Monday, March 28, 2011
Recently redesigned, the SL-Class remains the most premium Mercedes roadster. For the latest model year this German luxury automakers has reduced the offerings from two non-AMG models to just one, ditching the SL600 in the U.S. market.
The biggest changes to the SL line following the update are to the front of the car. The vehicle now has CLS-style headlamps to complement the new bumper and grille. Meanwhile, the taillights have been augmented with LEDs and a refined shape.
The SL550's engine remains unchanged, with a 5.5-liter V8 delivering 382 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 391 pound-feet of torque between 2,800 and 4,800 rpm. Although, the latest model enjoys a slight bump in fuel economy to 14 city, 22 highway.
Both the improved fuel economy and quick zero-to-60 time of 5.3 seconds can give some thanks to the seven-speed automatic transmission.
The car's steering system has been improved to feature a variable rack ratio, which adjusts in line with the steering angle, increasing sharply as soon as this reaches five degrees. All of which means that, compared to a steering system with a constant ratio, the driver does not have to move the steering wheel as much when cornering.
