German engineering
Among all SLs, the R230 series is probably the least loved. Why this is so, we don’t really understand now. Introduced in October 2001, it is one of the last “true” Mercedes-Benz, was still developed and then built with respect for all the rules of German engineering. And even if there was a lot of help from computers in the design: the fifth SL generation is still a real Sacco. Whether it was his masterpiece, well, one can certainly be divided on that.
The R230 standing in front of us is only 20 years old. You can’t really tell that from the outside, because in the past, the star still had the claim that every model should become a classic. Back then, the Benz was a big, heavy hulk, which was also chalked up to its predecessor, the R129. Today it seems almost filigree, light-footed; every mid-size SUV is longer than this luxury-class roadster. It is 4.53 metres long. And only 1.81 metres in width.
Inside, however, a lot of time has really passed. The wood veneer looks like something out of a bad 1980s film, there are still a lot of switches and buttons and toggle levers; no, it’s not that we would miss modern touchscreens, but in terms of ergonomics there have been striking advances over the past two decades. And what used to cost extra and was called multi-contour comfort seats now looks like the command chair from Starship Enterprise. But one thing is for sure: they are indeed comfortable. And when the roof is open, you don’t feel cramped in the 1.81-metre width.
And it also drives decently. Our example is powered by the familiar 5-litre V8 (M113 E50 – the E stands for intake manifold injection), 306 hp, 460 Nm maximum torque between 2700 and 4250 rpm, three valves per cylinder. Officially, the 500 SL is said to have been able to heave itself from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds, but today one might not even believe that. And not necessarily to be attempted. The five-speed automatic shifts ponderously but smoothly, but if you kick the Benz too hard, you’ll scare it in the first place. It then searches for a suitable gear, and by the time it has found it, the driver’s head has usually cooled down again and the whole car continues to drive as relaxed as before. Let’s put it this way: 20 years ago this was certainly top-notch – today it’s peaceful, relaxed.
So we roll along, listening to the bubbling of the eight-cylinder engine (and not thinking about the next stop at the petrol station; 20 years ago, double-digit fuel consumption was still a good thing), enjoying the comfortable chassis. Back then, Active Body Control (ABC), including roll stabilisation, was the icing on the cake. Even today, there is nothing to complain about; the R230 can still glide easily, even at a brisk pace, at a very high level. It was never good at slamming up hills, the sluggish automatic prevented that. And it was no better with the AMG versions (SL 55 AMG from 2022), they were far too top-heavy, the front axle often went amazing ways.
But why are we writing all this, what do we care about a 20-year-old Benz? At the Oldtimer Galerie in Toffen, this very example will go under the hammer on 15 October 2022. Checkbook maintained, as they say, with 160’000 kilometres, a complete service booklet, in general a very fine condition. But the real hammer is: the estimated price is between 14’000 and 16’000 Swiss francs. The main reason for this is that R230s are not very popular. And consequently, they are not particularly sought after. Moreover, almost 170,000 units were sold during its ten-year construction period, so it will never become a collector’s item.
But: What else can you get for that money today? Okay, a new Dacia Sandero. But what else? The used car market has dried up, even white Octavia Combi with 300,000 dealer kilometres on the clock are trading higher. But here we have an electric folding steel roof, multi-contour leather comfort seats, a really fine eight-cylinder, a genuine Sacco. There is nothing to be said against it.
All offers of the autumn auction of the Oldtimer Gallerie can be found: here. And we still have plenty of good stuff in the archives.
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