SL55 AMG - a summary of information

[jjcodex]

I have absolutely no issue with any corrections! I would much prefer it be right

The summary attachment you have added is ideal as it summarises in Mercs words the upgrades offered.

Thanks for the clarification ref the order of the bumper etc. On the matter of the wheels, the AMG IV alloys were also those equipped to the SL65 so they are one and the same (albeit the grey inner part may have been sl65 only.

Even so all verified info is good info . Your attachment is ideal.

J

 

[WantSL55]

I have just worked out the cost using the Jan 2004 (when my car was manufactured) exchange rate for euro to pounds.
It would of cost £18,500 - that is quite expensive.

 

[jjcodex]

In fairness the way that price list presents looks like it was based on selling to somebody who already had their car. It is difficult to reconcile some of those costs any other way (particularly given they include a 'fitting cost' which would be daft - they would simply be fitting the selected components as they would any other)

If the performance pack was applied in the factory I would expect it to be closer to my suggested cost which I got from looking at magazines on the car dating back to Launch.

 

[WantSL55]

The performance pack was not fitted on the factory production line. The cars were manufactured first as standard and then taken to AMG at Affalterbach to be fitted with the pack.
I can only assume that the often quoted price of £10K for the pack allowed for some "trade in" of the normal bits on the car that would no longer be needed. e.g. wheels, tyres, brakes, ABS struts.

 

[jjcodex]

The performance pack was not fitted on the factory production line. The cars were manufactured first as standard and then taken to AMG at Affalterbach to be fitted with the pack.
I can only assume that the often quoted price of £10K for the pack allowed for some "trade in" of the normal bits on the car that would no longer be needed. e.g. wheels, tyres, brakes, ABS struts.

I will defer to you on this but it would make sense. Difficult to think EVO mag would have missed by so much, but far from impossible!

The other thing is that Mercedes had a controlling share of AMG (1999 if i recall?) by this point so one would have thought that they would be working better together.

To all - I still welcome any other corrections. Once we have most of them I will prostrate myself to the mods to see if they will permit some amendments to the initial thread content.

Every time I re-read I note further typos!

J

 

[WantSL55]

2. The history of the power claims

Just been checking through my paperwork and I have a official Mercedes supplement for the owners handbook that says power is 500BHP and torque is 700Nm.

Mine is a January 2004 car.

 

[jjcodex]

Mine is a 2005 and it is printed as 500bhp in the main manual as opposed to a supplement.

I opted to use the more publicised 493bhp (500ps) to err on the side of safety.

I have no issue upping it to 500bhp if that is the truest reflection.

J

 

[jjcodex]

As it is likely that this thread could become a definitive guide to the SL55 a couple more points re the 030 package.
The front spoiler is based on the safety car not the SL65 merely because the safety car and the 030 package came before the SL65.
Therefore it is more accurate to say that the SL65 front spoiler is based upon the safety car and 030 package. I may not be 100% here but for the cars that I have looked at the SL65 front spoiler is of a subtle difference in that the side vents are louvers rather than black mesh like the safety car and SL55 030 package. However this might have changed on later SL55. Likewise the wheels are AMG iV rather than SL65 wheels.

Please don't take this as criticism of a great write up, its just that as I said this could turn into a definitive guide and worth getting some details right now.

On the matter of the bumper, interestingly the matter of he louvres v mesh appears to relate to the facelift on the SL65.

It appears that the pre facelift 65 has the same mesh as seen on the Performance pack, and the post facelift reverts to the louvres.

AMG iv remain the wheel on both cars.

The above as well as the brakes all remain common between both cars, though the point on the order of the cars is well made. I will in due course make the amendment to reflect that the parts are common with one another as opposed to implying they were obtained from the SL65 which as you say could be misleading.

Good work on the info - makes it better!

J

 

[Conquistador]

Perfect perfect perfect, thank you!

Been quietly looking for a while at late facelift SL55s and just coming across random reviews and Youtube videos but this guide is most helpful - a complete index of information for the '55.

 

[Conquistador]

'Distronic radar cruise control (again – don’t be fooled by references to “Speedtronic” which is basically standard cruise control!)'

Where is the adaptive cruise radar located in these anyway? Am I right in saying that Distronic cars have the solid gloss MB star on the front which the radar is housed within and cars without have just the normal 3D star? Like the following pictures...

CL, but you get the idea...

Also, was roof blind standard on cars with pano glass?

 

[AMGeed]

This link is a useful guide to the inevitable ABC problems at some point.

Mercedes Benz ABC System Troubleshooting Guide

 

[Ginger55k]

The SL has the distronic fit as shown in photo, not sure about the blind as an option but one is fitted on mine, would have thought it came with pano roof as standard.

 

[jjcodex]

Hi guys

The blind is standard on a pano-roof car

So far as the distronic is concerned - the solid logo is the give away on the SL with distronic. I will see if I can find a picture.

In my view, the R230 SL pictured above does not have Distronic, but the CL does.

My E class has it, and it is behind a central plastic rectangle which is painted to look like part of the grille. The radar gear is located behind the plastic, as anything else interferes.

J

 

[jjcodex]

This car does have it (not a 55BTW but an SL) - note that the badge is now solid and plastic.

 

[C43AMG]

Distronic was always an Option. I've had it on the W215 CL55,my S-Class which is + and + on My CL W216

 

[jjcodex]

Distronic was always an Option. I've had it on the W215 CL55,my S-Class which is + and + on My CL W216

Yep - for avoidance of doubt, Distronic is an option and not standard on any version of the SL55. This bit my write up got right!

JJ

 

[Vilus]

A bit more bedtime reading if anyone is interested....
Welcome to the Model R230 SL Class!

 

[jjcodex]

A bit more bedtime reading if anyone is interested....
Welcome to the Model R230 SL Class!

That is very cool! Nice find!!!

Ditto the ABC failures link! This thread is fast becoming more robust thanks to the efforts of all

J

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I have just worked out the cost using the Jan 2004 (when my car was manufactured) exchange rate for euro to pounds.
It would of cost £18,500 - that is quite expensive.

In fairness the way that price list presents looks like it was based on selling to somebody who already had their car. It is difficult to reconcile some of those costs any other way (particularly given they include a 'fitting cost' which would be daft - they would simply be fitting the selected components as they would any other)

If the performance pack was applied in the factory I would expect it to be closer to my suggested cost which I got from looking at magazines on the car dating back to Launch.

I suspect that AMG Manufaktur was the forerunner to what is now known as AMG Performance Studio, and their work is reassuringly outrageously shockingly expensive, but glorious to see.

 

[jjcodex]

I reckon you could be right!

What I love about it though is that it provides clear evidence of what the performance pack provided! It helps inform any would-be buyer!

J