5 Of The Most Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models Ever Made

The Mercedes SL roadsters have always been an example of the best the brand had to offer. The original gull-wing 300 SL from the 1950s is often heralded as one of the best-looking cars ever made. That car inspired the legendary Mercedes SLS AMG.

When the 1990s rolled around, Mercedes debuted its new SL with the internal designation of R 129. This generation, made from 1989 to 2001, was a departure from the long swooping lines and curves of previous SLs. To detractors, it looked like a fiberglass shovel and not a German roadster. Looks aside, the 300 SL base model for the first model year had a 190 horsepower six-cylinder engine and could accelerate from o to 60 miles per hour in 9.3 seconds. Not particularly quick, but a manual transmission combined with the SL’s lightweight meant a lot of fun canyon carving. However, starting in 1992, it was available with a V12 that threw down 394 horsepower and could rocket to 60 in 6.1 seconds, a speedy time for over 30 years ago.

In addition to a big V12, this generation saw the addition of automatic roll bars that would spring up when the car detected it was upside down.