Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

The Mercedes SL is a sinuous, sensuous roadster with dramatic styling and a major-league price tag.Slide into the cockpit, belt up, press the button on the console and, 16 seconds later, its retractable power steel roof changes it from the open-air fun of a convertible to the quiet comfort of a luxury coupe.

The SL is packed with every bit of automotive technology that Mercedes has perfected over the past dozen years, and that's a lot of technology.It does everything well, with the single exception of hauling cargo.Whether the folding steel top is up or down, there simply isn't much luggage space in the trunk of the SL, although the rear compartment behind the bucket seats will hold a good amount of stuff.

As a follow-on strategy to its introduction of the all-new SL roadster last year, Mercedes-Benz has expanded the lineup for 2004 to include three models instead of just one.The original SL 500 V8 is joined by the high-performance SL 55 AMG V8 and, for ultimate power, smoothness, and exclusivity, the SL 600 V12.

We've driven various SL models at Hockenheim (a race track in Germany), at Road America (a road racing circuit in Wisconson), at Milan Dragway in Michigan, and for hundreds of road miles, and we are continually amazed at its graceful high-speed behavior.