The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a series of luxury automobiles. SL, meaning "Sport Light", or in German, Sport Leicht, first appeared on the 1954 300SL 'Gullwing' so named because of its upward-opening passenger doors.

1954 to 1962

The 300SL roadster succeeded the Gullwing in 1954. The 190SL was more widely produced with 25,881 units, starting in 1955. Cars of the open SL-Class were available as a coupe with a removable hardtop or as a roadster with convertible soft top or with both tops. Production for the 190SL and 300SL ended in 1963.

1963 to 1971

Next came the SL-Class 230SL, a new design with a low waistline and big curved greenhouse windows, and a Coupe Roadster whose distinctive roofline earned the nickname "pagoda top." Around 1968 the engine received a displacement increase and the model became known as the 250SL. The last two years of production as the 280SL saw minor changes to switch knobs, and wheel trim rings became full hubcaps.

1972 to 1988

• 350SL - 1971 - 1980
• 450SL - 1973 - 1980
• 280SL - 1974 - 1980
• 380SL - 1980 - 1986
• 500SL - 1980 - 1989
• 300SL - 1986 - 1989
• 300SL-24 - 1988 - 1989
• 420SL - 1986 - 1989
• 560SL 1986 - 1989

1989

The 1989 Mercedes SL base model was the 228 hp (170 kW) 3.0 L inline 6 300SL version. But it was the 322 hp (240 kW) 500SL (with a 5.0 L V8 engine) which made the most headlines. The specification was high, with electric windows, mirrors, seats and roof.

1994 saw a mild facelift for the SL, and the 300SL was replaced in Europe by the SL280 and SL320 (with 2.8 L and 3.2 L I6 engines). The SL500 continued with the same powerful engine. A 389 hp (290 kW) 6.0 L V12 SL600 topped the range in 1993.

The SL320 replaced the 300SL in the United States in 1995, but the SL280 was not offered. The 6-cylinder SLs were dropped from the US lineup in 1998, leaving just the V8 and V12. The SL500 got a new 302 hp (225 kW) 5.0 L V8 for 1999.

AMG
The extremely rare SL73 AMG was sold through AMG in 1995, and at 525 bhp it offered the most powerful V12 engine ever put into an SL up to that time. After a brief gap, the SL73 was offered again from 1998 to 2001, although the engine was slightly updated to be more reliable. The same 7.3 L V12 was later used by Pagani in the Zonda. A total of 85 SL73 AMG roadsters were built. The SL73 was briefly reintroduced in September 1999 following the SL's end of life facelift and a limited number were produced up until December 2001.

The SL60 AMG was also extremely rare. Sold through MB from 1996 to 1998, it used a 6.0 litre V8 engine producing between 381 bhp and 384 bhp. AMG claimed a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) speed of 5.8 seconds. Its top speed was limited to 155 mph, but with the limiter removed, it was capable of approximately 185 mph. AMG later unofficially admitted that 0-60 mph was closer to 5.0 seconds and the engine produced between 405-410 bhp.

The SL55 AMG was sold through AMG in the R129 bodystyle from 1998 to 2001 in limited quantity. It was the predecessor of the production R230 SL55 AMG sold today.

Only about 300 cars in the SL-class were customized by AMG prior to 2003.

2001

As the new millennium approached, the SL was a decade old and customers were turning to more modern cars like the Jaguar XK8.

In 2001, an all-new SL (initially just a 5.0 L SL500 version) went on sale, boasting the "Vario-Roof", an electric folding steel roof which had been seen on the smaller, cheaper SLK in 1997. A 5.0 L 302 hp (225 kW) V8 was optional, with a 5.5 L AMG V8 appearing in 2004's SL55 AMG. V12 engines are available in the SL600 and the limited-production SL65 AMG. This model has seen a marked downturn in quality when compared to previous generations, with the SL coming 132nd out of 152 cars in the 2007 Top Gear Survey.

2004 Mercedes-benz SL-class Specifications Model Lineup Mercedes-Benz SL500 ($88,500); SL55 AMG ($119,750); SL600 ($125,950)

Transmissions (optional) 7-speed automatic with manual shift (SL550 only); 5-speed automatic with SpeedShift Safety Equipment (standard) ABS, Brake Assist, automatic slip control, electronic stability control, front and side airbags, BabySmart, automatic-adjusting head restraints, automatic pop-up roll bar, 3-point seatbelts with emergency tensioner retractors Safety Equipment (optional) Basic Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles; Roadside Assistance Assembled In Bremen, Germany.

2004 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG ($119,750) Standard Equipment leather upholstery with wood trim, retractable hard top, wind deflector, automatic climate control, power steering, power windows with express down, power locks, active body control (ABC) suspension, anti-theft system, cruise control, fog lamps, 3-button garage door control, illuminated glovebox with climate control, xenon headlamps with heated washer/wiper, auto-dimming mirror, dual heated power outside mirrors with memory and left-side auto dimming, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, night security illumination, right footwell parcel net, 12-way power seats with memory and lumbar support, leather-trimmed steering wheel, 8-speaker Bose AM/FM/CD sound system with weatherband, Tele Aid with GPS Destination Charge 720 Options as Tested (MSRP) Motorola V60 phone ($1995), Parktronic ($1035) Gas Guzzler Tax 1300 Price $124800 Layout rear-wheel drive Horse Power 493 @ 6100 Torque 516 @ 2750 Fuel Economy 14/20 Wheelbase 100.8 Length/Width/Height 178.5/72.0/51.0 Track Front/Rear Turning Radius 36.1 Seating Capacity 2 Front Head/Hip/Leg room 37.7/54.0/42.9 Middle Head/Hip/Leg room Rear Head/Hip/Leg room Trunk Volume 10.2 Payload Towing Capacity Front Suspension independent damper strut with triangular lower control arms, stabilizer, gas shock absorbers, coil springs Rear Suspension independent 5-arm multi-link, stabilizer bar, gas shocks, coil springs Ground Clearance 6 Curb Weight 4235 Stock Tires 255/40R18 front, 285/35R18 rear Brakes Front/Rear disc/disc electro-hydraulic with ABS, Brake Assist Fuel Capacity 21.1

2005
The following Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadsters are offered Worldwide for the year 2005. Prices are listed in US, 2005 dollars.

• 2005 SL350 (Europe only)
o 3.7 L (3724 cc) 18-valve V6 245 hp (182 kW) at 5,000 rpm 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 7.2 s

• 2005 SL500 Roadster
o Driver-adaptive 7-speed automatic transmission with TouchShift control
o Aluminum hardtop (automatic retraction: 16 seconds)
o US$90,620
o 5.0 L 24-valve V8 engine 306 hp (228 kW) at 5,600 rpm, 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 6.1 s

• 2005 SL55 AMG
o Manual shift buttons
o Sensotronic brakes with 8-piston front calipers
o AMG Active Body Control suspension.
o US$122,220
o AMG supercharged 5.5 L (5439 cc) 24-valve V8 engine 497 hp (367 kW) at 6,100 rpm, 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 4.7 s

• 2005 SL600 Roadster
o Active Body Control suspension
o Sensotronic Brake Control with enlarged front and rear disks
o Heated and ventilated multicontour seats
o US$128,220
o Twin turbocharged 5.5 L (5513 cc) 36-valve V12 engine 493 hp (367 kW) at 5,000 rpm, 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) 4.7 s

• 2005 SL65 AMG
o 5-speed automatic transmission with AMG SpeedShift programming
o AMG 8-piston composite calipers brakes
o 19 inch dual spoke AMG wheels
o US$179,720
o AMG-built twin-turbocharged 6.0 L (5,980 cc) SOHC 36-valve V12 engine 612 hp at 5500 rpm while having 738 lb torque.