I am collecting from the factory around February 10th ,and have become somewhat puzzled about the Command format.DVD seems to have been introduced to the German market, but what about the UK market ?

Do I take my standard Navigation discs or will I get DVD discs with the car ?

Another question is has 'Tyrefit' been dropped in favour of a spare wheel ?

Any ideas as the dealer doesn't know !!

 

If they have dropped Tyrefit, any spare wheel will be a space saver - the SL55 has different wheels front and rear and the tyres are directional, so in effect each wheel goes on one corner only.

 

The dashboard is also a little different as well as a few changes to the speedshift.

 

This is a post copied from another forum in which the writer is obviously well informed, but my request to know if the UK version is the same has fallen on deaf ears.

Anymore thoughts from anyone here on the subject ???
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Hi

These modifications will be introduced to the german market with the 10/2003 facelift.

-COMAN and COMAND APS with DVD-Drives

The enhanced COMAND System, which is available by request with a Navigation module (serially in the S 600 and CL 600),
will be eqipped with a DVD drive instead of the CD drive.
With this upgrade, the drive is now able to play Audio CDs as well as DVD videos.
Independent of that the COMAND system will include a cassette drive which is installed behind the navigation bar.
The all new navigation module will also be euqipped with a DVD drive.
The navigation DVD will, additonally to the german data, also include the data of other european countries.

-Surround Sound-System

The present Bose sound-system will replaced thorugh an improved surround sound-system(Bose) with additional speakers.

-Car phone with enhanced functions

For the car phone system, a new wireless headset (bluetooth) will be available.
With this system it will also be possible to use service relevant functions like e-mail, WAP and the Mercedes-Benz Portal ( Germany ) in the COMAND system.

-Modification in the display of gearbox modes

For unification of the type series with automatic transmission, the modes of the gearbox will be changed from "S" and "W" to "S" and "C". While the "S" (Standart) mode will not be changed,
the new programme "C" (Comfort) will include an improved gear change and also the functions of the former "winter mode" which includes,for examplem, the start in the second gear.

-Steering wheel gearshift

This feature will now be available for the SL 350 with the 5 gear automatic transmission and the SL 500 with the 7 gear automatic transmission. With this buttons, well arranged on the steering wheel,
a quicker and therefore more sporty gearchange will be realised.

-LINGUATRONIC

The known, available by request, speech operated system LINGUATRONIC which can be used to operate the audio, TV,video and phone system will be enhanced through
also being able to operate the navigation system by speech.

-Mobile phone system with universal interface

With the new "UHI" (Universal Handy Interface) it will be possible to use other brands besides NOKIA phones.
Other mobile phone brands like SIEMENS and MOTOROLA will be integrated within the system to be used in the COMAND.

Using a phone device in the center console it is possible to connect the mobile phone to the
other car components, like the multifunctional display etc.

-Wing mirrors with new features

The available extra equippment "Wing mirror electronicaly foldable" will be enhanced through the function "Wing mirror automatically foldable". The function is folding the mirrors after closing the car. (the function can also be deactivated).
Independent from that the SL class will get optimized mirror bodies for better dirt repulse.



__________________

 

None of which has anything to do with making the SL55 a better car to drive... the more I drive mine, the more convinced I am that Mercedes have no idea what driver involvement is, even with AMG in the picture. The bottom line is that Mercedes does not "do" sports cars. If you're not looking for one, fine, but if you thing it's going to rival a Porsche or Ferrari, you're mistaken.

 

blueSL: I love your commentary, always on the mark and always new and interesting to read!

So the basis of the SL is a GT crusier am I not mistaken now? However, it can come with an engine to keep up with Ferrari's and Porsches.

 

Many would say that the McLaren F1 is the finest no-compromise car ever built, albeit with cost no object. It's interesting then to hear of rumours that McLaren and Mercedes have fallen out over the SLR and it's easy to see the two companies having opposite views - Mercedes wanting to build a ultra-SL 55, McLaren wanting to rival Ferrari, Porsche and Zonda, not to mention re-create something of the F1.

The initial reviews of the SLR have not been as epxected and there's talk of Mercedes engineers refining the chassis tuning at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

So, if we accept that the SL is the finest GT cruiser and the SL55 a somewhat harder version of it, it's difficult to see how successful stuffing yet more power under the hood is going to be. For my money, keeping the SL55 and buying something like a GT3 (though not a major fan of Porsche) or a 360 Challenge Stradale gives you the best of both worlds. I fear the SL65 will fall in the middle somewhere.

Drove my F355 and SL55 back to back yesterday in glorious winter sunshine and even though the F355 is no match for the 360 CS, it did confirm that it's good to have two cars with comparable performance but oh-so-different characters, rather than one which tries to be all things to all men.

 

BlueSL, ever since you took your SL to Scotland, you are more and more hating it. I seem to remember you praising the car and saying how nothing could touch it for at least several years, and how good ABC was, and what a pain a ferrari was.

Now all of a sudden you realize Mercedes don't do sports cars, everybody knows that! If you want a sports car buy a Porsche. a 911 GT3 will give you tons of fun, more than any AMG car past present or even future. I thought everybody knew that?

The SL65/SL600's, or even the SLR's aren't going to give you the same pleasure as a manual Porsche. But thats what they are. To each company their own. I don't blame Mercedes one bit for changing the suspension of the SLR. All that car ever needed was ABC. You could have S-class ride and still no body roll, dive or squat. I seriously think it was a complete waste of money getting Mclaren to build the chassis and tune it. Mclaren has turned a Gt car like the SL, into a complete unforgiving dog in terms of ride comfort. The reasons why journo's have been complaining about the ride so much is that they're used to a "mercedes ride" and when they get behind an automatic car with the 3 pointed star, all they expect is s-class luxury and enzo handling, not possible, a compromise has to be made somewhere. Unfortunately, the fine line between comfort and handling has been drawn more to Mclarens side, hence the complaints from the vast majority of Mercedes buyers, who all want basically a fast Merc. The SLR due to its relatively Mercedes lightweight, and monster AMG engine will run away from any AMG Merc, at any speed. People who think the SL65 will chase it comfortably have another thing coming. There is a massive difference between doing 0-150mph in 16 seconds (SLR), and doing it in 19.8 seconds, which is what the CL65 is capable of

If you want fun, even a Boxster S could satisfy your needs, a Mercedes will always be a Mercedes, some people may not like it, but thats the way it is. The same way in which a ferrari will never be as refined as the SL, or the way in which a Porsche will have the gadgets of the S-class. Thats just the way it is.

All mbworld is about is Mercedes owners complaining of the faults with their Mercs. sure valid point, you buy a Mercedes since its reliable and well built, but find Kia is outdoing you in the build quality department. Who cares?

You drive a Mercedes-Benz.

Sometimes that is enough to tell others about yourself.

Look around you, in the UK, how many cars do you see with a engine bigger than 3.0L's? How many AMG Mercs do you see? The vast majority of people here drive small cars not out of choice, but through necessity, harsh as it is, its the truth.

If an SL55, or any AMG doesn't satisfy your needs, do what Clarkson did, and buy a Ford GT, or a Lambo Gallardo. You could even buy a Porsche.

Just always remember, even though you will never use the full capability of your car, just remember, there aren't many cars out there that can pass 200mph. And those that can, which bear teh 3 pointed star, deserve at least a little respect...

 

Well put Bilal.

BlueSL....you as a consumer have a choice in what you do with your money. If you dont like the AMG's as they are, then the solution is simple. If you feel like your infinite wisdom is not being put to use, be an AMG engineer and change the whole company and it's philosophy of how to build a car. Im not Schumacher or Coulthard or Raikonen, so as long as i have fun driving what i have, i wont complain until it leaves me broken down on the side of the road. I feel like you may be whining about petty things.

T

 

The R230 was advertised as the sports car to end all wars and such. It's not. Oh look, that ABC makes all rolls and such.. GONE. But who cares, I still can't shift when I want. blueSL isn't talking about petty things, the driver experience in a car, I assure you, isn't petty. I look around and I see mbworld.org; the Mercedes enthusiast forum. Enthusiasts range from everything to anything to being enthusiastic about. blueSL prefers sports car. I'm pretty sure feeling the road, being able to judge when to brake and such is enjoyment for him and not some petty.

Mercedes can build a car that pleases to sport enthusiasts, they just don't want to and won't open their eyes that there is another breed of humans coming, some that care that when their electronics fail, we get mad!

 

Hey Guys, I didn't want to start World War Three.

All I asked was does the 2004 SL55 have DVD based command for UK models !!!

 

Oh don't worry about WWIII, we have fun when we argue!

WHERE IS THE AMMOOO!!! :p

 

I'm enthusiastic about Mercedes but do not subscribe to the "they can do no wrong" camp.

First and foremost, I have to ask what on earth they were doing merging/taking over/whatever Chrysler. Can't see it has brought anything other than headaches and there has to be someone in Untertuerkheim who rues the day the C word was ever mentioned. I put the blame squarely at the doors of the empire-building German management. Mercedes would have done far better taking over one of the Korean maufacturers and so establish a lost cost production base to service the emerging Chinese and Indian markets rather than an ailing rust-belt basket-case. As it is, Toyota have already overtaken Ford and will soon do the same with GM; DC are lagging behind all of them.

As for their cars, Mercedes would do well to return to the original meaning of S-L - Sport, Leicht (lightweight) for at least one of the models. The SL55 is not really Sport and it's definitely not Leicht. If Ferrari and Porsche can produce stripped out cars to appeal to the more enthusiastic driver, why can't Mercedes?

I buy cars because I enjoy driving them and I especially enjoy the car talking back to me about what it's doing, through my hands, my feet, my ears, the seat of my pants and a true sports car does that without having to resort to huge speeds. Driving the supposedly sporty Mercedes is like trying to make love to a woman through several layers of clothing, something significant (to me at least) is lost on the way.

Compared to the driving experience, whether my door mirrors fold automatically and whether my Sat-Nav is CD or DVD based is completely irrelevant.

Call that whining if you like.

 

Well Its time for Blue SL to sell up and buy a Caterham Super seven R500, a leather driving helmet and a pair of goggles.

For a person that wants a 'Driving experience' and all else seems irrelevant, I find it hard to believe Blue sl went to the trouble of fitting a voice activated telephone system to the 600, and worried when the door indicator light on the central locking failed.

I enjoy driving SLs and I am now on my ninth since I bought a 129 new in 1990.

I understand that the DVD command is a huge improvement over the existing system, and know it is already in some models.I have asked a simple question as to whether the UK 2004 SL55 will have DVD and end up with a hijacked post, and rantings about mergers and servicing the Chinese market.

Can anyone give a yes or no answer to my straightforward Question ?

 

I think the simple answer is that no-one here knows. The question has been raised lots of times and still no-one knows.

And for those of you who are pissed off by my postings, there's a simple solution, don't read them!!

 

No-one is complaining of your posts BlueSL. And in no way is this thread an argument about this or that.

I feel that a person of your driving experience is acting very naive to expect the SL55 to be a sportscar to all men, and any other AMG in fact.


The simple fact of the matter is, as you said earlier, Mercedes don't do sportscars, why? Because we have Ferrari and Porsche to do that. And yes while it must be interesting to drive an SL that goes and handles like a 911, the vast majority of Mercedes buyers wouldn't like it. Why? Mercedes builds cars for the real world. In the real world, we don't drive on race tracks or around beautiful winding Italian countryside. In the real world, we spend 3 hours a day in traffic jams, bombing along on the motorway and having to go grocery shopping. Now there are people out there, who have a Ferrari or a 996 as a secondary car, an S-class as their daily transport, and maybe a Landcruiser or X5 as a grocery getter, or for dropping the kids off to school. Thats all well and fine, but when you work 12 hours a day and spend most of your time in traffic and want something that is fast and luxurious, yet comes with 500bhp, nothing can touch a Mercedes. This is THE corner of the market that Mercedes has capitalized upon, and will do so until they go BMW's bangle way.

The performance of any fast Merc is so accessible these days, its scary. But people keep buying and buying. As for the SL55, I can tell you, I once saw 5 in one day, where? In Bury, Greater Manchester, the home of basically nothing. I've never seen 5 911T's or 360's in one day, why? You can't use them everyday, so what can I use everyday that is as quick or quicker as those cars??? hmmm.....

No one here is of a Mercedes can do no wrong camp, its just that we have all fallen in love with the brand through their cars, that we feel anything they do do wrong, we can forgive them for...


And Tony's right, you need a Caterham to get your excitement back....


It will be a long time before Porsche offers Distronic and an electronic suspension system, Ferrari's that don't squeak and rattle, and start every morning, and when Mercedes build a car that satisfies EVERYBODY'S NEEDS.

 

Thanks for the reply Mark. Well if no-one here knows, all well and good. That's fine by me.

I enjoy your postings, and respect your knowledge,but did feel my post had been hijacked

I must be patient now, and wait and see what I get when I collect my car from the factory. Then I will be able to answer my own question !

 

BlueSL does not need a caterham, he has already stated he has the 355.

Coming down on the side of BlueSL here (it must be a Ferrari thing - I had the 360). I too was dissapointed with the SL55 performance and tame feeling. I feel the 911 TT is also tame after driving most Ferraris.

Don't get me wrong I loved my SL55, as a great roof up or down GT, but it never lived up to the (perhaps naive) high expectation I had of it as a sports car.

I do believe Mercedes is cabaple of building a more sporty car - the SL55 with about 300KG shaved off would not be far off. Start by stripping out the silly motors in the seats to move these forward for access to the rear parcel shelf!!

I guess I am describing an SLR which I am sure they will get right - I doubt they will get it £315,000 right though.

We need SLR weight (their is enough power in the SL55 with less weight) at the SL55 price and I would forgo quite a few luxuries and the S-class ride.

As already asked for by BlueSL - Sports Light would be superb.

I guess we are both looking for a Merc Ferrari which we can use everyday, won't depreciate horribly with 10,000 miles on the clock!

Sorry for the continued hijack Tony

 

Bilal basically said it.

BlueSL.....if Merc made a lightweight racecar, then someone named "RedSL" or "BlackSL" would be complaining about how his car didnt have all the luxuries a Merc should have, and how it hurt his back to drive for 3 hours in traffic, and how the car was just too edgy in the wet, etc, etc. You get my point?

There are some cliches that describe what is going on here.....the grass is always greener on the other side is one that comes to mind.

No car will satisfy everybody. But my SL55 does some things that no other car can do, and it does most things better than most cars. If you want to get better "feel" im sure Renntech or some other aftermarket company can fine-tune what you want. Maybe even Merc will adjust our computer software to the better standards that the 2004 will have, such as shifting. Im curious to find out if it is possible.

T

edit.....some typo/spelling errors and a smiley to Bilal.

 

You and I make a great tag team

Not that this is a match, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

haven't posted in awhile (busy and traveling)... but I do want to thank 'blueSL' for all his incisive posts over the months before; especially his accurate and enthusiastic reviews of the SL55. No car keeps the 'rush' going forever, but after a couple weeks in Las Vegas and LA, I can't tell you how 'refreshing' it was to get back to my SL55... makes me appreciate what a wonderful combo of driveability it is..

You guys have hit the nexus of the MB market for the car; and it is exactly that; the 'daily driver' with sportscar power... recently read (on the plane) a preview of the coming SLR, suggesting it was 'boomy' and sort of rough over potholes and the like during a South African drive. The purists who insist on paying more for less comfort might prefer that car.

For me; though I know it's probably overkill, I've ordered the new SL65, without knowing (do you guys know?) if the SL55 will still be produced, or if they will have that huge price gap from the reg SL to the SL600 and then SL65? Given the torque of the SL65, it is not impossible that enthusiasts (who aren't price snobs) will prefer it over the V8 SLR; not to mention the top goes down.

In any event, aside from the occasional need to clean/lube the calipers due to brake squeal, the car has been an absolutely marvelous experience (the SL55), and whether the SL65 (or I'd gladly settle for another SL55 next year if they still make it) or not is any faster (probably not more nimble), it's a terrific marque. Maybe a sign of middle age, but I've done the Porshes and the Ferraris, and none were as reliable or consistent as this SL55.

cheers to all!

gene

___________________
www.ingerletter.com
'03 SL55 black/charcoal
all options but distronic

 

Thanks for your insight Gene.

As for the SLR, its purely a purists car. I'm sorry to tell you this but the SL65 will never be able to catch up to the SLR, not even on a track (first time a production Mercedes sportscar can rival a Porsche on a track).


I know the reason why SL55 buyers are buying the 65's, more power et. al. But let me say this, the 55's may not be as fast, but having a 155mph limiter is not only a disability to the magical power of these cars, it also reduces respect among other fellow sports car enthusiasts, since their 911's and 575's can do 200mph, out of the box. Seriously, who on the street knows that Mercedes builds cars nowadays capable of 205mph+? But overall, the 55's are better balanced cars especially with performance package and LSD.


This is where having an SLR, brand new or second hand, will not only bring respect to you as a driver by rewarding your driving, but also to the Mercedes marque, making it definitively and truly a force to be reckoned with.

 

Bilal,

On what roadway in the UK can you exceed 155 mph?

In the US the 155 mph limit is not even a consideration, unless you take the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I cannot imagine going close to that limit on any of our highways for 2 reasons:

1. At that speed closing rates on other cars driven at the 65 mph speed limit is a recipe for disaster.
2. Fear of loss of my drivers license for reckless driving.

My SL still only has 700 miles so I have not been able to cut it loose. Even below 4500 rpm, the car has been a blast doing 50 to 90 sprints, accelerating to speed entering freeways, and experiencing the g-forces upon cornering. The car does those things very well, and as others have said is a well appointed GT with a drop top. It does what they designed it to do, now let's hope it doesn't depreciate like a stone.......

 

There is nowhere in the UK you can drive at such speeds. Standard freeway limit is 70, you're dancing on thin ice at more than 85 and over 100 is an automatic driving ban. Any excursions into three figures are risky and necessarily brief. There are 4500 speed cameras to catch you out, plus talk of a satellite tracking system to monitor every car, every journey to implement road charging and constant speed limit enforcement. Welcome to the world of Big Brother.

Germany is alone in producing high performance cars which are not immediately identifiable as sports cars (and therefore track friendly), for the simple reason that it's only in Germany that there are some sections of Autobahn where there is no speed limit. In the neighbourhood of junctions, there are speed limits which are strictly enforced and for many of the roads, just two lanes in each direction, congestion is such that you're lucky to achieve speeds which are the speed limit elsewhere in Europe. However, on an early weekend morning, the Autobahn from Nuernberg to Munich offers plenty of scope to play.

Bottom line is that if a blanket enforcement of speed limits was made to reduce the carnage on German roads or forced by a Green element in a fragmented coalition government, the justification for producing cars which are capable of 200 mph but which cannot be driven at high speed anywhere reduces to the "mine's bigger than yours" envy mindset of the locker room. That's what the SL65 is all about; nothing to do with whether or not it's a better car (and reviews of the CL65 suggest it will be a traction controlled handful) but all to do with "it's bigger so it must be better!" without a thought of adding the rider, "mustn't it?"

The reality is that the SL55 provides all the performance you can ever use safely on the road, and I cannot conceive of a single driving situation where I could want more power. At the speeds I can drive, the car is barely breaking a sweat. It might be that in higher speed ranges, the car provides a more exciting driving experience than simply, point, press the pedal and wow! As it is, at 85mph, the SL55 is supremely competent but also rather boring.

That's why I bang on about driving feel. There is fun to be had at lower semi-legal speeds in simpler cars, because they do not cosset you in a warm blanket of ABC ABS ESP SBC fuzz to spoil your driving experience. They may not be cars you want to drive all the time, but when you're in the mood, there's no substitute.

 

blueSL’s point is well taken. You can’t optimize a car for every purpose and the SL’s focus on luxury, usability and durability leads to losses in other areas. That’s why most of us have other cars, and that’s why I occasionally borrow my wife’s Carrera 4S during the summer. With that said, it doesn’t mean I won’t get the “mine is bigger than yours” Renntech mods for my SL600, which should be at the dealer’s in a couple.