Vehicle Description
To mark the end of the wildly successful R129 production run,
Mercedes wanted to celebrate. They did so by offering a limited
edition SL500, dubbed the Silver Arrow. Only 1,450 of these final
year V8 Mercs were produced, and they were only sold in the US
market. Adding further style to an already timeless design made
these rare SLs incredibly sought-after, making this low mileage,
low ownership beauty that much more impressive today.
The SL has always been sleek, purposeful, and dignified, with a
healthy dose of performance under the surface. The Silver Arrow
took that a step further with an aluminum front grille, aluminum
trim pieces, and special edition 18-inch 6-spoke wheels. The
special Silver Arrow paint seems to capture elegance-in-motion
perfectly and has been maintained impeccably with nary a scratch or
blemish to be found. In typical Mercedes-Benz standards, the fit
and finish is beyond reproach. The doors close with precision
usually reserved for cars with solid roofs, the gaps are so tight
you can't even fit a fingertip in them, and with the color-matched
bumper and rocker panel moldings, it has a very sporty demeanor.
The imposing grille with three-pointed star is almost as good as a
plow for getting slower traffic out of your way.
This SL has earned its reputation as a luxury cruiser through a
long list of desirable features. Comfortable two-tone Nappa leather
heated buckets and door panels were only available in the Silver
Arrow, with dual memory settings, adjustable in every possible
direction. The two-tone leather wheel tilts and telescopes, all
that smoky dark wood is real, and the factory-turned aluminum
instrument cluster and shift-gate panel provide a beautiful
contrast that ties the whole interior together. Elegant is the
proper word to describe the look of the cockpit. But there's
another side to Mercedes amenities that are always a nice bonus.
This premium marque is known for engineering plenty of safety into
their cars, and this can be seen on everything from the dual
airbags, to the anti-lock disc brakes, to the roll bar that
automatically pops up when danger is detected (it also can be
electronically raised on this SL to mount the included rear wind
deflector). There are other amenities such as power windows, power
steering, power locks, cruise control, automatic climate control,
and an AM/FM/cassette stereo w/CD changer powerful enough to be
heard at triple-digit speeds with the top down. And speaking of
top, you not only get a nice black folding roof, but this one also
comes with the color matching hard top that makes your roadster
look like a sleek coupe.
The 500 in SL500 refers to the 5.0 liter DOHC V8 that lives under
the hood. Making a robust 302 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque,
it gives you the freedom to choose to keep up with traffic, or
easily leave all of them behind. There's a V8 bellow from the
exhaust that sounds like LeMans at night, and it turns out that the
engine is virtually bulletproof in the real world. This one has led
a pampered life considering it has averaged less than 850 miles per
year so far. The five-speed automatic transmission snaps to
attention with the poke of the throttle, and the multi-link
suspension provides impressive handling. In total, this is the
ultimate roadster for the driver who wants a tight handling car for
the winding roads but doesn't want to give up supple comfort or
space for the golf clubs.
It's time to reach for a piece of the good life. This limited
edition Silver Arrow is about bringing a promise within reach. A
modern classic, with all the amenities, in a convertible...better
call now!!
