The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (marketed as Mercedes-AMG SL since 2022) is a grand touring sports car made by Mercedes-Benz since 1954. The letters "SL" come from the German phrase Super-Leicht, meaning "Super Light," reflecting the car's origins as a lightweight racing machine.

The SL-Class traces its roots to the 1952 300 SL racing car, which was never intended for public roads. In 1954, American car importer Max Hoffman convinced Mercedes-Benz to build a street-legal version of the 300 SL, targeting wealthy car enthusiasts in the United States, where the market for luxury performance cars was booming after World War II. The production 300 SL debuted that same year with its iconic gullwing doors, and the SL lineage has continued through seven generations to the present day.

The exact meaning of "SL" was debated for decades. Mercedes-Benz used both Sport Leicht ("Sport Light") and Super Leicht ("Super Light") interchangeably for years. When the 300 SL racing car was first shown to the public in 1952, Mercedes-Benz did not officially define the abbreviation. Rudolf Uhlenhaut, the car's chief engineer, stated in a notarized letter that "SL" stood for Super Leicht. However, colleagues who worked closely with him claimed it meant Sport Leicht.

The mystery was settled in 2017 when an original 1952 press document was discovered in the Mercedes-Benz corporate archive, confirming that "SL" originally stood for Super-Leicht — "Super Light."

In German, Leicht means "light" (as in lightweight). So in English, "SL" translates to "Super Light."

The first SL-Class consisted of two models: the high-performance 300 SL and the more affordable 190 SL.

The 300 SL was a road-going version of Mercedes-Benz's successful W194 racing car. The coupé version, introduced in 1954, is famous for its distinctive gullwing doors — hinged at the roof rather than the side — which were necessary because of the car's unusual tubular spaceframe chassis. Under the hood sat a 3.0-liter straight-six engine with mechanical fuel injection, making it one of the fastest production cars of its era.

In 1957, the gullwing coupé was replaced by a roadster (convertible) version with conventional doors, larger headlamps, and a soft fabric folding top. An optional removable hardtop was also available.

Introduced in 1955, the 190 SL was designed as a more accessible alternative to the expensive 300 SL. It shared the same basic styling and fully independent suspension but used a simpler construction based on the W121 sedan platform, and was powered by a smaller 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine. Both the 300 SL roadster and 190 SL remained in production until 1963.

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine 300 SL Gullwing 1954–1957 3.0 L straight-six 300 SL Roadster 1957–1963 3.0 L straight-six 190 SL 1955–1963 1.9 L four-cylinder

The W113 replaced both the 300 SL and 190 SL in 1963. It is best known by its nickname, the "Pagoda", earned by its distinctive concave hardtop roof that curves inward like the roof of a pagoda temple. The W113 was designed by Paul Bracq and Béla Barényi.

The W113 featured a low waistline, large curved windows, a detachable hardtop, and a new 2.3-liter straight-six engine. The car went through two engine upgrades during its production: a 2.5-liter engine arrived in 1967 (renaming the car from 230 SL to 250 SL), and a 2.8-liter engine followed in 1968 (becoming the 280 SL). Interior updates accompanied the engine changes, including new dashboard padding, a redesigned steering wheel, and updated wheel covers.

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine 230 SL 1963–1967 2.3 L straight-six 250 SL 1967–1968 2.5 L straight-six 280 SL 1968–1971 2.8 L straight-six

The R107, introduced in 1971, brought a completely new design language and important safety innovations that would influence future Mercedes-Benz models. For the first time, V8 engines were offered in the SL-Class, alongside the traditional straight-six options.

With an 18-year production run from 1971 to 1989, the R107 is one of the longest-produced Mercedes-Benz models ever. It received a significant update in 1985 that included a deeper front air dam, a revised brake system with larger discs, and a driver's-side airbag (standard in the US, optional in Europe). The engine lineup was refreshed twice: in 1980 with new aluminum V8 engines from the W126 S-Class, and again in 1985 with a new 3.0-liter six-cylinder and enlarged V8 options.

A coupé variant, the SLC, was also produced from 1971 to 1981. Mercedes-Benz entered the SLC in major international rallies during the late 1970s, including the 30,000 km Vuelta a la América del Sud (1977), the Safari Rally (1979), and the Bandama Rally.

The range-topping 560 SL was sold exclusively in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia.

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine 280 SL 1974–1985 2.8 L straight-six 300 SL 1986–1989 3.0 L straight-six 350 SL 1971–1980 3.5 L V8 380 SL 1981–1985 3.8 L V8 420 SL 1986–1989 4.2 L V8 450 SL 1973–1980 4.5 L V8 500 SL 1981–1989 5.0 L V8 560 SL 1986–1989 5.5 L V8

The R129, introduced in 1989, was a major technological leap for the SL-Class. It was the first Mercedes-Benz to feature a fully automatic, hydraulically operated fabric convertible top. It also introduced an automatic rollbar that would deploy on its own during a rollover to protect passengers — a groundbreaking safety feature that could also be raised manually using a switch on the console.

In 1992, the R129 became the first SL to offer a V12 engine (in the 600 SL) and the first to have official high-performance AMG variants. The R129 was also the last SL-Class to be offered with a manual gearbox.

The car received a minor update in 1994 that included a new naming system: model names were rearranged so that "SL" came first (for example, "500 SL" became "SL 500"). A more substantial update arrived in 1998 with revised V6, V8, and V12 engines borrowed from the new W220 S-Class. These updated engines used an unusual three-valve, twin-spark-plug-per-cylinder design.

At the top of the range, the SL 73 AMG packed a massive 7.3-liter V12 engine producing 518 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful production cars of its era.

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine 300 SL / SL 280 1989–2001 2.8–3.0 L straight-six or V6 300 SL-24 / SL 320 1989–2001 3.0–3.2 L straight-six or V6 500 SL / SL 500 1989–2001 5.0 L V8 SL 55 AMG 1999–2001 5.4 L V8 600 SL / SL 600 1992–2001 6.0 L V12 SL 60 AMG 1993–1998 6.0 L V8 SL 70 AMG 1998–2001 7.0 L V12 SL 73 AMG 1995, 1998–2001 7.3 L V12

The R230, introduced in 2001, featured a dramatically smoother body design and a retractable hardtop called the "Vario Roof." Instead of a traditional fabric convertible top, the metal roof could fold away into the trunk at the press of a button — a feature first seen on the smaller SLK-Class in 1996.

The R230 also introduced several advanced technologies including Active Body Control (ABC) active suspension, keyless entry, and an electro-hydraulic brake system called Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC). The SBC system proved unreliable, however, and Mercedes-Benz eventually disabled it in a large recall campaign.

The car received updates in 2006 and a more significant facelift in 2008. The 2008 redesign gave the front end a look inspired by the classic 300 SL, with a large grille, a prominent three-pointed star emblem, and twin "power domes" on the hood. The high-performance SL 63 AMG replaced the older SL 55 AMG, and a track-focused SL 65 AMG Black Series was offered as a fixed-roof coupé only.

A total of about 169,400 R230s were produced. The most common was the SL 500 (around 100,000 units), while the rarest was the SL 65 AMG (just 3,055 units, including 350 Black Series models).

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine SL 280 / SL 300 2008–2011 3.0 L V6 SL 350 2003–2011 3.5–3.7 L V6 SL 500 / SL 550 2001–2011 5.0–5.5 L V8 SL 55 AMG 2001–2008 5.4 L supercharged V8 SL 600 2002–2011 5.5 L twin-turbo V12 SL 63 AMG 2008–2011 6.2 L V8 SL 65 AMG 2004–2011 6.0 L twin-turbo V12 SL 65 AMG Black Series 2008–2011 6.0 L twin-turbo V12 (coupé only)

The R231 debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 2012. Its most notable engineering change was the use of an all-aluminum body, which reduced weight, though some of the savings were offset by added safety and comfort equipment. The R231 was noticeably larger than its predecessor, with more shoulder and elbow room for occupants.

The retractable hardtop from the R230 continued, now able to deploy at speeds up to 40 km/h (25 mph). Standard features included an unusual "FrontBass" sound system that used hollow spaces in the aluminum body structure as resonance chambers for bass speakers.

A mid-cycle update arrived for the 2017 model year, bringing a new 9-speed automatic transmission, revised LED headlights, and updated exterior styling with a new front grille and larger (non-functional) side vents behind the front wheels.

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine SL 350 / SL 400 / SL 450 2012–2020 3.0–3.5 L V6 SL 500 / SL 550 2012–2020 4.7 L twin-turbo V8 SL 63 AMG 2012–2018 5.5 L twin-turbo V8 SL 65 AMG 2012–2018 6.0 L twin-turbo V12

The seventh-generation SL-Class was revealed in October 2021 and marked a major shift for the nameplate. For the first time, the SL is exclusively an AMG model, officially called the Mercedes-AMG SL. The car returned to a soft fabric roof after two generations of retractable hardtops, saving weight and trunk space.

The R232 is also the first SL to offer all-wheel drive (called 4MATIC), available on the V8-powered models. The entry-level SL 43 uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a mild hybrid system producing 375 horsepower, while the SL 55 and SL 63 use a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 469 and 577 horsepower respectively.

Inside, the dashboard features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.9-inch central touchscreen. The touchscreen can tilt electrically to a more vertical angle to reduce sun glare when driving with the roof down. For the first time since 1989, the SL comes standard with 2+2 seating (two front seats plus two small rear seats), though the rear seats are best suited for passengers up to about 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall.

[ Show/Hide ] Model Years Engine Drivetrain SL 43 2022–present 2.0 L turbo four-cylinder mild hybrid Rear-wheel drive SL 55 4MATIC+ 2022–present 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 All-wheel drive SL 63 4MATIC+ 2022–present 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 All-wheel drive

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has appeared extensively in the Gran Turismo racing game series, beginning with Gran Turismo Concept and featuring in nearly every installment since, including Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo 5, Gran Turismo 6, and Gran Turismo 7. Playable models have included the classic 300 SL Coupé, the R129 SL 500 and SL 600, and several R230-era cars such as the SL 55 AMG and SL 65 AMG.

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