Well, I've had the car for a couple of months now, and not written a review. I am aware that this is totally unacceptable; therefore accept the short post below as an apology!
I've always wanted a big-engined car. From as long as I can remember back, my dream car has been a V8. I love the noise, the power, the idea. A friend of mine recently bought himself an MX5 and after test-driving the thing whilst it was snowing last Christmas, I've been convinced that soft-top motoring is the way forward - it adds a certain extra dimension to driving that you simply cannot get with a tin-top. So the criteria was set - V8 convertible! I'd like to say I put a lot of thought into this, but I truly didn't. I wasn't after a brand new car per-se, but owning a classic car isn't really my bag. After a brief scout through the PH classifieds, three cars stood out - A Mercedes SLK, an SL, or a BMW 6-series. This short list was narrowed down by the fact that I think;
a) The 6 series BMW is as ugly as sin
b) The Mercedes SLK looks a bit too 'girly'
So, that left the Mercedes SL, which surprised me, as I always considered myself a BMW man. Two variants matched what I wanted - the SL500 and the SL55. I test drove both, the SL500 had ample power, and the SL55 was insane. I would have dearly loved the supercharged SL, but reality had to have some bearing on this, as well as leaving enough money from my salary to start saving for a house deposit. After driving a couple of 500s in varying conditions, I visited one at a garage in London. This was a facelifted car with one previous owner who had obviously taken care of it. It had the options I wanted, reasonable mileage, wasn't silver (don't ask) and - well - it was mine shortly afterwards!
Behold, my SL500, with AMG kit, 7-tronic gearbox, parktronic, panoramic roof. It has sat-nav, a DVD player, Bose surround sound hi-fi and electric everything - and I do mean everything! Little touches like the heated steering wheel, the heated auto-dimming wingmirrors, auto-dimming rear view mirror, electric seats, air-conditioned glove box and leather everywhere give it a top-quality feel.
What's it like to drive gently?
Just about the smoothest, most comfortable, relaxed car I have ever been in. In comfort mode, the air suspension soaks up the bumps/potholes to feel like you're wafting about on a pillow. It really is that good, especially on the roads around Hampshire which appear to have been target practice for the MOD's latest cluster bomb. The gearbox starts off in 2nd, ensuring really relaxed acceleration - changes of gear are all but unnoticeable. There's oodles of torque (339lb/ft) to pull you along in any gear, and revs rarely need to rise above about 1500rpm.
What's it like to drive quickly?
Putting the Active Body Control in sport mode completely changes the character of the car. The suspension really stiffens up and in sharp corners the car almost feels like it's steering with the rear wheels. There are almost silly levels of grip from the 235 (front) and 285 (rear) width tyres and when pushing hard, the SL really hides its weight well (about 1850Kg iirc). Sport mode does make the ride a little more 'crashy' over the bumps, but so far, it's never felt out of shape because of it. The gearbox now starts off in 1st, the shift times are quickened and the gears are held onto for longer. The engine pulls hard up to the red-line, accompanied with a really deep V8 snarl from the tail-pipes.
The roof...
Takes about 16 seconds to complete the conversion. Really quick! With the roof on, at motorway speeds the car is arguably silent inside. You could quietly whisper to your passenger at 90mph, and they'd hear you fine. With the roof off, windows up and rear wind-deflector in place, it's a bit noisier, but conversations are easy up to about 80-85. Beyond that I think it's the tyre roar, more than the wind that impacts upon the cabin. The panoramic roof is one of the options I had to have. The roof is tinted glass, with a manual blind you can pull across if the sun is really bright. It stops that claustrophobic feeling you can sometimes get in a car.
Performance
5.0 litre 24-valve V8, giving 306bhp and 339lb/ft (460Nm) torque. 0-60 arrives in 5.9 seconds and top speed is limited to 155mph.
Because of the sheer smoothness of the thing, this doesn't feel that fast - you'll have to trust me on this one. When there are other cars around you, it's far more noticeable and, dare I say it, it's fast enough for the road. The SL55 I test drove was insane. Don't get me wrong - I would very much like one, but the chances to exploit another 200bhp on the public highway would be minimal at best. Overtaking is effortless and the brakes are phenomenal. The massive drilled, vented front discs and vented rears deliver proper 'tyres clawing at the tarmac' stuff.
Unfortunately, all this weight, together with all this performance does come at a price. At a steady 70-ish mph on the motorway, I get about 32mpg. Around the back roads, it's down to 20mpg and a short town drive with a cold engine will give 5-8mpg. Luckily I live close to where I work, so most of my driving is for pleasure.
Living with it
After 3 months of ownership, I still can't fault it. I have no doubt this is one of the best cars I may ever own, and it is so much fun! As long as it's not raining, the roof is down. It gets a lot of attention from mates and the ladies alike. The boot is of a reasonable size, even with the roof folded into it. (There's a button to raise the roof inside the boot for easy access to your luggage if required).
I'm also now on first name terms with the nice girl at the petrol station down the road but insurance is barely any more expensive than my old Mondeo ST220. One thing I will say to anyone who is thinking about something like this, is to find a trusted independant garage for times of need, and also get the thing warrantied. I've read some horror stories, and cars like this can be eye-wateringly expensive to keep running if certain things go wrong.
What more can I say? Life's too short not to!
If you're not convinced, have a listen to this video!
I've always wanted a big-engined car. From as long as I can remember back, my dream car has been a V8. I love the noise, the power, the idea. A friend of mine recently bought himself an MX5 and after test-driving the thing whilst it was snowing last Christmas, I've been convinced that soft-top motoring is the way forward - it adds a certain extra dimension to driving that you simply cannot get with a tin-top. So the criteria was set - V8 convertible! I'd like to say I put a lot of thought into this, but I truly didn't. I wasn't after a brand new car per-se, but owning a classic car isn't really my bag. After a brief scout through the PH classifieds, three cars stood out - A Mercedes SLK, an SL, or a BMW 6-series. This short list was narrowed down by the fact that I think;
a) The 6 series BMW is as ugly as sin
b) The Mercedes SLK looks a bit too 'girly'
So, that left the Mercedes SL, which surprised me, as I always considered myself a BMW man. Two variants matched what I wanted - the SL500 and the SL55. I test drove both, the SL500 had ample power, and the SL55 was insane. I would have dearly loved the supercharged SL, but reality had to have some bearing on this, as well as leaving enough money from my salary to start saving for a house deposit. After driving a couple of 500s in varying conditions, I visited one at a garage in London. This was a facelifted car with one previous owner who had obviously taken care of it. It had the options I wanted, reasonable mileage, wasn't silver (don't ask) and - well - it was mine shortly afterwards!
Behold, my SL500, with AMG kit, 7-tronic gearbox, parktronic, panoramic roof. It has sat-nav, a DVD player, Bose surround sound hi-fi and electric everything - and I do mean everything! Little touches like the heated steering wheel, the heated auto-dimming wingmirrors, auto-dimming rear view mirror, electric seats, air-conditioned glove box and leather everywhere give it a top-quality feel.
What's it like to drive gently?
Just about the smoothest, most comfortable, relaxed car I have ever been in. In comfort mode, the air suspension soaks up the bumps/potholes to feel like you're wafting about on a pillow. It really is that good, especially on the roads around Hampshire which appear to have been target practice for the MOD's latest cluster bomb. The gearbox starts off in 2nd, ensuring really relaxed acceleration - changes of gear are all but unnoticeable. There's oodles of torque (339lb/ft) to pull you along in any gear, and revs rarely need to rise above about 1500rpm.
What's it like to drive quickly?
Putting the Active Body Control in sport mode completely changes the character of the car. The suspension really stiffens up and in sharp corners the car almost feels like it's steering with the rear wheels. There are almost silly levels of grip from the 235 (front) and 285 (rear) width tyres and when pushing hard, the SL really hides its weight well (about 1850Kg iirc). Sport mode does make the ride a little more 'crashy' over the bumps, but so far, it's never felt out of shape because of it. The gearbox now starts off in 1st, the shift times are quickened and the gears are held onto for longer. The engine pulls hard up to the red-line, accompanied with a really deep V8 snarl from the tail-pipes.
The roof...
Takes about 16 seconds to complete the conversion. Really quick! With the roof on, at motorway speeds the car is arguably silent inside. You could quietly whisper to your passenger at 90mph, and they'd hear you fine. With the roof off, windows up and rear wind-deflector in place, it's a bit noisier, but conversations are easy up to about 80-85. Beyond that I think it's the tyre roar, more than the wind that impacts upon the cabin. The panoramic roof is one of the options I had to have. The roof is tinted glass, with a manual blind you can pull across if the sun is really bright. It stops that claustrophobic feeling you can sometimes get in a car.
Performance
5.0 litre 24-valve V8, giving 306bhp and 339lb/ft (460Nm) torque. 0-60 arrives in 5.9 seconds and top speed is limited to 155mph.
Because of the sheer smoothness of the thing, this doesn't feel that fast - you'll have to trust me on this one. When there are other cars around you, it's far more noticeable and, dare I say it, it's fast enough for the road. The SL55 I test drove was insane. Don't get me wrong - I would very much like one, but the chances to exploit another 200bhp on the public highway would be minimal at best. Overtaking is effortless and the brakes are phenomenal. The massive drilled, vented front discs and vented rears deliver proper 'tyres clawing at the tarmac' stuff.
Unfortunately, all this weight, together with all this performance does come at a price. At a steady 70-ish mph on the motorway, I get about 32mpg. Around the back roads, it's down to 20mpg and a short town drive with a cold engine will give 5-8mpg. Luckily I live close to where I work, so most of my driving is for pleasure.
Living with it
After 3 months of ownership, I still can't fault it. I have no doubt this is one of the best cars I may ever own, and it is so much fun! As long as it's not raining, the roof is down. It gets a lot of attention from mates and the ladies alike. The boot is of a reasonable size, even with the roof folded into it. (There's a button to raise the roof inside the boot for easy access to your luggage if required).
I'm also now on first name terms with the nice girl at the petrol station down the road but insurance is barely any more expensive than my old Mondeo ST220. One thing I will say to anyone who is thinking about something like this, is to find a trusted independant garage for times of need, and also get the thing warrantied. I've read some horror stories, and cars like this can be eye-wateringly expensive to keep running if certain things go wrong.
What more can I say? Life's too short not to!
If you're not convinced, have a listen to this video!
Near to motoring perfection.
