Chris Harris explains why it’s worth investing £20,000 in a Mercedes SL 500 R129 alternatively of shedding £20,000 in depreciation on a new sporting activities car or truck.
All of us know Chris Harris from his time at Autocar: 1 of the most revered and expert journalists close to. Chris now describes why he prefers to expend £20,000 on a 1996 Mercedes SL 500 R129 rather of dropping £20,000 through depreciation on a new sports vehicle.
He has a sentimental attachment to the R129 because it was the initial motor vehicle he drove as a journalist. “A car or truck I love”, says Chris Harris.
The product procured is a facelifted 1996 SL 500. “This R129 is a technological tour de force”, states Chris. One of the highlights of this motor vehicle is the roll bar powering the seats which, in the event of a rollover, lifts up in considerably less than 1 second.
In accordance to the British journalist, the most effective points in this motor vehicle are the exceptional inside complete and the exceptional high-quality centre console. “The heated seats function so well they even heat your kidneys, and I like the instrument cluster. They are the very best instrument cluster ever in the history of Mercedes”, says Chris Harris.
The suspension is beautifully tuned for this sort of bodywork. The human body roll is better than in a modern convertible. The suspension is so supple and delicate and the 300+ HP V8 engine provides quicker acceleration than you could count on. But the gearbox is rubbish by contemporary standards and the steering is practically lifeless. The SL 500 R129 is not a driver’s auto but the brakes are outstanding.
And the seats with built-in seat belts and computerized climate handle are so modern day. In this vehicle you feel like it was made with the improvement finances of an plane. Chris Harris is also amazed by the sophisticated soft prime, the initially entirely computerized gentle prime in the automobile sector.