6-cylinder Panzerwagens

[LandQuail]

Any of you European kids got any opinion of the six-cylinder 107-chassis Mercedes SL's? I'm looking at a grey-market 1984 SL with an inline six and (gasp) 5-speed manual gearbox. It's got the old overhead cam inline six, which I've read has decent top-end response and revability — quite why it's lodged in a car that might as well be hewn from solid limestone is beyond me, but the driving experience would certainly be unique in the States.

The car's got a '500 SL' badge pinned to the bootlid, strangely enough, so I haven't been able to tell the displacement. I know they put to engines in the cars producing roughly similar power though, so as far as I can tell, it really shouldn't matter.

I've already got a a 1981 380 SL, but I'm sure we all know how it is... in for a pinch, in for a pound...

So, what do you think of a mere 6-banger in one of these luxury micro-barges? Is it worth a go? Is the Mercedes gearchange really as awful as its reputation?
?

[Souljah]

Modell Produktion period
280 SL 08/1974-08/1985 <---This Was Inline 6
350 SL 04/1971-03/1980
450 SL 07/1971-11/1980
380 SL 05/1980-10/1985
500 SL 09/1985
300 SL 09/1985-08/1989 <---This Was Inline 6
420 SL 11/1985-08/1989
500 SL 09/1985-08/1989
560 SL 09/1985-08/1989
The Rest Is All V8, im very sure.....
So Which One do you want some Info On??

[Souljah]

Must Be Me who was sleeping
The 300SL Goes like This-->
12Valve, 2962 cm3.
Effekt
188 BHP At 5700 RPM/min.
180 BHP At 5700 RPM/min. with an cat.
Torque
255 Nm at 4400 RPM/min.
250 Nm at 4400 RPM/min. with cat.
And it came with either an 5speed Man. or 4speed aut.
With Manual gerbox it went from 0-60 in 9,6 (9,9 W. cat.)
And a Top Speed of 203Km (200Km W. Cat.)
Im on the way out...just write if you want info on the 280 as well....
My Openion is Go for the 560 V8, when the engine come to life is like it never stops going...its made for the autobahn Heard its built by AMG the 560, but not written anywere.....

[LandQuail]

It'd be the 280 then... shame about missing out on a 300SL badge. I've always heard the 500SL was superior than the 560, but that'd probably be a subjective choice.

[Souljah]

it aint bad at all the 500 but the 560 just keeps going.....Its a great engine....but just uses alot of benzin/gas...hehe it aint fast at accelertating..but once the wheels is rolling the rest is history..