SL/R232: Is SL the right description or a misnomer ?
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Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2014
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From: Miami/Washington DC
2022 AMG SL63, 2015 Ferrari 458 Spyder, 2021 ALPINA B7
Is SL the right description or a misnomer ?
I have read a lot of the comments of forum members on the new SL and there appears to be a thread wondering about the true identity of the car.
This will become even more interesting in about 8 months when MB is going to launch the Coupe - will that be an SL coupe or GT coupe.
Yes, the original SL existed as a Gullwing Coupe or a Roadster - but every SL after that only existed as cabriolet.
So, in your opinion should AMG:
just left it as a new version of the AMG GT - both roadster and coupe.
or
Is SL/SL Coupe the right choice?
Your thoughts please !!!!
This will become even more interesting in about 8 months when MB is going to launch the Coupe - will that be an SL coupe or GT coupe.
Yes, the original SL existed as a Gullwing Coupe or a Roadster - but every SL after that only existed as cabriolet.
So, in your opinion should AMG:
just left it as a new version of the AMG GT - both roadster and coupe.
or
Is SL/SL Coupe the right choice?
Your thoughts please !!!!
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 11,405
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
SL has been a misnomer for a long time. SL stands for "super leicht" in German (super-light or super lightweight). It was supposed to signify being a sports car. That hasn't described the SL in a long time at almost 4000 lbs curb weight and how soft it had become. The new SL is actually truer to the SL moniker with it being an AMG only, not so much the curb weight, but it certainly is more of a sports car again. My understanding is that there won't be an SL coupe, but the new GT will be based on the same platform. Different car and probably will be called the GT.
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The SL is the same as it ever was. Sophisticated, high performance, luxury roadster. Period.
The hangup over cylinder count, top material, and whether there is space behind the seats or not is silly. You can go back into SL history and find 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-cylinder cars. Soft tops and hard tops; sometimes removable, sometimes folding. 2-seaters, 3-seaters, and 4-seaters.
No comment on what they should call the upcoming coupe...we know very little about its focus.
The hangup over cylinder count, top material, and whether there is space behind the seats or not is silly. You can go back into SL history and find 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-cylinder cars. Soft tops and hard tops; sometimes removable, sometimes folding. 2-seaters, 3-seaters, and 4-seaters.
No comment on what they should call the upcoming coupe...we know very little about its focus.
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SL has been a misnomer for a long time. SL stands for "super leicht" in German (super-light or super lightweight). It was supposed to signify being a sports car. That hasn't described the SL in a long time at almost 4000 lbs curb weight and how soft it had become. The new SL is actually truer to the SL moniker with it being an AMG only, not so much the curb weight, but it certainly is more of a sports car again.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Nov 2018
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From: San Francisco Bay Area
2019 C63CS
As I said, it's been a misnomer for a long time.
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Joined: Feb 2020
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2017 SL450, 2017 Ford Expedition, 2007 CLK 550, 2019 Buick Enclave
The SL is the same as it ever was. Sophisticated, high performance, luxury roadster. Period.
The hangup over cylinder count, top material, and whether there is space behind the seats or not is silly. You can go back into SL history and find 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-cylinder cars. Soft tops and hard tops; sometimes removable, sometimes folding. 2-seaters, 3-seaters, and 4-seaters.
No comment on what they should call the upcoming coupe...we know very little about its focus.
The hangup over cylinder count, top material, and whether there is space behind the seats or not is silly. You can go back into SL history and find 4-, 6-, 8-, and 12-cylinder cars. Soft tops and hard tops; sometimes removable, sometimes folding. 2-seaters, 3-seaters, and 4-seaters.
No comment on what they should call the upcoming coupe...we know very little about its focus.
It is not the same as it ever was...
Definition..
A roadster is an open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character.
Last edited by Panama; Aug 10, 2022 at 05:57 PM.
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When the W113 was optioned with either the sideways single rear seat or the rear bench was it no longer a roadster? The R107 was also available with rear seats outside of the US. Those two generations alone span 25 years of SL history. Oh, and they also had folding soft tops like the R232. Their escalation in value says something about what people want and expect an SL to be.
Call the new car what you want...but, yes, it is the same as it ever was.
Call the new car what you want...but, yes, it is the same as it ever was.
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2017 SL450, 2017 Ford Expedition, 2007 CLK 550, 2019 Buick Enclave
You and MB can call this car whatever you want... I don't care and there is no law against being wrong, and you are wrong.
But plain and simple.... if you will just look it up...Wikipedia or something like that... you can see that it is not a roadster. Just take the time to look it up.
And you don't want to get me started on the MANUALLY REMOVABLE windscreen - among other things. And it took AMG two years to engineer a manually removable windscreen on a luxury car.
It is not the same as it ever was.... but go buy one... my bet is buyers are going to lose a lot at resale or trade in.
But plain and simple.... if you will just look it up...Wikipedia or something like that... you can see that it is not a roadster. Just take the time to look it up.
And you don't want to get me started on the MANUALLY REMOVABLE windscreen - among other things. And it took AMG two years to engineer a manually removable windscreen on a luxury car.
It is not the same as it ever was.... but go buy one... my bet is buyers are going to lose a lot at resale or trade in.
Last edited by Panama; Aug 11, 2022 at 02:00 PM.
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AMG GTC Roadster, E63s Ed.1, M8 Comp. Coupe
You and MB can call this car whatever you want... I don't care and there is no law against being wrong, and you are wrong.
But plain and simple.... if you will just look it up...Wikipedia or something like that... you can see that it is not a roadster. Just take the time to look it up.
And you don't want to get me started on the MANUALLY REMOVABLE windscreen - among other things. And it took AMG two years to engineer a manually removable windscreen on a luxury car.
But plain and simple.... if you will just look it up...Wikipedia or something like that... you can see that it is not a roadster. Just take the time to look it up.
And you don't want to get me started on the MANUALLY REMOVABLE windscreen - among other things. And it took AMG two years to engineer a manually removable windscreen on a luxury car.
The usual non-sensical discussion that we have had on the R231 forum.
It isn't the SL you want and there is no need to argue of what Mercedes shouldn't call it. Mercedes calls it an SL and it isn't/wasn't light. They call it a roadster and it has and had (at times) unusable rear seats in it. Does it matter?
In the end the car is what Mercedes calls it.
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Joined: Jan 2006
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From: ST. Louis, MO
'16 SL550, '18 Porsche Macan GTS
In my opinion, they should have called the R232 the new GT C, and just dropped the SL if it wasn’t a good seller. The new car is just slightly larger inside than the GT C, has the same trunk space, same soft top, etc, etc. And it definitely does not take the place of the now defunct S class convertible. The R232 is no where near as luxurious as the previous SL or S class. I really, really wanted to like the new SL but it just feels like a GT C with a back seat to me. I’m looking for a luxurious, comfy convertible that drives more like a GT car than a sports car or land yacht, that has a decent size trunk for golf clubs. Sadly I’m in the minority as there’s very few if any options now. You would think that some manufacturer could produce this for under $200k but apparently there isn’t the market for one. Sad!
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2019 S560 Cabriolet
I went to take a look at the new SL today. Dealer had both models. It is a beautiful car.
My last SL was a 2013. It had some design issues on the exterior, but was a great car. It was extremely comfortable and lived up to the SL’s reputation for luxury. I’m not sure the new SL is luxurious enough for the SL market. It feels much more like an AMG GT. The interior is very tight, the seats are not comfortable and feel like boards with leather covering. I could probably get used to iPad propped up on the console, but the comfort just isn’t there for me. I was considering trading my 2019 S560 Cabriolet for the SL, but I’m going to pass. I think the S560 is a better car.
My last SL was a 2013. It had some design issues on the exterior, but was a great car. It was extremely comfortable and lived up to the SL’s reputation for luxury. I’m not sure the new SL is luxurious enough for the SL market. It feels much more like an AMG GT. The interior is very tight, the seats are not comfortable and feel like boards with leather covering. I could probably get used to iPad propped up on the console, but the comfort just isn’t there for me. I was considering trading my 2019 S560 Cabriolet for the SL, but I’m going to pass. I think the S560 is a better car.
