The all-new, 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL is going to be an awesome sports car...
‘Lightweight, athletic, luxurious.’ Yes, that is what Mercedes-Benz say the 2012 SL-Class will be, and we’re quite inclined to believe them. Weight reduction has been a major design brief for Merc’s new top-of-the-range sports car and the new SL is about 140 kilos lighter than the current model. It gets a new bodyshell made of aluminium, which Mercedes claim makes for agile, sporty handling. Plus, there’s a range of new BlueDIRECT engines powering the new SL500 and SL350, which will not only be more powerful than the older engines, but also up to 29% more economical.
Mercedes-Benz are expected to have the new SL range on display at the upcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi, in January 2012. The new SL-Class cars are likely to be launched in India by mid-2012 and given Mercedes-Benz’s association with Buddh International Circuit, we wouldn’t be surprised if the India launch of the new SL happens at the Greater Noida circuit.
‘There are around 900 million cars in the world and thousands of models. But there are only a handful of automotive icons. Our SL is one of them – it has class, it has style, it is the ultimate in comfort and luxury. But it combines all that with incredible sportiness and dynamism. You would struggle to find a car that embodies Gottlieb Daimler's aspiration more perfectly than our new SL: the best or nothing,’ says Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.
Consistent weight reduction is one of the most outstanding design characteristics in the new SL, as was the case in its namesake, the original SL of 1952, with its lightweight tubular frame. For the first time, Mercedes-Benz has implemented an all-aluminium bodyshell in a series-production model. Only very few components in the new SL are made materials other than aluminium, like the even lighter magnesium and, where required, high-strength steel tubing. ‘The result is perceptible and measurable. Less weight means more dynamism and less consumption. In other words: the motoring enjoyment increases, the environmental burden sinks,’ claims Dr Thomas Rudlaff, the man responsible for the new SL’s aluminium bodyshell.
Other interesting bits on the new Mercedes-Benz SL500 and SL350 include two different suspension systems – a semi-active system with adjustable damping as standard, and a fully active suspension system with ‘Active Body Control’ as an optional alternative. Both suspension variants are combined with a new electromechanical Direct-Steer system featuring speed-sensitive power steering and a ratio that can be varied across the steering wheel angle, which ensures excellent straight-line stability as well as agility.
The new 4.7-litre V8 (petrol) in the SL500 develops 435 horsepower and 700Nm of torque, while the SL350’s 3.5-litre V6 (petrol) produces 306bhp and 370Nm of torque. Both engine variants come with 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission, which has been optimised in relation to fuel consumption and comfort, also contributes to the exemplary, low fuel consumption. The fuel economy of the BlueDIRECT engines takes nothing away from the SL’s performance quotient – the SL350 accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds, while the SL500 takes just 4.6 seconds to complete the same sprint.
With its beautiful styling, retractable hardtop (which uses a smooth, silent electrohydraulic mechanism to open and close the top in less than 20 seconds), powerful engines and improved handling and dynamics, we think the new SL is simply awesome. India-spec pricing is likely to be announced in the next few months but if you do have a crore or two to spare, you should plan on visiting your friendly neighbourhood Mercedes-Benz showroom by mid-2012.
