Sportscar appeal and charismatic performance
Rear Seat practicality and lack of luggage space
How many cars will come to your mind which will take you back to memory lane, which remains christened in your passive side of the brain forever? The generation which has grown up while watching ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ movie will remember the iconic Mercedes-Benz R129 and the famous road trip to Goa. If social media were present in those days, then almost every bro’s instagram feed would be filled with three friends road-tripping to Goa in a car of their choice. The SL line of Mercedes has so much history, emotion and romanticism ever since it debuted in 1954. Famous people were seen with it, it was Bollywood’s favourite, a car that was fantasised over and over again and the object of many enthusiasts’ wet dreams.
It now sits in its 7th generation and is the first SL to be entirely made by AMG folks with the “One Man, One Engine” principle creating the best engines in the world. The V8 engine is assembled purely by hand and develops an output of 476 hp with a peak torque of 700 Nm. The sprint from standstill to 100 km/h takes 3.9 seconds with the top speed capped at 295 km/h, but all that is very sublime with the way it looks with or without its soft top over the driver’s head. The yesteryears design & shape were more iconic and had a sense of storytelling, especially the R129 Model, or the Goa trip of Amir, Saif & Akshay which left an unerasable mark on all of us. I drove the SL55 to Mahabaleshwar Hills amidst heavy monsoon, hoping to open the soft top with every rain pause opportunity.
Wrapping it up, the 2023 Mercedes SL 55 is an automotive masterpiece that seamlessly blends luxury, power, and performance. It carries the placard boldly, “life is too short to drive boring cars”, but is it better than 911? Let’s say it’s different and has a heart, body and soul of its own.
Photography: Sundesh Kumar
SHOT ON NIKON Z8 ON, NIKKOR Z 24-70MM
