Lightweight, an aspect that is very critical to a performance vehicle. This is something that Mercedes Benz did not discount with the 2013 SL. Being built almost entirely out of aluminum the new SL is significantly lighter than it's predecessor, while at the same time features enhanced rigidity, body-roll and agility. The new body shell weights around 242 pounds less then it's steel counterpart. The change from steel to aluminum shell has also allowed Mercedes to focus on enhancing other aspects of the car structure such as optimizing safety points and adding additional rigidity to reduce vibration and thus, increase comfort. In all, the new 2013 Mercedes Benz SL550 weighs 275 pounds less than it's predecessor, bringing in the final weight to approximately 3,925 pounds (1780kg) from 4,200 pounds (1,905kg). Still a fairly high weight for a roadster, especially considering that a 2012 BMW 750i, a very large V8 luxury sedan, weighs 4,564 lbs (2,070kg). However, BMW'sV8 Twin Turbo roadster, the 2012 BMW 650i weighs in at 4531 lbs (2,055kg), significantly more than the 2013 SL550. Don't worry though, we'll point out the fact that the high weight doesn't necessarily limit the 2013 SL550 from achieving it's two other important qualities of being athletic and luxurious.
