This week, Mercedes-Benz dropped a brand new version of its iconic SL high-velocity road yacht with a 17,000-word press release and an absolutely magnificent photo gallery (same link). This company’s PR department clearly knows its game — the mix of images includes a few that are perfect for phone and computer wallpapers. This one I’m sharing here, in particular, would make a lovely large-screen background spread.
- Car: 2022 Mercedes-Benz SL
- Location: Stuttgart, Germany (probably)
- Photog: ? (image owned by Mercedes-Benz, used with permission)
- Camera: ?
The SL was the quintessential Hollywood car, in my opinion, from the late 1970s until the end of the ’00s. The angular R129 of the ’90s was (and remains) its aesthetic peak. I mean, come on, if it was cool enough for Ashton Kutcher and Fabio… The redesign after that was OK, but around 2010 the car’s look went to hell and I’m sure I’m not the only one who noticed the SL kind of stopped appearing in movies at that point. I certainly didn’t see as many of them roaming the streets of Los Angeles.
But I think that’s going to change pretty soon because the car’s new look is much more assertive, distinctive, and interesting without being overwrought. You can get all the technical details you might be after in The Drive‘s writeup but it’s got a V8, loads of power, and new for 2022, a rear seat (which I don’t really understand but whatever).
Anyway, I highly recommend you take a paw through the above-linked image gallery if you haven’t. It really is a pretty car again and there are some cool shots in there of wind-tunnel testing and country-road cruising. Here’s a bigger upload of the heavy-shadow lurker shot, and one more in that style from another angle.
