First Drive: This 1968 Mercedes-Benz ‘Pagoda’ SL Is an EV Restomod That’s Better Than the Original

“If eyes were made for seeing, then beauty is its own excuse for being” penned American essayist and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1847. The sight of a classic Mercedes-Benz SL brings forth the same sentiment in 2024; its beauty alone is reason enough to justify its existence. To those captivated, how it drives seems somehow less important—as does the fact that, in this case, the SL we’re piloting is electric.

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First launched in 1963, the second-generation “W113” SL was designed by Paul Bracq. The mustachioed Frenchman’s later efforts included the Mercedes 600 “Grosser,” the original BMW 3 Series , and the BMW Turbo concept that inspired the M1 supercar . However, the “Pagoda” SL—so-called due to how the convex curve of its roof echoes the shape of the tiered towers found in Asia—might be Bracq’s masterpiece. Its simple lines and delicate details have a timeless elegance that today’s AMG-amplified SL has altogether lost.

In the mid-1960s, a new SL cost around twice the price of a Jaguar XKE, and famous owners included John Lennon, Audrey Hepburn, Charlton Heston, and Priscilla Presley. Today, the price of a restomod version from Everrati is around $450,000, plus the cost of a donor car. So, is the electric SL’s beauty more than skin deep? A first road review (previous drives were limited to private land) should reveal all.

Based at a former RAF airfield in Oxfordshire, England—with a runway that serves as an on-site test track—Everrati specializes in transforming classic cars into electric vehicles. The company’s first project, a 964-generation Porsche 911, went on sale in 2020, and the restoration house has since converted automobiles as diverse as a Land Rover Defender and Ford GT40. The popularity of the 964 with US customers has even led to a second production facility in Irvine, Calif., where cars are assembled by the Aria Group.

Before undergoing its automotive metamorphosis, this example was a tired and tatty 1968 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL. It first underwent a complete restoration at Hilton & Moss, a renowned Mercedes-Benz specialist that rebuilt the 300 SL “Gullwing” we drove in 2022 . The finished car—minus its engine and gearbox—was then transported to Everrati for a heart transplant. Some 4,000 hours of development and engineering work later, this first electric Pagoda was finally ready.

I meet Everrati founder Justin Lunny at a cafe in Regent’s Park, London. The SL is parked at the curb outside, basking in the soft afternoon sunshine. Tourists take photos and a taxi driver momentarily blocks the road for a closer look. With its glinting chrome, skinny whitewall tires, and deep Le Mans Blue paint, “a classic Ferrari color,” explains Lunny, it seems to radiate old-school glamor. Only the lack of exhaust tailpipes and a small Everrati badge suggest that all isn’t quite as it appears.

Lift the 230 SL’s long hood and, in place of a 2.3-liter Stuttgart straight-six, you find a large, leather-trimmed battery pack. Everrati’s stock specification uses a 54 kWh battery that allows for a rate of acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds and provides 160 miles of range. This car, however, is the upgraded Touring version, with a 68 kWh battery that enables zero to 60 mph in less than 7.0 seconds and offers a 200-mile range on a full DC fast-charge. Both cars use a Helix e-motor of the type found in the Lotus Evija and Aston Martin Valkyrie, which sends 300 hp to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission.

Taking advantage of the unusually amenable British weather, Lunny has left the pagoda top at home and folded back the fabric roof, which stows flat beneath the rear deck. This SL has a single, sideways-facing rear seat—a rare factory option when new—that is just about big enough for adults on short journeys. The rest of the time, it serves as extra luggage space to supplement the deep and practical trunk. Don’t forget, these cars were designed for grand touring in the days before budget air travel.

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Inside, the Everrati looks just as flawlessly finished. Its caramel-colored trim is MB-Tex imitation leather, although you can have the real thing from Scottish supplier Bridge of Weir (the automotive leather with the lowest carbon footprint, according to Lunny). An ornate bakelite steering wheel frames two large white-on-black dials: a speedometer and the former rev counter which now shows the car’s output in kW. Other details to draw the eye include period-look box-weave carpets, a chrome-rimmed digital display and a retro-styled radio with Bluetooth connectivity.

Slot the manual-style lever into Drive and the SL glides away smoothly and effortlessly. It isn’t as eerily silent as some EVs—you hear the whine of the differential, then the rush of wind around its bluff edges—but driving it couldn’t be easier, even with twice the output of an original 230 SL. The huge, thin-rimmed wheel provides plenty of leverage to make up for the lack of power steering, while the long-travel throttle responds in a calm and measured manner. “We could give it more performance, but that wouldn’t be in keeping with the car,” adds Lunny.

British law prevents radical alterations to the vehicle’s structure and chassis components, so this SL retains its recirculating ball steering, swing-axle rear suspension, and rear drum brakes (more powerful 250 and 280 variants used discs). Its limits are low and the sensations feel authentically classic as a result. Yet this Mercedes was never supposed to be a hard-driving sports car; relaxed cruising is its raison d’être.

That makes it a different proposition to Everrati’s electric 911. When we drove the company’s first 964 built stateside , we said: “Although these reinterpretations of the 911 may look identical and offer the same ergonomics as the originals, the drive difference is dramatic.” Unsurprisingly, the absence of a howling flat-six left a big hole in the 911 experience, whereas the W113’s engine has never been integral to the model’s appeal. Frankly, I didn’t miss it; the electric drivetrain only served to enhance the car’s easygoing charm.

Besides, the slower you go, the more people can stop, stare, and appreciate this work of automotive art. Beauty is its own excuse for being, but sharing it with others can feel equally special.

Click below for more photos of Everrati’s all-electric 1968 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Restomod.

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