The Mercedes-Benz SL, a name that strikes a note with anyone born in the 90’s, but not so much with later generations. Mercedes may have found the solution to this problem. Let’s dive deeper into the history and evolution of a legendary model. The first “Sport-Leicht” badge was worn by the 300SL in 1954, the famous gullwing was nothing short of a road-legal race car. The 300 SL was unmatched in performance and luxury at the time. The next evolution of the SL falls nowhere short of its predecessor, the “Pagoda”, a name ubiquitous with prestance and quality. The “Pagoda can truly be regarded as a car that withstood the test of time. The next step up in the SL line-up would be the R129, nothing special, until AMG got their hands on one. AMG packed a 7.3 liter, 518hp, V12 on a roadster chassis, resulting in an asphalt eating monster. The next SL Model builds on the base set by the R129. A basic formula was born, huge, powerful engines in a two seater roadster, aimed at the American market. This produced another beast, The SL 65 AMG Black series. Despite the memorable roadsters that have adorned the SL badge, in 2012 something changed.
The 2012 model SL still retained the same successful formula, nevertheless, something was off this time around. The Mercedes sports car was no longer a sports car… it was a luxury car. Gone were the days of smoking tires, and ear-popping exhausts. The new SL was best suited for carrying golf bags for the wealthier. The only SL model nobody keeps talking about lost the spirit of the line-up. The declining popularity of the model meant it was time for Mercedes to do something. With the new AMG-only, 2022 SL-Class, Mercedes, or rather AMG, might have just lived up to the standard it set in the SL bloodline. First-up, engines: The new SL is an AMG only model, presenting itself as the SL-55 and the SL-63. An AMG-only line up shows the return of a true sports car. Along with revised suspension and AMG driving modes, the AMG “Shark” can turn from a floating cruiser, to a firm, accurate, and purebred track car in milliseconds. This is the magic of the 4-Matic + system that AMG fathered. In order to justify the steep price-point, Mercedes didn’t skip on loading the interior with all the newest bells and whistles a luxury Mercedes comes with. A large, electronically tilting center screen and air vents that blow warm air through the headrests are just some of the high-end technologies that come as standard on the new SL. Moving to the exterior, a plethora of synonyms to “stunning” can be used to express the looks of the new SL. It most probably is one of the most beautiful cars to be born this decade. The internet is already ecstatic with the launch of the car, with a plethora of reviewers praising Mercedes’ decision.Auto Express rated the car 4.5/5, while car and driver wrote a very positive piece on the car however, time is the only instrument that will allow us to observe if this model is truly worth of being called an SL.