The 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL is a 'technological tour de force', with a whole bunch of new acronyms to get to grips with. It's got ABC active suspension and ESP stability control to the world's first electronic brake system. The new SL also features breathtaking styling (BS), capped by a retractable hardtop (RH) that combines the open-air fun of a convertible (OAFOC) with the quiet comfort of a coupe (QCOC)

Brakes

Luddites will love the new braking system. The brake pedal on the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 works with a computer that tells four fast-acting valves exactly how hard to apply the brakes on each wheel.

A backup hydraulic master cylinder comes into play only if there's a serious problem or electrical failure. Dashboard indicators and passengers screaming will indicate when it kicks in.

With split-second accuracy, the system can change brake pressure on each wheel over uneven surfaces and can even increase brake pressure on just the outside wheels when braking in turns, taking advantage of the higher loading during cornering. Just to complicate matters, or perhaps to insprire you, the ABS anti-lock and ESP stability control work more efficiently since they are more deeply integrated with the brakes, instead of functioning as parallel systems.

Roofies

Have you ever seen an SL owner struggling with their roof? You're not likely to in future either. At the push of a button, the new SL500's retractable hardtop can be fully opened or closed in just 16 seconds. (As a comparison, the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class' retracting roof takes about 25 seconds.) As the power roof retracts, the rear window glass also rotates so that its curvature nestles inside the stowed roof panel, providing a cargo area of 6.8 cubic feet. A hydraulic pump and 11 computer-controlled hydraulic cylinders power the system, and top operation is controlled by a distinctive switch on the centre console.

Power

A five-litre V8 produces a handy 302 horsepower, accelerating the hefty SL500 from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 6 seconds. Advanced twin-spark-plug, three-valve-per-cylinder technology also means the new SL500 is a ULEV, or Ultra Low Emission Vehicle. Sparkling performance is due in part to the SL sports car's sophisticated, lightweight body. The bonnet, doors, boot lid and roof are all aluminum.

Safety

The 2003 SL features new head and 'thorax' side airbags (HATSA) in the doors as well as two-stage front airbags that deploy with partial force in less severe collisions and with full force in more serious impacts. The airbags are designed to work in concert with the three-point seatbelts (TPS), which are equipped with tensioners (T) that remove belt slack in a collision as well as belt force limiters that help prevent seatbelts injuries in severe impacts.

Mercedes invented the automatic rollbar for the previous SL, and the new car features similar technology - the bar pops up in 0.3 of a second if it ever senses an impending rollover. In addition, the shoulder belt is anchored directly into the super-strong seatback, ensuring good seatbelt geometry regardless of seat position and providing an extra measure of protection in the event of a rollover.

The new SL certainly represents a large step forwards in the use of in car technology and provided in a good looking package that will no doubt be a hit with the boulevard cruisers of the world. If only they did a stripped out sports version...