spnslc

I found some great videos of the new SL. Can't wait to see it in real life!

http://www.road2road.com/index.php?type=76&showid=277

http://www.road2road.com/index.php?showid=276

http://www.road2road.com/index.php?type=76&showid=284

spnslc

Now the links don't seem to work after posting them.

Try this: http://www.road2road.com/

and click on Mercedes Benz at the top. You have to dig around a little to find them. There are three of them. .

spnslc

Found a fourth one: http://www.road2road.com/index.php?showid=275

RRod

Great videos .... thanks for sharing. I liked the sound of the SL63 best.

Apart from the head rests and a front end that looks more like what we'd usually see on copy-cat cars from the likes of Acura, Lexus, or Infinity, the 2009 AMG cars look okay, but I still fear that this particular facelift may not be the prescription to cure sagging sales of the SL .... IMO.

WSH

Thx for posting, spnslc...

Agree 63 sounds amazing....the downshift blips, esp if sound bouncing off mtn walls, should be rather addictive and quite an advance over 55/65's already-excellent exhaust notes w/old-tech gearboxes....

Suspect SL63 will look fine, esp live....IMO, peanut headlts looked goofy, even in '02; now they just look like old cartoons....

At least at my dealer, SL63 030 has a firm waitlist of 5 repeat customers...will be interesting to see how SL63 does in overall US sales....

From what I gather, all S/CL/SL AMGs have fairly soft demand, except the S65, despite it having been launched ?20mos ago in US....buyer preferences are often difficult to predict....who would have predicted a fast-depreciating $200K kid-hauler would be in tight supply in a slowing high-end economy???? And S-Class was generally mocked for its wheel arches, etc when it first launched....and non-AMG S looks very different vs 65....

joec1101

Why does the badge say "SL500"? I thought only the SL550 was made now (?)

spnslc

I have watched the videos three or four times. The cars are very impressive. I especially enjoy the sound of the SL63, as well.

My dealership sold their first two SL63s that were slated for the dealership showroom/stock. They were sold immediately when the dealership placed that order a month+ ago. Those cars are already in production. I am sure they've ordered replacements for the dealership, if not taken more customer orders, to replace the ones already sold. So, we are probably on pace with WSH's dealership. Time will tell.

spnslc

It was my understanding that one of the new models was a SL550, too. If you build one on the mercedes-benz.de (germany's web site), it lists it as the SL500. Maybe it is the US that is getting the SL550??

FlavioB

All 550 models in the US are called 500 in the rest of the world, but the engine is the same.

JackStraw

The last 10 years or so have brought a multitude of shapes for headlight / signal clusters. In my opinion most look better at night than they do during the day. The original design of the R230 is an exception--- they are as stylish today as they were when they were first introduced and they are destined to become classics.

Beginning with the CLS, MB designers got a little carried away with the headlight design. Some of the less attractive designs are those found on the R, the C and the CLS. The headlights on the facelifted SL are the worst of the lot. They are a careless compromise to save costs by retaining the front quarter panels yet still coming into compliance with EU pedestrian safety standards by changing the hood and the front fascia.

But that is just my humble opinion.

RRod

+1 .... Furthermore, the original headlight design of the R230 showed true design leadership (rather than simply following other designer's trends) .... IMO

BrabusTrojanSL

I think I will stick to my baby, or maybe get a 2008 65? I dont like the front that much, and I prefer the blue speedometer lighting over the red (looks to audi like)

---I hope the front doesn't grow on me!

manunitedfc

I think it will do. In the flesh I think its going to be an improvement (imo). Head on the 55 is already looking a bit outdated.