Thanks to emercedesbenz.com

As we told you yesterday, Mercedes-Benz has officially confirmed our previous story that the SL-Class will receive a number of new enhancements for the next model year.

Today, DaimlerChrysler has put out a press release detailing the specifics of what exact areas of the SL-Class will benefit from the upgrade.

The first and most notable enhancements are the SL's power plants. The Mercedes SL 350 will be powered by a new 272 horsepower V6 that propels the SL from 0-60 in 6.6 seconds, and at the same time provides owners with fuel savings of one liter per 100 kilometers when compared to the previous model. The SL 500 will also receive a significant power upgrade, taking advantage of Mercedes' new 5.5-Liter 388 horsepower V8. Thanks to the new engine, the SL 500 now sports a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds, compared to the 6.2 seconds required by the previous version. Finally, the SL 600's V12 biturbo has been slightly reworked, with output and maximum torque being increased to 380 kW/517 hp and 830 newtonmetres, respectively.

In addition to the power enhancements, Mercedes has tweaked the rest of the SL as well to provide a more responsive and "sportier" roadster. A few highlights include a newly developed exhaust system on all engine variants, a re-worked Active Body Control System, a new steering setup, and an optional 7G-TRONIC sport system which allows drivers to shift up to 30% faster than the conventional "M" mode thanks to F1 style steering-wheel shift paddles.

Finally, to round out the new SL-Class, Mercedes engineers addressed the look of the vehicle. For the exterior, a new bumper in the front with three large cooling air intakes and a more pronounced "V-shape" was added, giving the SL-Class a wider, more aggressive stance. In the rear, new light units with their horizontal divisions and red/white clear-lens design further accentuate the "sportier" SL. As for the interior, engineer's left it virtually unchanged. Softer leather, new colors, and additional chrome and aluminum-look switches and gauges are a few small enhancements prospective buyers will notice when comparing the new SL to the previous model.

I think that just about covers it. Personally, I've been a huge fan of the SL's styling since day one, so the fact Mercedes' added a little extra power is just the icing on the cake.

For more info and the full details of the new Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, check out the full press release and photos below. As always, click any photos to enlarge. Enjoy

Ran out of time to resize pics....here is the link to them

 

Thanks, JAKPRO1, for a great post! Hopefully some information on the SL AMG will be announced soon. Good pics, too!

 

The AMG info is at http://www.mercedes-amg.com already and its been there for a week now. Check it out.

They have a photos of both the 55 and 65, but so far, only the 65 can be rotated 360 degrees.

 

I'm still not a fan of those tails. It looks like that's the direction they've been headed with with all the facelifts (clk, projected e, and now the sl)...

 

Poor me, I just got my 06 SL for two months..><....

 

I don't own a SL, and I can't even tell the difference. No big deal. Enjoy your car.

 

Nice rear lamps, I wonder if the 55's rear lamps will change.

 

I hope they don't. I like the smoke'd look. If they put the clear ones on there, for the SL55/65, I'll be the first to go get'em smoked.

I like the clear on the SL's instead of the solid reds.

 

For sure, same here, they would have to give the 55 or 63 a sportier style, or so I'd think.

 

I hope they make the F1 Paddle Shift (new for '07 SL55) standard across the AMG line!

 

honestly, I think the 05/06 MY SL without the amg package looks better than the facelifted MY. the 07 SL looks too massive from the front and IMO the SL needs a more or less "softer" look.

on the other hand I like the clear glass lamps.

 

Why do you think the paddles are an improvement?

Jim

 

I wonder if those tails would be a direct swap? I like them a lot.