The Mercedes SL is one of the most iconic Mercedes models. The SL family started with none other than the iconic, 1954 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing (W198). For better or worse, later generations of the SL became less sporty and more luxury-oriented, to the point where the SL was called the “old man’s sports car”. However, the current, seventh-generation took things in a different direction and brought back the edge that the SL was missing for so long. This, automatically, makes the R232 the best Mercedes SL ever made, and here’s why.

The first SL developed by AMG

While every generation of the Mercedes SL since the R129 model was offered as an AMG model, none of them have been developed by AMG from the start. Like the Mercedes SLS AMG and its successor, the AMG GT, the 2023 Mercedes SL was developed by AMG, independently. If you know AMG’s resume, you would know that the mad scientists from Affalterbach have a long list of crazy performance variants based on various Mercedes models.

The same outfit that modified a 1968 Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3, transformed it into the car known as the ‘Rote Sau” (Red Pig), and won races with it, has been developing high-performance, road-going models for over a decade, and the seventh-generation Mercedes SL is the latest among them. This means that the Mercedes AMG SL is the first-ever SL that is a proper sports car and not a lofty cruiser with only a hint of sportiness.

Superior power-to-weight ratio

Many of AMG’s creations have been dubbed “German Muscle” and for good reason. Until not too long ago, the AMG treatment meant, almost exclusively, V-8 power under the hood. Models like the Mercedes AMG A45 super hatch and the Mercedes AMG SL43, both of which are powered by a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-four are a perfect example that the winds of change are upon us. The AMG SL still comes with V-8 power in the form of the AMG SL55 and AMG SL63, both of which have the venerable, 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8.

All SL generations until now were not exactly lightweight. While things started improving with the R230 and R231 generations, all versions before that were pigs by comparison. The new Mercedes AMG SL is built alongside the AMG GT, and the two German performance cars share a platform. In addition to making the R232 SL much sportier than its predecessors, it also helps keep the weight down.

Granted, the range-topping AMG SL63 tips the scales at 4,178 pounds (1,895 kg), but it also packs 585 horsepower (430 kilowatts) and 590 pound-feet (800 Nm), from its twin-turbo V-8, making for a much better power-to-weight ratio than any other V-8-powered SL before it. Thanks to an on-demand, all-wheel-drive system, and a nine-speed, SPEEDSHIFT MCT transmission, the 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) takes 3.4 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 196 mph (316 km/h).

A true two + two roadster

One thing that the 2023 Mercedes AMG SL brought back was the rear seats. Of course, being a sportier model, the second-row seats are not the most usable, but they are there should you need them. The last Mercedes SL that had rear seats was the R129 model, however, that was for EU spec models only, and U.S. cars, instead, received a luggage shelf.

Regardless, the rear seats made a comeback for the 2023 model year, and it seems all markets will get the Mercedes AMG SL as a two-plus-two-seater. In theory, this allows you to take two extra friends on a trip. Whether they would want to talk to you again after is another question altogether, but the extra “people space” is there nonetheless.

Good enough to replace two models?

While the Mercedes AMG SL does not replace the AMG GT, it will take the place of the AMG GT Roadster. Moreover, the AMG SL also takes the places of the more lavish S-Class Coupe and S-Class Cabriolet, which like the AMG GT Roadster, are no longer available. With that said, the 2023 Mercedes AMG SL is bridging the gap between the sportier AMG GT and the luxurious behemoth that was the S-Class Coupe/Cabriolet.

It’s clear that the AMG SL will be the more usable version of the AMG Roadster, and it will be sportier than the two-door S-Class, although not quite as comfortable. With that said, the traditional, four-door S-Class is the only executive sedan that experienced a sales bump over the last two years and it far outsold its two-door counterpart, rendering it practically obsolete. The same train of thought paved the way for four-door coupes. Despite not being the brand’s bestseller, the SL has always been an iconic nameplate for Mercedes-Benz and the 2023 AMG SL is already proving to be the best one yet.