New version of iconic SL roadster converts into a coupe in seconds

Sixty years after the first Mercedes-Benz SL was launched, the latest version of the iconic roadster has arrived in Ireland.

With a longer, wider body, restyled grille and headlights and a passenger compartment set well back to accentuate a sporty look, the new SL comes in two direct injection petrol versions - a 3.5-litre, 302bhp, V6 SL350 version and a 4.7-litre, 429bhp, V8 SL500 twin-turbo version.

Prices, which should be confirmed at time of order, begin at €140,000 for the SL350. Road tax is vastly lower than the four-figure cost that applied before and begins at €481.

Lower fuel consumption is also an important element, due, in part, to a standard ECO start/stop function on both versions.  

A 125kg weight reduction on the SL350, says MB, helps cut fuel use by 22 per cent, despite a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds.  

Equally frugal is the more powerful SL500. Despite a faster-than- its-predecessor 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, fuel consumption  shows a 12 per cent drop. Transmission on both versions is 7-speed automatic.

An innovative option is a retractable panoramic sunroof that switches from light to dark at the push of a button and converts the SL from roadster to coupé in seconds.  

Another is a windshield washing system that applies fluid just ahead of the wiper blade with channels integrated into the wiper that ensures that no water is splashed on to the screen and visibility is not disrupted when in use.

Mercedes-Benz passenger car sales manager Ciaran Allen described the new SL as "a worthy bearer of a sixty-years old tradition and a car destined to become a classic from the day of its introduction".