5:35 The perfect example of why Chris is a genuine car guy, not just doing it for a job. “I spend my life exposing myself to shit I can’t afford” AMEN!
@@TheDoosh79 Not really, he’s done well for himself and is able to daily a 911. Which I assume he comfortably affords or afforded if bought outright. If he’s used finance to pay for it (or a portion of it) then I assume that payment is what he’s comfortable paying and wouldn’t want to pay more for another vehicle. Even if he’s bought it outright, we don’t know his other financial commitments (might be buying a house or setting up a business for examples) so couldn’t afford unnecessary outgoings at the minute.
The buyer of this car should be required to present it to a recognised expert annually to verify that it _hasn't_ become the world's most sacrilegious donor car! Truly an iron fist in a velvet glove....
I hope Chris made all the money in the world from TG but I cannot help noticing how much more relaxed, more like the Chris of old he comes off ever since that ship has sailed. Good for him.
"I spend my life exposing myself to shit I can't afford". I felt that... I really felt that Chris. Thank you so much for sharing your universe with us. Blessings mate!
I have an R129 SL500 1996 with 7,000m from new…lovely thumping V8 and this era of Mercedes are just the epitome of engineering excellence at that time.
@@axe2grind244 Ha no…it was kept in a storage facility in Osaka, Japan. When it was imported into the U.K. in 2021 it had 4,000m at that point and I’ve added another 3,000m since with a couple of blasts across to mainland Europe. There are some amazing old school Mercs and BMW’s that are starting to make their way out of Japan in recent years.
Hello Chris. Great video! I remember around 1999, when the silver SL 73 was being tested by newsrooms in Croatia. Most of the journalists then drove 300 km/h + for the first time.
When i went to Brunei, you'd see the Sultan on TV performing various civic duties and attending meetings etc, he'd often be seen arriving in this car. I think this was his preferred daily driver car. I even saw him fly past when i was out and about, the police scream ahead on their motorcycles and hold the traffic, and he comes belting along at 100mph in this thing
@@Escygt Brunei is a tiny place. I'm obviously generalising when I say daily driver because he obviously didn't go out every single day and he has lots of other cars But i did see him out in this car.
Funny thing which is almost sure is that the sultan probably had 5 or even 10 of these SL73, especially if you say it was one of his favourites cars. He is very well known of buying multiple “copies” of every car the family owned, even the most limited ones, usually coming in different and very special trims, you can find incredible stories about his rare bespoken vehicles.
Chris you should check the SL made by CRB! CRB is a garage I am working with and they have built an insane SL which is the result of a former McLaren designer and a former Mercedes f1 mechanic
I'm curious about the warning(?) lights on the dash at 4:34! An interesting video, as I lived in Brunei for 8 years and had an ex-Royal Family Porsche 964. I now have an R230 SL63 - also with 525BHP!
Chris should review the mercedes benz sl made by CRB. It looks a litlle bit... Well... Diferent, but the car is one of the best sounding pieces of engeniering, and it drives great. Its a super cool project
The mono wiper is so mesmerizing. I had one. It makes the little cog pattern of the water droplets that it misses at its base. It’s the only innovation in wiper technology, since the invention of the wipers, in my opinion.
On the E class E240 4 speed manual saloon was great. You can see it trying to wipe the corners as much as possible. Good old days. Now it's just a lot of half arsed junk around 😂
Had a R129 SL500 back in my UK days. Black with grey interior and AMG deep dish alloys. Lovely car, Very solid Pulled strong on the motorway late at night with 4 on board… good memories..
I'm a privileged owner of a W220 S65 AMG, 6L V12, 612PS and 1000Nm... and I know for fact that I wouldn't mind having that 73 parked next to it!!! What a car!!! That SL is Vito Corleone, and mine is Michael Corleone... :)
Love these R129s. There used to be a black SL73 at an office I worked at. It sounded menacing and brutal. It belonged to John Frankenheimer, director of Grand Prix and Ronin. Legendary car for a legendary car guy.
Drove the RenTech version of this a few years back with the same 7.3, was an absolute hoot to drive and the 5G-Tronic trans had a fantastic tune in it, it banged gears with crisp shifts.
R129 SL is one of my favorite Mercedes models on looks alone and that car is the ultimate dream sleeper. 🖤 Hope no-one fecks it up my tearing the engine out. Also love seeing Chris being his relaxed self in these kinds of more casual reviews.
Used to have R129 500SL 326 PS (240kW) in white color, MAE rims (OZ Racing) 10.5J in front 265/35/18 - 12.5J in rear 285/30/18 Michelins, MAE exhaust and AMG steering wheel.Such a cool car... 😉
These kinds of car reviews from Britain are usually far too scripted and with desperate searches for unusual phrases. Annoying and pointless often. But this video and the host are excellent. Spot on beginning to end. So natural and appropriate for the car. I’m so impressed and now subscribed.
Lovely car. The thing that makes the Brunei cars *even* rarer is that they are RHD - the others are all LHD. One very small point about having twin chromed AMG tailpipes - it's quite true that these weren't standard on any other model (including the SL60), but back in the day Mercedes listed the back box as an accessory part for any R129. Extremely rare to see one though as they were very expensive at the time. Back in 2006 I managed to negotiate a bargain price on a 'new old stock' one gathering dust on a shelf in Germany 🙂
Hi Chris, glad to have you back. So glad you got rid of the deadwood that you had hung round your neck. Looking forward, (back???), to more of the old Chris.
There was a time you were driving, man. I am nostalgic of Drivers’ republic… This video reminds me how much time has been flying since that holly period…
I really can’t help myself😖. Thumbnail says “Powered by a Zonda engine”. Pagani don’t make engines🤦🏻♂️. Mental health satisfied so now I can say I bloody love that Merc. Such a gorgeous body🤤
Remember when we were at the AMG factory years back and we saw one of the Sultan of Bruneis S73 T AMG in for service, back when AMG was more of a skunkworks rather than just a spec level
The best scenario for this rare Mercedes is someone who loves driving his cars and not just keeping them as garage queens to buy the SL73 AMG and use it as much as possible
As the Americans say, "there is no replacement for displacement. "... Great car, and curious to see that the W210 E55 got a lot of that interior... i really miss that mecanical door shut. When things were made with pride and to last.
What I absolutely love is the fact that even though it has a planet sized 7.3 V12 in the front, it only a simple, one sided, twin exhaust. If that is not the definition of a "I don't need to prove anything to anyone" flex !
Please make more videos, this could become such a massive platform, I listen to the podcast and watch every video……. With top gear now gone this helps easy the pain
what an absolute beauty of a car 😍
Whoa, what are you doing here?
what an absolute beauty of a comment 😍
you get it
What and absolute beast of a car. Dont make them like they used to
Did your guide dog tell you that? It looks standard. Even the cover over the engine could be faked for £20
5:35 The perfect example of why Chris is a genuine car guy, not just doing it for a job.
“I spend my life exposing myself to shit I can’t afford” AMEN!
Although a bit tongue in cheek coming from someone who runs a GT3 Touring as a daily snotter!
Erm, he CAN afford them.
@@TheDoosh79exactly 😂
@@TheDoosh79 Not really, he’s done well for himself and is able to daily a 911.
Which I assume he comfortably affords or afforded if bought outright. If he’s used finance to pay for it (or a portion of it) then I assume that payment is what he’s comfortable paying and wouldn’t want to pay more for another vehicle. Even if he’s bought it outright, we don’t know his other financial commitments (might be buying a house or setting up a business for examples) so couldn’t afford unnecessary outgoings at the minute.
how much?
As great as Zonda's are, it would be a crime against humanity to tear apart such a gorgeous R129 SL.
Is it gorgeous ?
Looks more like the ultimate sleeper car to me
It needs to stay as it is.
Ripping it to pieces would be a travesty.
I actually like this sort of thing more than a Zonda tbh.
The buyer of this car should be required to present it to a recognised expert annually to verify that it _hasn't_ become the world's most sacrilegious donor car! Truly an iron fist in a velvet glove....
Zonda is the lamest car company on earth.
I HATE it when people say 7.3 Benz’s are “powered by a Zonda Engine” No. Zondas are powered by an AMG engine. 💯
It's not powered by a zonda engine, zonda is powered by this engine
Exactly. Zonda is powered by a Mercedes engine!
Its like when people call the R8 V10 a Lambo engine.
its a beefed up M120
its a beefed up M120
He knows that!
Could watch Harris all day… these videos are never long enough
Totally agree !!!!!👍🇦🇺
We've got some long ones in store!
It's all top drawer! don't keep us waiting too long for more. Please.@@collectingcars
"Why do i do this? I spend my life exposing my life to sh*t i can't afford!"
Co-feels Mr. Harris 😂
What is ownership? He gets loaner cars that I can’t afford. Loaner ship?
@@NewCastleIndianathat’s car is priceless…. he’s comparing it to zonda’s lol…. gives u an idea of the price category it falls jnton
@@plopplop1984 ok, so at least 13,000. got it! 🙂
The build quality on the R129 SL is superb whichever model you buy. A very special car.
Except for the plastic. That’s all is brittle and breaks
I hope Chris made all the money in the world from TG but I cannot help noticing how much more relaxed, more like the Chris of old he comes off ever since that ship has sailed. Good for him.
I can't agree more. Apart from the ship sailing part. That thing sank like a stone.
yea someone free Chris from top gear. Hope he makes his bag for a few more years and returns to us
@@quincylinder9738 it‘s been canceled. That‘s what I was alluding to wirh my original post.
oh damn i didnt even see. Well im not glad it was because of a pretty serious crash. But I am happy hes back. @@sebastiankaiser5165
Is Chris not with TG anymore?
Dear lord what a monster that was back then (still is). Seriously cool car.
Im the biggest Zonda fan, but this is cooler to me than a Zonda.
Yeah I think it kinda is. My dream is a Zonda R.....and a private race track, but this? This is like the super car Lotus Carlton.
What a beautiful example and in my perfect specification......no modern car could give me as much envy as I have for this !
Bruno Sacco designed the most iconic looking Mercedes vehicles.
"I spend my life exposing myself to shit I can't afford". I felt that... I really felt that Chris. Thank you so much for sharing your universe with us. Blessings mate!
Agree, this is one of the best looking MBs and it would be a shame to gut it for a zonda.
No SL73s are having their engines harvested to power Zonda's.
People are just dumb. The R129 looks better then any screaming for attention zonda which are cool cars but more for the Vitrine then a garage.
Chris, if you liked the SL 73, you really should check what the chaps at CRB are doing, mind blowing!
I have an R129 SL500 1996 with 7,000m from new…lovely thumping V8 and this era of Mercedes are just the epitome of engineering excellence at that time.
Wow….that has got to be one of the lowest mileage R129s in the world. Did you find this in a retirement community in Florida or Arizona lol?
@@axe2grind244 Ha no…it was kept in a storage facility in Osaka, Japan. When it was imported into the U.K. in 2021 it had 4,000m at that point and I’ve added another 3,000m since with a couple of blasts across to mainland Europe. There are some amazing old school Mercs and BMW’s that are starting to make their way out of Japan in recent years.
@@NickForest999 There is a rare, low mileage example of every cool car ever made sitting in a garage in Japan it seems lol. Well done m8
It's all about them cars from Japan. Particularly no rust issues
Love the japanese people for taking good care of stuff, in Germany cars like these end in the press @@axe2grind244
Hello Chris. Great video! I remember around 1999, when the silver SL 73 was being tested by newsrooms in Croatia. Most of the journalists then drove 300 km/h + for the first time.
A bit weird when this sl73 looks pre '95. Odd looking car in my opinion, sl73 but still...
@@vladimirgeorgiev8126this is a facelift car with Gen I AMG kit. Could be ordered with either kit by request (especially if youre from the BRF)
I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't know this car existed until this video - what a thing! Amazing!
there's a 70 too.
@@asr1143 Nope, didn't know that either! I need to read a book...
@@harpersneil - Charles Ironside had the other RHD SL73 for sale 12 years ago. Think it sold for £30k.
Your not alone 🥴 but I'm sure like me your glad it exists 😄
@@tonycole6877 Abso-bloody-lutely! 👍🏻
Beautiful and very special.
We had the pleasure of working on it - what an amazing car 🙏
Too bad you guys couldn´t find the AMG engine stamp, as i was told.
Chris, you should check the SL made by CRB! It's a monster, 770 HP!
When i went to Brunei, you'd see the Sultan on TV performing various civic duties and attending meetings etc, he'd often be seen arriving in this car. I think this was his preferred daily driver car. I even saw him fly past when i was out and about, the police scream ahead on their motorcycles and hold the traffic, and he comes belting along at 100mph in this thing
Not sure this checks out, it's done 2000km
@@Escygt Brunei is a tiny place. I'm obviously generalising when I say daily driver because he obviously didn't go out every single day and he has lots of other cars But i did see him out in this car.
He probably disconnects the speed sensor for resale values! 🤣@@crazyfroggie6546
Funny thing which is almost sure is that the sultan probably had 5 or even 10 of these SL73, especially if you say it was one of his favourites cars. He is very well known of buying multiple “copies” of every car the family owned, even the most limited ones, usually coming in different and very special trims, you can find incredible stories about his rare bespoken vehicles.
@@correzzana1992 very possibly.
If I don’t drive my M156 for a few weeks I tend to appreciate it more. I have a 735hp Holden but the Mercedes puts the package together.
as a few people mention Chris, if you can you should check the SL from CRB ,stunning car and it is a beast
The King of cars
Chris you should check the SL made by CRB!
CRB is a garage I am working with and they have built an insane SL which is the result of a former McLaren designer and a former Mercedes f1 mechanic
ruclips.net/video/UwcD9VjWRMQ/видео.htmlsi=Hva5c4Ow9QT1zJI6
Any links? Can’t seem to find anything on CRB?
I'm curious about the warning(?) lights on the dash at 4:34! An interesting video, as I lived in Brunei for 8 years and had an ex-Royal Family Porsche 964. I now have an R230 SL63 - also with 525BHP!
As an owner of 2 R129 500s.
This is the car dreams are made of. Thanks for this so much!! Love it!
Glad you like it!
Soon as saw Chris Harris I’m hooked !
This car reminded me of a black BMW 850CSi I saw in a video a couple of years ago, both running a V12 and look absolutely amazing.
Hi Chris, next video should be about the SL made by CRB! Check it out as that is mindblowing! Love your passion and hard work in the automotive space!
I second that Chris, absolute monster of a car
Hola soy Fernando desde argentina, lo conozco a claudio (CRB) y todos sus trabajos son impecables. Buen año!!.
Can anyone help me find that CRB SL and check it out? unless it's a joke :D
@@DzigiHarmonikas youtube.com/@crbmotorsports907?si=hpl54eJgkBi3lyQx
@@DzigiHarmonikas check crb sl600 project mistico v12
Ah the R129. Peak Merc right there.
And this beast, wow.
cars back then were so much more fun and had like a soul i cant describe it but i love to drive old cars
Chris, you must try the SL 73 from CRB garage !! It's an absolute beast of a car ... it will blow your mind !!
I had a renntech 7.4L R129 SL a few years ago. Can confirm how epic they are.
Absolutely love this, its a " if you know you know" kind of car. This has Neil Cliffords name written all over it.👍👏
I had an SL60 - the car immediately 'under' this one - a 6L AMG V8. I called it the rocket. Great car.
Always lusted after an SL73 though...
You had the better car unless you lived near an autobahn. The extra weight in the nose does not do the V12 SL any favours on a twisty road.
Chris should review the mercedes benz sl made by CRB. It looks a litlle bit... Well... Diferent, but the car is one of the best sounding pieces of engeniering, and it drives great. Its a super cool project
wasnt a big fan of whatever car show you were on, but this youtube channel is amazing and really shows your passion.
Chris you should check the SL made by CRB! Please please!!!
harris content left right and centre and im all here for it.
keep. it. coming.
I'm so happy Chris doesn't bother with RUclips intro's. Intro's do my head in.
More of this please! Long live Chris Harris on cars.
Lots more in store!
That single wiper is so so Epic
The mono wiper is so mesmerizing. I had one. It makes the little cog pattern of the water droplets that it misses at its base. It’s the only innovation in wiper technology, since the invention of the wipers, in my opinion.
On the E class E240 4 speed manual saloon was great. You can see it trying to wipe the corners as much as possible. Good old days. Now it's just a lot of half arsed junk around 😂
I’m so happy CH is back on RUclips. He should never have left.
Chris you should check the SL made by CRB!
Had a R129 SL500 back in my UK days.
Black with grey interior and AMG deep dish alloys.
Lovely car,
Very solid
Pulled strong on the motorway late at night with 4 on board… good memories..
I'm a privileged owner of a W220 S65 AMG, 6L V12, 612PS and 1000Nm... and I know for fact that I wouldn't mind having that 73 parked next to it!!! What a car!!!
That SL is Vito Corleone, and mine is Michael Corleone... :)
Chris, I was drawn to your authenticity the first time I saw you many years ago. You’re even better these days. 👍
Glad you enjoyed!
It's called THE HAMMER for a reason ;)
Love these R129s. There used to be a black SL73 at an office I worked at. It sounded menacing and brutal. It belonged to John Frankenheimer, director of Grand Prix and Ronin. Legendary car for a legendary car guy.
Best content on RUclips this year 👌 someone tell the bbc to give Chris half hour slots where top gear used to be
Chris you should check the SL made by CRB!!!
Probably my favourite looking Mercedes.Stunning car
Absolute dream car, its nice finally seeing an actual video about it and showing how incredible it is
Drove the RenTech version of this a few years back with the same 7.3, was an absolute hoot to drive and the 5G-Tronic trans had a fantastic tune in it, it banged gears with crisp shifts.
Timeless classic. What a thing 🔥💯❤
That's quite a thing. I even like the bronze grille slats & silver wheels. Epic
I love how enthusiastic he is when he gets behind the wheel of any car let alone incredible motors like this!
Watched him for years! Great to watch ✌🏼
Best car video for starting 2024 bar none.
R129 SL is one of my favorite Mercedes models on looks alone and that car is the ultimate dream sleeper. 🖤
Hope no-one fecks it up my tearing the engine out.
Also love seeing Chris being his relaxed self in these kinds of more casual reviews.
I always enjoy a Chris Harris video. My favourite is from way back when he bought his brand new white M3!
Personally, I'd rather break the Zonda to fix the merc.
The 80's to early 90's mercs were just cool.
AMG Hammer, 190e Evo, 560 SEC 👌🏽
Touché
I thought the SL60 we had in recently was a beast, but this, the SL73, a monster! Love it!
Brilliant work Chris- we want more content like this mate!
Used to have R129 500SL 326 PS (240kW) in white color, MAE rims (OZ Racing) 10.5J in front 265/35/18 - 12.5J in rear 285/30/18 Michelins, MAE exhaust and AMG steering wheel.Such a cool car... 😉
Thanks for driving up the value before I can buy one. There was a mint SL73 for sale a few years ago for just over $100K, and it sat and sat unbought…
M8 that ship sailed a couple of years ago when the amg craze started
Now that’s a proper, proper car
These kinds of car reviews from Britain are usually far too scripted and with desperate searches for unusual phrases. Annoying and pointless often.
But this video and the host are excellent. Spot on beginning to end. So natural and appropriate for the car.
I’m so impressed and now subscribed.
Chris you need to do a video on this CRB SL, christ almighty!
Lovely car. The thing that makes the Brunei cars *even* rarer is that they are RHD - the others are all LHD. One very small point about having twin chromed AMG tailpipes - it's quite true that these weren't standard on any other model (including the SL60), but back in the day Mercedes listed the back box as an accessory part for any R129. Extremely rare to see one though as they were very expensive at the time. Back in 2006 I managed to negotiate a bargain price on a 'new old stock' one gathering dust on a shelf in Germany 🙂
Great content as always with Chris , keep up with the BENZ videos please :))) there are so many icons like this one with limited productions ..
Hi Chris, glad to have you back. So glad you got rid of the deadwood that you had hung round your neck.
Looking forward, (back???), to more of the old Chris.
100% No more Paddy and Fred and the other guys he’s had on teams calls recently
@@TheWhooah lol. I didn't want to say it out loud but yes.
@@gottliebdee263 😂 they were misjudged
@@TheWhooah Misguided more like.
A good friend of mine bought a former Sultan of Brunei R129 SL. This is just gorgeous.
There was a time you were driving, man. I am nostalgic of Drivers’ republic…
This video reminds me how much time has been flying since that holly period…
I really can’t help myself😖. Thumbnail says “Powered by a Zonda engine”. Pagani don’t make engines🤦🏻♂️. Mental health satisfied so now I can say I bloody love that Merc. Such a gorgeous body🤤
Love that car, the styling just looks so, so good…
Remember when we were at the AMG factory years back and we saw one of the Sultan of Bruneis S73 T AMG in for service, back when AMG was more of a skunkworks rather than just a spec level
Absolutely the all the adjectives Chris .. fabulous review .. love it ! Know the cars well and its pedigree !
The best scenario for this rare Mercedes is someone who loves driving his cars and not just keeping them as garage queens to buy the SL73 AMG and use it as much as possible
Only a couple of warning lights on the dash too!
love chris and watch his bugatti vid all the time awesome vid
As the Americans say, "there is no replacement for displacement. "...
Great car, and curious to see that the W210 E55 got a lot of that interior... i really miss that mecanical door shut. When things were made with pride and to last.
What a beautifully understated looking motor with a preposterous engine, the stuff dreams are made of
I own a 98 c43 and it’s a joy to drive. I cant even imagine how awesome this thing is
That had to be the biggest windshield wiper until the Cyber Truck came along. Love this car.
“I’ve spent my life exposing myself to shit I can’t afford”. Quote of the year and it’s only January.
Great video, off to watch Harris slide a hammer around in the rain!
Am I the only one who likes this more than a Zonda?
Yes.
You are not alone my brother!
Excellent presentation. Thank you. I liked this one.
That thumbnail is a good click bait, I thought he was going to send it sideways. Stunning car.
What I absolutely love is the fact that even though it has a planet sized 7.3 V12 in the front, it only a simple, one sided, twin exhaust. If that is not the definition of a "I don't need to prove anything to anyone" flex !
Please make more videos, this could become such a massive platform, I listen to the podcast and watch every video……. With top gear now gone this helps easy the pain
This is another level ... " BATMAN MODE " ... Yes, please!!!!!!!!!!!
"I spend my life exposing myself to stuff i cant afford" is really the best way to live
I LOVE that you said (and wrote) foot-pounds, and not pounds-feet or similar nonsense
Peak benz that. I've always wanted a 600 with a manual and equal length headers. Thankfully there's swap kits available now!
Great video. No plate on the front?
"exposing myself to sh*t I can't afford".... My life as a car detailer mate 😅😂