Mercedes SL600 Roadster.Who Wouldn’t Want One?
Recently a friend of mine wrote me saying that he won a huge pile in Vegas and was thinking about getting the 2009 Mercedes SL600 Roadster and wanted some advice.
Aside from the usual expletives and downright words of envy, here’s what I wrote back:
Great choice! Who wouldn’t want one?
The Mercedes SL600 Roadster is actually a rocket with wheels and a seat.
Turbocharged 5.5 liter V12, Alloy block and Alloy cylinder heads, 36 valve, 510 horsepower engine.
Gets to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds without so much as a wave!
It may be slower than a McLaren but then again when was the last time you put the pedal to the metal and didn’t get written up for it?
MSRP is $139,100 and TCO is $186,031.
This said (and if you’re really willing to shell out that much) wouldn’t you want to consider the other roadsters in the family?
Aside from your choice, there are three other variants in the SL class-the SL 550, SL 63AMG and the SL 65AMG.
The SL 550 has a 5.5 liter, 32 valve, V8 engine.
Its 382 horse power is fed through a Seven Speed Touch Shift Manually Interactive Automatic Transmission.
The SL 63AMG has a 6.2 liter V8, 32 valve, DOHC, SEFI 518hp alloy engine, 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds.
The SL 65AMG can hit 60mph in just 4.2 second and is powered by a 604hp, 6.0 liter Turbocharged V12 SOHC, SEFI engine.
FYI, the entire SL class got their own version of “Nip and Tuck”.
Redesigned Bi-Xenon headlamps with Active Curve Illumination, the two AMG’s have got a more aggressive body style and a new multimedia interface that has iPod, Bluetooth and DVD capabilities.
Personally, if I could only afford it, I’d go for the SL 63AMG which is actually a replacement to the SL 55AMG.
Why? Because:
• Both the MSRP and TCO is cheaper;
• Even if it’s cheaper you still get more “oomph” than the SL 600;
• It’s cheaper and easier to maintain a V8 than a V12
But to see what the best deal is on the street be sure to check in with the San Antonio Mercedes dealer.
