Mercedes-Benz SL 280 Review

Branded bags are pretty interesting, even if you don't own one. From a social perspective, there are many of those who like to be seen carrying them around, some who want to be seen with one and some who really do fancy their designs. And then there are those who buy them because they know they'll look good with one.

The second group are easy to spot. You know, the typical young lady with the kind of fashion sense that would put off even Stevie Wonder, wearing yellow slippers and carrying a big Gucci handbag wider than her body. Chances are she's either really rich or has a sugar daddy. Or, she must have spent all her money on the bag and had nothing left for decent clothes and food.

The thing is, the designer label bags may be pretty, but they certainly don't always go well with the owner. Just like clothes, what looks good on some might not be on others.

Just like the Mercedes-Benz SL 280. It's a sexy car, no doubt about it. Taking some of the most popular design cues from previous models and combining them together artistically, this latest iteration from the Germans is probably one of the best looking SLs to date.

It's visually far more aggressive than the last SL and carries sharper angles to accentuate it. The headlamps, for example, are no longer as elegant and round; they're angled now to give the impression that you'd be in trouble for staring at it.

Gracing its front grille again is the single louvre design that appeared on the famous 300 SL, as well as the second generation W113 models. There's more heritage in new facelift's looks, too. The twin "power domes" that run along the length of the bonnet are taken from the legendary Gullwing, just like the "gills" on the sides behind the front wheels.
Powering its rear wheels with 231 hp and 300 Nm of torque is a 3.0-litre V6 engine, capable of pushing the SL 280 to a top speed of a 250 km/h. In a full-throttled start, it gets to a hundred in 7.8 seconds. Not exactly as fast as it looks, but this SL wasn't built for speed as much as it was for cruising around stylishly. But if you really love its looks and want a sensation closer to what the original Gullwing might have provided, there's the mighty 525 hp V8 SL 63.

Unlike its mad 6.2-litre brother, the SL 280 won't try to wear out its tyres as quickly as possible every time you make the tiniest mistake with your right foot. The chassis does have a little flex, manifesting as occasional scuttle shakes, but while driving around town, it's pleasing enough to the bum. There's no need for you to work its engine hard to enjoy the car.

And forget about the handling. Not that it's bad, but it's just not the sort of thing one should pay attention to when buying an SL.

In fact, for this, being a roadster, you're expected to put the top down and saunter about. The priority is really more about the style than the speed.
And it's not very forgiving that way. The aura that the SL projects is one that won't tolerate sloppiness, especially when you're getting in or out of the car. Can you imagine a middle-aged man with a little shiny patch on the top of his head, wearing some polo tee and sporting a not-so-sporty stomach, tucked tightly into a pair of bermudas, struggling out of the SL. A Chery, yes. SL? Oh no.

Compare that with seeing an early-thirties gentleman getting out of his topless Mercedes, still looking fit, casually sporting a nice shirt, fitting jeans and a pair of sunshades, and you know which one you'd rather look at. The same goes for the guys checking out ladies in their convertibles.

Just like some of high street's fashion, the SL matches only the chic and fashionable. If you think you can just don a t-shirt, shorts and head out if it, you actually can. But don't get mad when people on the street start ridiculing you.

The price tags on one of those Italian or French bags may be high, and another bag at a tenth of its cost can easily carry the same amount of make-up powder, phones, wallet, mirrors, more make-up powder, lip sticks, creams and more make-up powder. But put both bags on the same person and you probably will be able to see the difference. That said, I'm assuming they're of good designs relative to their price range.

With cars, it's quite the same. Brad Pitt getting out of one of these cars isn't quite the same as Brad Pitt stepping out of a Hyundai Tuscani.

At a starting price of S$349,888, it is quite a bit of money and in that range, there's also the Jaguar XKR Convertible and BMW's 650i. The 6 Series last saw a facelift only in 2005, compared to the other two's more recent designs, and while it probably offers very competitive handling and performance, its looks don't excite as much as the SL does.

Few cars seem to place such high importance on having their owners look as good as the car itself. But with the SL 280 (or even any of the other Mercedes-Benz SL models), there is a minimum level of respect you need to give the car, and it's style, before you yourself get some in return.