jimand7

Even if you love the updates made to the buetiful R230 chassis, does it make sense to buy it in the last 2 years of of its life? Especially given that the SL55 is listed as .2 seconds faster to 60 and the 600 is from all i hear is about a tick faster than that...just a random thought...

Ted Baldwin

............yes it is a bad buy.

Ted

Cyrusx7

Ill pick up an '09 SL63 in '13 for half the price.

phonetics

i will pick up 09SL63 in 2020 for 1/10 the price.

SL%%

actually, its not a bad buy, that all depends on your preference. if you like the SL55 more than the SL63 then go for the SL55. if that .2 sec is REALLY important then you know where to go, if the new looks get you and really don't mind the .2 sec, then go for the SL63. if i were to choose, i'll stick with a 2007 SL55 030PP bec the round head lights to me is better than the new design and wait for the new SL (r230 replacement). if you're worried with the resale value, well, we can't help and do anything. AMG cars as of present really depreciates a lot but i guess if you're an AMG driver, its not about residual value but the pure enjoyment and passion for the car.

jimand7

Well it is never about residual value to me, The question was less a dollars and cents but more "sense" if you will. with the replacement chassis so close, i wonder why mercedes is spending the money to retrofit the SL with a less powerful engine?

jmf003

Oh, in that case...my guess is that more than two years are left on the R230 body style. Past SL body styles have had much longer lives and I've not read anything to convince me the R230 is just two years from end of life.

As far as engines go, the 6.2 is a terrific engine. It makes as much horsepower as the 55K engine but without supercharging. It doesn't have as much low end torque, though, so it's not quite as quick off the line. From a roll, though, an SL63 is going to be about as fast as an SL55.

All-in-all I think the SL55 is a marginally better car but if a friend was thinking seriously of buying an SL63, I wouldn't try to talk him/her out of it.

Cylinder Head

iTrader: (1)

Find one of the poor saps who bought the old "Silver Arrow" models of yore and ask them if it was a good idea to pick their cars up right before the changeover. They will absolutely tank in value as soon as the new bodystyle is released.

JackStraw

It is not correct to say that MB is retrofitting the SL with a less powerful engine. They are phasing out the 5.5 liter supercharged engine and replacing it with a modern AMG designed and built 6.3 liter NA engine.

MB had to change the front of the SL to bring it into compliance with the EU pedestrian safety standards. If they hadn't addressed this, the company would not have been able to sell the SL in Europe going forward.

We are all just speculating when the new SL (R231?) will be introduced, but most people here think it will be in 3-4 years. It is hard to imagine that it will be any longer than that given the rest of the design changes that have taken place throughout the lineup.

Bones

The whisper number for the N'Ring will be between 8:02-8:05. Reports are the SL 63 with perpormance package will be the most dynamic driving car of AMG 63 lineup. I think they are moving in the right direction with the new trans and 63 engine.

juicee63

Basing a 130k purchase on a fantasy 0-62 test result is folley.

There is information that contradicts your post from many sources, this includes AMG the folks that BUILD the car and test it extensively prior to bringing it to market


http://www.mercedes-amg.com/index2.html
The SL 63 AMG accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds before quickly going on to a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited).
AMG supercharged 5.5 L (5439 cc) 24-valve V8 engine 497 hp (367 kW) at 6,100 rpm, 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 4.7 s

I show a 0-62 in 4.6 s from the horses mouth vs a 4.7s for the SL55.

The SL 63 is a HUGE improvement performance wise even over the 2007 63 models. MCT and the ability to choose 4 performance styles, plus TURNING OFF ESP completely w/o dyno mode is a plus. Ability to blip throttle, new telematics, better seats, brakes, , faster shifting 20%, man wish my car had all that the SL offers :-)

Looks wise I think the model it replaces looks better, but the performance enhancements are worth quite a bit.

Quote:

The dynamic drive unit finds its perfect match in the SL 63 AMG suspension. The AMG sports suspension based on Active Body Control has been further enhanced and not only comes with new spring and damper tuning but also completely modified elastokinematics. The front axle bearings, the spring links and the torque strut along with individual strut bearings at the rear have been re-tuned to deliver greater agility and shorter stopping distances. In partnership with the optimised speed-sensitive power steering the SL 63 AMG now feels even more direct and livelier – enabling the driver to fully utilise the linear steering and oversteer/understeer characteristics typical of a sports car, especially on winding roads or a private racetrack. The AMG sports suspension based on Active Body Control also enables the suspension set-up to be customised. At the push of a button, the driver can select a sporty, firm response with reduced roll angles, or go for a comfort-focussed setting for excellent comfort on long journeys.

This sounds like an AMAZING improvement IMO

Quote:

The Race Start function takes driving dynamics to an entirely new level: it enables the SL 63 AMG driver to call on maximum acceleration, while ensuring optimum traction of the driven wheels. While the vehicle is at a standstill, the driver needs to activate the ESP sports function and press the brake pedal with their left foot. Having preselected the Race Start program using the rotary switch, a confirmation message comes up on the AMG central display. The driver then simply needs to confirm the Race Start function by pulling the “Up” shift paddle once, fully depressing the accelerator and taking their foot off the brakes. The optimum start-up engine speed is set fully automatically and the SL 63 AMG accelerates away in an instant – as an option even up to the top speed. The driver does not need to shift gear manually; the AMG transmission changes gear with lightning-fast shift times.

THIS IS LC in A BENZ WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Carl Lassiter

Got to stop you there Jack Straw from Wichita. The FI 5.4l is being replaced by the NA 6.2l. Yes I'm feeling pedantic today. Carry on.

IngenereAMG

Unfortunately it may not take that long to knock off 50%. However, from what I am reading they are introducing a trick gearbox with the SL63. It looks to be very cool, and a step in the right direction.

http://www.duemotori.com/news/auto_n...ansmission.php

WSH

Agree....0-60 and 0-xxx times mean near-zero to me....much more interested in mid-range accel times and NBR times....and, more importantly, own subjective impressions re: precision/stability in driving on interesting (but often imperfect) public roads....

IIRC, CY02 SL55 scored 8:06 NBR (?SportAuto test)....

MY07-08 SL55 has ?30 more hp/lb-ft; ABC 2.0; sharper steering....presumably latest street tire tech/perf/grip is increased vs 5yrs prior....

Will be interesting to see what NBR time SL63 030 scores on street tires and in which MCT mode best time will be achieved...i.e., S+ vs Manual....

Am getting SL63 030 (Apr build)....having owned various new SL55/65 over past 5yrs, am really looking forward to this MCT box and the greater AMG focus on chassis precision....and the brilliant, linear 63 motor, which is ?75lbs lighter over nose than 55 motor.....

jimand7

[QUOTE=juicee63;2689180]Basing a 130k purchase on a fantasy 0-62 test result is folley.

There is information that contradicts your post from many sources, this includes AMG the folks that BUILD the car and test it extensively prior to bringing it to market


http://www.mercedes-amg.com/index2.html
The SL 63 AMG accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds before quickly going on to a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited).
AMG supercharged 5.5 L (5439 cc) 24-valve V8 engine 497 hp (367 kW) at 6,100 rpm, 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 4.7 s

I show a 0-62 in 4.6 s from the horses mouth vs a 4.7s for the SL55.

The SL 63 is a HUGE improvement performance wise even over the 2007 63 models. MCT and the ability to choose 4 performance styles, plus TURNING OFF ESP completely w/o dyno mode is a plus. Ability to blip throttle, new telematics, better seats, brakes, , faster shifting 20%, man wish my car had all that the SL offers :-)
















But you will get all this + much more AND a new chassis, by waiting 2 yrs. I say 2 yrs because the sl63 will be a 2009 and by 2011 there has to be a new SL I would think. +the SL is a heavy car in need of tourque as much as HP.
BUt I suppose that in the first year the SL's will be hard to come by and tough to get and the AMG models will probably not come out right away. blah blah blah...so maybe....but if I had a sl65 or 55or 600 I would not trade it for the 63.

JackStraw

What can I say Carl, when you are right you are right!

jmf003

Juicee, FWIW the 4.7 second 0-62 time is for the older 497 horsepower SL55s. The more recent 517 horsepower SL55s had a factory-reported 0-62 time of 4.5 seconds, just a tick faster than the SL63's factory-reported 0-62 time.

juicee63

Oh WOW!!!

Thanks for the info.

does it also have Launch Control?

Man the 2008 SL55 is a monster. These guys are jokers with the HP ratings.
from 469-510 same engine LOL..

jmf003

Sarcasm.

You know, if you don't like other people making polite corrections to your posts there's an easy solution: don't post incorrect facts in the first place.

Re: your second post, as you know there is no launch control on the SL55. Yet despite its inferior engine, inferior transmission, and lack of launch control the 2008 SL55 launches faster than the 2009 SL63. Go figure.

While MB does appear to play games with the horsepower numbers that's not the case with the late model SL55s versus the early model SL55s. The later model SL55s have an 80 mm throttle body and genuinely do produce more horsepower. Hence the decreased 0-62 time for the later model SL55s.

juicee63

I was not being sarcastic, I had no clue the 07 SL55 had more HP and appreciate the correction TY

Thats great the SL55 has some features that make it faster in a straight line but it is unlikely the SL 55 08 would keep up on the ring with this new 63.
As far as the 0-62 times looks like a .1 difference not the .2 the OP claimed.
In my mind many of the new features of the 63 are well worth the price of the car. Wonder if the C63 has this Launch control feature?


AMG has the 63 rated at 4.6s so there is a .1 difference 0-62mph not significant, while a few seconds on the ring will be.

Zod

juice.... are you bench racing

your a drag *****, so you know better then that

BallzyS55

well, I love both, but I would buy an SL63 any day, even though I have SL55

juicee63

I know buddy , had to do it LOL:-)

This MCT feature on the new SL is making me want one LOL. HELP

CY

Its a bad buy if you cant afford taking the loss and trading it in when the "real" new SL comes out. If money is not an option then I would rather drive an Aston, F-car, Maserati G.T., Bentley GTC etc. Personally as a current R230 owner who is moving on, I would rather sample a different brand and wait the few years until the new SL comes out instead of burying myself into a car which is on its last legs and is blatantly the same vehicle as the European 2002 model with a new front and and a few upgraded gadgets. Also the days of a 12 year bodystyle are gone to those who think otherwise. What sold me on my current SL and my previous one wasnt just the prestige, stunning/timeless design and incredible ride- it was also the heritage of the SL itself. Stunts like this frontal only redesign, whether it was due to the EU safety standards or due to less sales, dilute this heritage IMO.

sprins

And the source of this knowledge is?