Mercedes Spotlight

Spotlight: Sport Light

Mercedes hardtop roadster adds polish to an already commanding presence

"WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE to Mallorca this time of year?" I

asked the concierge at Son Julia (www.sonjulia.com), a

restored and resplendent 24-room mansion-cum-grand hotel

that had opened barely two weeks before my arrival on this

Spanish-governed island in the western Mediterranean.

"We have some of the best bitches in the world: he said

matter-of-factly, or at least that's what I thought he said.

The awkward silence that followed-along with the non-plussed
expression on my face-no doubt bade him to

explain. "Only 15 minutes from here is Es Trenc," he added,

the famous white-sand beach."

"Ali, the beaches," I said, releasing my breath and relaxing my brow.

"Yes," he said. "Though the water is still too cold to swim."

What brought me to Mallorca in February, however, was

not the white beaches, nor was it Son Julias blue-tiled

indoor spa, or even the master suite's expansive floor-to-

ceiling view of blossoming almond groves. Instead, I was

here for Mercedes-Benz's introduction of its 2007 SL

models: the 550 roadster, 55 A-MG, and 600, the latest offerings

in a series that began more than 50 years ago with the

famous Gullwing coupe. As a reminder of the enduring

greatness of the early SLs, Mercedes-Benz had a 1955

300SL coupe and a '58 SL roadster on hand and at the

ready for countryside cruising. The presence of the vintage

Vehicles also helped to demonstrate how profoundly the

SL series has evolved over its five decades of production.

The 2007 models are face-lifts of the fifth-generation

SLs, featuring enough nips and tucks to maintain fresh

appearances. Each one offers more precise steering, a more

powerful engine, and a front fascia that bears a stronger

resemblance to that of a Formula 1 car. The SL550's new

5.4-liter, four-valve V-8 base engine produces 383 hp,

which is 80 hp more than its predecessor. Mercedes also

has given boosts to its higher-performance models. With

faster-spinning superchargers, the SL55 AMG now boasts

510 hp and accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds,

and the SL600, equipped with a V-1 2, equals that power

output and acceleration. Both cars can reach 60 mph half a

second faster than the SL550 can.

Performance accounts for only part of the SLs' raison

d'etre the cars' continued popularity also emanates from

their s summer-to -winter adaptability. Indeed, they can

transition from coupe to convertible in a mere 16 seconds

with the flick of a switch-and while moving, albeit at

not faster than 6 mph. In Mallorca in February, the water

may be too cold for swimming at the beaches, but you

almost always can go topless. -GREGORY ANDERSON

Mercedes-Benz, www.mbusa.com

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