This 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500 is one of approximately 2,000 Designo Launch Edition cars produced for the first R230 model year, and it has 58k miles. It was acquired by the seller on BaT in May 2023 out of California, where it had been registered since new and was owned by the president of M Service, Inc. in Walnut Creek. Finished in metallic silver over graphite leather, it has a power-folding hardtop, 18″ Avior wheels, heated and ventilated multi-contour seats, and a Pioneer touchscreen stereo with Apple CarPlay connectivity. Power comes from a 5.0-liter V8 paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. This R230 is now offered at no reserve with fitted luggage, a car cover, and a clean Minnesota title in the seller’s name.
The car is finished in Designo Silver Metallic (029) and is equipped with a power-folding convertible hardtop, bi-xenon headlights, fog lights, and dual exhaust outlets. Damage to the right front and right side is listed in a December 2021 entry on the Carfax report, and body repairs and paintwork completed during previous ownership are itemized along with other services in the car’s May 2023 listing.
Avior 18″ wheels are mounted with 255/40 front and 285/35 rear Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3+ tires. The car features Active Body Control (ABC) suspension as well as an Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Automatic Slip Control (ASR). The brake fluid was replaced in 2023.
The heated, ventilated, and massaging multi-contour seats are upholstered in Designo Graphite Nappa leather, and walnut wood trim accents the cabin, which has dual-zone automatic climate control, a wind deflector, a Bose sound system, and a Bluetooth-capable Pioneer touchscreen stereo with Apple CarPlay connectivity.
A four-spoke steering wheel frames the instrument cluster, and wiring for the driver’s airbag was repaired in June 2023. The digital odometer indicates 58k miles, approximately 6k of which were added under current ownership.
Factory rated at 302 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque, the 5.0-liter M113 V8 sends power to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. An oil change was completed in August 2023.
Additional photographs of the underside are shown in the gallery below.
The Carfax report shows the aforementioned damage entry.