Mercedes SL 55 AMG / R 230: Natural violence

The ravages of time also gnaw athletes. No matter if athlete or automobile. A former muscle man will at some point be put in his place by younger competitors. Even the undisputed greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali, had a hard time at the end of his incomparable career and resigned after twenty years of professional boxing with a sad defeat against Trevor Berbick. But the Mercedes SL 55 AMG is not on the ropes even after 16 years. With its 380 kW / 517 hp, this SL AMG 55 still hardly knows any opponents and is still a force of nature.

The power source of the automotive fountain of youth bears the name M113 E55 ML and is a newly developed V8 three-valve engine with supercharging and 5,439 cubic meters of displacement. The unit celebrated its premiere as a drive source in the Mercedes SL AMG 55 back in 2001, i.e. in the same year when the Mercedes SL (R230) replaced its predecessor (R129). At that time, the engine still powered the noble roadster with a nominal 350 kW / 476 hp, but the AMG aficionados were happy about a generous increase in power output. A new control unit, an optimized intake system and an opulently dimensioned throttle valve did the rest.

The Mercedes SL is equipped with all the technical details that made the luxury roadster SL 500 the dream of an entire generation. The ABC (Active Body Control) chassis, which has been built into the little brother since 2001, consists of a combination of hydraulic dampers and steel springs and minimizes swaying in curves and brake nodding significantly more than the pure steel chassis of the time. That also helps the Power Division: “AMG was lucky enough to get a good base from us,” says engineer Frank Knothe, who also admits that the “ABC chassis was a hot ride for the developers”. On the SL 55 AMG, the developers have refined the set-up once again and reduced the tendency to roll. The chassis is supplemented by the electro-hydraulic Sensoric Brake Control (SBC), which provides the right brake pressure for each wheel, shortens the stopping distance and improves stability when decelerating, which is only an advantage with a power package like the SL 55 AMG . At the beginning, this system did not have a good reputation due to its vulnerability, but the Mercedes engineers drove this system out of trouble. In the basic SL 55 AMG, the executive is formed by 360 millimeter brakes with eight-piston calipers on the front axle.

With this power and the ability to sprint from zero to 100 km / h in 4.5 seconds, it is almost blasphemous that an AMG-Mercedes is slowed down at 250 km / h. But you could escape the electronic anchor by ordering the performance package, in which the chassis is tuned even tighter, the brake discs are 380 millimeters in size and 19-inch wheels provide grip. Speaking of traction, so that the rear does not overtake the driver on every fast bend, a differential with a locking effect of 30 percent helps to keep the two-seater on the lane. Equipped in this way, the Mercedes SL 55 AMG was even allowed to storm up to 300 km / h. Since such cars are sometimes beaten up hard, larger air inlets in the front apron and an additional cooler ensure that the engine always remains in the correct temperature window.

We noticed very quickly that the Mercedes SL of the R230 series, with all its control units and technical tricks, was the crowning glory of German automotive engineering at the time. But also that the AMG is a completely different house number than the SL 500, which almost looks like a sedan chair against this athlete. In order to move the almost two tons of live weight agilely around the corners and at least to some extent to bring the power of the charged eight-ender onto the asphalt, the chassis is tightly tuned and allows the driver to participate uncompromisingly and almost clearly in the condition of the road. In contrast to the facelifted 500, the AMG still does its work with the five-speed automatic, in which the inner workings have been optimized for the AMG-specific purpose. Due to the irrepressible power of the engine and the crisp torque of 720 Newton meters, the archaic-looking transmission does not brake the Affalterbach two-seater.

As soon as it gets down to business, the Mercedes SL 55 AMG does a remarkable job. The steering is more direct than on the 500 and the chassis, including the limited-slip differential mentioned, do their job as expected. Especially since the eight-cylinder engine not only shines with brute power, but is also one of the lightest units with this number of pots of its time. The top-heaviness is nowhere near as pronounced as in the twelve-cylinder SL 65 AMG. It is therefore no wonder that the Mercedes SL 55 AMG courageously gives in, swings around the corners with a lot of speed, but still cannot completely hide the impressive live weight. In addition, the powerful engine, which not only sounds full, but also hits the rear wheels so vehemently that you should use the accelerator carefully even in dry road conditions. Not to mention when it rains. But then this SL is also transformed into a neat coupé within 16 seconds. However, this fun came at a price of almost 134,000 euros.