The Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster Was NOT AT ALL What I Expected! (Review & Drive)
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- Опубликовано: 9 апр 2021
- In today's video I drive a legendary Mercedes - but one which was almost ignored when it arrived. The SLS was the successor to the McLaren Mercedes SLR, offering similar performance at a much lower price - yet it failed to sell well when new. Since, the car has gained a cult following but the convertible roadster version is often overlooked in favour of the gull wing coupe.
However, what's this rare sight really like to drive?
#Mercedes #SLS #AMG
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I couldn't justify buying one of these at all, it's too thirsty, too unpractical, too loud, too stiff...it's absolutely perfect!
I'd have to buy the coupé, because gullwing doors. If I wanted a drophead, I'd probably have the SL63 instead.
Exactly why I loved the SLS to bits. It's a car that makes no sense. Want a 6.2-litre V8? Just get the C63. Want a convertible? Even an MX-5 will do. Want to spend GBP179k on a car? Perhaps a Flying Spur will give you more 'car'. Want a convertible V8 sportscar? Get an F-Type R Roadster. There is no reason to get an SLS Roadster.
Except for the fact that the moment you see it on the road - heck, even when you see it parked on the roadside - you know you're into something really, _REALLY_ special. Like you get the sense that this is what AMG would love to do when they're given a task to make a supercar. The first time I knew about SLS it was back in 2009 when it was first announced. Back then I wasn't so sure if I like it. However, seeing one in the flesh for the first time in 2012 sealed the deal for me. I loved it so much I was gutted not being able to take proper pictures of that SLS.
@@AntoniusTyas it just doesn't look special, though, and the base model barely makes more power than an E63. The Gullwing at least has visual drama, which the roadster doesn't, but the Black Series is where it's really at.
@@richardharrold9736 ah, the SLS Black. That thing is a proper beast. Seeing one up close in that bright AMG Solarbeam is an experience. Still is in my top 5 dream cars.
@@AntoniusTyas the Black got the engine that the base SLS should have had, 618bhp, a hundred more than the ordinary AMGs, along with a raised rev limit. The Black should have had 700+bhp to compete with the Ferrari F12.
That German v8 rumble still gives me eargasm
4:25 That engine bay needs a few more AMG badges.
That AMG Bay needs more engine!
Yeah at first I thought it was a bmw engine.
@@ianhortonplant ??
Only the 2 on the engine are real. All the rest was added and is not stock
I see some flat surfaces not covered by AMG badges. Amateurs 🤣
Drove an sls gull wing about 5 years ago and it’s still one of my fondest memories in terms of driving experiences
These are gorgeous, a modern Mercedes-Benz highlight for sure. No wonder these are still 200k EUR in the Netherlands, 10 years on.
When you can feel the torque through the camera, you know it's quick.
Shaved Jay Em looking fresh 👌🏼
He looks like an old car mate. He need a slap mate. An oil change mate. Joking
You’re smashing the RUclips game. You have a wonderfully simple formula, incredibly difficult for anyone else to rip off. Don’t change anything one bit.
he's already ripping off Jeremy Clarkson with how he speaks. there is nothing original about his formula. I also think he's lying about his age when he said recently he's 30. more like 40.
@@jimmydigital James has always said he was born in 1989, even back when he was just a guy on a Lotus forum with no following at all.
@@richardharrold9736 Damn, really!!?? I would assume born in the late 70s...
@@jgoncalodm yeah, me too, he definitely looks and dresses older, and his taste in music seems to be more 80s than 90s. Unfortunately, there is no concrete information in the public domain to verify his age - whereas if you Google Mr Charles Harrison Metcalfe of Shilton, Oxfordshire, you can find out all about the man behind Harry's Garage.
@@richardharrold9736 weirdo
OH YES. Finally James drives my absolute favourite Mercedes.
Well, second favourite after SLS Black, though.
Don't care what Hans says top five channel #1 for personality. Keep up the great work
Haha legendary Burger Hans.
Brilliant 🤣🤣
This is to go down as one of the legends of car sounds and should be recorded for prosperity.
Given these sounds in the next 50 to 100 years will be only heard in past media and revival rallies..
What a coincidence, literally two days ago one of these growled past me when I was out on a walk.
It was black, with a reddish brown mohair hood and it instantly went from a car I hadn't really noticed to one I became very interested in.
It really was lovely, especially from the rear.
I own an SLS AMG coupe. It's the first Mercedes I have driven regularly in 40 years. (I'm old.) Kudos to you, James, for capturing the essence of the SLS driving experience. I agree with just about every one of your comments, especially the "on/off switch" nature of the accelerator pedal action, which quality can really scare you, momentarily. Despite the few warts, I love these cars for their visceral qualities, and I want a roadster too. I do like to drive in Sport mode most of the time, not Comfort mode except when the car is cold.
Do you think the roadster will eventually go up in value too compared to the value today?
only if the doors start going up!@@sleepeatdrive7619
Really miss that lovely old 6.2 V8, one of the all time greatest V8s for sure 🔥👍
Just got done driving mine. All 8.5mpg (US gallons) of it.
I had a C63 507 and I actually prefer the 4L in my AMG GTC. Not counting the chassis or better transmission - the 6.2L sounded great at idle, but not when pressed hard. Sounded more like a tractor engine, not an F1 engine. The 4L sounds much better at, or near, redline.
@@Fluterra yeah I actually agree. All round the 4.0l engine is super impressive. In the AMG GT models it sounds so muscular and has the lovely V8 rumble 🔥 such a responsive engine too, especially in Sport+ or Race mode.
A coupe version of these is definitely in my lottery win garage.
Black series or no?
Love this car, love the video, keep up the good work fella _ from one of your older viewers!
The rear on the roadster looks delicious with that creme colour soft top sat in its place. ugh.
Dude. The SLS is an all-time great vehicle. I prefer the coupe but holy shit that's awesome. The black series might be my favorite car, too. The BRABUS SLS is probably that.
I'm a simple man, I see JayEmm's hair in the wind, I click like.
This is the fasted like 👍 that I have ever given to this channel, no explanation or introduction needed!!!
I love my R230 SL500 which gives me everything I need driving wise... but the sound of that SLS makes your knees tremble!! 😆👍
Awesome machine, thank you for showing this one!
I love how low and wide the SLS is, abd what a soundtrack, even better in convertible guise IMO. I just wish they made a few with a manual!
That E-Type bonnet is absolutely fabulous, especially with clouds reflected off the gleaming paintwork!. If the wife got one of these, she would be totally floored driving it!. Very nice car indeed.
James, your opening video on this clip almost gave me a heart-attack!. I thought you crashed this thing!.
There is a tuned SLS you can find on RUclips 1000bhp if I remember, beast machine.
The AMG GTR still uses a lot of the suspension from this, that's how advanced it was.
Thanks J, immense sound from that engine.
Fabulous car. Great review.
As much as I love your video's and the amount of effort you put in content wise I just wish you'd give a car a walk around discussing the styling etc.
What a car, and what a video 😍😍
This is how you make true automotive goodness. Giant hood, big engine, seats on the rear axle and a top that goes down
And mahoosive repair bills
@@MagicAyrtonforever that's not really linked with what I said. Poor gas mileage would be legitimate with the big engine but giant repair bills are just linked to the brand or the model
That SOUND!!!!!
I love the reflections in the paint.
The engine of this beauty is the all audio system you need. :) Great review mate!
I liked this review , very nice cars Indeed. 🤗
These are fabulous things. In grey with a red roof, very classy.
Looks very smart and the car looks pretty good as well.
That is one gorgeous car 😍
Ace vid as ever James...tho I watched an old vid the other day and loved the Let’s GO intro lol. Keep up the great work!☝️🤘 good to see the Wallander trench coat but beard gone!? I bet that came about because of a girlfriend lol😜😂✌️
You are totally old school my friend for someone in there 40s luv it jeza all the way mate. :-)
I drove one of these in Stuttgart at a Mercedes event and it was like steering a stealth bomber down country lanes. What I did like was the dynamic seat side supports which constantly inflated and deflated depending on how fast you took corners. No idea what edition or model it was but it had 6.3 on the side if I recall. I was converted within minutes.
I had a ride in the gull wing version,silver of course. Firm ride indeed,my Citroen van was less bumpy! But this beast wasn't meant for pot-holed UK roads. Sounds fantastic though.
this one is one of a kind.
Thanks for this. This looks like a non-GT version going off the silver accents and rear badge. I bought the GT version (2013) because of how much handling and steering feel were improved. Your opinion on this version seems pretty spot on.
I had a C63 facelift 2014 from brand new for 4 years. I needed a 4-door so there wasn't many alternatives. The point is that the engine is a beast and needs you to know what you are doing unless you switch it to 'Comfort' mode when you are driving the family. That engine and set-up is two cars in one garage.
Hi James, I used to live in Buckingham, great if you can drive through with some camera shots, love the views you show of the surrounding villages and countryside, many thanks :)
Saw this exact car back in 2016 near Preston. Small world!
It lives near Preston. 😃
@@oldblackburnian Ah that explains! I have a photo of it at the petrol station in Longridge on Boxing Day 2016, I was cycling. Looked fantastic :)
I love these. Would have one over a Ferrari, Aston any day.
Beautiful big bruiser. Fabulous!!!
good to see you had a shave and a haircut ;) the SLS is a cool car but it needs to be the coupe with those awsome doors!
Do they offer a sports exhaust? You can barely hear the engine.
miss the SLS
Black with tan roof.
The noise.
The speed.
Perfection.
Didn't all the SLS roadster models come with a tan roof, irrespective of the color of the car? I've seen a different review of an example of this in red but with the same tan roof.
@@damilolaakanni I don’t know but I like it!
@@damilolaakanni i've seen with black and red roof
Ah, but what a beautiful song she sings in the drive bys.
It sounds like a beast !!
Love it, i love the green version, I know it's a different model but it looks the same. Both beutiful cars and one of only 3 Merc's i love, this, the green one and the original sl gullwing. I've only been 54 for 6 months, the rest of the range isn't aimed at me.
I've heard the same thing about the throttle in the SLS Black. Don't know if a clever guy with a computer can dial that back. Suspension: The Black, which does have a couple of suspension settings, aparently is either too soft or too hard. This period of Mercs, especially the AMG 6,2, is right up my alley. Great cars, fantastic sounding engines. A SLS with better suspension would be a cool car to own..but WAY out of my budget :(
Phwaor that bonnets reflections man. Has that been detailed James ? Or just a good angle?
Hi James been a subscriber of yours for a while now - love Your videos and your review style! Keep it up mate 🙂 good to see someone down to earth and not a millionaire with 9 M-series BMWs and 3 HyperCars sat in their garage 😂
Perhaps comparable to an F-Type SVR?
Yes somewhat, although the Merc has a more bespoke vibe about it. Jag a lot cheaper too
@@JayEmmOnCars yes I see that - if you remember the Spyker C8 it reminded me of that in the way that it seemed to want to be driven? Holds a very niche spot in the market.
@@JayEmmOnCarsyou could be a millionaire
You can get AMG in Germany to update the gearbox software to the Black Series spec, quickens up the shifts considerably
That noise is something else 😳😍
The prices are mad but I love these so much
Didn't shmee also change the steering wheel on his SLS black series ?
Just shows how good the interior still looks with a simple (ISH) wheel swap.
Can’t beat the Usk road for a blast 💥 👌🏻
19:04 Nice to see the 550 peeking from the woods.
Amazing sound convertible gt seems to suit its setup
Chilling out, relaxing and taking the stress out of the drive.... and you might as well be driving any old highly optioned big SL! I think you rather missed the point there, James!
A wise point, and I shall put this theory to the test soon
Excellent
Brutal ! Yeah !
Very nice ride. Yes I'd rather have a coupe as an SLS Black, but this is nice if the weather allows the top to be dropped.
I am in the (large) camp that prefers the 4L V8 in the AMG GTC/R vs the 6.2L. The 6.2 sounds great at idle, but not when pressed hard. Unless you think tractors sound great.
Of course, it’s better than anything from BMW, but the 4L AMG engine is better is most respects.
I have the 2013 SL 550 bi-turbo 4.7 /7 speed.....I love it!😀😀😀👍👍
Looking forward to the SL63 (even though I prefer manuals to autos)
Drove an SLK350 the other day, nice car but didn’t do it for me...
Keep up the good work!
The other Jay (In California) has an SLR I believe..
So do I :)
God, I miss my V8! 😒 That sound...!
Cars will NEVER sound like this again D-:
Could be the tyre pressure was a tad high. Great video.
Okay even as a pure Audi addict I can admit the Mercedes v8 sounds way better than ours does ❤️
It's an incredible engine
@@JayEmmOnCars absolutely early one had some issues but all ironed out with the later ones. Legit street cars covered this very well as he’s an ex merc tech in New Jersey
Yeah, I had a C63 performance pack on a 2008 plate and that lump of an engine is amazing, ticks so many boxes. Im looking for a coupe but at £60k over the roadster it doesn't make sense anymore, I'm not paying £60k for just doors, plus on a sunny autumn day, this with the hood down and some twisty b roads, sounds like a driver's paradise, I'm not worried about radar cruise control or a car that parks itself, I enjoy driving, the future generations will miss out on these amazing cars, I think they will also be a solid investment for the future, a proper muscle car.
Just think, 10 years from now driving this down the road.
People will be like what is it, it sounds like the old days.
Funny I thought the same thing when I drove the SLS AMG as new, VERY american & not very MB. Brute!!
I loved it, despite the slow slush gearbox. So big but all aluminium structure could really be felt as very light.
And the doors theatre! Nightmare to park in town, mind, the sheer size of it.
I was even dreaming of buying a used one until MB announced that was the last gullwing car, and prices just rocketed. Oooookey that was it then...
Stop talking a minute I just want to listen to that monster engine. What a sound.
I always wanted the SLS, but it was twice the price of the R231 SL63; and in the last two years it went up at least £20-30K.
Love this car...
Ah the Mercedes SLS AMG Gran Turismo 5 Cover Car 😈
shame m156/m159 engines have never been paired with a good manual box, it would've been such a good combo
I'm trying to think of the last car with circa 600hp and a manual? 599, noble m600, made lp640? I can't think of many others. I would always pick a manual but I guess the problem for manufacturers is trying to warranty a clutch on a manual car with 600ho..the average numpty is going to fry it very quickly
@@dagnut The Porsche GT3 is available with a manual, the new Aston Vantage is available with a manual as well
@@dagnut Corvette Z06, ZR1, Camaro ZL1
@@leokal457 600hp I said plus you can't get a vantage with a manual, zf 8 speed only
@@joe718gt4 not really super cars and not availble in UK but it's a fair point, the US has made plenty of big power manuals, I forgot about the acr viper as well.
Would love you to take a look at a 2007 DB9 Coupé please!
JayM. Sounds like an old Daimler V8 ? Has the old pre-selector gearbox too ! V.
What a beast 👌
Great car, he could do with removing those 4 AMG badges he has put on the air boxes and the one he has also put in the boot...!
I'm not one to bother too much about how nice a noise a car makes but if I was wealthy enough to have an expensive car collection I'd have that just for the sound!
I went to the Nurburgring 24hr race when the SLS race cars (with side exit exhausts behind the front wheels) were prevelent and spent all night waking round the lap on foot hesring the frankly evil but great sound rumbling past.
IIRC, the Ferrari that shared the same gearbox had a faster shift, but eneded up with far more failures as a result, so this was Mercedes prioritising reliability over performance.
Very nice car I do like Mercedes ...
I've only been in a c63 and even in that it's a monster of a engine
Have you reviewed a California T already? I don't remember a California on the channel before
Nice to see my steeringwheel in it...
Jeremy Clarkson always had a soft spot for these, and I don’t blame him
Not gonna lie, back when it was first shown I don't get the SLS at all. Then I watched Clarkson's review on his DVD. And then I saw the actual SLS on the road. It was in that liquid AMG Alubeam Silver paint, amongst the sea of black and grey Toyota people carriers. That was the defining moment where SLS got the permanent place in my dream garage. Any kind of SLS is fine by me.
So long as it's not ruined by tacky bodykits designed to appease rich Russians. Not gonna mention any name, but Mansory and FAB Design should know their place.
By your review, sounds like there’s indeed one car kinda resembling the feeling, z4m roadster
Nice comparison in a way. But the z4m roadster is a much smaller car and probably can handle a windy road much better than the SLS. The SLS probably has a good 2 feet longer than the BMW and much heavier.
The sls coupe is in my top 3 favourite Merc's. Is that steering wheel aftermarket?
Some of those V8 Merc's sound like a Nascar.
Please do sl63 back to back very interested in that. I’ll buy the owner of this dinner to come back out 😂
It's funny you say it drives like a Viper because, as the aluminium chassis was originally designed for a new Viper but was shared with Mercedes (Dodge and Mercedes both being part of DaimlerChrysler at the time) for the SLS, before the aluminium chassis Viper was cancelled.
Thats sounds amazing!
That thing sounds tremendous, beautiful car , I’d rather have the convertible, the gull-wing doors would be a pain in the arse
On a different note I reckon once the summer comes in you should have a ceremonial burning 🔥 of that jacket 🧥
Please , please it has to go 😂