Getting your player ready...
GUNNISON – The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 roadster, for an hour or so last Saturday afternoon, became a showpiece among a couple hundred classics in sunny Gunnison.
The beautiful Benz attracted attention when parked in front of the gazebo in Jorgensen Park where I was delivering a short talk prior to receiving the Lee Iacocca Award at the 25th annual Gunnison Car Show. For me, it was an absolute humbling experience to be linked to the Iacocca honor, which was presented by Mike Callihan, president of the Gunnison Car Club and former Colorado lieutenant governor under Gov. Roy Romer. The SL550 is one of my all-time favorite automobiles, and it was fortuitous to come my way for the 290-mile drive to Gunnison on Friday morning, Aug. 17. It’s the sixth-generation SL since the 300SL Gullwing was introduced in 1955. The new one has grown by 2 inches, yet its new lightweight aluminum body has let it shed 260 pounds and retain outstanding ride and handling.It has zoomed to the top echelon of today’s high-tech automotive wonders. A 4.7-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8 generates 429 horsepower and 516 lbs.-ft. of torque, and shifts from its 7-speed automatic transmission are as smooth as anything on the road. The driver can choose from comfort to sport to manual modes, and paddle shifters lend excellent control when the transmission’s operating manually. At stoplights, the powerful engine shuts off, then is running again the moment brake pressure is eased.
If the SL, speeding down the highway, wanders a bit to the white line at the edge of the road, the lane-keeping-assist feature turns the front wheels slightly back into the driving lanes. Active bolsters in the seatbacks inflate automatically to keep occupants in place through turns; the sharper the turn, the tighter the bolster squeezes the driver or passenger in place. Vents beneath the headrests in the seatbacks will flow warm air on the occupant’s neck during cold weather. A change of tint from light to dark can be accomplished on the panorama top with push of a button above the rearview mirror.
Following Jan and me to Gunnison were 30 members of our family; we ranged from 13-month-old Ava Zink to this great-grandpa, one of the older automotive columnists in the country. We invaded Garlic Mike’s restaurant for dinner Saturday evening. Sunday morning, Jan and I in the SL550 joined 50 or 60 of the classic cars in a caravan to Crested Butte, 25 miles away, where the cars were parked for viewing along the main street while the drivers and riders breakfasted in the little mountain town.
I was automotive editor at The Denver Post in 1980 at the time of Lee Iacocca’s famous split with Henry Ford II; Iacocca then turned around an ailing Chrysler Corp. and brought it back to prominence. Iacocca, 88, resides in California. In our drive home from Gunnison, the Mercedes’ manual-mode shifter got a workout through the mountain canyons, up and down the hills and around the twists and turns to Salida, Buena Vista and Fairplay. LEE IACOCCA AWARD WINNERS Following are recipients of the Lee Iacocca Award: 2006 Craig Cunningham, California; Steve McCarley, Alabama; Randy Ima, California; Carmine Palazzo, California 2007 Carroll Shelby, California; Larry Galyean, Florida; Dave Wolin, California; Dorothy Gates, California; Andrew Trux, Ohio; Charles “Chuck” Jensen, Illinois; Chris and Ed Gray, Washington. 2008 Larry Dobbs, Florida; Peter Garlepy, Pennsylvania; Gene Epstein, Florida; Arnold Marks, California; Larry Miller, Utah; Roger Morrison, Kansas; Tom Sutphen, Ohio; Roger Kash, Florida; Bill Warner, Florida; Paul Ianuario, South Carolina; Kathy McCorry, California; Jim and Zona Painter, Utah; Paul Newitt, California; Joseph Cassini III, Pennsylvania; Jack Nethercutt, California; Dan Trapp, Ohio; Sam Memmolo, Georgia; Ben Deutschman, New Jersey; Sandy and Woody Hummer, Pennsylvania; Tim and Pam Wellborn, Alabama; Jean Fink, California; Aaron Weiss, California. 2009 Bill Dillard, Florida; William Prescott, Pennsylvania; Malcolm Pray, Florida; Steve Hinckley, Utah; Doug Magnon, California; Wilfred L. “Bill” Johnson, Alabama; Tom Sparks, California; Bruce Meyer, California; Randy Chestnut, California; David Landow, Ohio; Steve Saleen, Washington; Dick Bowman, California; Alex Idzardi, California; Wally Short, New Mexico; Ken Gross, Ohio; Chuck Hanson, Tennessee; Paul Dimbath, Florida; Neil Holcomb, Michigan. 2010 Pat Rego, Florida; Frances, Shore, Pennsylvania; Dr. Eddie and Joanne Dauer, Florida; Don Sommer, Michigan; Norma Jordan, California; Doug West, Florida; Frank Morales, California; Lloyd VerHage, Michigan; Rob and Katie Eberst, Ohio; Lance Lambert, Washington; Carlos and Kathy Heiligmann, Vermont; Wil Cooksey, Kentucky; Arley and Wanda Whitsell, North Carolina; Eldon Hostetler, Indiana; Craig Jackson, Arizona; Art Eastman, Florida; Bill Alley, South Carolina. 2011 Jay Leno, California; Frank Wheelus, Florida; Darwin Clark, Pennsylvania; John W. Rich Sr., Florida; Bill Sefton, Arizona; Dr. Frederick A. Simeone, Pennsylvania; Jim Baker, Ohio; Darin Yazejian, Vermont; Pat Foster, Vermont; Jim and Rick Schmidt, Florida; Allen Stewart, Maryland; Bill Davis, Ohio; Doug Evans, Florida; Marc Bodrie, California; Mary Jean Wesche, Florida; J.C. O’Steen, South Carolina. 2012 Bob and Paul Milhous, Florida; Paul Brashares, Ohio; John H. Force, Illinois; Bud Wells, Colorado. 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 $119,945 (price as tested) MPG City 16 Highway 24 Vehicle type: Premium luxury roadster Wheelbase: 101.8 inches Length/Width/Height: 181.6/76.7/51.8 inches Weight: 3,935 pounds Engine: 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8 Transmission: 7-speed automatic Fuel mileage: 25.3 mpg Fuel tank: 19.8 gallons Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic Competitors: Jaguar XKR, BMW 650i, Audi R8, BMW 911, Aston Martin Vantage Built at: Bremen, Germany Parts content: Germany 81 percent THE STICKER $105,500 base $4,900 Rearview camera, multicontour seats, electronic trunk closer $2,950 Lane-keeping assist, Distronic cruise, blind-spot assist $2,500 Magic sky control $2,000 19-inch AMG wheels, sport steering wheel, silver shift paddles $590 Wood/leather steering wheel $905 Destination PLUSES High-tech drivability Restyling Retractable top MINUSES Small trunk Big price
