Mercedes-Benz SL-Class News

...which means AMG will have its go-faster car ready for the road in 2013. Everything points to a subtle body but a muscular engine package sharing the 5.5-litre V8 turbo already installed in the SL63 AMG.

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show.The sound system in the all-new Mercedes-Benz SL features two massive bass speakers  in the front footwell that are mounted into the aluminium chassis for maximum bass output. Benz boss Dieter Zetsche describes the sports car as "a concert hall on wheels". With up to 12 speakers and a 900-watt optional Bang & Olufsen sound system, it is bound to blow the opposition away. The new SL will arrive in Australia before the end of the year and, according to local Mercedes spokesman David McCarthy, there will be "little or no change" (in price). The current model ranges in price from $242,780 to $519,250. McCarthy says we will get a full four-vehicle range of V6 and V8, plus AMG V8 and V12, but there will be no diesel or four-cylinder models. The oldest car in the Mercedes-Benz family is the first mass-production model to feature a chassis and body made almost entirely of lightweight aluminium. At 140kg less than the previous model it truly is deserving of the SL name which stands for "super lightweight" and began in the 1950s with a tubular steel frame. The folding hard-top roof is 15kg lighter and made mainly of magnesium while the only steel is in strategic positions such as around the windscreen for crash protection. The chassis is also 20 per cent stiffer, making it more agile. While the sports car has not yet been crash tested, SL boss Uwe Erntsberger believes it will earn a maximum five stars. Carbon fibre was also considered for the frame and body, but were not considered suitable in front and rear crash structures, he says. However, he confirms the AMG versions will have some carbon fibre parts such as the boot lid. Erntsberger says the aluminium structure technology will find its way into other Benz models, starting with the 2014 E-Class which will be about 200kg lighter. He says the frame has not been engineered for electric powertrains, "but hybrid is possible, but not yet tested". The weight saving shows up in better fuel economy, lower emissions and claimed improved agility. The new V8 may be 80cc smaller at 4663cc, but the biturbo has 12 per cent more power (320kW) and 32 per cent more torque (699Nm), yet fuel economy is improved thanks in part to a stop-start function and an optimised seven-speed static transmission. Benz boss Dieter Zetsche says the V8 has the power of a V12 but the economy of a V6. He says the SL will continue the model's 60-year tradition of being a benchmark for the brand. The new SL is also a tour de force of technology with a system that detects weary drivers, an optional "Magic Sky" glass roof that turns from clear to opaque at the touch of a button, automatic boot opening and closing with the wave of a hand, internet connectivity and a wiper/washer system that won't wet the driver and passenger.There is even an option that heats the rubber blades and water to remove ice. But it's that FrontBass speaker system that will blow many away. It is standard with the six-speaker base audio system, as well as the optional 600-watt Harman Kardon system or flagship B&O. Other car manufacturers have used the spare tyre as bass resonators or packed in massive cargo-stealing boxes to maximize the bass, but this system makes clever use of the hollow sections of the chassis to act as resonating chambers for the woofers. Erntsberger says a good audio system is a "very important factor for buyers, particularly AMG". To further improve the audio experience, designers have reduced the wind noise by reducing the aerodynamic drag coefficient to 0.27 and improving the rear mesh screen which deploys electronically.Mercedes-Benz SLPrices: from $242,780 to $519,250Body: 2-seater coupeEngines: V6, V8 and V12 biturboTransmission: 7-speed auto, RWD

The Koreans starred, the Japanese mounted a comeback, and One Ford hit the headlines with an extended family of Focus-based newcomers that it is certain to make a big hit in Australia. But it was one car and the commitment of its company chief that made the most impact as America fought back on the opening day of the 2011 North American International Motor Show. After 60 years of super lightweight (SL) sports cars, the latest SL is made almost entirely of aluminum and weighs 140kg less than before. The weight saving shows up in better fuel economy, lower emissions and claimed improved agility.  It will arrive in Australia before the end of the first half of this year with a 4.6-lite biturbo, direct-injection V8 engine with 320kW of power and 699Nm of torque.  There will also be a V6, plus AMG V8 and V12 models, all with biturbo power. Benz boss Dieter Zetsche says it will continue the 60-year audition of being a "benchmark" for the brand.  The new SL is also a tour de force of technology with a system that detects weary drivers, a chassis that acts as a boom box bass enhancer for the audio system, a folding hard top that turns from clear to opaque and a wiper system that won't wet the driver and passenger. There is even an option that heats the rubber blades and water to remove ice from the windscreen. Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy confirms that despite the extra expense of the aluminium body and chassis, plus the extra technology, there will be "little or no change" (in price).  Mercedes-Benz also showed two BlueTEC hybrid E Class models. The E300 diesel is claimed to achieve economy of 4.2l/100km and will be released mid year in Europe. McCarthy says we are likely to get the car, but not this year.  The other is the E400 petrol model with 6L/100km. It will be released in US first in mid year, but is unlikely to come down under, says McCarthy.

Start saving or perhaps investigate the organ donor black market — Mercedes-Benz's new SL is on the way. And it looks like this. The wraps came off the uber-luxury drop-top  early this morning to reveal the lighter, quicker and more efficient convertible that will reach our part of the world in the third quarter of 2012. It will be  officially unveiled at the Detroit motor show next month. This, Merc says, is a largely reinvented version of the 60-year-old model name. It is some 140kg lighter than the previous model with new tech ranging from BlueDIRECT engines that achieve prodigious performance with frugal consumption, to the evocatively named Magic Vision Control — which turns out to be a windscreen wipe-wash device. A neat new feature is Hand Free Access which brings contactless operation of the boot lid. The driver simply moves a foot in the vicinity of the rear bumper. "You would struggle to find a car that embodies Gottlieb Daimler's aspiration more perfectly than our new SL: the best or nothing,'' says head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Dr Dieter Zetsche. The new SL has a choice of two suspension systems, semi-active adjustable damping as standard and new electromechanical Direct-Steer speed-sensitive power steering. The flagship SL500 develops 320kW from its V8 and there's a massive torque increase to 700Nm. The new V6 of the SL350 is good for 225kW/370Nm and 6.8L/100km.

And the images show that the world's oldest car has been back to the beauty parlour for a major makeover to continue its run deep into the 21st century. Mercedes-Benz claims the ancient crown for its SL roadster, which hit the road in the 1950s and has continued along the same path for near-enough to 60 years. But the latest makeover, which will be previewed at Detroit motor show in January and available in Australian showrooms by June, is more than just skin deep. The sixth-generation is the first Mercedes-Benz to be constructed almost entirely from aluminium - there is steel strengthening and magnesium in some places - and it also comes with two developments which are claimed as world firsts. The car has a FrontBass system that Benz claims will turn it into a concert hall with the top up or down, as well as an adaptive windscreen cleaning system called Magic Vision Control. But the SL is really about luxury and style, despite a $242,780 starting price that means only 23 have been sold through the first 11 months of 2011, down from 48 at the same time last year. Despite the small numbers, Benz says the SL is a landmark car for the brand. "It is a flag bearer for us," says David McCarthy, spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia. "It's a pretty good indicator of where we're going. It continues the design theme of the SLS and SLK." He is also keen to highlight the longevity of the SL badge, which was first applied to a Benz in 1952 and reached Australia a year later.  "In passenger cars, it is the longest-running nameplate in the world. The only one that comes close is the Chevrolet Suburban, which has a longer history but is an SUV," McCarthy says. "The only other one that came close was the Ford Fairlane, which only lived on in Australia until the 21st century until they chopped it." McCarthy confirms the usual model spread for the upcoming SL, which currently runs from the SL350 to the SL 65 AMG at $519,250, and a sharp bottom line. "We don't expect a big change, price-wise. It will be on sale in the second quarter in 2012 at the earliest for us," he says. On the specification front, apart from the latest technology and a body that is both lighter are larger in most directions, the SL comes with engines that have more power but economy improved by as much as 29 per cent. "There is the new V6, then the V8s and the AMG models. The 350 is currently the biggest seller and we expect that to continue." The car's folding hardtop vario-roof operates in either direction in less than 20 seconds using an electrohydraulic mechanism, and will be available with a painted finish, a glass roof or the Magic Sky system - first fitted on the SLK - which switches from light to dark inside at the touch of a button.

Now comes a shot of the finished article, which will be driven by the world's press next March and is expected in local showrooms by June. International in March, coming middle of next year.

When it comes to used dream cars, the Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III takes the cake.

Without camouflage, the real shape emerges and its targets are obvious as the test car is driven alongside an Aston Martin Vantage Roadster and a Jaguar XK.

...and now Carparazzi has updated pictures of the AMG 55 model.It definitely gets AMG's new 5.5-litre V8 engine as well as aggressive body bits that put a sharper image on the upmarket droptop.

…and Carparazzi has caught a test car stripped of most of its camouflage.It's a smooth evolution that is being pitched against the Aston Martin Vantage and Jaguar XK, based on rival cars along for the drive, but with more lightweight work including extensive use of carbon fibre parts.