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Mercedes SL55 AMG

Mileage: 57,124 Top Speed: 155 Year: 2002 0 - 60: 4.5 MOT Expiry: 12 Months BHP: 476 Tax Expiry: Expired Transmission: 5 Speed Automatic Exterior Colour: Silver Engine Capacity: 5439cc Interior Colour: Grey Leather Engine Configuration: V8

Mercedes SL55 AMG | £17,495

Mileage: 57,124

Model History

The Mercedes SL range was already a well established and a respected series in the manufacturers line up. The R230 SL was the fifth generation of the hugely successful line up which had started way back in 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sport Leicht, or Sport Lightweight and was first applied to the 300SL 'Gullwing' named also after its gullwing or upward-opening doors.

 

The R230 version replaced the R129 which had run from 89-02. Produced from 02-11 the fifth generation SL, R230, featured a folding hard top named by Mercedes as the Vario Roof. Initially the car was only available with a 5L V8 in 500SL format followed shortly after with the mighty SL55 AMG version featuring a tuned supercharged version of the 500SLs V8 engine.

 

AMG used the M113 V8 engine from the SL500 however significant work has gone into the redesign of the engine for its AMG application, The hand-assembled engine is stroked from 84 millimeters to 92, increasing displacement from 4966cc to 5439, and the forged aluminum pistons drop the compression ratio from 10.0:1 to 9:0:1. There are heavy-duty bearings with cross-bolted mains at the bottom end, plus a new sump and a more powerful oil pump. Top-end mods include double valve springs, reprofiled cams, and bigger intake and exhaust plumbing taking the power of the engine to a whopping 493bhp.

 

The AMG engineers also adapted the brakes, axles, wheels and tyres along with subtle styling modifications such as dynamic AMG-style bumpers, side skirts and 18" multi-spoke alloy wheels. The options list was endless and included Panoramic roof, Keyless go, Parktronic, Exclusive Leather, Multicontour seats with Massage, Mobile phone prep, TV Tuner and Distronic.

 

The SL55 AMG was the preferred choice for the FIA safety car in the 2002 F1 Grand Prix season.

Equipment

Proximity controlled cruise control, Parking sensors, Climate control, Multi-contour seat adjustment, Panoramic roof, ABC suspension, Folding electric mirrors, Bi-xenon headlights, AMG styling package, CD changer, Nokia telephone, TV, Keyless go, Electric windows, Bose speaker system.

Exterior

This SL55 is presented in the Mercedes classic, Brilliant Silver Metallic, a dazzling shade of light silver paintwork. Every panel on the car remains with its factory coat of paint and is in tremendous condition with a deep metallic hue, under close inspection there are very few stone chips or blemishes to be found anywhere on the body. Both bumpers and waist line trim are colour coded, blending into the paintwork perfectly, showing no signs of scuffs or damage.

Interior

Spec'd with the elegant panoramic glass roof, the interior space of the SL55 feels spacious and bright with the exclusive grey leather adorning almost every surface adding to radiant atmosphere. Sitting in the perfectly positioned, supportive leather seats you notice the interior is rich in fine detail, from the beautiful sweeping leather stitched dashboard to the Alcantara instrument binnacle. Contrasting the abundance of grey leather is one single piece of beautiful dark grey centre console trim that neatly houses the switch gear and interface, stretching back to the drivers armrest. All of the interior remains in excellent condition throughout with exception of a very light amount of wear to be found to the gear knob.

Engine & Transmission

The SL55s supercharged 5.4L power plant fires up with a reverberating V8 rumble after ignition and produces an impressive 476bhp at 6100rpm. The mechanics of the SL have always been maintained to the highest standard exclusively by Mercedes-Benz with a fully stamped service record to confirm. The smooth 5 speed automatic gearbox can also be operated using paddle-shift that is located on the steering column for faster gear changes, helping to pull the car up to 60mph in an astonishing 4.7 seconds.

Wheels, Tyres & Brakes

The 18" AMG spoked alloy wheels are in superb condition with no unsightly marks or scuffs to be found, the polished lips are still gleaming with no lacquer damage. The wheels are wrapped in a matching set of Pirelli P-zero tyres. The large 8-pot AMG branded callipers are clasped to the 355mm brake discs, together they provide excellent braking performance, feeling powerful and responsive.

History File

This SL55 was first registered in November 2002 and supplied new by Mercedes-Benz Stockport. All the owner's manuals are present within the Mercedes document holder including the service booklet which has 8 stamps, all of which are at the correct intervals and undertaken by Mercedes-Benz, the majority being from the supplying dealer. The most recent inspection was in September 2012 at 56k miles by Mercedes-Benz Chelsea.