SL 500 Roadster (Germany, 2012)

One the biggest feature of the fourth generation SL can be found in weight reduction, continuing the legacy of the original SL of 1952 with its lightweight tubular frame. This SL was developed with an all-aluminium bodyshell, a first for Mercedes-Benz. The aluminium bodyshell weighs around 110 kilograms less than it would using the steel technology from the predecessor.

The SL 500 is powered by a new 4663cc V8 engine which develops 435 hp. It is around 12 percent more powerful than the previous generation despite some 0.8 litres less displacement. Torque has been increased from 530Nm to 700Nm, while fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 22 percent.

It has been fitted with a standard ECO start/stop function and combined with the 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission, also contributing for fuel consumption reduction. But although the efficiency in the new SL generation has been increased thanks to the BlueDIRECT engines, the roadster’s raciness has ...