Paint jobs are a matter of personal taste, but love or loathe it; you can't ignore Mercedes' new 'SL Mille Miglia 417' that's on display at the Geneva motor show.

The "Designo night black magno" color with the contrasting red accents on the front spoiler lip, the 19-inch front and 20-inch rear alloy wheels, the brake calipers and the rear diffuser is certainly eye-catching.

Of course, Mercedes being…well, Mercedes, the display model's paint is optional – the standard Mille Miglia 417 that was created to celebrated the 60th anniversary of the brand's class win at the 1955 Mille Miglia road race in Italy will come in a more mundane magnetite black metallic paint finish. Two more colors, the matte "designo cashmere white magno" and the shiny "designo diamond white bright" will also be offered on the options list. There's also a boot lid spoiler – that's standard.

Inside, Mercedes dressed up the seats, door panels and steering wheel in black leather with red accents, along with 417 Mille Miglia insignias embroidered in the headrests, and matte carbon finish for the trim elements.

The "Mille Miglia 417" will be offered in SL 400 and SL 500 guises running a 329hp (333PS) turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 and a 448hp (455PS) twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8 respectively, with sales to start in April this year. Production will be limited to 500 units worldwide.

The 6th-generation Mercedes SL roadster is due to undergo its mid-cycle changeover in 2016 (possibly as a 2017MY) and we caught one of the first prototypes out on the road.

Apparently, this is an early test mule with the only difference being the headlamps that don't even fit or match the front end of the prototype. For what it's worth at this point, they do look similar in style to the ones used on the S-Class Coupe.

The picture will become clearer in the coming months when Mercedes-Benz will start rolling out more developed testers with actual production parts.

Besides the exterior makeover, the Stuttgart firm should proceed to changes in the interior of its hardtop convertible model, while also updating the SL's powertrains.

What would a shooting brake-style coupe version of the Mercedes-Benz SL roadster look like? This is a question you no longer need to look for an answer, as Italian design house, Studiotorino, developed a project called "Coupetorino 2013", which is a concept for an SL Shooting Brake model.

A non-profit academic project at Istituto di Arte Applicata e Design (IAAD), the Coupetorino 2013 began to take shape in 2012 when six design students (Bruno Arena, Michele Bavaro, Riccardo Luigi Cascone, Stefano Manini, Dario Pellegrino and Cristiano Zanot) set out to transform the Mercedes SL into an exclusive coupe with the support of Steffen Koehl from Global Advance Design Mercedes-Benz.

Envisioned as a one-off special edition or limited series model, the Coupetorino was a realistic work-study project for the students, who also had to integrate engineering feasibility and cost of production in their work. Mercedes’ role consisted of Steffen Koehl giving three lectures and maintaining a continuous contact with the students via email.

A 1/4 scale model was created using a large and monolithic stereolitography technique with an internal surface thickness that would allow manual modifications, with the presentation taking place on May 27 at the Mercedes-Benz Design Center in Como.

The Coupetorino 2013 is a successor to the Coupetorino 2008, a similar project developed in the same way with IAAD and Mercedes-Benz Design Center.

While this is an academic project, we can’t help but wonder whether such a coupe would make sense for Mercedes-Benz. The design is certainly top notch and the six young students clearly have a bright future ahead of them. So what do you think, should Mercedes-Benz build a shooting brake version of the SL?

For the first time after spotting an early prototype of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz SL with limited changes last year, our spies caught an advanced tester of the facelifted roadster with modified styling.

Most noticeable is the revamped front end of the hardtop convertible that gains a reshaped hood, the edges of which do not touch the slimmer headlamps, along with a redesigned grille and bumper.

At the rear, this prototype was fitted with full red-cultured tail lamps featuring refreshed graphics, plus revised bumper and exhaust tips.

While Mercedes-Benz engineers made sure to hide the most important aspects of the cabin from prying eyes, this also points to what they're updating, including the design of the steering wheel, instrument panel and center console, which appears to be getting bigger touch screen display and new buttons.

There's no word yet on whether the Germans plan to upgrade the SLs powertrains, though, minor power and efficiency gains should are to be expected.

Just as orange was the new black, V6s are the new V8. Cadillac’s twin turbo 3.6L is a 450 hp brute that found its way from the CTS-V sport into the ATS-V, prompting a response from Germany. Mercedes-Benz has answered with a 3.0L V6 with two turbos making 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. This is what the SL500 was making with a naturally aspirated V8 just a few years ago.

We got to know the new SL400 for a week, and we didn’t want to return it at the end. Outside of AMG, the SL is the flagship of the fleet. It packs the latest in technology and comfort into a svelte aluminum 2-seater. This current generation launched as a 2012 model and took the world by storm. It is undoubtedly one of the best convertibles ever built. The roof panel features the translucent panoramic “Magic Sky Control,” which can change from transparent to opaque at your command. If you really want to experience the sky, the roof will disappear in seconds to reveal a sensuous roadster.



This is where the fun begins. Having the top down does not incur the cowl shake or chassis flex associated with convertibles of the past. The SL feels solid, even over broken pavement. The suspension is plush, leaving the stiff springs to the V8 models. Our car had sport AMG wheels, combining 19” alloys along with bigger brakes and a sport steering wheel.



Two dual-scroll turbos are matched perfectly to this small 3.0L V6. Even a slight rev will have them pressurizing the intake and raring to go. Gone are our misconceptions about V6 powered GT cars. With my left foot holding the brake, I brought the RPM up and launched. At wide open throttle you have a tiger by its tail. This level of power is too much for 255 mm tires, and the computer shows up quickly to end the party. Somewhere at a lab in Bremen, engineers decided how and when to limit your power, and thankfully this car is smart enough to keep you on the pavement and shiny side up.



Aside from the amazing magic roof, the SL is loaded with features that make your jaw drop. Not only are the seats heated and cooled, but the Air Scarf vent behind your neck keeps you warm and allows for top down motoring in blizzard conditions. Attention assist tracks your eyelids and warns you if you attempt snoozing while cruising. Lane keeping assist can take control of the steering with a gentle correction. This car does everything.



Pricing starts at $96,000 for an SL400 with these options. Consider all the technology and comfort along with almost V8 performance, and the new SL400 is one of the best values on the market. Thank you to Mercedes-Benz of Tampa for an in-depth explanation of each system. If you haven’t experienced the new SL, treat yourself to a test drive. You won’t regret it. Stay tuned to Autofluence for more Mercedes news and reviews.