The brief for the R230, begun in 1996, was to be lighter, faster, roomier and more appealing than ever. It succeeded, even though at launch the SL500 was still a hefty 400kg heavier than a Porsche 996. The design team under boss Peter Pfeiffer achieved styling that didn't just look sleek, it really was, with a drag coefficient of just 0.29.
Pioneering features included the first roadcar application of Merc's Sensotronic Braking System (SBS): removing any physical connection between pedal and pads was a big step, but it saved weight and enabled the ECU to link with suspension sensors to allocate braking to each wheel. It also led to a costly recall when issues arose. Active Body Control (ABC) combined conventional spring/dampers with a hydraulic servo to manage roll, with switchable modes. The folding 'Vario' roof used 11 hydraulic cylinders to operate in 16 secs; a Panorama glass roof was a desirable extra. The seats could be heated, cooled and massaging, but there was no longer a rear bench, just lockable boxes.
Autocar applauded the superb automatic 'box, devoid of paddles or buttons, and the sharp, accurate steering, saying: 'The technology just refuses to allow the car to roll in corners.'
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring
