A predestined Instagram account worstspec shows the most unsuccessful car transformations. In this case, a 2004 Mercedes SL has been tuned and painted uninspired.
Design tastes are not up for debate. Fashion has changed radically in the last 40 years. But sometimes everything has a limit, and even if design is subjective, we can’t overlook some out-of-the-ordinary things.Such is the case with this 2004 Mercedes SL (R230) with only 60,000 miles on board that has been tuned completely uninspired, in our opinion. But the owner has a different opinion: “Selling a beautiful Mercedes SL 500 AMG in excellent condition, no mechanical faults, clean title in hand”.
Why do we disagree with his description?
In general, the combination of red and black colors is one that should match, but in this case, there are too many black-painted elements that overload the design.
Then, there are too many chrome inserts in the front and rear bumpers, as well as in the wheel arches and around the four headlights.
The Mercedes logo is in its place in the radiator grille, but on the bonnet is a Bentley logo that doesn’t belong there!
Just as distracting as the Bentley logo is the red-spoked wheels, a color too flashy for the rims of a luxury roadster. And just as distracting is the massive spoiler clamped to the trunk lid that makes us think of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS but doesn’t fit the Mercedes SL.
The rear is also loaded with lots of lettering, with AMG, V8 Kompressor, and Mercedes Benz below the SL 500. The owner wanted to make sure his car could be identified from behind as a Mercedes Benz.
The only thing that looks good is the rear diffuser and the four exhaust pipes.
The Mercedes SL R230 is the fifth generation of the SL roadster, was launched in 2001 and produced until 2011, with a facelift in 2006. The SL 500 version was produced between 2002 and 2006 and has a 5-liter, 306 PS naturally aspirated V8 engine. In the 2006 facelift, the naturally aspirated V8 engine was replaced with a 5.5-liter V8 with 388 PS.
If the owner didn’t modify the naturally aspirated V8 engine, then the Kompressor lettering doesn’t fit well on the rear of the car either. The owner is asking only $9,500 for this Mercedes, which isn’t too much considering it only has 60,000 miles on board.
The problem, however, is the overly garish design that doesn’t suit this luxury roadster. One user commented: “If I had money, I’d buy this and save this car by ‘restoring’ it back to normal!”