Mercedes sees the light in sports

FIRSTDRIVE MERCEDES-BENZ SL500:SPORT UND Licht, or Sporting and Light (SL) if you prefer the translation, is not something that has really been true about the two-seater Mercedes cars that have borne the abbreviated initials, at least not since the 1950s.

The original gullwing 300SL was certainly sporty, in fact a race car in all but name and some creature comforts. But the “pagoda roof” SL that followed was much more about grand touring (GT) comfiness and the models that followed were not what you’d call trackday specials.

Now with this new model, the SL has a chance to reclaim a touch of its birthright. It’s certainly light now, at least lighter, thanks to an aluminium body and chassis that cuts its kerb weight by as much as 140kg. That allows it to be laughably efficient, with our 4.7-litre V8 test car rated at an average fuel consumption figure of 9.1-litres per 100km.

The more popular 3.5-litre V6 version can manage about 6.2l/100km, according to Mercedes. A stop-start system and class-leading aerodynamics play their parts, but the new SL is proof that if you want to be efficient, lose weight.

But sporting? Now that could prove a harder cheque for the SL to cash. For the past 60 years, SLs have been more Rodeo Drive than Nurburgring, and glancing at this new one’s folding metal roof and sybaritic interior, you instantly suspect more of the same.

And that’s precisely what you get here, at first. The SL is hushed and refined and even roof down at 120km/h, conversation is possible at normal volumes. The big V8 is all but silent, the ride pillowy soft and the sheer width and size of the thing, weight loss notwithstanding, dissuades you from pushing it too hard, especially on narrow roads.

Light, slightly distant steering doesn’t help and you soon rest deeply into the ample seats, happy to drive across continents in a single leap and not too bothered about what time you get there at. A classically inclined grand tourer then.

Except, if you have ticked the options box marked Active Body Control (ABC), there is another side to the SL. It’s not quite Jekyll and Hyde, more Jekyll and Hyde’s mildly annoyed brother, but there is some fun to be had. The ABC system tightens up the suspension, not to the point of harshness, but to a tauter setting than the default “comfort” allows.

Flick the gearbox (a seven-speed dual-clutch affair) into sport and let the V8 have its head, and a bit of a hot rod emerges. The twin turbos take a big gulp each and unleash the full 435bhp and 700Nm of torque on the rear wheels. There will be a roar, a snarl and, as it hardens to a NASCAR-esque bellow, you suddenly find yourself rocketing up the road.

Find some tight corners and . . . well, it doesn’t actually change very much. Yes, there is more control on offer, but the steering and body-roll soon make it amply clear that they don’t really like to be hustled and that, if you want that sort of thing, you should really probably wait for the tweaked SL63 AMG when that arrives later in the year.

It’s not that it won’t do the fast cornering stuff, it just finds it all rather tiresome, like an elegantly-dressed uncle forced into a game of backyard tag rugby.

Better to sit back and enjoy the comfort. Our car came in the delightfully tacky combo of pearlescent white paint and full red leather interior, but the default plain black cabin with silver coachwork should look significantly more subtle and suitable.

A shame that the main dials look a little aftermarket, but the glass roof panel (which reacts at the touch of a button like a pair of Reactolite sunglasses), the astonishing stereo with front-mounted bass speaker, and the heating, cooling and neck-warming seats should keep you distracted.

As for the styling, well, we’re really not sure. Mercedes cars these days often look rather over-egged and complicated, yet age and mellow beautifully as the years pass. Given that the new SL doesn’t look radically different to the old one, we’d say that’s likely to be the case once again.

Use it as intended, as a classy and effortless tourer and the new SL, especially with that mighty V8 engine, is as close to peerless as you will find.

Factfile

ENGINE 4,663cc twin turbo V8 petrol engine, putting out 435bhp @ 5,250rpm and 700Nm of torque @ 1,800rpm.

PERFORMANCE 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds (top speed 250km/h).

ECONOMY 9.1 L/100km (31.0mpg).

EMISSIONS 212g/km (Band F: €1,129 tax).

PRICE  €175,000 (approx).

RIVALS

BMW 650i €126,289 (€1,129 motor tax); Jaguar XK 5.0 V8 €128,980 (€2,258 motor tax);

OUR RATING: 8/10

Sleek, sexy and sinful, but only mildly sporting.