If you asked any automotive savant at a local Cars & Coffee what the “SL” in Mercedes SL stood for, they would probably tell you “sport-leicht,” which simply translates to sport-light in English. The thing is, other than the original 300 SL Gullwing that actually went racing, the SL generations succeeding it weren’t really known for being sporty nor light.
If anything, the SL that comes to the minds of many enthusiasts is the R107-generation car, seen in every other Hollywood movie throughout the 1980s as the de-facto German boulevard cruiser. You’re probably picturing the iconic Signal Red 380SL that Eddy Murphy posed in front of in Beverly Hills Cop. Posing aside, this Hyper Blue 2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 55 is the opposite of that R107 from the early ’80s; it attempts to reinvigorate and re-emphasize the Sport in the Sport-Leicht name. We had the pleasure to experience every ounce of it for a week, right before the first snowfall.
What’s new for 2025?
The SL 55 heads into 2025 mostly unchanged, aside from a few new colour and customization options. This current-generation Mercedes SL — dubbed the R232 — has been out since 2022. It is the first SL to be solely based on an AMG-exclusive platform, with its sights aimed clearly at the Porsche 911. It is also the first SL in about 20 years to come with a soft top, as the last two were offered only with a power-retractable hardtop.
There are three flavours of the Mercedes-AMG SL, starting with the entry-level SL 43. Powered by a turbocharged inline-four with a mild hybrid assist, it gets a slight power bump for 2025, but to be honest, a four-cylinder seems criminal to be even offered on an SL. The higher-end SL 55 and 63 models both use the exact same twin-turbocharged V8 in different states of tune; the 63 is naturally the most powerful of the two. Look at this through the same lens as how Porsche splits the 911 Carrera 4 and 4S models; it has the exact same engine, with the latter making more horsepower.
First impressions
The exterior design continues the current Mercedes design language of Sensual Purity, balancing clean lines and flowing surfaces that optimize functionality and aerodynamics. Finished in this Hyper Blue Metallic, it helps highlight this design language while keeping true to classic roadster proportions with its long hood and short rear overhang. With the chrome accents along with these gorgeous 21-inch mesh wheels, the brightwork is honestly a breath of fresh air considering most performance-oriented vehicles tend to be optioned with black wheels and blacked-out exterior accents. To some people, this exterior is old-man spec. I’d say it’s refreshingly classy.
Complimenting this exterior is an equally stunning Nappa leather interior finished in Macchiato Beige with a colour-matched leather steering wheel that feels extremely nice to use. The contrasting black upper door panels and dashboard is a nice touch, as it reduces glare compared to interiors that are monochromatic, such as the Lexus LC 500 I drove earlier this year. Most of this interior is either covered in leather or Alcantara, making you feel that you are cocooned in only the finest of materials. To hit home that you are in the peak of Germany luxury, these seats naturally are heated and cooled, but also offer a neck scarf to keep your neck warm when you do go top down on a chilly day. To top it all off, these seats also offer a massage function, with three different modes to choose from.
Less space, more screen
Onto the downsides of this interior, with the main one being the rear seats. Although they can accommodate shorter individuals in a pinch, they are mostly useless and for the most part act as a hindrance. Having the rear seats in place doesn’t allow long-legged front occupants to get fully comfortable, which is a bit of a letdown given the grand touring nature of this vehicle. If you adjust the seat bottom far back, it’ll force you to sit very upright; if you want to sit more laid-back, the seat bottom will automatically move forward, forcing your knees to get really close to the steering column. If the rear seats weren’t there, front occupants would feel a lot more comfortable and settled in.
The upside to the interior space however is actually the infotainment usability. Although I can lament the loss of physical switchgear in Mercedes-Benz products, this latest iteration of MBUX is thankfully very easy to use and pleasant to interact with. It’s quick to respond, easy to understand, and allows for a plethora of customization from ambient lighting to the various drive modes this AMG SL 55 has to offer. If you’re the type of person that has little to no patience interacting with screens, the integrated AI assistant is thankfully really good to communicate with and also happens to tell pretty good dad jokes to levitate the mood.
Underneath the (very pretty) curves
As with the AMG GT coupe, the SL is pretty heavy — 4,277 pounds (1,940kg) to be exact. To put into context, a 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet is about 800 pounds lighter than the AMG SL. To aid in dealing with the added heft, this AMG SL 55 has the optional Performance Package ($6,900) which adds some cool items such as a performance limited-slip differential, hydraulic anti-roll bars, and four-wheel steering which turns the rear wheels up to 2.5 degrees. All these working together helps make this heavyweight feel more agile to drive above sixth-tenths when you do decide to take it canyon-carving, or even to a track if you really are feeling optimistic. To tame all this power and weight are superb brakes; standard six-piston front calipers with single piston units in the rear always give you confidence when scrubbing off speed before a corner. Although they are not the optional carbon ceramic brakes, these composite brakes are more than enough for most people and will certainly have lower running costs come time for servicing them.
The motor is still hand-built by one individual in traditional AMG fashion, embodying the “one man, one engine” philosophy. Marco Leonardo built this particular “M177” 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, making 469 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It’s a characterful engine that oozes aura and theatre, especially in Sport+ mode when all the exhaust baffles opened up. Torque is available at an instant, and feels like it just wants to keep going up until it’s 7,000 RPM redline. Although it’s not as gut wrenching and blistering quick as the top-dog SL 63, the 55 is more than powerful enough for its target demographic and plenty fast to get from your country club to your local Starbucks drive-thru and back, while your spinach feta wrap is still warm. Even in Comfort mode, you can still hear the hum of this powerful V8 reverberate against buildings in dense urban areas. No matter where you drive, people will stare at you.
Driving impressions
Mated to Mercedes-AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT MCT nine-speed automatic, the SL 55 is good for a zero-to-100 km/h sprint in about 3.9 seconds. It doesn’t use a traditional torque converter as with most automatics, but rather a wet multi-clutch setup in order to experience faster and more direct shifts. It feels almost dual-clutch automatic in nature in terms of experiencing most of the power the engine has on tap. When you don’t want to experience the blistering fast shifts, it defaults to being a really good automatic transmission in terms of smoothness and knowing which gear to be in. The one drawback of this particular automatic is that it occasionally stutters off the line from a full stop, but smooths out as soon as the car is in motion. It’s not as good as the ZF eight-speed automatic you would find in a BMW, but it’s almost as refined while puttering around town minus the occasional hiccup from a stop.
For a vehicle like this, fuel economy should be low on the totem pole. Officially rated at 18.2 L/100 km city, 11.3 highway, and 14.2 combined, I averaged a laughable 17.0 L/100 km in mixed driving thanks to the aggressive tuning in Sport+ and my heavy right foot that never got tired of experiencing that V8 which pulls like a freight train. In one quest where I actually challenged myself to practice some form of restraint, the best numbers I saw on a 50-kilometre highway stint were 10.0 L/100 km. That is honestly impressive for a high-performance V8 and is a testament to modern engineering.
Final thoughts
The 2025 Mercedes-AMG SL 55 is not a car without its flaws. With an as-tested price of $188,500 before additional fees, it’s up against some stiff competition such as the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet and BMW M850i xDrive Cabriolet, the latter of which is the performance bargain of the three. Price aside, the SL 55 will never cease to put a smile on your face, especially since you will always hear that V8 sing, even with the top up. If you think a 911 is too common of a sight at Cars & Coffee, or that the BMW M850i looks like a Mustang that snuck into a dinner party, the Mercedes SL may be your meal ticket for uniqueness, personality, and overall theatre.
