“ Recently had the sub frame at a cost of over £6,000. ”
If an R231 were to pass you in the street you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a new model. Which it could almost be as production only ended six years ago.

Background
The sixth generation SL was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show at the beginning of 2012.

And while the R231 might be fourteen years old, it’s so well-engineered that many of its features would qualify as cutting edge, even now.

Like the Magic Vision wash-wipe system for the windscreen that delivers the fluid to the rubber blades in precisely metered amounts depending on how much is needed – and the direction the wiper blades are travelling in.

You have a choice of semi-active or fully-active Active Body Control damping too, Traffic Sign Assist, Attention Assist, Distronic Plus, Night View Assist, Active Parking Assist, the list goes on.

And these worthy-but-dull safety features are supplemented by ‘FrontBass’, which uses the aluminium structure ahead of the front footwells as a place for the subwoofer to resonate.

That’s pretty kick-ass, isn’t it?

Engines varied from the 3.5-litre V6 you see here all the way to the six-litre V12 found in the SL65 AMG, while gearboxes started with a minimum of seven ratios with a maximum of nine being available on some models.

With a hefty input from aluminium panels, it was also 140kgs lighter than the car it replaced. Production ended in 2020.

Overview
Now creeping up on 14 years old but showing fewer than 66,000 miles on the odometer, ‘J4 XPP’ is the very definition of a modern classic: Stuffed to the gunnels with life-saving technology beneath a lightweight alloy body, buying a modern classic has never been safer.

There’s fun to be had too thanks to the 3.5-litre V6 under the bonnet, a powerplant whose 303bhp, 273lb.ft of torque, and seven-speed automatic gearbox help it waft past 62mph in 5.9 seconds on its way to an artificially limited top speed of 155mph.

It’ll do it reliably and economically too; if you’ve ever fancied a classic Mercedes SL but can’t shake your fears about running a car that’s older than you, this might be the solution you’ve been dreaming of.

Exterior
Finished in a discreet black, the SL presents very well. Of course, rust and rot aren’t a consideration thanks to that aluminium body, but we were nonetheless struck by how well it looks.

Especially given the hue, because black highlights flaws and imperfections with a ruthlessness that will make you feel positively benevolent towards your ex’s divorce lawyer.

Not that the colour is an issue here because there are no dents or dinks to worry about, nor any ripples along the flanks; it doesn’t look new but if we were to tell you this is a four-year-old example rather than one that’s a decade older, you’d probably believe us.

The lamp units that are set into the bodywork are in fine fettle; free of chips and cracks, they’ve weathered the passage of 14 summers without incurring any UV damage.

Largely debadged, what decoration remains is bright and shiny, and the glazing is free of any obvious cosmetic problems.

Other attractive features include a carbonfibre boot spoiler and unsullied mesh screens for the various vents and intakes.

The folding roof struts its stuff with the usual balletic nonchalance, rising and falling gracefully at the touch of a button. It seals well when it is up too and tucks itself away out of sight when it isn’t needed.

And when it is up, the large glass sunroof floods the cabin with light – and if you’re an English Rose, a sunblind can be drawn across to keep your complexion pale and interesting.

The state of the alloy wheels could probably be best described as ‘fair’ but then parking with tyres with such a low profile as these is always going to be tricky. There is some lacquer loss too thanks to underlying alloy corrosion.

The front tyres are recent 255/35ZR19 Sumitomo HTRZ5s, while the rear rubber is by way of 285/30ZR19 Toyo Proxes Sport 2. All were made in 2025 and, as you’d expect give their age, all have very good tread on them.

The aluminium coachwork has sustained a few stonechips over the years, with many of these having been diligently touched-up, which is good news because no-one can dodge that sort of damage.

However, as we move around the car we spotted a scuff to the indicator lens on the offside door mirror; a scratch above the driver’s door handle; peeling paint to the offside of the rear bumper; faded trim on both sides of the rear window; chips below the rear numberplate; heavy road rash on both sides of the rear bumper; and scratches to the nearside door mirror casing.

You might also want to replace the numberplates with ones that are correctly spaced: No point giving the Boys in Blue an open goal, is there?

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