LOUD AND CLEAR

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class returns to our shores after more than a decade

- SAYANTAN DE

Grand Touring convertibles are a rare thing, even among the upper echelons of the GT world, and there isn’t a longer-running nameplate than the Mercede-Benz SL-Class. The legacy of SL started back in 1955 with the 190 SL convertible. Its contemporary, the 300 SL in coupé and convertible form were essentially supercars, and not GTs. Currently, in its seventh generation, the SL is now an AMG-only model. This is the model that has been launched in India after a 12-year hiatus, in the form of the Mercedes-AMG SL 55 with a price tag of ` 2.35 crore, ex-showroom.

This SL is powered by the now-familiar 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8, pumping out 476PS and 700Nm, which is channelled through the nine-speed AMG SpeedShift MCT 9G transmission, but not just the rear wheels, as this generation gets optional 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. For the Indian market, only the 4MATIC+ version is being offered, and the rear-wheel-drive version isn’t even an option. Considering the prevailing road conditions, this makes sense as even the BMW M340i is sold in India in the xDrive guise only. Just to make life easier from behind the wheel of this near two-tonne vehicle (the kerb weight is 1,950kg), it comes with rear-wheel steering.

Performance is what one would expect from a car like this, even though it is not a track-focused car. The 0-100kmph sprint is dealt with in 3.9 seconds, and the convertible can go on to hit a top speed of 295kmph. As nearly every German performance car excluding Porsche is limited to 250kmph, this top speed is special, with Mercedes-AMG deciding not to shackle the SL.