Why do 900 individuals each year purchase a Mercedes-Benz 600SL? Because Mercedes does not sell a 700SL.

This article appeared in the April 1993 edition of Car and Driver magazine.

Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II, is not adored for her fashion sense, her immense wealth, or even her lawn bowling skill. Her subjects hold her in high regard due to the immaculate breeding and legacy that she and the centuries-old British Crown represent (or at least once did). The queen is the world’s leader in terms of etiquette, elegance, and class, not to mention smart shoes.

Similarly, Mercedes-new Benz’s 600SL will be admired not for its striking appearance, exorbitant price tag, or supercar performance, but for the subtle and over­engineered manner in which these characteristics are blended. The 600SL is also a global leader in terms of class and refinement.

Mercedes-Benz has imbued the 500SL, a superb two-seat grand-touring convertible we compared to a modern-day Duesenberg SJ in our December 1989 road test, with smoothness, swiftness, and quietness—or, in a word, “V-12ness.” SLs have always been exorbitantly priced, and the 600 is no exception. Simply put, everyone reading this has a little lower chance of ascending to the British monarchy than owning this automobile. Mercedes claims that a hundred wealthy Americans will get the opportunity to write in small letters on the second line of a check: $132,900,000, $99.00, and no pennies.

That amount will, of course, include a built-in cellular phone, a six-disc CD changer, Adaptive Damping Control, and heated seats, all of which are options on the 500SL. Only the lumbar-adjustable seats and color choices are still available.

HIGHS: Regal demeanor; quick, quiet drivetrain.

These individuals will have The Best. More costly Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin convertibles may have higher prestige in some circles, but they have substantially worse engineering.

This Mercedes isn’t a flashy consumer vehicle. There’s a 600SL logo on the trunk, two little V-12 badges on the front fenders, and a taller front bumper—all that’s that separates this car from a 300SL, which will dazzle the proletariat for the same price.

The V-12 SL’s interior is adorned with additional walnut veneer. The console-mounted ashtray and cassette tape holders are hidden under walnut roll-top covers, and the leather-topped shifter has a wood-covered shank. Mercedes’ ability to cover such complicated areas with actual wood is astounding.

This is one of the most elegant and gorgeous forms on the road, both inside and out. It has a long magnificent hood and a short deck—the typical “cab-back” shape—with only a few embellishments. The automobile is three years old, yet its look will stay fashionable for many years. Its snug-fitting aluminum top and very intricate fully automatic soft top are industry standards. Still, the true “worth” is hidden behind that lengthy hood.

The oil sump, manifold, air filter, and accessory drive were all revised when Mercedes’ top-tier 48-valve 6.0-liter V-12 was moved from the S-class to the SL’s smaller quarters. Fortunately, all 389 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque were retained. To ensure crashworthiness with the bigger engine, the front bumper is gently expanded for two inches more crush room.

So, how does it feel to drive? Special. A nuclear-powered hovercraft, for example. Such as the Concorde or bullet train. Phenom­enal. Talking numbers bourgeoisie the experience. To summarise, the Mercedes-Benz 600SL outperforms the Ferrari 348 TB, the BMW M5, and several other exotic sports and GT vehicles.

LOWS: Handling dynamics of two and a quarter tonnes.

It’s not the speed of an SL that matters, but how effectively the speed is attained. Several editors were taken aback by the impressive performance figures because the car is so smooth and silent that it doesn’t seem like an ultra-high-performance vehicle.

Push the pedal to the floor, and you’re gone without a shriek of wheelspin. Most speed restrictions will be exceeded in the time it takes to speed phone your broker. You’ll be approaching double the limitations before the answering machine picks up—and you’ll be able to hear it perfectly since there’s no multivalve banshee shriek to drown it out. If you leave your foot placed after finishing your sell-IBM order, the speedometer needle will have softly rested at its controlled 155-mph limit.

Your pulse rate will not have increased significantly, and your palms will not be sweaty, since the 600SL remains securely rooted on the road, the steering wheel resting comfortably in your hands, without the aerodynamic lift or skittering that plagues smaller 150-plus-mph cars at speed.

A remarkably stiff body and two-quarter tonnes of road-hugging weight contribute to the smoothest, most supple ride of any 99-inch-wheelbase convertible now available. However, expecting those 4524 pounds to reverse direction rapidly is a foolish idea. Running a gymkhana in the 600SL would be like asking Her Majesty to do an obstacle course at boot camp. However, gradual high-speed turns are easily handled, and the large brakes are more than capable of shedding speed before approaching the tightest corners. The 600SL is equipped with the S-class computer-controlled brake system, which decreases rear brake pressure while cornering to extend limit-braking before ABS intervention.

For pure driving enthusiasts, the 315-horsepower 500SL is perhaps the superior vehicle. It takes about a second longer to reach 60 mph on the track, but it weighs 300 pounds less, making it seem much more eager to go along tight mountain roads. The V-8 naturally creates a less smooth, more visceral, and sporty­sounding exhaust noise, which adds to the driving excitement and emphasizes the “cheaper” $107,660 SL’s distinct objective.

Is the 600SL a flawless vehicle with no space for improvement? Is the queen perfect? No way, no how. The cockpit ergonomics remain Germanically unintuitive, necessitating a careful study of the owner’s handbook; in the winter, the climate-control system blasts frigid air with gusto until the heater core heats up (most systems today are intelligent enough to wait). Part-throttle upshifts are jarring, several buttons and switches take a lot of force, and the seat backrests are overly flat and hard.

VERDICT: If not the ultimate automobile, then the ultimate convertible.

There can be no legitimate justification for buying an automobile like this. But It’s The Best, and being wealthy means never having to justify yourself. There can only be one queen of England and one 600SL. God help the queen and the tiny red automobile.

Counterpoint

Every automo­tive luxury known to man is available in the 500SL, including the world’s most simple convertible top. What makes the $24,000 600SL superior? How about easy acceleration? The 500 is quick, but the 600 is faster and never has to work hard to breathe. The V-12 delivers quick acceleration from rest with no abrupt first-gear kick downs. On the highway, a moderate push of the right pedal generates more pull than most cars do when you slam their accelerators into the floor. I’m not sure it’s worth $24,000, but it’s certainly attractive. —Szabolcs Csere

I’m having trouble reconciling my emotional reaction to the 600SL with my objective realizations. I mean, the SL doesn’t require a six-liter V-12 engine to carry two people, and the minor performance gains over the 500SL aren’t enough to justify the larger engine or the greater price of this expensive upgrade. But it just takes a day in this magnificent car to crush those rational arguments. Its smoothness, solidity, power, and mechanical harmony are beautifully intoxicating. Regardless of the price, I’m sure Mercedes sells them all. —Bryan Winfield

I keep thinking about how much Barry Bonds will give up to get his 600SL. He’ll have to play three whole baseball games! It’ll take him six or seven hours and perhaps sixteen at-bats! But, on the short list of vehicles to kill for, I’d fight Mike Tyson for this one. (Did I say vehicles worth killing for, or cars worth dying for?) I must complete this space since describing this automobile is a one-word task: flawless. Okay, if you want to nitpick, the shelf behind the chairs should be lined with something other than cotton carpet for 132 grand. What about gold fleece? —Spence, Steve