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2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
What MB should have done………
Genesis unveiled a concept convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show, complete with a retractable hardtop. In my opinion, Genesis is showing the type of thing MB SHOULD have done with the current generation SL. Oh WELL.
Last edited by Streamliner; Nov 17, 2022 at 10:50 AM.
What you're really asking for is a continuation of the S-Class Cabriolet because that's what the Genesis X Concept is.
Agree. A SL should never get close to that kind of design. Same as saying the SL should look like a large cabriolet a la Bentley GTC. Different cars and purpose. Genesis uses a former Bentley designer and I think it definitely shows. I do think this car has great lines. Very good looking...
The Genesis is pretty, but after-all its a concept, I am highly doubtful they will bring it to production. They barely have a sales case for the G90, this would sell even worse, and its an EV which may turn some off in this type of market.
Also this is far from SL sized, its clearly an S-Cab type of vehicle.
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by js_cls
The Genesis is pretty, but after-all its a concept, I am highly doubtful they will bring it to production. They barely have a sales case for the G90, this would sell even worse, and its an EV which may turn some off in this type of market.
Also this is far from SL sized, its clearly an S-Cab type of vehicle.
I believe Genesis has Lexus clearly in their sights. They want to “out Lexus” Lexus—while chasing the Germans at the same time—but first things first. I believe they are doing a good job of it—especially when one compares the new G90 to the LS500–but it will take time. That said, Lexus has a 2-door, flashy convertible with the LC500 and seemed unwilling to completely reengineer the retractable hardtop for it, especially since the BIG guys in Stuttgart didn’t bother. So it would seem just SO Genesis to come up with a truly marvelous convertible, a true “halo” car that would really stick it to Lexus & others, retractable hardtop and all. Just my opinion, of course.
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by Wolfman
Agree. A SL should never get close to that kind of design. Same as saying the SL should look like a large cabriolet a la Bentley GTC. Different cars and purpose. Genesis uses a former Bentley designer and I think it definitely shows. I do think this car has great lines. Very good looking...
You are right, as I should have stated my position more clearly: MB should have kept the new SL in house and should not have palmed off the design chores to AMG. The R232 is yet another AMG “rocket ship” that has way more performance than 99% of the buyers will ever use, at least in the USA. In addition, they really cut corners, in my honest opinion, by almost cloning the GTC body design, giving it two, useless rear seats, a blindingly reflective ipad in the center stack and that “removable” wind deflector is so amazingly awful, I am astonished that anyone at MB gave this design the green light. If that piece of junk is “das beste oder nichts,” then “Stuttgart: We have a problem!”
The R232 should have been built with the accent on elegance and comfort, as MB has way too many AMG “rocket ships” already. Going way too fast is no big deal anymore, everybody’s doing it. It’s just so 15 minutes ago! The new SL should have retained the best features of the R231’s—especially the retractable hardtop—and should have had an interior that rivaled the likes of Bentley. The car should have been something very special, something that was instantly recognizable and awe inspiring. Instead, we have an SL that almost nobody can tell apart from a five year old GTC model and a company like Genesis saying “You know, I think we can do WAYYYYYY better than THAT!”
I think MB "sin" was to call this car SL and thus invite comparisons to what a SL used to be.
True. As long as the word sin is in quotation marks! Mercedes-Benz wanted to take this kind of a car, that they had had in the AMG GT line, and move it more mainstream. The GT line was basically unknown to 99% of Mercedes-Benz owners. Yet Mercedes-Benz thought that it is such a good car that it could be accepted, and bought by many more people than just those aficionados of the AMG brand. I celebrate their move! They have marketed it to a much younger clientele, hoping that they will be the ones that would most likely take to something like this. They already had the older GT demographic. Mercedes-Benz will be measuring this move over the next couple of years as they closely watch the demographic of the people who are purchasing the AMG SL. I hope that they are successful, and a good number of successful younger people will consider this new SL, whereas they would never have considered or perhaps, even knowing about the AMG GT.
2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, 2024 BMW I7 xDrive60
Originally Posted by Tifoso48
I too very much enjoy my SL63 as is!!
I think MB "sin" was to call this car SL and thus invite comparisons to what a SL used to be.
I agree. Even though some will say that MB was bringing the SL “back to its roots,” conjuring up the original 300SL, I find that argument ridiculous. Since 1963, the SL has been a luxurious, comfortable, top down, boulevard cruiser, with a few AMG badged models massaged into “performance” cars. Basically, for almost 50 years, the SL built a reputation as something quite different than the original 1955 to 1962 300SL’s and that’s where the “SL” moniker should have remained. The current car should have been badged as an “AMG GT Something Else,” as I believe that the vast majority of long time SL fans do not believe that it looks, walks or quacks like a real SL. Of course, this is just my opinion, but having owned eight SL’s, I believe that my take has some validity.
By the way, I’m happy for all you R232 owners who love your cars. I’m sure they are fine vehicles.
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The new SL should have retained the best features of the R231’s—especially the retractable hardtop—and should have had an interior that rivaled the likes of Bentley. The car should have been something very special, something that was instantly recognizable and awe inspiring. Instead, we have an SL that almost nobody can tell apart from a five year old GTC model and a company like Genesis saying “You know, I think we can do WAYYYYYY better than THAT!”
