Photo: Mercedes-AMG
The Mercedes-Benz SL isn’t exactly cheap and nor is it competitive in its segment. The status as the spiritual successor of the Gullwing from the 1950s also weighs down on the shoulders of the R231 generation, which has recently lost the 63 series.
Only the SL 400 and SL 500 are featured on the Mercedes-Benz configurator in Germany, retailing at 100,412 and 124,212 euros. A similar scenario has happened stateside where the SL 450 and SL 550 are listed at $91,000 and $114,700, respectively. In other words, AMG is currently focused on developing the next gen of the Sport Lightweight.
63 models featured the M 157 twin-turbo V8, an outdated design replaced by the 4.0-liter engine in the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The 500 and 550 come with a 4.7-liter powerplant, and as far as the 400 and 450 are concerned, make that a 3.0-liter V6 with fewer resources than the EcoBoost V6 in the likes of the Ford Explorer ST.
The biggest problem of the SL isn’t that Mercedes-Benz and AMG didn’t pay enough attention to it, but the GT Roadster cannibalized sales from the R231 ever since 2017. By then, the SL was already in trouble given the antiquated underpinnings of the luxurious roadster. In other words, the R231 is on life support for quite a few years now.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Sportlich Leicht should get a lot more attractive to potential customers with the introduction of the R232. The 73 series from Mercedes-AMG promises to combine the 4.0-liter V8 with an e-motor for a total of more than 800 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, figures that put every AMG and GT on sale today to shame.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the R232 is expected to drop the V6 for an inline-six for the 43 and an electrified inline-six for the 53. The 63 is also expected with 48-volt electrical assistance for greater efficiency and performance, and as expected, the 65 won’t get a successor because Mercedes-AMG doesn’t believe in the three-valve-per-cylinder V12 anymore.
63 models featured the M 157 twin-turbo V8, an outdated design replaced by the 4.0-liter engine in the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT. The 500 and 550 come with a 4.7-liter powerplant, and as far as the 400 and 450 are concerned, make that a 3.0-liter V6 with fewer resources than the EcoBoost V6 in the likes of the Ford Explorer ST.
The biggest problem of the SL isn’t that Mercedes-Benz and AMG didn’t pay enough attention to it, but the GT Roadster cannibalized sales from the R231 ever since 2017. By then, the SL was already in trouble given the antiquated underpinnings of the luxurious roadster. In other words, the R231 is on life support for quite a few years now.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Sportlich Leicht should get a lot more attractive to potential customers with the introduction of the R232. The 73 series from Mercedes-AMG promises to combine the 4.0-liter V8 with an e-motor for a total of more than 800 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, figures that put every AMG and GT on sale today to shame.
Elsewhere in the lineup, the R232 is expected to drop the V6 for an inline-six for the 43 and an electrified inline-six for the 53. The 63 is also expected with 48-volt electrical assistance for greater efficiency and performance, and as expected, the 65 won’t get a successor because Mercedes-AMG doesn’t believe in the three-valve-per-cylinder V12 anymore.
Google News