West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional example of this original southern California owner 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG Supercharged Convertible Roadster in this highly desirable and striking 'Brilliant Silver Metallic over Charcoal' color combination and with only 39K original miles!
The SL 55 AMG high-performance sports car comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission which drivers can operate using the race car-style steering column gearshift. The Mercedes-AMG engineers have also adapted the brakes, axles, wheels, tires and the entire power train of the Roadster to the high engine output.
Visually, distinguishing features of the SL 55 AMG include bumpers with dynamic AMG bodystyling, distinctive side skirts, 18-inch multi-spoke wheels and four chromed exhaust pipes. On-the-road performance is equally impressive: it takes the new AMG Roadster just 4.7 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h from a stand still. The SL suffix always has been a bit optimistic, even when applied to the original SL roadster of 1957. Although the car was definitely sporty, it wasn't exactly light, tipping the scales at a relatively well-fed 2,926 pounds. With each successive generation, Stuttgart's SL has turned into a Serious Leviathan.
The 2003 iteration was the line's new flagship, the SL55 AMG. Mercedes and its in-house tuner AMG built a sensational V-8 engine that answers all questions and quashes all doubts. Wedging a belt-driven, screw-type supercharger between the cylinder banks of AMG's all-aluminum, SOHC 5.5-liter V-8 adds 167 horses to the SL corral, for a total of 469. The result is a true thoroughbred, a serious rival for the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, and the Ferrari Modena F1. This fastest-ever street-legal production Mercedes-Benz was one of the most versatile and user-friendly of hard-core sports cars. And it was rare, too: Mercedes only sold some 4000 SL55 AMGs a year worldwide.
The latest of the high-octane speedsters to come out of Affalterbach was the 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG and it was to prove to be the pinnacle of Mercedes- Benz performance! Based on the SL500 roadster, under the SL55s hood was the most powerful engine ever offered in a Mercedes-Benz passenger car. So its no surprise that the SL55 was also the fastest Mercedes passenger car in the companys history.
How fast you say? Well, how about 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds! And quarter mile passes in 13.3 seconds at 108 MPH! Acceleration is smooth and gutsy right out of the gate and never lets up until you do. Shifting is done by way of a heavy duty 5-speed automatic transmission with SpeedShift programming that delivers 35 percent quicker gear changes. Under the hood is a hand-assembled 5.4 liter, single cam, 24-valve, Kompressor V8. Output is a stunning 493 horsepower with 516 pound feet of torque available from 2,650 to 4,500 rpm! AMG specialists took the SL500s 5.0 liter V8 and tweaked it to 5.4 liters for the SL55. They bolted on a Lysholm, or screw-type, belt-driven supercharger that pumps out a maximum boost of 11.6 psi, along with a cross-flow air-to-water intercooler for a denser charge. It all adds up to one very powerful package.
The SL55 makes a pretty powerful visual statement, too. AMG additions to the SL500s svelte bodywork include more dramatically sculpted rocker panels and a rear valance with four chrome tipped exhaust tubes underneath, large standard 18 inch alloy wheels and of course the SLs fully retractable hard top which gives the SL55 a highly desirable split personality by transforming it from a tight coupe to an open air roadster in a scant 16 seconds with just the push of a button. And with the way Mercedes has cleverly packaged the roof, top down youll still have a very useable 8.3 cubic feet left of the trunks normal 11.2 cubic feet of cargo capacity.
Top up or down, youll be coddled by the SL55s supremely luxurious interior, especially the hide-covered seats. Which offer more comfort features than a top-of-the-line living room La- Z-Boy. In addition to standard Mercedes fare like park assist, Distronic adaptive cruise control, and the complement of audio, NAV, and telephone wizardry built into the center stack, there are other cool features like the optional Keyless-Go system that allows you to open the door, trunk, and start the car with a shift lever-mounted push button, as long as the chip card is in the vicinity of the vehicle. And with front, head and thorax side, and knee airbags in the lower dash, and rollover bars, youre well covered on the safety front too with the SLs electronic brake-by-wire braking system which is plenty capable of pulling you down from any speed. With massive 14 inch rotors up front, 13 inch in the rear, ABS with Brake Assist and electronic brake proportioning, it hauls from a respectable 60 MPH in a very satisfying 124 feet. And only a little over 16 seconds for the red speedometer needle to reach the 200-km/h mark. The speed is piled on until the microcomputer cuts in at precisely 250 km/h to electronically limit the power delivery. The scale on the speedometer goes up to 300 km/h, showing just what this exhilarating high-performance sports car is theoretically capable of.
With a base price that started at $118,295, including luxury and gas-guzzler taxes, the SL55 AMG was some $30K north of the SL500. Start adding extras such as Distronic auto-distancing cruise control ($2950), Parktronic proximity warning ($1035), the Panorama sunroof ($1800)an interesting touch on a retractable hardtop convertibleand the tally escalated rapidly. The SL55 was an executive hot rod for folks with lots of disposable income.
You will look long and hard to find a lower mileage or as well maintained and beautiful and always garaged example of this original southern California owner 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG Roadster with a clean Carfax report to confirm both ownership, service history and mileage, in this very striking color combination available anywhere else - it is virtually as new with a new car smell to boot!
2003 Mercedes SL55 AMG statistics:
Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE AS TESTED
Base price: $118,295
ENGINE TYPE
supercharged and intercooled SOHC 24-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 332 in3, 5439 cm3
Power: 493 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 516 lb-ft @ 2650 rpm
TRANSMISSION
5-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): multilink/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 14.2-in vented, cross-drilled disc/13.0-in vented, cross-drilled disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero Rosso Asimmetrico, F: 255/40ZR-18 95Y R: 285/35ZR-18 97Y
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 100.8 in
Length: 175.8 in
Width: 71.9 in
Height: 51.0 in
Passenger volume: 51 ft3
Trunk volume, top down/up: 8/11 ft3
Curb weight: 4411 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 4.5 sec
100 mph: 10.9 sec
130 mph: 18.7 sec
Rolling start, 560 mph: 4.9 sec
Top gear, 3050 mph: 2.3 sec
Top gear, 5070 mph: 2.6 sec
1/4 mile: 13.0 sec @ 110 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 156 mph
Braking, 700 mph: 175 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.91 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 16 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 16/14/20 mpg
