The auto show meet SL550, SL600, and SL63 AMG of Mercedes-Benz product.

The cult of youth pervades western civilization. People like to appear youthful, and that’s exactly why such cars as the luxurious Mercedes SL keep getting sportier, even though their buyer demographics might suggest a bit more gravitas. The Mercedes-Benz SL550, SL600, and SL63 AMG sporty, and carefree, luxurious.

The 2009 SL, the second face lift of the current-generation SL (code-named R230 and launched in 2001), will be shown at the Geneva auto show in early March. Just two years ago, the SL’s chassis characteristics, steering, and engines were sharpened. But this overhaul is far more extensive, enough so that Mercedes refers to it as a new SL.

The 382-hp V-8 in the SL550 and the 510-hp twin-turbo V-12 in the SL600 don’t get a power increase. However, the 510-hp supercharged SL55 AMG is dumped in favor of the naturally aspirated 518-hp, 6.2-liter SL63 AMG. But the big news on the AMG is the seven-speed multiclutch system called MCT. Details are thin, but this is a further development of Mercedes’ seven-speed automatic that will no doubt shift more quickly and, in this case, operates without a torque converter.

Only Europe gets the choice of two particularly fuel-efficient V-6 engines, a 228-hp unit in the SL280 and a 312-hp unit in the SL350. There is some overlap with the SLK, but don’t forget that in Europe the smaller roadster is available with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder.

There is an available Airscarf system that sends warm air through the headrests, thus making open-air driving a viable proposition even when it is chilly outside. The SL faces strong competition, and the strongest of those, according to Detlef Barthelmes, the product manager of the SL and SLK models, is GM with the Corvette and the Cadillac XLR. He is confident the segment will grow steadily. Currently, 51 percent of SL sales are in the U.S., even though no V-6 engines are available. New SL should keep the platform going—and its drivers looking young and sporty—until a replacement arrives in about 2011.

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