2017 Mercedes-Benz SL 450

It's not the world's first, because you could go back to the 1930s, or maybe even the 1920s, and find cars with similar aspirations and accomplishments. The SL-Class delivers elegance to go with its power, and, almost surprisingly, a gentle and nimble driving experience, which is something you definitely can't say about such cars back in the day.

Today's competitors include such awesome cars as the gorgeous Jaguar F-Type and Aston Martin DB9, the iconic Porsche 911, the brutal Dodge Viper and the thrilling Chevrolet Corvette.

Now in the sixth year of its generation, the SL-Class is stretching things, so for 2017 it gets freshened to make it more emphatic and expressive, and keep up with those rivals. The body is more svelte (even with the new twin powerdome hood), and the mechanical technology is advanced with a 9-speed transmission in most models. The cabin, however, stays the same, except for the infotainment system that's a bit larger and mounted in the dash rather than freestanding.

The SL-Class begins with the Mercedes-Benz SL450 with its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, making 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Next comes the SL550, sporting a twin-turbo 4.7-liter V8 with 449 hp and 516 lb-ft. The SL65 flaunts a massive 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 that delivers a racecar-like 621 hp and unbelievable 738 lb-ft of torque, which we can only scratch our heads about, and wonder what a driver could ever do with it. Finally, there is the Mercedes-AMG SL63, which backs things down a bit, but not much, to a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 making 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque; it uses a 7-speed automatic, making us wonder if AMG knows something about those newfangled Mercedes nine-speeds. We think the AMG SL63 hits a sweeter spot of high performance, and it handles the best, although the heavier SL65 is the fastest at 186 miles per hour, and zero to sixty in four seconds flat.

Could be the nine-speeds are all about fuel mileage, chuckle chuckle. As if it mattered. The EPA hasn't tested the 2017 SLs yet, but we're looking at maybe 23 mpg combined for the SL450. And that V12 in the SL65? Maybe 17 combined. But come on, when you've got a V12 under the hood, if you're thinking fuel mileage, you deserved to be slapped upside the head and sent to your local Prius showroom for punishment.

Safety-wise, the SL-Class is exceptional among performance cars, as it receives so many of the active safety systems in the S-Class flagship sedan. You name the feature, Mercedes-Benz has it. When cars begin totally driving on their own, our money is on Mercedes-Benz to be the first. And we're not saying that's a good thing.

That goes beyond perceived safety; Mercedes-Benz has a long history of over engineering its cars for safety, and these models …
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