If you could design the perfect sports car with just the right balance of elegance and aggression, outstanding power and performance but not overly raucous and flashy, and equally comfortable cruising through the city as hammering the corners on twisty country roads, then the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class would have to be it. This year there are a whole series of improvements which make the series even better. The front styling, which has been accused of being too soft in the past, has become more angular and aggressive, the top-of-the-line SL63 AMG replaces the SL55 with more power than ever, and there are a number of engine improvements across the board.
Mercedes-Benz has been making the SL-Class for more than 50 years and have had that long to refine and perfect what has become the quintessential sports car. The result is a series of vehicles that sets the standard for all others, and delivers the kind of quality performance that other manufacturers can only dream of.
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Performance
There are four models in the SL-Class, all with their own engines and personalities but all are based on the same two-seat roadster platform with automatically retractable hard top.
The SL550 is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 engine that produces a mighty 382hp and 391lb-ft of torque – and that is the bottom of the range! It has brilliant nimble handling and throaty sound, and sports an all-new seven-speed automatic transmission with manual shiftgate plus Comfort, Manual and Sport settings to change the rpm at which the gears change. Gear transitions are as smooth and powerful as you would expect from a $95,000 car, and it reaches 60mph before you have time to blink in a very zippy 5.5 seconds.
Step up to the SL600 and the engine becomes a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12, and the whole personality changes from a nippy sports car to the ultimate touring roadster. If this is not driving heaven, then I don’t know what is. There are 517 hp and an unbelievable 612lb-ft of torque available between 1900 and 3500rpm. It has a velvety-smooth five-speed automatic transmission and manual shiftgate, and it reaches 60mph in 4.4 seconds flat. Handling is a little less sporty that its little brother the SL550 thanks to its extra weight, but in a straight line it will beat it hands down.
This year Mercedes includes two AMG models which are like the super-sporty versions of the already sports cars. The SL63 AMG is the SL550 for those who are really serious about their sports cars and is perhaps the best car Mercedes has ever made. It features a normally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 that produces 518hp and 465lb-ft of torque, and although it is still a great city car, it is lightening fast when given the opportunity. It also carries a seven-speed automated manual transmission – the Speedshift MCT7 which manages to change gears with no interruption in power deliver. It features the most responsive and direct handling of all the SLs and will reach 60mph in 4.4 seconds.
Finally the SL65 AMG defies all engineering superlatives, with its twin-turbo V12 that produces 604hp and an absurd 738lb-ft of torque from just 2000-4000 rpm. This is the closest you will get to the feeling of driving a Formula One on the road, and at nearly $200,000, perhaps only Formula One drivers will be able to afford it while the rest of us look on and drool.
Fuel economy on all the SL-Class is nothing spectacular, and ranges from 13/21mpg city/highway for the SL550 to 11/18 for the V12s. This incurs Gas Guzzler Tax on all models – but if you are driving a SL it is unlikely the tax will faze you.
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Interior and Features
On the inside, the 2009 SL-Class is subdued and incredibly stylish and the retractable hardtop with optional glass top is pure design genius. It takes just 16 seconds to open however for safety reasons only when the car is stopped. There is not too much new on the inside of the SL although there is a new steering wheel and the updated COMAND multi-media interface which uses a directional toggle to make selections. Space is abundant for the two passengers in height and legroom, and comfort level is high thanks to the 12-way powered seats.
Standard on the SL550 is leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, Harman Kardon stereo system, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth wireless, universal garage door opener, adaptive bi-xenon headlights, and more power features than you would have thought possible in one car. The SL63 AMG adds massaging seats, carbon-fiber interior trim, alcantara premium leather interior and Bose stereo. The SL600 features all that plus front and rear parking assist, keyless access and the glass panoramic roof. Finally the SL65 AMG adds sport suspension and uprated brakes. There are plenty of other options available like Airscarf heating at neck level for top-down driving comfort in cold weather, adaptive cruise control, ceramic brakes and upgraded alloy wheels.
2009 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Safety
Safety as you would expect is top class like the rest of the cars, featuring electronic stability control and traction control, ABS and brake assist, plus head and knee airbags and a pop-up rollbar for rollover situations. There is an emergency communication system called TeleAid that automatically notifies a central office in case of an accident.
Safety features:
- Stability control, traction control, ABS and brake assist
- Head/thorax and knee airbags
- Pop-up roll bar
- TeleAid