New 585PS Mercedes SL ditches metal roof

You don’t get AMG rather than Benz on the badge and don’t expect a change of emphasis – less the two-door open-top luxury saloon, far more the dynamic sportscar – and a change of emphasis is definitely what this seventh-generation Sport Leicht offers. 

Mercedes says the V8-only car is going back to its motor racing-inspired roots. With the best of the two versions so far unveiled credited with 195mph and 0-62 in 3.6 seconds, it is no hollow claim.

A light and rigid new structure, active aerodynamics, fancy new five-link suspension and active anti-roll control, all-wheel drive and four-wheel steering – all first-time SL features – make up the headlines of AMG’s SL reinvention. That and the new model’s aggressive, shark-like snout and slippery profile. 

This sharper sporting focus has little room for an indulgence like a retractable metal-and-glass hardtop, and so it’s gone. Mercedes was among the first with a folding hard-top, with the SLK, but is among the last of the carmakers to renounce it. 

It was hardly an unexpected move then, but SL owners – traditionally a loyal bunch – may still feel that a USP of the SL for the past 20 years has been sacrificed. The change to a simpler, lighter fabric roof also runs the risk of aligning the SL with its soft-top compatriots, everything from the C-Class convertible to the GT Roadster that is already part of AMG’s range. 

Before you ask: the SL is said to be a clean-sheet design which AMG says “shares not a single component” with the AMG GT Roadster, or indeed with the outgoing SL.  

“When we were tasked with the overall development of the new SL, we were able to start from scratch without building on an existing structure,” AMG technical chief Jochen Hermann explains. 

They came up with an aluminium spaceframe chassis with lots in common with previous AMG standalone projects, but built around all-wheel-drive and a 2+2 cabin – two features that immediately distance it from the more extreme rear-drive-only, two-seat AMG GT. 

As well as aluminium, materials used here include magnesium, composites and steel, with the target being maximum rigidity for the lowest weight (the bodyshell weighs just 270kg). AMG says this new structure is 18 per cent more rigid than the outgoing SL and up to 50 per cent stiffer than the GT Roadster’s body.

But is it really a 2+2? Unlike previous SLs, the back seats are not an option here, with Mercedes adamant they can accommodate people up to 1.50 metres (just on 5ft) tall.  This is certainly a long-wheelbase design – look how short the overhangs are – but from the pictures, it appears even kids might struggle. An SL feature since 1989, the pop-up rollover bar behind the back seats is retained. 

The electric hood is a three-layer, Z-fold affair with a front “cap” that seals off the fabric when stowed without the need for a separate compartment cover. When down – a 15-second drop at speeds up to 37mph – it gives a pretty smooth profile, if not entirely flush with the body. Over the previous Vario roof, it saves 21kg, lowering the car’s centre of gravity. 

The interior, like the exterior, is said to be inspired by the 300SL with minimalism and driver focus uppermost. The dash is dominated by a vast central tablet-style screen (no, the Gullwing didn’t have one of those…) and chunky turbine-style rotary air vents, now familiar from many Merc models. There’s a digital driver display in a 3D-effect pod behind the wheel. Mercedes calls it all “hyperanalogue”. 

The seats are undeniably sporty: big, heavily bolstered, one-piece AMG sports chairs that look more racetrack than golf club. But fear not, they still have Mercedes’ Airscarf heating to keep your neck warm.

In fact, Mercedes-AMG insists all the usual SL comfort and convenience features, including the latest MBUX infotainment system, as well as all the (numerous) safety assist systems, are present and correct here, as is an “unrestricted suitability for everyday use".

From this cabin, you can enjoy 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and, where conditions allow, a top speed of 195mph. The AMG GT sportscar is no faster. That’s the performance for the top SL63 version with its more heavily boosted biturbo 4.0-litre V8. It delivers 585PS (430kW) and maximum torque of 800Nm. The SL55 isn’t far behind with 476PS (350kW) and 700Nm, endowing it with 0-62 in 3.9 seconds and top speed of 183mph. Both are significantly quicker than anything in the outgoing SL range. 

These pair are the only SLs so far confirmed though others, including one with an electrified drivetrain, are likely. Both 63 and 55 get Merc’s nine-speed Speedshift transmission configured for sportier changes with wet clutch, as used by the AMG GT four-door. 

Both SLs also get as standard 4Matic all-wheel drive, a first for the SL after 70 years. Delivering fully variable torque distribution to the front and rear axles is one way of keeping all those V8 horses from getting unruly, but there are other ways, too. 

Like a new five-link front axle, the new four-wheel steering (more agility at low speeds, more stability past 62mph), and (standard on the SL63, optional on the SL55) AMG Active Ride Control. This replaces mechanical anti-roll control with a hydraulic system, something AMG claims helps not just dynamic response but also ride comfort. 

Aerodynamics also play an increased role in this SL. There are active louvres behind the front apron and a carbon element in front of the engine that drops down at speed to reduce front end lift. At the rear, a retractable boot lip spoiler can move through five different positions from 50mph to optimise handling stability or reduce drag. The SL’s CD is a respectable 0.31. 

All impressive for sure and all impressively different from the convertible grand tourer that most people know the SL as. The SL hasn’t been a racing car – some would say a decent sportscar – for a very long time after all. 

There are plenty of questions still to answer then. Has AMG made a great drivers’ car? Or has it ruined a fine cruiser? And what for some will be the most obvious question: will the golf clubs still fit?