You can now purchase the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class which has more seats than the engine it is powered by. There has never been a time in the 69 years of history of the Mercedes SL has that been an issue and today as the only time in history since the initial 190 SL that you will be able to get an engine that has four cylinders. The car that was originally built didn’t come with four seats, but it did have four it was a stunning lightweight vehicle that was designed for racing first, and then for use on the road.
Officially named the 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL 43, this is an AMG-developed SL featuring 2+1 seating as well as a chassis that is shared with the forthcoming AMG GT, rear-wheel drive, and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in the front. offering 354 lb-ft of torque, with some hybrid assistance. In the southern part of Africa in the famous Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, I took my first laps at the wheel of the SL 43 and it was enough to see that the world doesn’t really need an engine with four cylinders like the SL.
2024Mercedes-AMG SL43 Models
The brand-new 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL is a looker. Mercedes did the right proportions in this model even though it somehow added an additional pair of seats. Based on the looks alone you wof anything else than a V8 underneath the under the hood. It’s also incredibly comfortable and the interior is more spacious than I imagined it would be. even the massive infotainment panel at the center of the car doesn’t seem odd.
Keep in mind that when I was at a racetrack the one thing I wasn’t playing on was my touchscreen. The seats are still to the bottom of the chassis and on a cold southern hemisphere winter day the heated seats function fantastically. The steering wheel feels comfortable when you hold it and for someone as tall like me the seat’s posture was just right.
Chassis, Braking,& Steering
7th generation SL is a Mercedes-AMG designed model from scratch and its platform will be the basis for the brand new AMG GT supercar/sports car. This is apparent, since in low-speed and high-speed turns that it is SL 43 remains planted and well-constructed. When braking, there’s no nose-diving, or settling in the rear, suggesting that there is a certain balance to the platform AMG uses.
The steering is consistent that the turn-in is perfect thanks to the precise weighting of thousands providing the best feedback. However, with a 4-cylinder engine at the front, you are likely to expect a more precise turn-in than you would from the more powerful eight-cylinder models. The brakes also performed well with a strong response from the pedal, as well as the ability to lose speed quickly and keep the car firmly positioned in front of the axle. The foundations are to be right, however one aspect did not go as planned.
Engine & Performance
I’ve never been one to, write off a car because it has an engine with four cylinders or a three-pot engine, but the Mercedes SL isn’t just any car. This is the S-Class for sports car, a vehicle that once completely embodied Mercedes s racing spirit. Ithatrue that in a car like that, it’s not a good idea to have a four-cylinder. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder features an electric turbocharger to help reduce the lag, and a 48-volt mild hybrid system to provide an additional dose of torque. Its official figures of 375 horsepower and 354 lb-ft are acceptable also and with a peak horsepower of 6,750 rpm and a torque range of 3,250 and 5,000 rpm, it’s like a vehicle that is willing to rev its engine for the sake of rewarding the driver.
Maybe the comparison with the A45 S, a 416-hp/369-lb hyper-hatch in front of me made me a little hesitant to know more, but for a vehicle completely developed by AMG to be less efficient than the standard hatch that was tuned by the department is an enormous issue. It revs well and speeds up decently and the 9-speed automatic gearbox does an excellent job of putting itself in the correct gear at the right moment. The engine, however, feels dull, lacking character as it revs up and, since it lacks an DCT similar to the A45 or CLA 45 and CLA 45, it doesn’t eat the same smooth upshifts.
More power and more noise might be the answer – giving it the tune for engines from the updated A 45 S could have been a no-brainer but I’m thinking this would be a band-aid for the wound of a bullet. If it is announced that the AMG SL line-up is expected to be led by a hybrid plug-in that has an 800-hp V8 equipped with AWD and four-cylinders, a four-cylinder appears as if it’s a futile attempt to attract customers who are unable to buy a new Mercedes-AMG. These aren’t SL customers, and reducing their SL nameplate to reduce the entry price (if six figures are considered to be a bargain) isn’t a good thing for an item that is otherwise impressive and opens the door for potential buyers to search for additional motors and noise elsewhere.
I’m certain it will have plenty of power for a realistic scenario however, this Mercedes SL has never been described as ‘enough’, or “ample.’ The SL is designed to be a superlative delight for the senses. When it is idle or trundling at a low speed the engine must signal that there’s more to be squeaked out as well as when in tune. I’m expecting to be sucked up by an acoustic orchestra. But the SL 43 doesn’t do that.
2024 Mercedes-AMG SL43 Futures
This report could be categorized as an initial drive however the reality is that I was able to experience my 2024 Mercedes-AMG SL 43 in a very small space on the perfect asphalt that is the FIA Grade 2 track where its suspension performs as smoothly in Comfort as it is with Sport +. My time at the wheel was restricted to a few laps, and this article is a brief, minimal impressions, the majority of which need further research in impressions lasting a week that isneedseduled for the near future.
When you’re on racing it is impossible to evaluate the performance of the car as your attention will be (or ought to be) completely concentrated on driving that you don’t have time to think about the inside of your car. A race track can be an ideal place for companies to showcase their product but is an awful place to take first-time drivers because most of the daily experience can be first-time or seeing a race track. Also, simply being on a fantastic track instantly puts any car enthusiast in a higher state of mind than sitting at the keyboard. Be aware of this next time you’re looking at first-drive impressions of an exclusive track launch. There’s more to a car than its behavior in a conditions-controlled environment.