The $320K V12 Roadster That Mercedes Doesn't Make Any More | SL 65 AMG
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Once upon a time Mercedes made a two seater car with a twin turbo V12. In todays money it would cost $320 brand new. This car is the SL 65 AMG and today I'm reviewing it.
Thanks to LW Automotive for letting me film their car
lwautomotive.com
2005 Mercedes Benz SL 65 AMG Specs:
Horsepower: 604
Torque: 738
Curb weight: 4400lbs
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At first I thought that was a great *looking* car, but be the end of this video I realized it's a good 'all around' car!
You have to love that V12 start up sound.
That startup sound is identical to my '07 S65 - nothing like it. It's crazy how these are still holding their value compared to the sedans, they are a relative bargain in comparison. Thanks for the review, Mike!
I have had my 2005 SL 65 for 12 years and it still turns heads. This review is right on target. If you can buy this car for $39 grand you will possess a beautiful super car. I will never sell mine.
These go up in price already!! Just like the r129. Go check lw and @autoleitner here in The Netherlands
It's 150k aud or 95k usd in Australia.
@@prakashdayanandan3176 seriously, r230s are ridiculously expensive here in general. In the US and UK they are a fraction of the price, it's incredibly frustrating
I have one. 2006 SL65 in silver with 50 000km on the clock. I will NEVER sell it. My most prized car. I was 23 when they came out and fell in love with it at the Johannesburg Motor Show. Finally bought one for myself when I turned 38.
As a low mileage 2006 R230 65 AMG owner, I can say with a few exterior mods and a proper detail the car draws well at the local car shows here in AZ along with lots of non AMG owner enthusiast positive response. Thanks for sharing this and that inflation stat is Nutz! Wow thank you for the video. Just gota keep up the maintenance and the charm remains.
Man...rewind to 2012, I had been a dentist for about 7 months...my RX8 crapped out finally...I wanted an SL. I looked at the SL65, SL55, SL600, and SL500... the 65 was bananas! I liked the SL600 the most; but I ended up getting a SL500 and did an ecu tune. I was scared away from the other SLs because of possible maintenance. I dodged a huge bullet...because the ABC, A/C, and SBC systems on my SL damn near bankrupted me. Loved the car... glad I owned an SL; however, I went 911 and never looked back.
I've wanted one for so long,my flavor was SL55. I liked the newer model refresh 2011 era. Glad I haven't yet but there's a low mileage SL500 in my area w/ a set of aftermarket wheels & it is well taken care of for around 17,5$ negotiated. Not yet!!!
You should go into car sales for these type cars. Your heart is in it and you do a good job presenting.
I remember these lol had two friends who had different ones. One had the SL 55 supercharged V8 and another had the SL 600 V12 non boosted. They drive amazingly. The SL 55 was unreal fast to me and can’t imagine the SL 65. They just MOVED. I was like 19 or so in each instance. So cool you featured this!
V12 AMG's are criminally underrated
That SL body still looks nice and modern. One of the best looking cars ever.
r230 refresh looks BETTER than the new SL, much better than the r231 as well, r231 refresh just tried to be an r230 haha
My old boss was the first person in South Africa to aquire the AMG V12 Bi-Turbo Black Series.. What a car. Also had the first m6 and Hummer H3 in SA. I think he may have had the first Bently GT aswell. Had a hell of a collection and he also gave us stuff like exhaust systems, tunes, chips, body kits etc for our work cars as incentives. I had an Opel 200iS with powerflow exhaust, chipped, Dyna-tuned, BBS rims, bodykit, black tints, all payed for by work. Pretty cool. Car came stock with about 130hp, mine was pushing 300 to the wheels. 0-100 in 5.8 and I got it upto 250 on the speedo which was where the pin stopped the needle but I still had a full gear to go. Car was a beast. I miss that car. All the managers got 500 CLKs, the reps drove SLK200s and then Z4s and we all had Opel Corsa cars and pickups and me and the other lead techs also got our "business meeting" cars being the Opel 200iS. This was back in 2005-8. We worked for a subsidiary of British American Tobacco stocking and servicing vending machines around South Africa. Started with 2 machines and when he sold the company he had 4500 machines in 5 countries in Southern Africa. Side note, I remember the my Boss had a young pretty GF who was also his secretary and he let her drive his cars and she destroyed his rims on the SL65 and he had to replace them after like 3 months at about $15k per rim.,
Just remember, the $40K price may be tempting, but maintenance on that vehicle still commands what it originally did back in 2005. Which is unfortunately why there are so many neglected high-end vehicles from back in the day. Hopefully this will find an owner who can properly maintain it, since it is a gem in automotive history.
Love it! Masterpiece. Interior & exterior are both perfect in my opinion. It’s has a great balance of curb appeal and give you a little bit of everything.
Great review,,,, this channel is better than ever !
Small correction Mike, not Airmatic suspension, it's the same ABC ( Active Body Control ) that your S65 Coupe is fitted with. Great video.... great car!
Love the channel. My father loves this model so much so that he currently has 4 SL 65 AMG in his garage. He owned a bunch of R129 SL 600 and SL 60 from 1994 to 1999.Eventually got rid of those and got his first R230 2003 imported a year before US release. He's also got a 2008 refresh model and R231 from 2014. He was very disappointed that MB cancelled the V12 so he bought on of the last US spec units in 2020. He's also got a GT R232 and another one order despite my objection. 😂
I love this car. Enough to buy a 2009 which was a bit more refined. This is probably the best engineered convertible on the planet. Had you driven top down you'd notice how quiet it is for a convertible. Conversation is actually possible at 100mph. From just a Renntech plug in tune and a set of modern Michelin Cup2's an insane amount of performance can be unlocked. But you're right SL65's are definitely going up in value.
Best looking Merc in modern times love the super light!
Best SL along with the R129 model. Definitely would like a 65 in the garage
I love this generation of Mercedes. I currently have an 03 E500 and I’m in the process of buying a project 02 CL500. They’re not V12 cars but I far prefer them to any newer Mercedes.
A super cool car!! This one needs to be stock like this. No exhaust aftermarked shit or crazy wheels. Just like this. It drives really nice. 2 years ago this was my mariage car in silver. I could rented it from a benz collector for a weekend. My wife and i loved it!!
Lorenzo with the hookup, NA High with the lot. Love seeing you cover the wild stuff they have there. I'm still torn on if I have to buy a 65 amg while they're still reasonable.
Unbelievable piece of art.
Extremely rare. Super hard to see on the roads
Do the viper next! Since you've already done the truck. This was an excellent video on a beautiful car btw
Don't forget about the start button on the shifter.
I saw this car in person last weekend. Beautiful car! Lw automotive has a ton of very nice cars! I visit their lot almost once a month just to admire until i can cash in my investment n actually visit to buy some.
I’ve driven the CL65 and it was a super car.
This car look good in year to come will look fantastic I was looking at a 190e recently that looks fantastic know these cars age beuitfully
Damn that’s a nice car! Love the content!
Autovlog Great Video Review I think Mercedes SL 65 AMG is absolutely incredible for how old it is and I think you should get it for the Channel
Those SL500, SL600 , SL 55 or SL 65 AMG's and later SL550 were sleek beautiful cars. Just the ABC suspension and hydraulics in the convertible roof just stirred me away from them. I believe they make kits for those early SL500 / SL600 and AMG models to do away with the ABC suspension.
Love that car when came out was my dream car, some shit like you need to buy
God tier Benz, one of the best ever.
You can buy one right now…2005 with 66k miles for $31,500 @ Toyota of York in PA!!
absolutely badass
the autobahn sledge hammer from germany
My neurosurgeon drove one of those, he even carried his golf clubs in the passenger seat. Wish I would have been surgeon, obviously they make a lil more than the average Joe.
You would stressed all day everyday… comes at a cost
Better off being an influencer- make WAY more money for WAY less work/education/cost
Great video Mike!
These Mercedes retractable hardtops were notorious for failing on all of their models, an absolute nightmare to own!
I used to LOOOOOOVE this car back in the day, even it's sibling, the SL55. HOWEVER... I've always thought the SL65 was NOT worth paying $200k for. Apparently many other people felt the same because I can count on one hand how many times I've seen the V-12 model in person.
Yep, The 65’s overall were rare
Notice how all of the buttons are in top notch shape, while all modern Mercedes need their buttons replaced bc they peel
Like this! Håkan, Sweden.
More stuff like this!👍
Great video…. I had the same car which flooded in NY two years ago. The only thing I was able to save was the wheels which had brand new Michelin tires. It fits Any R230’s . If anybody is interested.
The black series was my favorite car for many years....
I've a 2005 SL55 that's my daily driver. Just ticked over 303,000 miles, and we believe it to be the highest mileage R230 on the planet (ie, if there is a higher mileage variant, the owner has been quiet as a church most on the Mercedes forums) The hydraulic suspension was amazing when working, but due to age and car values, most owners simply aren't willing to invest what could be up to $15k for repairs, so many have been converted to coilovers, and within about 3 years it'll be near impossible to find one with an intact ABC suspension. The R230 is a Fantastic platform.
Do you still have the ABC suspension?
@@Cynycter No. I swapped for coilovers @ the 275,000 mile Marc. I considered 275k on a suspension to be quite durable, but with spares becoming increasingly scarce, especially for various hydraulic lines, the writing was on the wall that further investment in ABC wasn't a cost efficient path.
Might be. The R230's for sale in Germany right now with highest milage are also all around 300.000... but km and not miles.
Most R230's still have an intact ABC suspension. At least here in America.
@@LawrenceMarkFearon as of today, August 12, 2024? Yep. I'd say that's accurate. 3 years from this date, August 12, 2027, I'm more than comfortable saying that 50% of R230's that are functional and being driven on the road will NOT have an intact ABC suspension. Arnott, the primary supplier of replacement struts, no longer purchase spares to refurbish and offer up for replacement, and neither do their 2 competitors they realized the writing on the wall when Mercedes stopped providing replacement struts in 2022, and their sales nosedived as a result of owners choosing to covert to coilovers. Once their stock of struts are gone, there will literally be no more suppliers in the market. The consumer will have zero choice but to either mothball their vehicles, or convert to coilovers since there will literally be no more supply of replacements once Arnott exhausts their current supply.
hell yeah! keep going with the 2000's Benz, try and get a hold of the beyond rare 2009 sl600!
Iconique car!❤
R230 was in production up until December 2011
Mike, big fan of your videos been watching for years. It would be sweet if you could get your hands on Ford Lighting SVT and do a review.
*this Merc is certainly new classic made for who can see behind lines*
Great car.
real boss car
Simply Awesome
This is a great car it's a classic
Swirl marks are horrible, needs a good detail
2 cars back in 2008 that gave my Hayabusa a run, was this and the 911 turbo s.
The car is beautiful, but the hard droptop is a nightmare to deal with, especially when it comes down to getting it fixed.
The black series version of this car could have been an absolute monster, but the 4 speed auto box ruined it. But that car is still one of the coolest meanest looking cars ever made.
5 Speed
Please do a 560sel next !!
You’ve got my car. Mine is Rennteched and it completely changed the character. Much quicker and violent. I’ve been driving mine for 15 years and I still love it. People still ogle it.
Imagine the repair costs on this thing ?👀 what a car tho 👏🏾
10:15 what interior age? It's timeless. It's why I love this era of Mercedes
That’s a good price 40 K w 50K miles not bad
Expected to see you at the Pittsburgh Vintage Gran Prix this weekend. Maybe I missed you? My son and I were looking for you.
Mike, put cooking oil instead of motor oil in the hooptie, may be a great interesting video!
Shame seeing that thing with such bad swirl marks. Hopefully whoever buys it gets it paint corrected and coated
Nice car but it needs the swirl marks remodel the paintwork. That’s the first thing I’d do if I bought it
love the car
It’s still the sht today,
Same as before
Buy a 2018 SL 65 AMG while you can still find one with low mileage. I did. Fantastic car!
S65 Coupe is way better.
On a long enough timeline every car raises in price - Edward Norton
the front lights remind me of the 2005 hyundai sonata.
Nice
thats him
Any plans on a new build series?
Isnt this Hydrolic suspension since it has ABC or I am mistaken?
Old Lamborghinis are on the way up You should buy one 😀
Mike, wassup with that flicker in the video? Changed set up maybe?
5:42 it should have a glove compartment aux. I'd rather use that than Bluetooth
Dit is geen auto met een motor, maar een motor met een auto.
They are prone to having constant electrical issues. Hope you have deep pockets.
Being from Germany, back in the days only the guys that were doing shady business drove one of these.
FYI. The 230 chassis did start till 2003. Not 2001. The 129 was in production from 1990 till 2002. Fact check.
Another fact check. The phone adapter in the center console was actually a bluetooth adapter.
Ive seen spy shots of the newest Maybach SL. imagine if they shove the V12 in there😅
Now, that's a real Mercedes-Benz AMG bad boy- not the shitty New C 63 amg with the small 4 cylinder engine
Mike, what is the name of the portable tire pump you use again?
Pity they changed the traditional gauge cluster to something both uglier and harder to read. Like... why. Change for change sake. Else they are one of the still solid feeling MB:s. All newer ones I've sat in both look and feel like some kids plastic toy inside.
What wow factor, it dont even have Bluetooth, lol 🤣
I dont recall that sl amg v12 costing 320k maybe 150k at the time
320,000 in today super inflated US Dollars
Too many blank buttons on the console for a 200k car!
nice.
What is LW like? Do you know anyone that has gotten a car there? I ask because we almost bought the X5M they have there and I’m still on the fence.
Are you from Sweden?
Yes
He's a proud American Citizen. He lives in America and he will vote for Donald Trump because he's an American patriot who loves closed borders, mass Deportations, low inflation, affordable gas, affordable housing and plenty of employment
Nice car but brand new price dang I can get all 4 of my cars my caddy Escalade n pick truck and camaro
That beast needs a polish
My bro has the facelift version of this car .
Why dont you buy it??
Bro do amg content!!!
Forget about the cars. Your aging better then them lol.