![\"SL500](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4629-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
So, this time I\u2019d like to share my husband\u2019s impressions after owning the legendary SL500 (hereafter R129) for about nine months.<\/p>\n
Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R129) Overall Review<\/h3>\n
After purchase, the mileage was about 4,000 km. From long tours to daily driving, commuting, and winding roads,<\/strong> my husband drove the R129 in a variety of situations. (I only drove it about three times.)<\/span> Here are the parts of the SL500 that left the strongest impression on him, along with his overall thoughts.<\/p>\n When he first got behind the wheel, my husband was struck by \u201chow incredibly soft the ride was.\u201d<\/strong> Since he often drives Porsches, this contrast was even more noticeable, but even setting that aside, he said \u201cI think it\u2019s on the softer side.\u201d<\/strong> Specifically,<\/p>\n It felt like walking on a thick carpet laid out in a luxury hotel lobby or hallway.<\/p>\n He described it as if a carpet had been laid over the road. However, it\u2019s definitely not the kind of soft, fluffy ride you get from a Japanese luxury sedan.<\/strong> Despite the softness, the damping was firm, resulting in a flat, composed ride.<\/p>\n My husband took the R129 on long tours and winding roads, but before tackling those twisty routes, he honestly wondered \u201cIs it really okay to have such a soft suspension?\u201d<\/strong> So how did it actually perform?<\/p>\n \u201cAt first, I was worried, but once I threw it into a corner, it allowed a fair amount of body roll while instantly delivering a strong sense of grip and contact with the road. It grabs the surface firmly, applies appropriate load to the outer tires, and handles everything without breaking loose. Also, while the steering feels loose and somewhat vague during normal driving, when I had to make a sudden sharp turn to avoid an obstacle on the road, it responded quickly and precisely, then smoothly returned to the original line as if nothing had happened. I always think this is where Mercedes really shines.\u201d<\/p>\n What my husband always admires about Mercedes-Benz is<\/p>\n \u201cSoft and supple, yet when it counts, it turns properly, drives properly, and stops properly.\u201d<\/p>\n People often say European cars like Mercedes-Benz are safe, but he emphasized that this safety isn\u2019t just from the body\u2019s rigidity and crashworthiness, but from \u201cthe high level of driving performance that provides active safety, increasing the chances of avoiding danger and thus making the car safer.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The R129 is said to be \u201cthe last generation to carry the traditional Mercedes character,\u201d<\/strong> so I asked my husband if he agreed.<\/p>\n I think so. The doors have a solid weight and feel completely different from modern S-Class coupes or SLs.<\/strong> The door closing sound is a metallic \u2018clunk!\u2019 with a heavy, substantial tone. The trunk, controls, and all switches have a solid, clear ON\/OFF feel, and you can even sense the maker\u2019s intention of \u201cthis is how it should be.\u201d I think that solid feel while driving translates into a sense of security and stability. The highway stability is a given, and at speeds leading the passing lane, nothing feels out of place. It\u2019s hard to believe this is a 20-30 year old car in terms of stability.<\/strong> It\u2019s truly an ideal grand tourer for long distances.\u201d<\/p>\n He praised it highly.<\/p>\n Our R129 is a mid-term model equipped with the M119 engine before it switched to SOHC (Single OverHead Camshaft). This engine debuted in the 1980s, known for its high safety and driving performance, and was used in the acclaimed \u201cW124\u201d E500\/500E, often praised for its over-engineering. It features a \u201cV8 DOHC 4,973cc\u201d<\/strong> engine.<\/p>\n My husband said this about the M119 engine:<\/p>\n I really think it\u2019s a masterpiece. With 320ps (235kW) at 5600rpm and 48.0kg\u00b7m (470.7N\u00b7m) at 3900rpm, it\u2019s \u201cmodest specs for a 5L V8\u201d<\/strong> by today\u2019s standards, but its character is excellent.<\/p>\n The twin-turbocharged version of this engine was used in the 1989 Le Mans 24-hour winning Sauber C9 and the 1991 Mercedes-Benz C11.<\/p>\n \u2026The Sauber!? \u2026C11? (*_*)(They just dropped some unexpected trivia here!)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n A bit of research revealed that the C11 was a Group C racing car built in 1987 by the Swiss Sauber team led by Peter Sauber to compete in the WSPC, and it recorded a top speed of 400 km\/h during the 1989 Le Mans 24-hour race.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2026400 km\/h\u2026 (\uff1b\uff9f\u0414\uff9f)<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut this engine doesn\u2019t show off its pedigree in everyday driving; it just quietly does its job. But when you press the accelerator deeply, torque comes on instantly.<\/strong> You can\u2019t get this kind of throttle response from modern turbo V8s. In fact, when compared to the current Panamera Turbo, the torque response when pushing hard in 2nd or 3rd gear is clearly quicker in the naturally aspirated SL500 (R129).<\/strong><\/p>\n That\u2019s the power of NA engines. Although modern turbos have greatly reduced turbo lag, they still can\u2019t quite match the immediacy of a naturally aspirated engine.<\/p>\n Regarding the engine sound, when driving on winding roads and revving from mid to high RPMs, it finally lets out that true V8 roar. The overall volume is quiet, but the beat and intricate mechanical noises feel incredibly satisfying,<\/strong> reminding us that engine sound quality isn\u2019t just about loudness.<\/strong> This car really taught me that.\u201d<\/p>\n The more I hear, the more I realize what a classic this car is.<\/p>\n The R129 comes standard with a hardtop. This hardtop is quite large and very heavy, weighing about 34 kg,<\/strong> so it\u2019s difficult to remove or install alone. At our house, my husband and I always had to lift it together from both sides to manage it. (There are YouTube videos showing how to do it alone, but I definitely wouldn\u2019t recommend it\u2014you\u2019ll almost certainly scratch the body.)<\/span><\/p>\n With the hardtop on, you can enjoy a complete coupe style. It improves quietness and, above all, stiffens the body. While the SL already has a very rigid body, compared to modern open two-seaters like the Boxster, you can still feel some body flex.<\/strong><\/p>\n My husband says that \u201cthe driving feel seems to step up a notch\u201d<\/strong> with the hardtop installed. Personally, he likes the R129 best with the hardtop on.<\/p>\n On the other hand, removing the hardtop transforms the car into an open, liberating ride. It already has relatively little wind buffeting,<\/strong> (I\u2019ve driven it open myself and didn\u2019t find it bothersome at all)<\/span> and adding the optional wind deflector reduces buffeting even more, dramatically improving comfort.<\/p>\n Compared to the 981 Boxster, which tends to have more wind buffeting,<\/p>\n my husband says the R129 has about one-third to one-quarter as much wind buffeting.<\/p>\n I asked, \u201cBut doesn\u2019t driving open make the body flex feel even more noticeable?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, when driving open, the body flex becomes less noticeable, and it even feels like the car\u2019s acting as a cushion, smoothing out road shocks.<\/strong> It\u2019s smooth and pleasant even without high speeds, perfect for a calm cruising driving style.\u201d<\/p>\n The soft top is also very well made, with no cheap (Kansai dialect for \u2018low quality\u2019)<\/span> feel at all. It has a sturdy metal frame with thick fabric, and even at highway speeds, there was almost no flapping.<\/p>\n The 12 hydraulic cylinders, praised by Car Graphic magazine at the time as \u201ctechnology more advanced than the moon landing,\u201d<\/strong> open and close the soft top fully automatically in about 30 seconds. While it doesn\u2019t offer the same quietness or weather resistance as the hardtop, it never felt uncomfortable, even on long tours.<\/p>\n If I had to sum up the R129 in one phrase, it\u2019s a model that strongly embodies Mercedes\u2019 philosophy of \u201cThe best or nothing,\u201d<\/p>\n my husband says.<\/p>\n Every device, feature, and mechanism is a cost-intensive masterpiece, with many advanced systems that you wouldn\u2019t see nowadays.<\/strong> From the complex fully automatic hydraulic soft top system to the air-controlled door locks, heavy doors, precisely balanced OEM wheels, and subframes welded directly to the main frame\u2026 the list goes on. It\u2019s clear that cost was secondary to achieving the best possible quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n So, here is my husband\u2019s overall conclusion:<\/p>\n Owning the R129 this time really helped me understand what it means to have a car with high costs invested in it, and it broadened my own values and perspective toward cars. The R129 is now quite rare, and with rising prices overseas, many are being exported abroad, but I highly recommend any Mercedes enthusiast to own one at least once\u2014it\u2019s a true classic.<\/p>\n I see. It\u2019s a shame such a classic is flowing overseas so rapidly. I hope the R129 finds a new owner who will cherish it as much as we did.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 964 Carrera 2 Has Arrived Last Friday, our long-awaited air-cooled Porsche (964 Carrera 2) finally arrived at our home. I plan to share a detailed review of its specifications and driving impressions here on the blog soon. Actually, with the arrival of this air-cooled Porsche, we decided to part ways with the Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R129) that had been with us until now. So, this time I\u2019d like to share my husband\u2019s impressions after owning...","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":16832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=6697"},"categories":[72,63],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\u2460 Suspension: Soft Yet Tenacious<\/h4>\n
\u2461 Solid Feel and Doors<\/h4>\n
![\"SL500](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4632-800x533.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u2462 The Roar of the M119 V8 Engine<\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_9105-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u2463 Enjoying Three Styles: Hardtop, Open, and Soft Top<\/h4>\n
With Hardtop Attached<\/h5>\n
![\"Mercedes-Benz](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/20180226135138-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOpen Top<\/h5>\n
![\"SL500](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4635-e1530663708790-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWith Soft Top Attached<\/h5>\n
![\"SL500](\"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4668-800x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u2464 All or Nothing<\/h4>\n
Final Thoughts?<\/h3>\n