THE ALL-NEW MERCEDES-AMG SL 43 HAS ARRIVED IN SA, AND IT'S FIRE!
There’s a new addition to the exclusive and iconic SL series, the all-new and ridiculously good-looking Mercedes-AMG presents the SL 43. Being the entry to the SL nameplate, it has the smallest engine of the lot, a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, but true to the AMG side of things, it’s got some punch to it. Rated at 280 kW with a healthy 480 Nm of torque (with an extra short-term boost of 10 kW/150 Nm from the RSG in certain driving situations) with power sent to the rear wheels via a lightning-fast 9-speed AMG Speedshift transmission. As expected with such a prestigious model, the luxury appointments are second-to-none and all the latest technologies, including the trickle-down stuff from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team's development, are used throughout. On the F1 note, the SL 43 AMG is the world's first series-produced car to feature an electric exhaust gas turbocharger. That F1 technology shows, the car has no turbo lag in any way. Ok, sure, we didn’t drive it at speeds you’d possibly feel any lag, we were way, way above that, but the throttle response out of corners is instantaneous, and is a great way to test the traction control system. While purists will prefer a 2+2 roadster to have a bigger powerplant, there’s no faulting the performance of the SL 43. Mercedes-AMG has already proven they know what they’re doing with small capacity powerplants, I mean the turbocharged 2.0-litre in the latest A45 S is cranking out 310 kW…
The SL 43 is a proper sportscar, and for those that live by facts and figures, it can shunt from standstill to 100 km/h in a quick 4.9 seconds thanks to a new Race Start function (launch control of sorts) and has an electronically-limited top speed of 275 km/h. With all the fancy suspension in play, including a multi-link front axle with five links arranged entirely within the rim (the first production car to feature this), the latest generation of AMG adaptive adjustable damping and a host of drive modes, the car is able to handle amazingly well, and Sport+ mode is the one to use when you have the opportunity to take one around Kyalami as part of the #AMGtourSA event. Buyers can also option active rear-axle steering, which depending on the speed, enables the rear wheels to steer either in the opposite direction (up to 100 km/h) or in the same direction (over 100 km/h) as the front wheels. We love that there’s a fabric soft top in play too, it’s the way a roadster is meant to be. The change lowers the centre of gravity and shaves a decent 21 kg off the overall weight. It takes around 15 seconds for it to open or close, and you can even do it up to 60 km/h, so on a Camps Bay cruise you can open it and close it 1000 times passing the popular restaurants. To make it feel more advanced, it can be operated from the infotainment touchscreen. Everything can be accessed via the screen, car setup, comfort features, displays and settings. There’s so much to it that we half expect dealerships to offer training courses to teach buyers how to play with all the settings. There are pages and pages of features and functions in the SL 43, and if you want them, head on over to the Mercedes-AMG website and be prepared to spend some time reading up. As you’d expect from an SL-badges AMG, it’s not cheap, retail here in SA starts at R2 449 500. The only local competitor we can think of is the BMW Z4 M40i which features a turbocharged inline 6 producing 285 kW/500 Nm that’s sent to the rears via an 8-speed transmission, and that starts at R1 340 000. We had to double-check that, but yeah, it’s pretty much a million Rand difference. Yoh. That won't stop the AMG fanatics from ordering though, we're sure of it.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off just how fast this all-new Mercedes-AMG SL 43 AMG is. This is now the entry into SL ownership and it features a turbocharged 2.0-litre powerplant rated at 280 kW with 480 Nm of torque plus an additional short-term boost of 10 kW/150Nm from the RSG in certain driving situations. Click through to see what that does on the Autobahn: Mercedes-AMG SL43 Autobahn Test! Top Speed! | MoscarblogBe sure to check out our YouTube channel here for more exciting and exclusive SXdrv content! And don't forget to smash that subscribe button!
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Cars Cabriolet Cabrio Droptop SL43 SL SL 43 AMG SXdrv Mercedes-Benz AMG Mercedes-AMG AMGTourSA