Facelift SL65 production numbers? (USA)
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From: Atlanta Metro
Current: C217 V12TT AMG Previously: C55 AMG, SL65 AMG
Facelift SL65 production numbers? (USA)
Hello everyone,
Anyone have any information as to the production numbers for USA cars for the facelifted SL65?
Anyone have any information as to the production numbers for USA cars for the facelifted SL65?
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From: N Cal/Maui
'08 CLK Black, '08 SL65, '17 SL65, '07 SL55, '20 E63S Wagon, '22 E450 All Terrain
I've asked 3 dealers that question and have not got an answer yet. I've never seen a 2018 SL65 on Autotrader, and only 5 or 6 2017 SL65's in the past 2 years - and I bought one of them.
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From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
Here is what little I know as a purchaser of a new SL65 in June, 2018. First, I attempted to place an order for an SL65 in March, 2018. The order was rejected because MB had ceased taking any new orders for the 65 around 3/1/18. 2018 was a short production year for the 65, only about 8 months long. The good news was the 2017 and 2018 SL65's were identical except for the model year designator in the serial number. Locally MBLN had none in inventory, FJMC had four, three new 2018 and one new 2017 when I looked in June of 2018. I bought the 2017, only because it had the specific Designo interior I wanted. FJMC made a fantastic deal on it, two hours later I drove it home. There would likely be more 2017's than 2018's delivered in the US because of the short 2018 production run. The good news is it does not matter since both years are identical.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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From: Atlanta Metro
Current: C217 V12TT AMG Previously: C55 AMG, SL65 AMG
I guess I'll just have to perpetually keep a look out for one then.
How have you guys like the reliability of the R231? I was previously a R230 owner, and loved it, but always had that fear in the back of my mind...
How have you guys like the reliability of the R231? I was previously a R230 owner, and loved it, but always had that fear in the back of my mind...
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
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From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
We have owned two R230 SL600's, a 2005 and a 2009. We still have the 2009 in addition to the 2017 SL65. We also had a 2006 S65 which was replaced by a 2015 S65. This was really an automotive version of a tale of two cities. The 2005 and 2006 were always in need of ABC, motor mount or coil pack repairs. To be fair, both were tuned. The 2009 had the motor mounts replaced in the last month of the 7 year factory warranty even though they had not completely leaked down. The replacement mounts are still good. Never had an ABC or coil pack failure. The 2015 and 2017's do not have coilpacks, there have been no failures of the individual coils. Neither car has had any failures of ABC components or motor mounts. The only repair needed on the 2015 S65 was the aux battery, done under warranty. The 2017 SL65 has required no repairs other than replacement of the consumers battery, twice. Both times covered by the warranty.
This is only one data point, would be good to hear from other owners.
This is only one data point, would be good to hear from other owners.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,040
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From: Atlanta Metro
Current: C217 V12TT AMG Previously: C55 AMG, SL65 AMG
Well you definitely have a thing for the V12's eh? 
I remember when I purchased my R230, it was fairly widely known about the issues with ABC and coil packs. I wonder if not enough time has passed for us to know what issues will occur with the latest generation of ABC and the changes made to the M279, as I don't seem to be seeing too much negativity about those issues anymore on the newer gens. Or perhaps, just perhaps, they fixed a lot of those issues and things are actually working better/lasting much longer now.
If you ever decide to sell your E63S, S65, or SL65, give me a shout first?
I remember when I purchased my R230, it was fairly widely known about the issues with ABC and coil packs. I wonder if not enough time has passed for us to know what issues will occur with the latest generation of ABC and the changes made to the M279, as I don't seem to be seeing too much negativity about those issues anymore on the newer gens. Or perhaps, just perhaps, they fixed a lot of those issues and things are actually working better/lasting much longer now.
If you ever decide to sell your E63S, S65, or SL65, give me a shout first?
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From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
I believe these old issues are truly fixed on the latest generation of ABC/MBC and V12's. In talking with the local dealer maintenance management they say the V8 and V12 AMG's have few problems now that the CEL issue on the 2018 V8's is solved. They have a lot more repairs on the standard MB's, especially those with the 48V battery systems.
I was just in Michigan a couple of weeks ago, the weather was beautiful for October. Our cars are mostly sitting idle in the garage for the last year. Having things delivered to house becomes addictive but we are now doing more in person shopping again. If we decide to sell one of the cars I will message you, it will not be until next year.
I was just in Michigan a couple of weeks ago, the weather was beautiful for October. Our cars are mostly sitting idle in the garage for the last year. Having things delivered to house becomes addictive but we are now doing more in person shopping again. If we decide to sell one of the cars I will message you, it will not be until next year.
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Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,040
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From: Atlanta Metro
Current: C217 V12TT AMG Previously: C55 AMG, SL65 AMG
Well it'll definitely have to be next year because all of the car prices are crazy right now! (great for you, bad for me!)
I sometimes regret selling my 08 SL65, but we all know the truth is that there's always newer and better out there...
I sometimes regret selling my 08 SL65, but we all know the truth is that there's always newer and better out there...
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Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,040
Likes: 125
From: Atlanta Metro
Current: C217 V12TT AMG Previously: C55 AMG, SL65 AMG
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 475
Likes: 157
From: Philadelphia area
2014 SL65 AMG, 2018 S560
FYI - here's what I believe to be an official archive site for Mercedes that shows stats and production numbers for the various models. The link goes directly to the SL65 page.
SL 65 AMG, 2012 - 2016 (from 12.2014: Mercedes-AMG SL 65) (mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com)
Unfortunately, the archive hasn't caught up with the facelift. The numbers on there now are for R231 pre-facelift SL65, which had a worldwide production of 631 units. I would expect the SL65 facelift number to be less.
I just bought a 2014 SL65 and am really enjoying the V12. My wife preferred the way our prior SL550 drove. I think the difference for her is that the V8 pulls harder at very low RPM because of the variable valve timing on those engines. She doesn't tend to lay into it so the V8 gives you that hard pull without really getting into it. The V12 isn't far behind in lighting up, but you have to goose it a bit more. My main problem now is I need new tires. The Michelin Sports just can't handle the torque, especially in colder weather.
SL 65 AMG, 2012 - 2016 (from 12.2014: Mercedes-AMG SL 65) (mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com)
Unfortunately, the archive hasn't caught up with the facelift. The numbers on there now are for R231 pre-facelift SL65, which had a worldwide production of 631 units. I would expect the SL65 facelift number to be less.
I just bought a 2014 SL65 and am really enjoying the V12. My wife preferred the way our prior SL550 drove. I think the difference for her is that the V8 pulls harder at very low RPM because of the variable valve timing on those engines. She doesn't tend to lay into it so the V8 gives you that hard pull without really getting into it. The V12 isn't far behind in lighting up, but you have to goose it a bit more. My main problem now is I need new tires. The Michelin Sports just can't handle the torque, especially in colder weather.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 475
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From: Philadelphia area
2014 SL65 AMG, 2018 S560
R231 SL65 Production: the original numbers here were slightly off. Check in this thread below for reports showing counts by country and paint color...
Last edited by jmattioni; Aug 30, 2023 at 08:10 AM.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2013
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From: New Zealand
2013 Mercedes Benz SL 65 AMG
Hi Joe,
Tremendous work yet again.
I guess you will do this by country and year to 2018 and then look at colours and options etc by country for the 2012-2018 period.
But no pressure, ha ha.
Thanks Paul
Tremendous work yet again.
I guess you will do this by country and year to 2018 and then look at colours and options etc by country for the 2012-2018 period.
But no pressure, ha ha.
Thanks Paul
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 475
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From: Philadelphia area
2014 SL65 AMG, 2018 S560
I'm getting there! I now have a database with full build data records for 738 vehicles spanning 2012 thru 2018. The database found a few duplicates in my original numbers posted earlier in this thread, so the total is slightly less than shown in the post. The pre-facelift total is 600 units right now, compared to the mb archive number of 631 units. I'm now re-doing the original FIN scan to see if any vehicles were missed. I'll post new data once all the checks are done.
Model year is a bit of a toss-up outside North/South America. As I've said before, only vehicles delivered to North/South America have a VIN, which codes the model year as a letter. All other vehicles only have a FIN, which does not designate a model year, so some assumptions have to be made. For FIN vehicles, the model year is assumed to span from May through April based on the production date. So, for example, the first vehicle for 2017 would have a production date on or after May 1, 2016. Overall, this keeps the FIN vehicle model years fairly consistent with the VIN models. I can change this fairly easily if someone comes up with a more definitive rule.
Related to model year, there's about a dozen or so vehicles that would technically have a model year of 2012 based on the current production date rule. A number of those vehicles were made mid to late 2011 and most were designated as prototypes on their build sheets. I've lumped those under 2013 for now.
UPDATE (1/15/24): I continue to search for data on R231 SL65s. The latest source, MB EPC/WIS, yielded 15 more vehicles. I would have expected the EPC/WIS to be THE source, but that's not the case. I had several vehicles in my database that it was missing. So, no one source out there is perfect. The MB Archive totals can probably be accepted as gospel, but it has no data yet for the facelift years.
My database total number for R231 SL65s (2012-2018) is now up to 764. For the R231 the MB archive shows 631 units for pre-facelift (2012-2016) versus my database total of 609. Production is almost certainly far less in the final two years. My database shows a total of 155 SL65s for 2017-2018.
I also now have a fairly complete database for the R230 SL65s - total for those is 3053 (2005-2012). These numbers are very close to the true totals but probably not quite there. The accepted total for R230 SL65s is 3055.
Note: all numbers here are for worldwide production.
Model year is a bit of a toss-up outside North/South America. As I've said before, only vehicles delivered to North/South America have a VIN, which codes the model year as a letter. All other vehicles only have a FIN, which does not designate a model year, so some assumptions have to be made. For FIN vehicles, the model year is assumed to span from May through April based on the production date. So, for example, the first vehicle for 2017 would have a production date on or after May 1, 2016. Overall, this keeps the FIN vehicle model years fairly consistent with the VIN models. I can change this fairly easily if someone comes up with a more definitive rule.
Related to model year, there's about a dozen or so vehicles that would technically have a model year of 2012 based on the current production date rule. A number of those vehicles were made mid to late 2011 and most were designated as prototypes on their build sheets. I've lumped those under 2013 for now.
UPDATE (1/15/24): I continue to search for data on R231 SL65s. The latest source, MB EPC/WIS, yielded 15 more vehicles. I would have expected the EPC/WIS to be THE source, but that's not the case. I had several vehicles in my database that it was missing. So, no one source out there is perfect. The MB Archive totals can probably be accepted as gospel, but it has no data yet for the facelift years.
My database total number for R231 SL65s (2012-2018) is now up to 764. For the R231 the MB archive shows 631 units for pre-facelift (2012-2016) versus my database total of 609. Production is almost certainly far less in the final two years. My database shows a total of 155 SL65s for 2017-2018.
I also now have a fairly complete database for the R230 SL65s - total for those is 3053 (2005-2012). These numbers are very close to the true totals but probably not quite there. The accepted total for R230 SL65s is 3055.
Note: all numbers here are for worldwide production.
Last edited by jmattioni; Jan 15, 2024 at 09:56 AM.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 475
Likes: 157
From: Philadelphia area
2014 SL65 AMG, 2018 S560
OK, I think I have all the data. It still doesn't jive with the MB archive number for pre-facelift R231 SL65s (631), but it's in the ballpark (607). Not sure where those 21 vehicles are hiding. Maybe they're just missing from my data source. I did a complete scan of FIN serial numbers from 000000 through 070000 for both LHD and RHD vehicles, which should cover the entire R231 production. Maybe the archive is wrong? One possibility is that there's a few 2017 (facelift) vehicles that should be in 2016 (pre-facelift). I'll keep searching and update everything if I find more.
Attached are production count reports for each year of the R231 SL65 (2013 thru 2018). The reports show a breakdown by country and by paint color, plus counts for a couple of codes of interest like ceramic brakes.
UPDATE (Sept 1): Some 2016 SLs turned out to be 2017s based on specific option codes. Counts for 2016 and 2017 were updated accordingly.
UPDATE 2: I apologize for all the changes to the counts in the reports. I have finally found a reasonably reliable way to determine model year from the "YOM" codes. I had to change model year for 15 records to conform with the YOM code. So relatively small numbers. The report attachments have been updated to reflect these changes.
Attached are production count reports for each year of the R231 SL65 (2013 thru 2018). The reports show a breakdown by country and by paint color, plus counts for a couple of codes of interest like ceramic brakes.
UPDATE (Sept 1): Some 2016 SLs turned out to be 2017s based on specific option codes. Counts for 2016 and 2017 were updated accordingly.
UPDATE 2: I apologize for all the changes to the counts in the reports. I have finally found a reasonably reliable way to determine model year from the "YOM" codes. I had to change model year for 15 records to conform with the YOM code. So relatively small numbers. The report attachments have been updated to reflect these changes.
Last edited by jmattioni; Sep 1, 2023 at 05:20 PM.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 19
Likes: 2
From: New Zealand
2013 Mercedes Benz SL 65 AMG
Hi Joe
You are a star - no one else has been able to d this!
So if we wanted to look at all the build sheets we are going to have to do it manually using the sequence code?
Thanks Paul
You are a star - no one else has been able to d this!
So if we wanted to look at all the build sheets we are going to have to do it manually using the sequence code?
Thanks Paul
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 475
Likes: 157
From: Philadelphia area
2014 SL65 AMG, 2018 S560
The data is in a relational database on a server so it can be queried. That's how the reports so far were produced. If you have stats you want to see just let me know.
I just remembered you had asked about RHD versus LHD. There's a build code for LHD (L) so I added that to the Option Codes part of the report to give a count of LHD cars. The diff between total and LHD would then be RHD. The updated report is attached.
Now that I have the database, I'm looking for more ideas of what to ask. Just let me know.
Joe
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 475
Likes: 157
From: Philadelphia area
2014 SL65 AMG, 2018 S560
I now have a search for the database that will give a production count of R231 SL65s that were built with all of up to 4 specific build codes in a specific model year. Here's an example:
501A EXCLUSIVE LEATHER - BLACK/ANTHRACITE
799U DIAMOND WHITE - METALLIC PAINT
B07 AMG - CERAMIC BRAKE SYSTEM
Total of [2] SL65s produced in model year [2014] with Codes:
500A EXCLUSIVE LEATHER TRIM501A EXCLUSIVE LEATHER - BLACK/ANTHRACITE
799U DIAMOND WHITE - METALLIC PAINT
B07 AMG - CERAMIC BRAKE SYSTEM
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 19
Likes: 2
From: New Zealand
2013 Mercedes Benz SL 65 AMG
Hi Joe
Excellent and the stats we can get from you will be tremendous in knowing more about the SL65 and its options that people chose.
Any updates to the reports you provided once you have more stats will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Paul
Excellent and the stats we can get from you will be tremendous in knowing more about the SL65 and its options that people chose.
Any updates to the reports you provided once you have more stats will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Paul
Super Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 810
Likes: 182
From: Laguna Niguel
'94 SL600,'05 SL600,'06 S65,'07 E63,'14 E63S,'09SL600 all sold, ‘15 S65,‘18 E63S,'17 SL65, '17S65Cab
I have one of the four Polar White 2017's shipped to the US. It has the Designo Platinum White interior. The other car in the showroom I looked at was one of the two metallic Selenite Gray 2018's. It had the Designo Classic Red interior. In retrospect I should have bought them both because my wife is still complaining she does not have her own convertible.
