Mercedes SL gets a make-over
New sports pack adds alloys, noise and gearbox
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Mercedes-Benz has added a sports pack for the SL-Class that's designed to give the two-seater a more sporty look and make it sound better. It also gets a new gearbox.
Details include new 19-inch wheels with five twin spokes with straight lines and Merc-branded hubcap cover, new silver-painted front brake callipers, and dark-tinted tail light units.
It sounds better too, according to Mercedes, as the induction's been tweaked to include a sports airbox that produces a richer sound in the SL 350. The chief technical highlight of the new sports package is the 7G-TRONIC Sport seven-speed automatic transmission, which includes a manual shift programme and steering-wheel shift paddles in both the SL 350 and the SL 500. Mercedes reckoned the system shortens gearshift times by up to 30 per cent.
Inside, the pack gets you silver-coloured contrast stitching on the seats, steering wheel, dashboard, centre console, selector lever gaiter, armrest as well as the door linings (and in the rear of models with nappa leather). The same applies to the borders of the velour floor mats. There's also a roof liner trimmed in black fabric, new-look aluminium trim and perforated leather on the steering wheel and selector lever.
The pack is only available for the SL 350 and the SL 500 in conjunction with black leather appointments (standard in the SL 500). It costs €2,975 (including VAT) -- that's about £2,000.
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Didn't know there was such thing as a manual SL.
Anyone...?
Ras
[quote] Inside, the pack gets you ....selector lever gaiter...
Prob still an auto
Although, it does indeed look like a manual shifter....
A Manual SL....there's something we haven't seen for a couple of decades! Darren
The sports pack for the R230 SL simply includes the paddle shift system for the 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox introduced as an option on the SL500 when the facelift model with the 5.5 litre 388bhp four-cam V8 was launched last summer.
This features an additional programme in the gearbox ECU mapping to deliver faster shifts in 'manual' mode than when the automatic is left to its own devices.
Any doubts that have arisen are the result of an ambiguously written press release.
The R129 SL in the picture posted by Parrot of Doom looks like a LHD model sold to the Japanese market? Although Japan is RHD, they also take LHD European cars, and this car has the square number plate holder of a Japanese model. It is an early car with the four-speed automatic. 1995-on models used the five-speed electronic auto gearbox.
The sports package for the R230 SL simply includes the paddle shift system for the 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox introduced as an option on the SL500 when the facelift model with the 5.5 litre 388bhp four-cam V8 was launched last summer.
This option features an additional programme in the gearbox ECU mapping to deliver faster shifts in 'manual' mode than when the automatic is left to its own devices.
Any doubts that have arisen are the result of an ambiguously written press release.
The R129 SL in the picture posted by Parrot of Doom looks like a LHD model sold to the Japanese market? Although Japan is RHD, they also take LHD European cars, and this car has the square number plate holder of a Japanese model. It looks like an early car with the four-speed automatic.
After examining the pic again, I can make out the P, N, D labelling on the left-hand side of the gaiter.
Early R107 were offered with manual transmissions. There was a UK 280SL for sale, a few years back with a manual 'box, and a write up of a guys R107 from the USA (350SL I think) with a manual 'box
Now then...Ian Kuah....thats a name recognise from various literature
Is this the same Mr. Kuah I now reply to on PH?
Darren
There were no US spec R107's with a manual option. Any 107 SL's with a manual gearbox you might have seen in the US were imported, unless they were converted to manual.
The US 350 SL was actually a US spec 450 SL badged as a 350 SL (1972 model year only) because when it came out, MB had not yet released the 450 models in Europe. I guess that they didn't want to show that they were playing favorites with the US market, though Euro 350's had more power than US 450's.
When the 450 models came out in 1973, the US model was then called 450 SL, as in Europe. Subsequent to the release of the 450 models, many US 350 SL's were rebadged as 450 SL's at US MB dealerships.
As iluvmercs pointed out, you completely left out the R107 SL's, but that was not your only mistake. All SL body styles so far have had at least one model available with a manual shift. To me, the SLR McLaren is not an SL.
The R107 replaced the pagoda SL. It was first available as a 350 SL. All other V8 models were automatic only, but the 350 came standard with a four speed manual. I saw plenty of these in person in Europe. Later, six cylinder models--the 280 SL and 300 SL--were also available with a manual gearbox.
Its replacement, the R129, was available with a manual transmission initially in the 300 SL and 300 SL-24 and later the SL 280, while the SL 320 was auto only. In the US, the 300 SL-24 was sold as a 300 SL, since the SOHC 12v model was not available in America. In an unusual move for MB, this model was available with a manual transmission even in the slushbox-happy USA.
The current SL, the R230, was available with a six speed manual transmission in the SL 350 when it had a SOHC 3.7l V6. It was replaced by the DOHC 3.5l V6, SL 350, initially also available with the 6 speed, though for 2006, the manual option was dropped, and its exclusive transmission is now the seven speed auto.
Miguel
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