Mercedes-Benz launches the iconic SL

Other than being a very interesting place to visit, Gardens by the Bay is also a perfect place to hold a car launch, especially when the car in question is an iconic car that has been around for 60 years. A car like the Mercedes-Benz SL.

The completely redeveloped Mercedes-Benz SL has been produced for the first time almost entirely from aluminium and weighs up to 140kgs (for the SL 350) and 125kgs (for the SL 500) lesser than its predecessors. No surprise in that, considering that the car takes the meaning of the famous letters "SL", which stands for "super-light", quite literally. Consistent weight reduction is one of the most outstanding design characteristics in the new SL - as was the case in its namesake of the original SL of 1952 with its lightweight tubular frame.

"The effect is rather as if a heavyweight-class passenger had got out of the car," says Dr Thomas Rudlaff, the man responsible for the aluminium bodyshell at Mercedes-Benz. "The result is perceptible and measurable. Less weight means more dynamism and less consumption. In other words, the motoring enjoyment increases, the environmental burden decreases."

On first glance, the SL is unmistakably Merc, with its stylishly sporty and elegant classic hallmark SL balanced proportions. The long bonnet gives way to a compact passenger compartment that is set well back. A wide, muscular tail end does give the impression of raciness too while a handful of elaborately styled lines define the powerfully sculpted and yet calm surfaces of the flanks.

Although the SL does share its styling cues with the smaller SLK, the dynamically slanting headlamps that flank the striking front end give the new roadster an unmistakable face. The headlamps come as standard with the Intelligent Light System (ILS). With five different lighting functions that are tailored to typical driving and weather conditions, and are activated depending on the driving situation, they offer the driver a much better illuminated field of vision.

The new V8 in the SL 500 develops 435bhp from its displacement of 4.7-litre and thus around 12 percent more than its predecessor despite some 0.8 litres less displacement. The fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 22 percent. At the same time, the torque has increased from 530Nm to 700Nm - a gain of 32 percent. Although the displacement remains the same at 3.5-litre, the new V6 engine in the new SL 350 develops 306bhp and delivers 370Nm of torque. It clocks just 6.8L/100km, making it almost 30 percent more economical than its predecessor.

Both engine variants come with a standard-fit ECO start/stop function. The 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission, which has been optimised in relation to fuel consumption and comfort, also contributes to the exemplary, low fuel consumption. In fact, the fuel economy of the BlueDIRECT engines takes nothing away from the roadster’s raciness. The SL 350 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, making it three tenths of a second faster than its predecessor while the SL 500 takes just 4.6 seconds - eight tenths less than the previous SL 500.