The all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster has officially been revealed. The German premium roadster gets back to its roots, sporting an exterior and interior design that hark back to the 1950s and 60s. It is also lighter and more powerful, making it faster and nimbler.
The exterior of the 2013 SL Roadster is inspired by the smaller SLK and the SLS AMG supercar. The prominent front grille and the pronounced headlights scream “retro”. Inside, you get more of that retro look. Occupants will be greeted with a beautiful combination of high-premium leather, classic crosshair vents, wood and carbon fiber, and a simple yet elegant center console.
The elements are at your control with a retractable hardtop, which can be had as either a standard glass top or Mercedes’s Magic Sky Control that changes its transparency at the touch of a button. 20 seconds — that’s all the time it takes to close the top completely.
Powering the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster is a 4.6 liter V8 engine that produces 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, which compares favorably to the old model’s 384-HP and 391 lb-ft of torque. Mated to a 7-Speed Driver-Adaptive automatic transmission, the roadster runs from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in around 4.5 seconds, eight tenths of a second faster than the previous SL550.
A weight-reduction of 300 pounds contributes heavily to the superior performance. An improved transmission, along with a standard ECO stop/start function, helps keep fuel-consumption in check.
The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 will go on sale in the United States in spring 2012. Don’t miss out on the photo gallery and video below.
