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Ten photos below optimized for 800x600 screen resolution........480KB |
Major Update August 10th 2000 |
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| Photo copyright: Autocar Additional background retouching by MBEP webmaster |
| Translation of an article from car mag "Auto
Bild", Aug. 2000 written by Georg Kacher
A Power-Plant with Folding Roof The new Mercedes SL wants to set standards. With vario roof, air suspension super-brake and up to 500 hp A new SL always is an event - in the end the Swabian roadster
legend is newly born only once in a blue moon. The last time was 1989.
With that the SL has the double half-life period as the C- or E-Class and
at the time of its market introduction nearly inevitably far ahead of time.
This is especially true for the next SL-generation, which shall be presented
on the IAA ((Frankfurt Motor Show)) in September 2001 and from October
on will stand at the dealers.
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| Both photos copyright: AutoBild | Both photos: Additional preparation for the web by MBEP webmaster |
| In contrast to the actual car the roof is not made of
cloth but of plastic and metal. The roof constructed after the example
of the SLK changes the car by the push of a button from roadster to coupe
- and vice versa. Even in open state the ttrunk of the new SL shall be able
to hold 265 litres - and with that can take on the predecessor any time.
With closed roof the capacity shall even be enhanced to 380 litres. To the advantages of the patented roof - so insiders - belong the good round view, the heated glass rear window, the low noise level and the easy operation. As first car in the world the new SL will be equipped with an electro-hydraulic brake. The EHB-brake developed together with Bosch promises a better response behaviour, an optimized dosage ability, constant pedal forces and a shortened stopping distance. |
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| Photo copyright: AutoBild Additional background retouching by MBEP webmaster |
| The Airmatic (air suspension) which comes with all variants
at no extra charge allows the choice between a comfort-orientated and a
sportive chassis setting. At extra charge Mercedes wants to offer the new
SL with ceramic brakes and roll-stability system ABC ((Active Body
Control)). But the latter only in conjunction with conventional springs
and shock absorbers.
Future entry-level model will be the 224 hp strong SL 320: The little demanded SL 280 is cancelled. Above ranges the SL 500 with an unchanged 306 hp. New in the range: The AMG-variant which - not least because of the BMW Z8 - should have roughly 400 hp. In contrast to the C32 V6 with the V8 the AMG-technicans refrained from the help of a supercharger. Instead one wants to mobilize the additional horsepowers with conventional tuning measures. To that belongs a newly designed intake- and exhaust section as well as a lighter, friction-reduced valve gear. But that isn't all. Although Mercedes in the mid-term will newly crown the programme with the SLR, already the new SL top model reaches for the stars - and for the competition from Munich, Zuffenhausen and Maranello. Although the future supercar takes over the model designation from the predecessor SL 600 the twelve-cylinder is not to be recognized anymore. |
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The 5.8-litre three-valve taken over from the S-Class
experiences an unexpected explosion of power by the equipment with two
turbochargers and two intercoolers. Original sound from Stuttgart: "We
are only at the beginning with the homologation, but the bandwidth already
is fixed with 450 to 500 hp.
Photo copyright: AutoBild Add. backgr. ret. by MBEP webmaster |
| Even more gigantic will be the maximum torque, which
is in the range of 800 newton metres.
The final specification not at last depends on if we will succeed to tune the life span of transmission, differential and drive shafts to the maximum figures." Certain is that the new SL will only be available with the proven automatic transmission. But the five-speed transmission in the mid-term has to make place for one with six steps. Also in the medium term one has to expect the change to gasoline direct-injection engines which will be executed at Mercedes from bottom to the top (four cylinder engines first). End of article from German car mag "Auto Bild" - translation by MBEP webmaster |
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Article from British car magazine "Autocar" May 2000 Big Guns Plan Super Roadsters |
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| Photo copyright: Autocar Additional background retouching by MBEP webmaster |
| . |
| New Sports Car Stars
Expect a right royal battle between three major new luxury droptops due in the next 18 months: facelifted Jaguar XK8, all-new Mercedes SL and high-performance Lexus JAGUAR, LEXUS and Mercedes are all preparing stunning
new luxury sports cars to be launched by the end of the next year.
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| Translation of an article from "Auto
Motor und Sport" 1999 written by Wolfgang Koenig
Under Cover It's only fair the new SL gets what the SLK already has: When not in use it hides its hard top in the trunk. But that's not the only invention. . Mercedes SL-drivers mostly are pleased drivers. The qualities of the racers became very attached to them because they combine to a unique profile of characteristics. A SL combines solidity and comfort with discreet sportiveness, one drives classy and as secure as in a S-Class and at the same time enjoys the advantages of an all-year cabrio thanks to the standard luxury-soft-top. Also the limitation to two seats proved to be in line with market requirements: The typical SL-buyer belongs to the so-called "empty nesters" where the children are fully fledged and the space required shrank. In addition to that the limitation to two seats elegantly protects of inconvenient requests for rides: Where there is no space to take no-one will take place. No wonder, too, that Mercedes under no circumstances wants to give up this SL-mix which has proven successful for decades. From the SL of the future, which shall go into production in the beginning of the year 2001, one can expect everything of, but no cultural revolution. The first complete prototype of the new SL, internally denoted as R230 and unmasked by "Auto Motor und Sport", can prove that. The new one turns out to be as a logical and consequent evolution of the old one - some centimetres longer and wider, a bit more round and lower as well as a bit more sporty, but all in all a typical SL. Most attention attracting: The SL shows more face. Overlapping round headlights now flank a smaller and more levelled grille in the style of the SLK. No doubt for character is taken care of. But the discreet optical relationship with the smaller SLK of course is no coincidence. The new SL shall become the SLK of the mature man, but without the slightly geriatric touch of the present model (R129). Part of it is that in the future the SL-driver, too, not has to live without the comfort of a retractable hardtop. Like in the SLK the hard top will be forwarded into the trunk at the touch of a button. But the mechanism is different. Whilst in the SLK it folds together via hinges over the rear window in the SL the two parts space-saving slide on top of each other. That creates space for luggage so that in the future - a must in the USA - two complete golf equipments can be stowed away. But the interior space will be more luxurious, too, which above all will be of benefit to the space behind the seats. It shall be enough to convert the SL into an - even though extremely tight - 2+2 seater by installing a jump seat bench. As before an automatically extendible roll over bar will give protection in case of rolling over. Further improvements in the passive safety do stand in the guidelines of the R230 as well as a noticeable weight reduction, a conflict of targets which forces the Mercedes engineers to an increased use of lightweight construction materials. The result is a multiple-material body in which aluminium, electron (magnesium casting) and plastics alternate with conventional sheet steel. Although it sticks to its base of steel light metals for hoods, doors and roof as well as plastic fenders in the front will help to slim the SL. In the meantime there's no more talk of the 200 to 300 kilograms which in the beginning should have resulted. Insiders expect a net saving of 100 to 150 kilograms. The purification goes hand in hand with a thorough technical renovation. Aluminium-chassis with double-transverse arm suspension in front and multi-link suspension in the rear, rack and pinion steering, air suspension, thus innovations which do have their premiere with the S-Class in autumn ((1998)), ((for articles about the new S-Class W220 click here)), will be found also in the new SL. Together with the drivetrain moved far back and the resulting, well balanced weight distribution shall have resulting dynamic driving qualities which are a credit to a sports car. Even from the air suspension the Mercedes engineers do expect new horizons of tuning. Refined by a so-called ABC (Active Body Control)-system, it enables the SL to shoot around bends with a minimum inclination to the sides, but without reducing the comfort of suspension. The exact opposite: And with comfort, too, the new R230 clearly shall outshine it's predecessor............................ The SL-identity is preserved. In the future, too, it'll attract those buyers who can do without the classic sports car attributes trouble and fuss, but know to appreciate an extra portion agility and pleasure of driving. And there also shall be no lack of power, because as ever the engine range will culminate in a V12-engine. Technically this 5.8 litre-V12 will have nothing in common with the actual engines because it is based upon a new three-valve V8-engine. Output: Around 400 hp. Like the V12 the rest of the engine range comes from the general equipment of the new S-Class. One step below ranges the new five-litre-V8 (300 hp), just presented in the G-model. SL-newcomers can reach for the V6 with 3.2 litres. For filling the gap between V8 and V12 one furthermore takes into account a V10. Apart from that with the development of the R230 there is no reason for exaggerated excitement. After all the actual SL still turns up. Even after more than eight years it's effect of attraction seems not to have died at all as the production figures show. In 1997 it were more than 15.000 specimen, a remarkable success for a two-seater in this price range. |
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Total SL production figures for each year
shown in the graphic on the left. Since the introduction of the current SL R129 they add up to 164.100 which gives an average of 19.850 in the last eight years (eliminating 1989 when the car was presented in March only at the Geneva Salon in Switzerland). The exact figures are: 1989 5.327 of 542.160 MB's total = 0.98% . (plus 8.867 R107 = 14,194 SL's = 2.61%) 1990 20.767 of 574.395 MB's total = 3.62% 1991 26.004 of 577.990 MB's total = 4.50% 1992 26.238 of 531.456 MB's total = 4.94% 1993 18.760 of 480.571 MB's total = 3.90% 1994 17.454 of 590.060 MB's total = 2.96% 1995 18.860 of 581.919 MB's total = 3.24% 1996 15.774 of 626.590 MB's total = 2.52% |
| Graphic copyright: Auto Motor und Sport | Text above: MBEP webmaster |
| The graphics text says:
Long-term effect: Still in the ninth year of production the SL reaches considerable figures To retain this until the model change,
Mercedes plans another face-lift
in summer. Despite of minimum detail modifications on the body which include
redesigned rear lights the innovations above all show up under the hood:
With the SL280 and SL320 the actual V6-generation the up to now inline-six-engines,
the SL500 gets the new
V8. Only top of the line SL600 engine remains untouched. ((For
an article of the R129 face-lift click here))
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| Translation of an article from German
car magazine "Auto Bild" April 2000
New SL: Half SLK, half SLR |
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Photo: Auto Bild/Huckfeldt
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| The countdown for the new SL at Mercedes is continuing.
From spring 2001 on the luxury-roadster shall be at the dealerships. With
the model change the Swabians say goodbye to the traditional cloth roof.
Instead a folding top in the style of the successful SLK will be used .
The advantage: At the push of a button the vario-roof makes a full coupe
from the roadster and vice versa.
As expected the technicians have further improved the next roof generation. So an additional pair of joints shall take care for making the stiff cap in folded state even smaller than until now. Rumours have it that the protective curtain, which separates roof and luggage in the trunk, will be pulled in fully automatic. Despite vario-roof the volume of the trunk will be fully kept up. With closed roof one can pack even a bit more than until now. Inside Mercedes now brings the SL to S-Class level, too. Multi-function steering-wheel, and automatic climate control come as standard; Comand, keyless go, Distronic and other amenities will be charged extra. In the SL320 for the first time the new six-speed manual transmission will be used. Apart from that the five-speed automatic transmission with tip-function dominates. In the medium term there will even be six-speed automatic transmissions. The 5.0-litre V8 and the 5.7-litre V12 is already known from the S-Class. New in the range is the 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine from AMG, who are said to have 450 hp ((DIN)) and 620 Nm ((torque)). As one expects from a real sports car, Mercedes will equip the next SL with a completely new designed chassis, which contains all technic-features from ABC to ESP. Also with the brakes the 2+2-seater shall point the way to the future with its high-tech braking system. More conventional in contrast is the design, which in the frontal area will not orientate at the SLR, but on the good CL Coupe. End of article - translation by MBEP webmaster. As usual remarks in ((blabla)), but (blabla) is original text. |
| Article from British car magazine "Autoweek" summer 1999
Slicker, lighter SL.
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| Article from British car magazine "Autoweek" March 1998
Exposed!
When most people think of Mercedes-Benz, the SL is the
car that comes to mind. Peering through the disguise on the car seen in
this first batch of spy photos, our illustrator has unmasked the face of
Mercedes-Benz for the first decade of the new millennium.
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| Graphics left: Autoweek/Ron Barry Illustration...........Photo
right and text below: Autoweek
Contrasting today's model (right) with our illustration of the next-generation SL (left), based on spy-photos of a camouflaged prototype, the lowered nose and new headlight treatment are the most obvious changes. Note, too, the steeper windshield rake and tapered tail, heavily disguised in the photos. |
| It will be 12 years, then, between all-new models. Codenamed
R230, the next SL has been in development for more than 18 months, with
its key components fitted to E-Class engineering mules. It wasn't until
late last month that proper SL-bodied prototypes hit the Mercedes-Benz
test track at Untertuerkheim for the first stages of an intensive, two-and-a-half-year
test program.
Our exclusive spy photographs of this first outing for the new body reveal that the next SL retains the familiar long-snout/short-tail look. Yet clearly, the car's shape has evolved, with more rounded forms at the rear, greater tapering effect at the corners and slightly shorter overhangs. Mercedes' emerging new family of engines has allowed Mercedes stylists to reduce the height of the hood to give it a much sleeker profile, with less front-end bulkiness. Still, the overall dimensions appear to have changed little. The fresh appearance was designed by an in-house team led by Michael Mauer, who's credited with the styling of the SLK, and with the recent C-Class facelift. The 34-year-old German wants the SL to look more aggressive, yet not be perceived as merely a bolder version of the SLK. "The SL is a different car, both in proportions and in what it represents. You'll notice detailed similarities, but the SL will retain its own distinct appearance," he told us. The new SL's sportier face is expected to feature a variation on the E-Class headlight theme, with twin lights at each side grouped close together under a one-piece clear plastic cover - a distinction from the SLK's lozenge-shaped lamps. Don't rule out Mercedes coming up with something revolutionary for the roof structure, just as the current model's folding top was itself revolutionary when it arrived, preceding the SLK and its own complex-design folding hard top. Car Top Systems, a joint venture operated with Stuttgart neighbor Porsche, puts some of the world's most advanced automotive roofing technology at Mercedes' disposal. One option is a folding aluminium structure like the SLK's, though our spies say the more likely standard equipment would be a double-layered cloth top like today's, with a simplified hydraulic mechanism and lightweight magnesium frame. Also expected are further variations on the removable Panorama glass hard top, an option on the current model, to extend R230's appeal. Inside, the new SL will retain its familiar two-seat layout, though we hear that there has been a push to deliver greater space behind the seats, in a bid to distance the car from the SLK. Speculation that the SL would gain small rear seats seems inaccurate, by the looks of the prototype. The car also will sport a typical Mercedes dashboard treatment, although probably with a slightly more retro look, akin to, but not as extreme, as the SLK's. Consideration was given to clothing R230 in an all-aluminium bodyshell to lighten the car and match the technology that rival Audi offers in its aluminium A8. But German supplier sources confirm that the SL will head into the next century with a predominately steel body. Aluminium could be used for the hood and door skins. Underpinning the new SL will be a heavily modified version of the E-Class rear-wheel-drive platform, according to Stuttgart insiders. In a move similar to that which saw the C-Class metamorphose into the SLK, Mercedes engineers have altered the wheelbase and track to suit the sports car's needs, while retaining high-cost items such as suspension pick-up points. Suspension will be double wishbones (front) and multilinks (rear), with an adaptive system allowing on-the-fly changes to shock absorber rates. Look for big improvements in steering feel due to the adoption of a modified rack-and-pinion system. The new SL will offer a choice of V6, V8 or V12 engines, the latter featuring a new cylinder-cutoff mechanism as alluded to on the gargantuan Maybach concept car - itself also likely to enter production. All three engines are aluminium units, resulting in a considerable weight reduction on the front axle. They also feature twin-spark ignition and three valves per cylinder, a combination Mercedes engineers say provides the best compromise between power and efficiency, while also meeting European standards for drive-by noise. A five-speed automatic transmission will be standard on all U.S. models. But those hankering for a manual shifter shouldn't despair. Mercedes is working on a new sequential manual transmission and hopes to have it out in time for the launch of R230, if not before. Details are scant, though the German carmaker admits to having studied the system used on the Ferrari F355 F1. Price? Today's V12-propelled SL600 stickers at USD 125,000. Maintaining the top model's exclusivity demands a healthy price tag, but Mercedes isn't immune to competition, as evidenced by the USD 10,000 price cut on the `98 model of the V8-powered SL500. Mercedes' interest in moving more toward sporting is underscored by the new Sport option for the `98 model SLs - 18 inch wheels, wider in the rear than in the front, and distinct AMG bodywork. Also, the six-cylinder SL320 was dropped from the U.S. market this year. It's unlikely Mercedes will launch its new model SL in America with the complete range of engines being prepped for Europe. The lineup there should eventually include a 218-hp 3.2-liter V6, a 279-hp 4.3-liter V8, a 300-hp 5.0 liter V8, and a 5.8-liter V12. The latter is expected to make more than 400 hp, compared with 394 hp in today's SL600. With weight of about 3750 pounds, expect the SL580 to deliver an electronically limited 155-mph top speed, and hit 60 mph from standstill in less than six seconds. Today's SL600 gets to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds. Fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions will be dramatically reduced, in line with toughened world standards. News that AMG has a range of supercharged engines in the works sets the scene for a stomping Kompressor model. The decision depends upon emission levels and packaging concerns. But insiders say a blown version of the yet-to-be-unveiled 5.0-liter V8 is at test bed stage and delivering 420 hp...enough to ensure that the king-of-the-hill V8-powered SL60 AMG (381 hp, 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds) gets a hard-edged successor to carry its crown. Drivetrain aside, the R230 has also been earmarked for a raft of high-tech driver aids. Improved versions of the existing brake assist, stability control and satellite navigation systems will be standard. Newer features such as radar-managed cruise control ((Distronic)), voice-activated interior controls, and the long-touted active body control, a stabilizing system that minimizes body roll during hard cornering, will likely top a long list of optional equipment - all aimed at seeing the SL retain its image as a technological tour de force. Just to confirm all this, at a ritzy European cocktail reception we asked Daimler-Benz chairman Juergen Schrempp about what was coming on the next SL. He looked at us for a second, Johannesburg Reisling in one hand, Marlboro filter in the other, and said, "We have now one SL, and in the future we will have another." See? Told ya. Mark Vaughn contributed to this report. End of article from "Autoweek" Special thanks to Alex A. for sending the article! |
| And finally here's a summary what German car mag"AutoBild"
has to say so far in two articles in 1999:
The new Mercedes-Benz SL shall have it's premiere in 2001. As the weight shall be not more than 1500 kilograms hoods and doors will be made out of aluminium. Engines shall be 320 V6 with 224hp, 430 V8 with 279hp and 500 V8 with 320 hp as well as a new 580 V12 with more than 400hp. In contrast to the new S-Class coupe C215 - which will have air-suspension - the new SL will have a normal steel suspension only, but the suspension will be tighter, the brakes will be stronger and the steering more direct. The automatic transmission will feature a dynamic programme for shifting gears and tiptronic. In contrast to the SLK the new SL will have two jump seats in the rear. The SL will lose it's cloth-top but get a metal folding-top much like the SLK. |
Last revised: November 20th 2000
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