A School Pickup in the SL?

Yesterday, my husband had the day off for the holiday weekend, so I asked him to watch our younger daughter while I went to pick up our older daughter from kindergarten. “If you’re going by yourself, why not take the SL?” he suggested. I took his advice and drove the SL to pickup (for only my second time behind the wheel).

As I drove along thinking, “I’m still not quite used to the left-hand drive,” a message came in from my husband.

“Since you’re out anyway, why not take a drive up Royu Driveway?”

So I took him up on the offer and headed for Royu Driveway after picking up our daughter.

A Beautiful Day for a Drive

The weather was gorgeous yesterday, and it was a real pleasure to be out.

The first time I drove the SL, I only took it around town for about 30 minutes. This was my first proper drive, and I was surprised when I pressed the accelerator on the climb toward Royu.

It felt remarkably like our old Panamera Edition! (゜o゜)!

You can feel the car’s weight, but the acceleration is strong, smooth, and wonderfully sustained. It doesn’t dart through corners, but it never pushes wide, either. Instead, it plants itself firmly on the road and sweeps through the turn with an easy, composed feel. It brought back fond memories of our old Panamera.

I had no idea the SL was this enjoyable to drive…

At the summit, there were hardly any people or cars—perhaps because it was the middle day of Golden Week. My daughter and I got out and took a short break.

On the way back, I put the top down. Convertibles really are a joy—the sheer pleasure of hitting the road with the wind in your hair. (That’s BMW’s slogan, of course! lol) I could finally understand why my husband is so attached to open-top cars.

Our daughter loved it, too.

A Naturally Aspirated Engine—and a Mercedes Legend

When I got home, I told my husband how much the SL reminded me of our old Panamera Edition and how incredible it felt with the top down. He replied:

“That’s right. The old Panamera and this SL are both naturally aspirated. Unlike a turbo, they build speed smoothly and keep pulling as you press the accelerator. That’s why I love naturally aspirated engines.”

He had a point: our current Panamera Turbo doesn’t drive like this.

The R129 SL is powered by the V8 M119 engine, often hailed as one of the great engines in Mercedes-Benz history. It’s part of what gives the car its combination of luxury and sporty performance. This was a model people admired and coveted in its day, and cars like it simply aren’t made anymore. That’s what makes it a true classic.

Lately, I’ve been thinking that instead of putting money into real estate just to prepare for retirement, maybe it would make more sense to collect great cars that will never be built again—their value is almost certain to rise. Of course, either way, you need the money to get started! lol