The Mercedes-AMG SL 43 Is Missing Something
In its top-end SL 63 guise, the new Mercedes-AMG roadster downplays its substantial weight and amplifies the impact of its V-8 power through torque vectoring all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, and an active suspension system that compensates for body roll at each individual corner. The SL 43, a new-for-2024 four-cylinder base model, cuts $70,000 off the MSRP of the 63 by dropping both those features and AMG's signature V-8. Add in options and some of these SL 43s will show up on lots a full $100,000 below a well-built SL 63. Without the tools that make the V-8 models work, the 43 hardly feels like a steal at that price.
On paper, the 43 is something like an enthusiast spec of the SL. By dropping four cylinders, two drive wheels, and a substantial amount of suspension complexity, it cuts both weight and the things that get in the way of a pure driving experience. The issue is that those elements were added to the car for a reason. The SL 43 comes in under 4000 lb, but only just; at 3990 lb, the SL still weighs more than a six-cylinder Dodge Challenger.
That makes it too heavy to really work as a traditional sports car. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder's trick may be its electric turbocharger, but it still needs a lot of revs to keep it in the meaty zone of its torque curve. Peak power—375 hp—arrives at 6750 rpm. Torque peaks at 354 lb-ft between 3250 and 5000 rpm. This is an engine that wants you to work for it.
Keep it moving and the engine offers serious top-end grunt, with a buzzy, crackling exhaust that's charming on a back road. The nine-speed wet-clutch gearbox is plenty quick, too, better suited for the AMG canyon-carving part of this car's mission than the SL's beach cruiser ideal. Same with the suspension. The SL 43 turns in eagerly and rotates easily, but it feels more like a decent German sports sedan than a 911-fighter.
The 43 is heavy and large, but has none of the 63's technological tricks to hide its mass. The lack of active anti-roll, active suspension, four-wheel-steering, and trick all-wheel drive mean it isn't an achievement in grand-touring sophistication. It's just an overburdened roadster. Unfortunately, it seems like this platform was designed with higher-end variants in mind.
In past generations, a base-model SL would have been softer than the AMG that sat at the top of the lineup. This is the modern Mercedes, though. The SL is an AMG car at all levels now, and that means the 43 is supposed to be a performance car as much as it is a luxury tourer. Back in 2021, Mercedes design chief Gordon Wagener told Road & Track that the 63's standard Active Ride Control suspension allowed the brand to keep SL owners seeking comfort happy while still providing the performance expected from AMG GT owners.
This car does not get that suspension as an option, so you are left instead with a traditional suspension that picks performance over comfort. In short, this is an SL that does not feel particularly comfortable around town. It heaves over low-speed bumps and transmits sharp impacts from potholes into the cabin. Its transmission isn't great around town, either, with more bucking and hunting than you'd expect from a flagship Mercedes. The good news is that both problems are remedied at speed, with the 43 living up to the SL's reputation as a delightful highway cruiser.
SL 43s will come with an unchanged interior from the 55 and 63. That is excellent news for comfort, since the SL 63's seats (unavailable in this press car but standard on the cars that will be reaching customers) and materials are some of the best on the market at any level. The car's heavy technology integration is still a concern, as this is still a car with two rows of capacitive buttons on both sides of the steering wheel and a massive, portrait-orientation screen shaped like an early iPad in the middle. The car still asks you to put the top down by holding down a slider on a touchscreen, among other indignities. If you prioritize having the latest gadgets in your new car, it's hard to fault the SL's cabin.
The SL platform is being asked to do a lot now, replacing the outgoing AMG GT and S-Class drop-tops in addition to the last SL. That is a big ask, but this car competes with the 992-generation Porsche 911, a platform that can excel not just as a basic sports car and an all-wheel drive grand tourer but as a generational force of nature. For some buyers interested in technology-laden creature comforts and swayed by V-8 noises, the SL 63 will make more sense than a 911 Turbo. At the bottom of the segment, the fight is far less competitive. If you want a performance car that also works in day-to-day life, the SL 43 is well behind the lower end of the 911 lineup.
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