Description: Compact Luxury Hardtop Convertible Roadster
Base MSRP Range: $92,900 - $185,000
Invoice Price Range: $86,397 - $172,050
Where built: Germany

These Mercedes roadsters have seats for only two in a lux cockpit crowned by a hardtop that folds through electro-hydraulic muscle and tucks into the trunk. Design for the roadster, in part homage to the original Mercedes gullwing 300SL, scores among the most artistic to come from the tri-star brand.

Four editions appear in 2006 -- SL500 and SL600, plus the performance-driven SL55 AMG and ripper SL65 AMG. SL500 draws from a 5.0-liter V8 that delivers 302 hp through the Mercedes seven-speed TouchShift automatic. SL600 gets the 5.5-liter bi-turbo V12 with inter-cooling to push the power up to 493 hp, and SL55 AMG has the AMG supercharged V8 rated at 493 hp, while SL65 AMG runs with the 12-cylinder AMG bi-turbo worth 604 hp.

Keyless Go and corner-illuminating foglamps are now standard on SL600, with run-flat tires optional.

Mercedes-Benz with headquarters in Germany makes luxury and performance vehicles that span the scale in size and type with multiple options for power and traction. The vast collection includes souped-up performance variations in many categories built by the Mercedes super-tuner AMG. But there are three new Mercedes classes for 2006 -- the elegant CLS Class of four-door coupes, the large-scale R Class sport tourer wagons and a new generation of designs for American-built M Class of sport-utility vehicles.