While subsequent versions never really did it for me, I’ve always loved the way the pre-facelift R230 Mercedes-Benz SL looked. Maybe it’s because it came out at a formative time in my development as a car enthusiast, or maybe it really does look as good as I think it does, but I loved the R230’s design when it was new, and I still love it today. If that makes me old, I don’t care. The problem is, Mercedes never offered a manual transmission option, which really hurt their enthusiast appeal.
Mercedes, of course, would tell you the SL is a grand tourer, not a sports car, so the automatic was appropriate (plus, it allegedly didn’t have a manual transmission at the time that could handle the SL’s torque). Still, I’m willing to bet I’m not alone in wishing you could get an old R230 AMG with a third pedal, even if SLs are traditionally driven by the oldest of old men.
While we never got a manual R230 from the factory, our friend Matt Farah recently got a chance to drive a manual-swapped Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, and it looks like an absolute riot. In fact, Matt enjoyed it so much, he titled the video “Manual-Swapped AMG Cars Are Going to Be the Next Big Thing.” Seriously.
Less money than you might expect
The SL55 you see here was commissioned by a guy named Oz, who happens to be a doctor. A doctor who owns a Mercedes SL? Shocking, I know. After buying the car, the Cool Dr. Oz sent it to Bad Rat Garage in Las Vegas to have the swap done. The transmission comes out of a Chrysler Crossfire, which, as we all know, is the same manual found in the old SLK. Then they added a clutch disc from a European diesel van and a custom flywheel, while the rest of the build uses off-the-shelf Mercedes OEM parts, including a pedal box from a European C-Class that originally came with a manual.
Getting everything to play together nicely reportedly wasn’t easy, but with help from the folks at the Mercedes Swap Shop, they actually made it happen. From what Matt says in the video, about the only thing that doesn’t work is the starter button on the shift knob. Beyond that, it pretty much feels like an OEM car and even got an Apple CarPlay update for the infotainment system that actually looks pretty good.
Are there downsides? Sure. The shift action reportedly feels more like it came out of a C-Class than a $100,000+ AMG, the flywheel could use to be a little heavier, the clutch sits a little too close to the dead pedal for Matt’s preference, and the spacing between the accelerator and brake pedals isn’t ideal for heel-toe shifting. Still, he claims it’s “much, much more fun and better than when it was stock.”
The craziest part is that the swap wasn’t that expensive, all things considered. Including the cost of the car, you’re looking at about $40,000 all-in. We’re talking new, loaded Camry money, but you get a 493-horsepower AMG V8, a retractable top and a manual transmission. That’s really not bad. Not bad at all.