AMG’s alternative to the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet of a couple of decades ago was arguably its most stylish ever. The R230-gen Mercedes SL was slender in its design, plush in its cabin and – once the team at Affalterbach had done the dirty work – thunderous in function. With the division’s supercharged 5.4-litre V8 powerplant under its snout, the SL55 had 475hp out of the box before quickly being uprated to 500hp. That was 80hp more than the 996 Turbo and 20hp more than the subsequent 997 version, models that were only a few grand cheaper than AMG’s near-£100k beast.
The SL was first and foremost a luxury car, though, so it didn’t need to square up to Porsche in quite the same way as today’s AMG GT does. The R230 AMG exuded a fashionable, high-end image which belied the butchness of its underlying technical setup. Like an athlete in black tie, the aluminium-bodied AMG’s abilities were always there, but much of its appeal lay in the effortlessness with which it went about business.
Who are we kidding, though? Anyone preferable to an SL55 has always fallen for its engine’s charms, the supercharged block capable of hurling the car forward with 516lb ft of torque from 2,750rpm, before everything went blurry as the horsepower peaked at 6,100rpm. Rest assured the official 4.7-second 0-62mph time fails to illustrate the brute forces that an SL55 can generate once rolling. This is a car capable of spinning its rears in third.
Mind you, there is plenty of tech on board to keep it in check. Early noughties traction control was decent, and Mercedes’ AMG-tuned Active Body Control suspension did a fine job of handling the convertible’s 1,955kg mass through the bends. The SL55 remained refined, too, with its folding metal roof providing greater noise insulation than is possible in a cloth-topped 911 Cab. The SL even got keyless entry, parking sensors and a satnav. Today, you’ll be fetching for the smartphone navigation app in seconds, but back in 2003, it was a fully kitted offering.
It would be easy to say we’re more appreciative of the 5.4-litre-powered car’s character now than then, thanks to the effects of turbocharging and WLTP filters on today’s motors. But that would be discounting the masses of love felt for AMG’s SL55 when it was new. Demand far outstripped supply and even when there were plenty of other vocal, non-turbocharged engines to choose from, the AMG stood out as one of the finest.
Used prices did, however, almost dip into four figure values a few years back, and while they have since crept up, there’s still a surprising number of attainable cars available. Today’s Spotted included, on sale for £18k. With 51,000 miles on the clock and a full-service history, this Tealite Blue SL really does look like a hell of a lot of AMG for the money. There’s always the risk of a major, unforeseen bill in high-end stuff like this, true enough - although given the apparent condition of this 04-plate model, we’d hedge that it’s among the safer 475hp bets out there.
SPECIFICATIONS - MERCEDES-BENZ SL55 AMG
Engine: 5,439cc supercharged V8
Transmission: 5-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 475@6,100rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@2,650rpm
MPG: 20
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2004
Recorded mileage: 51,000
Price new: £89,040
Yours for: £17,995
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