The SL roadster always was a class act but in the face of newer rivals, it had started to look a bit creaky. With the latest styling, engineering and equipment revisions, the SL is back on the pace. There are still very few luxury roadsters that are quite as versatile as this redoubtable Mercedes.

One thing the Mercedes SL isn't short of is backstory, with the Sport Leicht badge first appearing as far back as 1954. Since then, the sportiness and lightness may have diminished with each revision but the SL has morphed into a beautifully engineered two seat GT car which attempts to fuse the luxury of an S class saloon with the appeal of open-top driving. The current generation car, known to proper Mercedes anoraks as the R230 series, went on sale in the UK in early 2002 and has been a massive success. It's now been updated to freshen the appeal and put some upstart rivals in their places.

Car buyers in the privileged position of having something north of £60,000 to spend and only two occupants plus a little bit of luggage as practical constraints, have the world's most exotic and talented vehicles laid-out before them. The SL's job is to convince these big spenders that the optimum destination for their massed wealth is the coffers of Mercedes-Benz.

The range has been simplified of late but the engine choice boils down to V6, V8 or, if you have the budget and the stomach for it, V12. The SL 350 is no longer the 272bhp unit that sold so well. That unit has been replaced by a meatier 315bhp with a far sportier demeanour, revving to 7,200rpm and capable of jetting the SL through 60mph in 6 seconds, 0.4s quicker than the old 350. Next comes the 'definitive' SL model, the SL 500 with its burbling 5.5-litre V8 still producing 388bhp. Above this sits the mighty V12 SL 600 which harbours a twin turbocharged 5.5-litre V12 developing 517bhp. In the SL 500, 0-60mph takes 5.4s and the SL 600 achieves the same in a supercar humbling 4.5s. If that's not fast enough, the SL 63 AMG model offers 525bhp, while the flagship SL 65 AMG delivers a thumping 612bhp.

"The SL is built more for bullet-like straight line performance than aggressive cornering."

The SL is built more for bullet-like straight line performance than aggressive cornering although this hefty 1,800kg car can still excite through a set of fast bends. The SL350 makes do with the standard suspension set-up that still shows great composure while the others utilise the clever Active Body Control technology that continually adjusts the suspension settings for optimum performance. The SL gets a high-tech Direct Steer system which combines with the more familiar speed-sensitive power steering to increase the steering rack ratio sharply as soon as the steering angle reaches five degrees. This means that extreme manoeuvres at speed require a mere flick of the wrists rather than grabbing whole armfuls of steering.

Get the SL down from warp speed and the first thing you'll spot is that the 'peanut' style headlamps of the old model have been replaced with massive single pod bi-xenon units that look surprisingly good. The Intelligent Light System provides five different lighting modes which activate automatically. Motorway mode, for instance, is activated in two stages when speeds exceed 90km/h, increasing the driver's range of vision by 60 per cent. When the active light function is activated, the headlamps pivot with the steering. There are also cornering lights that illuminate the verge below 70km/h. Twin powerdomes on the bonnet and gill-style air outlets on the front wings also give the SL a more aggressive attitude.

The interior has been given the once over as well, with a completely restyled instrument cluster with the speedometer and the rev counter finished in a classic chronometer design. A three-spoke steering wheel and more supportive seats also debut. Otherwise the recipe is classic SL. With the hood down, there's minimal buffeting if you keep the windows and the wind blocker between the seats extended. The roof itself vies with the engines to be the highlight of the whole SL package. You get a 310-litre luggage capacity in the SL that only drops to 206-litres with the top down. There's even a button that raises the whole roof cassette when it's in the boot so you can get easier access to your bags. Build quality as a whole seems notably tighter.

Equipment levels are generous even at the base of the range, with all SL derivatives benefiting from the Mercedes Cockpit Management and Navigation Display (COMAND) system with its CD/DVD player and satellite navigation. Leather upholstery is standard, as are Xenon headlamps, rain sensing wipers, ESP and ASR skid control. Buyers can also take advantage of a huge array of personalisation options to upgrade their model according to their individual taste. COMAND has had a bit of a revamp too, with a slot for SD memory cards built in, a Bluetooth receiver for hands free mobiles and the latest version of LINGUATRONIC voice control. A Music Register stores around 1,000 MP3 tracks and a saved database enables automatic recognition of the tracks and their artists.

For the first time, it's also possible to connect an iPod, USB stick or other external audio device to the COMAND System thanks to an optional media interface housed in the centre console. There's also the AIRSCARF system that has proven so popular with SLK buyers. This incorporates heating and a hot air blower in the head restraint of the seat to provide a constant stream of warm air, ideal for enjoying top-down motoring on those clear winter mornings.

Mercedes SL buyers tend not to sweat the details of running costs too much, but for what it's worth, the fuel economy of the latest range has improved. The SL 350, for example, despite generating 43bhp more than its predecessor, gets 28.5 miles from a gallon of super unleaded, a full 1.1mpg more than the old car. Even the SL 500 and SL 600 models have been improved in terms of engine efficiency and Mercedes claim a three per cent improvement in fuel economy. Expect to average around 27mpg on a regular basis in the SL 350 as a result.

The restyle will have helped to shore up the SL's residual values which were just starting to erode slightly. Insurance for cars of this ilk is never going to be cheap (expect group 20), but the buyer profile of the SL is a little more mature and responsible than some of its rivals and as such premium loading is never quite as savage.

Mercedes is not a company that likes to be rushed into precipitous action. It's hard to believe that it took five years after the SLK appeared for the SL model to get the folding Vario roof and perhaps it was this long gestation that has led many buyers to believe that the R230 generation Mercedes SL is an older car than it actually is. The revisions that have been made are well judged, the front end now looking more authoritative and the interior getting more technology and more of a sense of occasion.

It may have been around in various forms since 2002 but the appeal of the Mercedes-Benz SL has scarcely diminished. It's the consummate luxury roadster with enough experience to see off all comers. Ask it to glide about town, sweep you through your daily commute or obliterate a trans-continental dash and the SL will rise to the challenge in style. Such capability is never going to be inexpensive and some will bemoan the lack of pure sporting focus but the SL transcends much of the nitpicking with its shining all-round capability.

TOP 5 SL SERIES DEALS

The results below show the top SL SERIES deals on buyacar

	Mercedes-benz SL Series SL 350 2dr Tip Auto Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £5,471	Price £59,604
	Mercedes-benz SL Series SL 63 AMG 2dr Tip Auto Convertible
	ETR	Mthly £1,832	Saving £8,801	Price £93,269
	Mercedes-benz SL Series SL 500 2dr Tip Auto Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £6,615	Price £71,165
	Mercedes-benz SL Series SL 600 2dr Tip Auto Bi-Turbo Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £9,021	Price £95,499
	Mercedes-benz SL Series SL 65 AMG 2dr Tip Auto Bi-Turbo Convertible
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £13,508	Price £140,862

typical 10.81% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000