Out with the old, in with the new: The Mercedes AMG SL 55

Out with the old, in with the new: The Mercedes AMG SL 55

A brand new soft top sports car in replacement of the AMG GT Roadster. Going up against the Porsche 911 cabriolet and the BMW M8.

Is it worth considering this new sports car from Mercedes Benz? Well, we have a few pointers below to help you decide! 

Firstly, on the design, we think it’s a fantastic looking car. An evolution of an already beautiful AMG GT. At the front, the panamericana grille is much larger, the headlights have been re-sculpted to be sharper. The bumper provides effortless lines moving from the arches into and under the headlamps. Creating two very large areas for the air intakes. These intricate accents are great for personal touches such as carbon fire slats or alternatively an all-black styling pack. The new AMG SL comes standard with 19-inch wheels but can be specced with 21-inch. Something we would highly recommend on a car of this size and power. At the rear you have a deployable spoiler along with the recognisable quad AMG exhaust tips. The taillights have some very interesting detailing within them and span almost the entire width of the rear. The overall styling is very modern, sleek, and minimalistic. Doing away with large arches, vents, and creases. Something we have been seeing a lot with modern luxury vehicles.

The interior is where the Mercedes AMG SL comes into its own league. Completely revised from the AMG GT. Dominating the cabin are two very large, high-definition infotainment screens. One for the driver display, and one in the centre console. As this is an open top sportscar, the screen has been designed with this in mind. The drivers cockpit display has its own sun visor whereas the centre display can tilt its angle to avoid any glare.

As for your seating arrangements, you have sports seats in the front with integrated neck warmers as standard. And yes, 2 more in the back. Only not as luxurious as the front seats.

Driving dynamics have been improved with active aerodynamics. Firstly, the active front grille will remain closed for most of the time improving airflow, reducing drag and lift. The lower half will open if the engine requires any extra cooling but the panamericana grille will not open until you are doing over 112mph. The active rear spoiler will rise at speeds of over 50mph to reduce drag and improve efficiency. It will rise further if the speed increases to reduce lift and provide the downforce needed to keep the SL on the road. 

As for the engines, you have the twin turbo 4.0 litre v8 petrol engine. The entry level AMG SL 55 will produce 476bhp with 700nm. This gives the new SL a 0 – 60 mph time of only 3.9 seconds and will continue all the way to 183mph. Mercedes say a hybrid version will be coming soon, taking components from the ridiculous AMG GT 4 door. The chassis of the SL only weighs 270 Kg thanks to a blend of lightweight materials. Aluminium, steel, lightweight magnesium along with fibreglass and carbon fibre. This also makes it very strong in turn stable when manoeuvring at high speed. The SL also comes as standard with the 4matic all-wheel drive system.

For those who want to enjoy the brief moments of sun in the UK, the new SL comes with a fabric roof which is electronically operated. Within the fabric, it is layered up to three times to reduce cabin noise. The roof can come up or down in just 15 seconds. This can be done up to a speed of 37mph. 

This ultra-modern sports car will come on sale March 2022 and will cost from around £100,000 depending on the spec you go for. 

Are you interested in getting hold of one? Get in touch with Amari today. 

Images courtesy of: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/first-look/official-new-mercedes-amg-sl