232 yet. I also doubt the handling would be worse than a vehicle that is almost 20 years old. As for performance AMG tends to underate their numbers, an R232 SL63 has an estimated 0-60 of 3.5 and will likely prove to be faster in the real world as most AMG's do, especially when paired to 4Matic+.

wizee

Those acceleration numbers for the SL55 seem oddly slow. I’ve seen them do 12.4 second quarter miles at 116 mph.

wizee

Thinking about this some more, I might be looking at this car from the wrong perspective. This isn't meant to be exciting as a top-tier sports car (that's the AMG GT's role), nor is it a proper replacement for the S class coupe/cabriolet (rear seats are too small), but rather it's a more cushy and luxurious alternative to the Porsche 911 that will probably be priced comparably to it. SL55 against a 992 Carrera Cab, SL63 against a 992 Carrera S Cab. Published acceleration figures are probably conservative given past performance of other comparable AMGs, so they'll be comparable in a straight line to their comparably priced Porsche equivalents. The R232 won't have the agility of the Porsche 992, but SLs have never been as agile as a Porsche 911. The SL would be an alternative to the 911 that gives similar acceleration per dollar, but provides a V8, somewhat nicer/different interior, different styling and proportions, slightly softer ride (or much softer with air suspension while still handling acceptably with active anti-roll bars), and a bit less road noise, at the expense of more weight and less agility. Being softer and more comfortable isn't sexy or exciting, but could make it a better car for every day use on roads while still providing respectable acceleration and handling.

I currently have an ABC-equpped CL550 as my soft but composed handling cruiser, and for excitement I've had various sports cars over the years (like my AMG GT S and current Porsche 718 Spyder). I'm perhaps just feeling bitter that they discontinued the CL-class/S-class coupe, and there's no good replacement for it. I do occasionally carry rear passengers in my CL, and routinely make use of its big trunk, so the new SL can't replace it.

I still wish they would have just dropped the mostly useless rear seats altogether, and made the car smaller/lighter, perhaps with a slightly bigger trunk and longer hood. I wonder how the Airmatic + active anti-roll compares to ABC.

Alan Smithee

^ Regarding “agility”, consider that the new SL has rear steering as standard equipment. Very effective tool for providing the sense of agility, especially in a heavier car.

And the optional suspension (it is hydraulic, not air) is far more advanced than anything in the 911 range. That said, it seems geared towards performance rather than comfort (although it’s elimination of anti-roll bars pays some dividends in that regard).

wizee

No, the optional suspension on the R232 uses air springs with adaptive dampers and hydraulic anti-roll actuators. I do see this as the biggest advantage against the 911. With such a suspension, you can independently adjust ride height, spring stiffness, roll stiffness, and damping. The 911 has optional active anti-roll bars (PDCC) and standard adjustable dampers (PASM), but conventional springs (like the SL55 standard suspension).

Wolfman

In its early days the SL was a real sports car and then turned into a comfy cruiser over several generations. Now that the car returns to its sportier roots there are many here that bemoan that very change. Times and preferences change and I believe this move was essential for the SL to remain relevant. I have no doubt the car will sell; it is a proper competitor to a 911 cab.

Still very interesting and surprised to see here what constitutes to be an "SL" for members, it apparently isn't what Mercedes says the SL stands for.
Rather, the SL nameplate seems to embody whatever features people liked in the old models. Truly bizarre...

Alan Smithee

Details here from the source. I do not see anything about air springs:

https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaS...0MDYzMA!!&rs=7