Sheer luxury in the Mercedes SL

THINK before you diss the Merc driver. It's the well-heeled motorists in stratospherically priced Mercedes sports cars that are paying out big bucks to ensure your safety.

cars guide Mercedes Benz, SL 500,

THINK before you diss the Merc driver. It's the well-heeled motorists in stratospherically priced Mercedes sports cars that are paying out big bucks to ensure your safety.

Every time a Mercedes SL finds a new buyer, proceeds of that purchase filter back to the car maker - who tips it into the safety program.

Prime examples are anti-lock brakes, retractable seat belts, airbags and so on - all developed by the likes of Mercedes which, because of the grievous price of development, first fitted them to ultra-expensive cars such as the SL. Mercedes later offers - at no cost - its findings to other car companies.

For those who came in late, the SL is Merc's premium luxury sports coupe-convertible and has a nameplate that is almost as old as me. This is its sixth iteration.

-- VALUE

Is in the eye of the beholder, or something like that, as $380,000 for the 4.7-litre V8 SL500 is equivalent to a suburban-fringe house. But the technology is breathtaking.

It comes up against more rivals now than a decade ago so has to fight hard. Among them are convertibles such as the Porsche 911 Carrera ($260,000), Maserati GranCabrio ($330,000), Jaguar XKR-S ($365,000), BMW 650i ($250,000) and Audi R8 ($380,000). The SL 350 V6 version may cost about $80,000 less.

-- DESIGN

The SL is a great piece of engineering but its styling is at odds with its mechanical acumen and its target buyer.

It's heavy-handed, especially its commercial-vehicle grille - it looks like an iron gate and does no favours to the SL's (mostly) esteemed ancestors. Particularly, it lacks the elegance expected by an audience dominated by women.The tail is too rounded and, though it's hard to shape a big tail when there are layers of folded metal and glass roof to hide, there may be better ways.

But the cabin is excellent with kudos to the electric park brake that finally replaces the ancient, US-inspired foot-operated ironwork, the neat, twin-dial instrument panel and the small-diameter steering wheel. Then there are the softer hues of the perfectly supportive and perforated leather seats, the greater personal storage space and a sense that the driving compartment is more user-friendly than before.

There's a clever automatic opening and closing boot - just point your foot beneath the bumper. The audio's perfect bass response comes from using the recesses in the aluminium body structure. The windscreen wipers have 160 nozzles to squirt water right at the wiper edge, without overspray that obscures driver vision. The glass roof folds tightly in the boot and still allows a generous 364 litres of storage with the roof down and 504 litres when up.

But the best news is the way it drives. This is an entirely new model - its predecessor was steel - and it feels remarkably agile, quick and very comfortable. Just not pretty.

-- TECHNOLOGY

Safety ranks as the highlight here, though full marks to the all-aluminium body (well, about 95 per cent) that is as much as 140kg lighter than the previous car.

The 4.7-litre bi-turbo engine mixes smooth delivery with a slightly menacing exhaust growl, sends it all to the rear wheels via a seven-speed auto with paddle shifts and three response modes. The suspension can be changed from comfort to sport and the latter makes firmer adjustments to the steering feel. There is also the "magic sky" glass roof option.

It's a good package - but you kinda expect that at $380,000-odd.

-- SAFETY

The safety kit is huge, both as standard equipment and as options. No other car company can rival it. Even the aluminium body is engineered not just for handling but also made to absorb crash damage.

The latest safety widgets from Mercedes are equally fascinating and are part of the ingenious aluminium-wrapped package. Standard fare on the SL500 tested are things like Pre-safe (reckons you're going to have an accident and prepares for the worst); Attention Assist (wake up, Sunshine, the road's moved); Active bonnet (protection in pedestrian accidents); and Neck-Pro (protects the neck in an accident).

A five-star rating is expected and the six airbags become almost insignificant when you recognise that this car can automatically either move you out of harm's way or afford all possible protection should a collision occur.

No spare tyre, though!

-- DRIVING

Behind the wheel this is a very well balanced machine. The engine is strong but, cleverly, less excitable than you'd think possible with two eager turbos. That's because the SL's market is about luxury sports driving. If you want to be frightened, buy the SLS.

The engine delivery is as expected - smooth, fuss-free but with the ability to growl all the way to the redline. The most impressive feature is the suspension. It is soft and yet supportive on its comfort setting but remains supple even when switched to sport. At the same time, the electro-hydraulic steering becomes a tad firmer.Some people have raved about the steering and I admit it's good. Good for the SL's market, good for the blend of city streets and country highways. The roof is quick and very quiet to erect and collapse but I'd suggest the magic sky option, which puts a tint through the glass, is almost mandatory in Australia.

-- VERDICT

It's a big step up on its predecessor but it's not as pretty, elegant or visually appealing as its rivals. As for the engineering, though, no contest. This is a great piece of mechanical architecture.

Mercedes-Benz SL500

PRICE: $380,000 (est)

WARRANTY: 3 years/unlimited km

RESALE: N/A

SERVICE INTERVAL: 12 months/15,000km

SAFETY: Equipment 6 airbags, ABS, ESC, PRESAFE, drowsiness alert Rating 5 stars ENGINE 4.7-litre V8 bi-turbo petrol, 320kW/700Nm TRANSMISSION 7-speed auto, rear-wheel drive THIRST 9.1L/100km, 98 RON, 212g/km CO2 BODY 2-door, 2-seater DIMENSIONS

4612mm (L), 1877mm (W), 1315mm (H), 2585mm (WB) WEIGHT 1785kg