Test drive Mercedes Benz SL-class R231 since 2012

Mr. SL

Whatever you say, but the Mercedes-Benz Roadster is a work of technical art

How to evaluate the work? Do we often recognize the genius during the life of the author? And why are they so stingy for high definitions and assessments when it comes to cars? Rhetoric questions, and I will not bore the reader with my answers to them. But I’ll risk violating the tradition, and I will say that close acquaintance with the updated Rodster with a hard roof Mercedes-Benz SL500 makes me call it precisely a work of technical art. And like any work, it costs good money.

Gracefulness for 132 thousand euros

Yes, while SL does not reach the priceless creation, it is sold not at the auction, but in dealerships for a very specific amount, the lower limit of which I designated. And I won’t even say that this is a mass product under the barrel of a pistol. Which would be worth doing, even if there weren’t a single buyer on him simply out of love for art. But customers are located.

This class stands as if apart from the entire model range of Stuttgart company. Even in the current century, SL unification is based on the original platform, remaining a thing in itself. In it, it is not necessary to look for the features of widespread C-, e- and other Mercedes classes in itself. I would even put the top version of SL with the same five hundredth, and, of course, SL55 AMG and SL600 in a par with cars such as Aston Martin, Maserati and Bentley. In the listed clip, he is the most affordable, but no less stylish, and also deprived of excessive arrogance, and you can ride it every day, getting pleasure from it. SL is both the status and the indicator of taste.

Smooth bends of figures, exquisite strips of silver on black, a massive grille with a three -beam star, is it necessary to describe the exterior? He is fascinating. Although the same SL55 AMG looks more catchy, the four chrome exhaust systems of the exhaust system already look like a break, like a ring with a man too large on a man’s finger. However, a matter of taste.

Personally yours

We must hear the sound of a slamming door and feel the convenience of landing in order to start the countdown of the money spent. If the roof is installed, then the ceiling sheathed over you. And in the case of a test car, a huge glass that is covered with a curtain can be moved and fixed in any position manually. Perhaps this is the only mechanism in SL, not equipped with a servo. So to adjust the car to the features of your own work figure does not.

It will first seem to someone from the habit that it is crowded inside. But this is exactly what should be in a fast, albeit chic family. You are tightly compressed by the arms of the chair, doors and the central tunnel. The front panel, a steering wheel, an automatic transmission lever, a glove box, in general, everything except plastic buttons and curtains above the head is made of noble materials of genuine leather of two colors, suede, black wood and cool metal. Two round dials of a tachometer and speedometer, along the edges of which are small, but noticeable indicators of the fuel level and the temperature of the power unit. A pleasant soft green color flows from under two visors, and an electronic scoreboard under each of them constantly informs about the state of the car systems.

There are many buttons on the central console, but everything is to the place, they will not have to understand for a long time. The Bose audio system not only sounds excellent, but also allows you to see the concert of the beloved artist on DVD. Naturally, separate climate control and decent size color monitor. The bag can be thrown for the seat, which is always ready to drive politely. Two compartments behind are not so spacious, but the compact thing will go there. A larger luggage will have to be removed in the trunk, the cover of which is equipped with an electric drive and can open directly from the keychain. Moreover, if the roof is removed, then the roof itself will rise with the lid and a little driving away, providing access to a 339-liter compartment. It's funny, but in the variant a convertible using a button on the central tunnel, you can install an additional spacer above the rear seats. By the way, she gives the body additional rigidity. In general, SL reconciles even with traffic jams, it is so nice to be inside. And natural disasters should not worry at all. The wipers themselves will be rain themselves will come to work. The headlights will be darkened dark with bluish xenon, in the turns of the sidewalls will be additionally illuminated by fog lights.

Moving

It is not necessary to insert the key into the keyhole, let the pleasant metal bele the pocket cold, it is enough to press the button at the top of the automatic transmission, and under the hood will come to life 8 cylinders with a total volume of 5.5 liters. Yes, yes, I was not mistaken, the updated SL500 has half a liter more under the hood. In addition, the car was equipped with a new suspension with pneumatic elements, so now the driver can forcibly slightly raise the body over the road, and also independently change the rigidity of the shock absorbers. To do this, next to the AKP handle, there are appropriate keys responsible for the work of Airmatic and Active Body Control. As a result, the body rolls in corners evens out electronics, and you should not think about the smoothness and work of suspensions at all.

Noise insulation with the installed roof is no worse than that of the S-class. That is why it is absolutely not important how you are going. You just move in convenient rhythm for you and the most suitable rhythm. If you want to slowly defile, just do not press the accelerator much much, and the tachometer arrow will hang out in the region of 2000 rpm, saving fuel. The automatic transmission will be so smooth from one step to another that this is not noticed.

I want more? Maybe you want to feel the potential of the power plant? No problem! Electronics adapt to your driving style, but if you can’t wait and want to immediately, then you can convert the automatic transmission into a sports mode, or at all manually switch the gears by downloading a pleasant touch lever or pressing the petals behind the steering wheel. Only then hold on! After 4000 rpm/min, all 388 horses switch to an unbridled gallop, filling the space around the delightful sound of the motor and a specially confident exhaust system. The road ahead is narrowed to the size of the windshield, and the landscape behind the glass loses clarity. Moreover, I, for example, are calm as a boaver. The stability of the car is amazing, you just need to behave correctly at the wheel.

Yes, and you can interrupt the race at any time the mighty brakes of the SL500 are perfectly configured. Even in the rain, they are ready to work. Electronics constantly remembers them, heals a little, bringing the pads to the disks, and always, even with a not so significant, but very sharp blow to the pedal, it realizes everything that calipers are capable of. You are safe, and at a critical moment the ESP electronic stabilization system will come to the rescue. Well, if the collision cannot be avoided, then Pre-Safe will pull the seat with a belt and prepares to protect with eight airbags and a hard body frame. But I always want to hope that it will not reach. Why destroy the work?

Text: Andrey Osipov
Brief technical characteristics of Mercedes-Benz SL500
Engine volume, cubic meter. See 5461
The number of valves per cylinder 4
Power, l. With. at about./min. 388/6000
Max. Torque, NM at about./Min. 530/2800 4800
Acceleration to 100 km/h, p. 5.4
Maximum speed, km/h 250
The average fuel consumption l./100 km. 12.2
The volume of the fuel tank, l. 80
Car mass, kg. 1910
Dimensions, mm. 4532x1827x1298

Source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 14 (104), 2006]