Mercedes' marvel...

IF you had a spare $290,000 now, it would not be enough to put Mercedes-Benz's new SL500 sports car in your garage. Sure, that money will buy you an SL55, but the wait for delivery is up to three years such is the demand for this extraordinary, magnificent car. Many people are attracted to Mercs by their image of luxury, but their lasting appeal lies in the quality of their design and engineering. As in the SL55. It's a V8-powered, two-seat roadster in the tradition of the famous 300 SL "gull-wing" of 1954, but it transforms into a steel-roofed coupe in 16 seconds. The technology is mind-boggling, beyond even the imagination of ordinary motorists. Pistons, crankshafts, gears and wheels are mere mechanical slaves for a mountain of computing power that controls every function of this car. For instance - - Sensotronic Brake Control, world-first technology which communicates the driver's commands electronically via cable, rather than hydraulically. It precisely observes driver and vehicle behaviour by a complex sensory system. If the driver switches his foot quickly from accelerator to brake pedal, SBC recognises the early signs of an emergency, automatically raises the pressure in the brake lines and instantaneously presses the pads onto the brake discs, which can then spring into action with full force as soon as the brake pedal is actually pressed. Brake force is applied independently to each wheel. If the car's sensors detect rain, SBC wipes the discs with imperceptible light applications to keep the brakes ready for use. - Active Body Control. Using electronics and high-pressure hydraulics, the system adapts the damping of the car body to the current driving situation, resulting in almost roll-free cornering. - Distronic. An optional radar-based development of cruise control that maintains a set distance to vehicles ahead regardless of speed changes. - Linguatronic. The busy SL driver need only speak to this optional system to make a phone call or change audio or ventilation settings. - Tyre pressure sensing. No need to check tyres at the garage; sensors automatically warn of any pressure variation while driving. - Keyless Go. The doors and boot can be opened by a chip card carried in a pocket. One touch of the handle is sufficient to open the door, a touch of the gear lever starts the engine. - Short Message Service. When a car phone is fitted, SMS texts appear on the standard video display in the instrument panel. - Headlamps and wipers activate automatically. Chris

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