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When it comes down to it, there is something about a car with a heritage that will always make it desirable. It is the passion, the history and emotion that is built into the car. You can see it when you look at it, and you can feel and hear it when you drive the vehicle.

Knowing that there are passionate individuals, the mad scientists, working on improving their product. That is cool stuff. And when you drive a car that has it, you know it immediately.

Perhaps that is why so many manufacturers have had trouble with their products. There just are not enough individuals that are crazy, quite literally, about cars. So, in this case you will find my resume attached below. Just kidding.

Some cars will never have this problem, provided that the manufacturer continues to employ those mad scientists and lovers of all things automotive. One such car is the Mercedes-Benz SL.

For a long-time running, Mercedes' top of the line roadster has been the coveted choice for lawyers, hedge fund managers, and anyone with plenty of cash looking for some fun. There is something about this car that exemplifies success and "making it." Ever since the 1950s, the SL has been the object of affection for many of Hollywood's starlets.

Except for the R107 generation. Yikes, those were hideous years for the SL.

Overall, you cannot blame the folks that have drank the kool-aid neither. The newly refreshed SL gets a bolder look from its elder counterpart, which had more of a femme look. Now the car looks as though it has a squared-off jaw and is on the prowl. It does not take the Mercedes press release to realize this new grille, which features the large three-pointed star, has old-school Gullwing cues.

When you look at the latest spy shots of the 2012 SL, it seems pretty obvious that Mercedes' designers are being smart and preparing us, more or less, to accept the new SL's look, which will likely be derived from the SLS AMG. In other words, it will be a modern interpretation of the 1950s SL with a folding hard-top roof. I am not hating it, I say bring it on.

Opening the door to the SL, you are confronted with wiiiide, chrome door sills and a sunken footwell compartment. For me, this provides me with this bank vault sense of security, the way you expect to feel in a Benz. Close the door and there is a resounding THUNK. Yes, definitely a proper Mercedes-Benz. Then it hits you, the smell of leather. You know you are driving something special.

The upper and lower dash, doors, center stack and tunnel are all swathed in hide. Remarkably, it is all stitched tight with no pulls and the leather has no ripples or imperfections. How they do it is beyond me.

Elsewhere around the cabin, there is a major difference from this car and other Mercedes models. It is the lack of chrome. Had you been keeping up to date with my other auto reviews, a big issue I have with Benz's products are their ostentatious amount of chrome. The SL differs because it uses a lot of aluminum or "aluminum" parts. I dig it. It gives everything a nice clean feeling without being showy and overstated.

One nice touch I happen to enjoy thoroughly are the traditional gauges with a white outline and red needles that have a silver surround. Screw the computerized gauges you find in an S-Class or a CL-Class. These are beautiful and jewelry like.

But the interior has its pitfalls.

Once again, as observed in the 2010 CL550, the seats are downright finicky. If you are at the extreme end of the height chart, you will find that you can only put the seat so far back before the backrest raises itself upright. Try and put the backrest down and the bottom portion of the seat moves forward. There is no compromise with this stubborn beast.

Another issue comes to light with the climate controls. The circular switchgear just has a downright cheap feel. Although I may be a tad bit irrational, I want the whole vehicle's appointments to take note of the door's THUNK. A vehicle of this caliber should be solid in every piece of trim. Benz came very close with the exception being these switches. I guess you can liken it to ordering a prime cut of filet mignon then using ketchup as a garnish, it makes no sense.

My last beef with the interior comes down to the navigation unit. While I believe that Mercedes' COMAND system is one of the best systems because it is easy to use, the SL does not benefit from the system's success as it does not have the round, silver controller. There is just not enough room with the power convertible top control taking precedence. This locates the arrows to navigate the system's software far on the right side of the center stack. It takes some time to get used to and it really highlights the dated interior of the SL.

Otherwise, besides these issues the car is a gem. Especially when you drive it.

And drive it I did. Thanks to IMPA's test days event, I had the chance to take the SL550 on the track and it surprised me, big time. It is not what you would find as an ideal track car but it sure can take whatever you throw at it.

With Active Body Control switched on, it keeps the vehicle's weight in check and eliminates sloppiness. Mind you this car weighs just over 4,200 pounds, it feels nothing like it. Traction control is pretty stern and will ensure you will not have any risqué fun but when it is off you can wiggle the SL's hips coming out of the apex. Quite a blast.

Coming into the corners, braking seems adequate but after a day of journalists giving her hell, the SL has some fade. But, you cannot expect much else with a set of street brakes on the track. When I got her on the regular streets, the brakes were more than enough for daily driving.

The SL's steering feel is a tad on the lighter side and is somewhat dull in its sharpness. Although this is not ideal for the track, it makes good for daily driving. It is easy to maneuver and weave through the city's obstacles without exerting too much effort. I am pretty sure it is impossible to break a sweat driving the 550. It's all too easy.

Powered by Benz's popular 5.5 liter V8, the SL has a serious 382-horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. So, power is not a problem. It just goes on and on and on. With this power comes thirst but considering the circumstances, I do not feel that after a week of mixed city and suburban driving, 15 MPG is a dealbreaker. Remember, the SL weighs over two tons.

An aspect easily noticed is that, like the E550 Coupe, power does not come on in a dramatic fashion. With that said, it gives the AMG plenty of value if you enjoy being shocked or having your head pulled back, thanks to the g forces.

But, do not get it twisted. The 550 brings a lot of refinement to the table that makes it a brilliant daily driver. The SL63 AMG's ferocity may just make it a bit too mean for everyday chores or the commute into the bowels of New York City.

Speaking of refinement, you know what the biggest problem is with a drop top? Cowl shake. Some convertibles can become downright frustrating to drive with that jittery nonsense. You want a test? Take a convertible over a set of railroad tracks. If it flexes more than a steroid-laden body builder, you have problems.

The SL, on the other hand, is the most solid convertible I have ever driven. It has a pinch of cowl shake but it is so minimal that I did not realize it until the last day I was driving the car. The chassis on the SL is extremely solid, more so than I was expecting.

Continuing on the theme of refinement, the 550 uses some nifty technology by way of the AIRSCARF system. Essentially it is a heating system built into the headrests and although some of you may think a little warm air blowing on your neck is not going to do the trick, you are wrong. It works fantastically and the warm air manages to work its way down to your core. Here's the catch though: for the system to work best, you need to have the windows rolled up and the wind deflector in place. Otherwise, you will have some hot air blowing around aimlessly.

Best part about AIRSCARF; it is a hit with the ladies. Several of my friends liked it so much that now every convertible we ride in gets a resounding thumbs down simply because it does not boast the heating technology.

I think the last couple of points really speak volumes of the SL. And this is because they prove one thing: the mad scientists at Mercedes have executed monumentally well and this Mercedes-Benz truly is one of the best convertibles money can buy.

Sure it wears a six-figure price tag but it is worth it, to every cent. If you do not agree, you simply have not driven a lot of cars in this echelon.

Originally, I thought the SL would be more of a Palm Beach cruiser. You know, one of those cars where you buy a straw hat and cruise down the local boulevard, top down. It is not though. The 550 can make you laugh all the while pampering you as if you are a king.

It is a very flexible driver and probably the most versatile car I have ever driven. Drive it on the track, daily, top up or top down, there are so many ways to enjoy this machine.

But, there still remains one car that I would pick over it.

The SL63 AMG.


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REVIEW: Is Mercedes-Benz's SL550 More Than Just A Cruiser?

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