Boston.com's view

Today, let’s start by stopping.

We’ll take our place at the wheel of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz 500SL. Find a desolate stretch of country blacktop. Find a part of that stretch where the sand laid down over winter snows has not yet been swept from the edges.

We push the Benz to 65 miles per hour and set the right wheels in some sand, left wheels gripping clean blacktop. Then we stomp the brakes in a panic stop.

The car stops crisply, holds a straight line, and, wonder of wonder with an ABS system, there is no rhythmic pulsing of the brake pedal.

If there is a singular highlight to this fifth generation of the SL, it is this braking system. Here is a two-seat vehicle with a sports car flair that is really a heavy cruiser. It is the descendant of the legendary 1954 Gullwing 300SL, and it arrives with the seemingly oxymoronic tag of coupe/roadster. That’s because its hardtop can be dropped in just 16 seconds. Top up, it is whisper quiet. Top down, it’s a wind-blown convertible.

It brings to the plate, besides the brake system, active suspension control, stability control, and an advanced suspension system that is multilink front and rear.

But it is the braking that stands out.

The brake pedal, you see, is merely a touchstone for a drive by wire system. That is, a computer interprets what message the driver sends to the brake pedal — hard stomp, quick hit, light touch, sudden lift of the foot from the gas pedal — and uses that information to tell four hydraulic pumps, one at each wheel, how much brake to apply to that wheel. Oh, and while it is monitoring driver intent, the computer reads sensors that monitor wheel speed, cornering, steering angle, engine braking, and transmission.

It can brake any or all of the four wheels. When the driver’s foot is lifted suddenly from the gas pedal, the computer interprets this as the beginning of an emergency and sends hydraulic pressure to each wheel, bringing the brake pads in for a gentle grip of the discs in anticipation of a full application of the brakes. This saves stopping time.

The remarkable system also senses wet roads and gently applies the pads occasionally to keep them dry.

But enough about stopping. Let’s get started.

I find the 500SL to be one of the most gorgeous cars I have driven. It is a thin wedge that is angular yet somehow soft in its curves. The gills behind the front wheel wells have silver swooshes evocative of the Gullwing. Those swooshes are repeated behind the hood, just in front of the windshield.

As a coupe, it is a stunning auto. And it is wonderfully simple to turn the coupe into a top-down ride. Using either a key fob pointed at the door handle, or a switch between the seats, it takes only 16 seconds to drop the top. And it is fascinating to watch the arch of the rear glass window move up and in, spooning itself into the protective shell of the roof as it moves into the trunk.

With the roof up, a couple of normal-size golf bag s fit in the trunk. Even with the roof down, there is appreciable luggage space and, in a bit of honesty, the folks at Benz no longer pretend that the space behind the seats can carry passengers. Instead, they offer a nice shelf — two doors left and right — that provides inner storage space and also functions as a luggage tie down area, complete with special seat belt-like straps.

All the gadgetry makes the SL500 a heavy car — 4,200 lbs., despite aluminum doors, fenders, trunk lid, and hood.

To move the weight, Mercedes-Benz has installed the 5.0-liter V-8 that pushes some of its heavier cars.

The result is a powerfully steady, if not rocket-like, surge of driving. The Benz folks say it will do 0-60 mph in about six seconds. The dual spark plugs, three-valve-per-cylinder engine has remarkable torque from around 2,600 to 4,200 rpms.

Its speed is “governed” to a limit of 155 miles per hour (How, and where, did someone decide, “By God, there’s gotta be a limit, an 155 is it”?)

The result is a car that feels fast, yet not snappy. A car that drives light, yet feels heavy.

Besides the remarkable brake system, the SL500 is also graced with an active suspension system, straight from the 2000 CL500 and the S Class Mercedes. It uses two computers and 13 sensors to watch for yaw, pitch, roll, nose dive, or anything that keeps the car other than flat. And it works. Toss the SL500 into corners; pass fast and cut back in quickly; stomp the brakes; take off rapidly from a standing start. The car sits flat as a brick.

They are not on the same levels of luxury and advanced electronics, but I liken this car to the new Ford Thunderbird.

Both have great lines, great mid-’50s character, great style and panache. Yet neither is a high-performance car. Neither pretends to be a sports car.

The S500 is simply a world class two-seat cruiser. It oozes comfort and style. It is filled with safety features: head/thorax side air bags complement dual stage front air bags. A roll bar pops up in 0.3 second if sensors detect impending rollover (one Benz wag noted that when testing an SL500, he caught air with the rear wheels and the bar popped up).

You travel in true Benz style in a cocoon of leather, with rich wood on the dash, gauges trimmed with a chronograph look, and a single button to control navigation, cellphone, CD player, and stereo.

If you love luxury with a torquey hint of performance, here you go.

Nice touch: The pop-out bins in the doors. Open one and a lid lifts, the bin folds into the car, and offers great storage space.

Annoyance: The AM radio. Is this a German thing? Turn on the headlights, and the AM band squeals to the pulse of the lights. Stop at a school bus stop, turn off the engine, but leave the key in auxiliary mode, and the AM band chatters to the buzz of whatever is going on in auxiliary world.

2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500
Base price: $85,990
Price as tested: $90,005
Horsepower: 302
Torque: 339 lb.-ft.
Wheelbase: 100.8 inches
Overall length: 178.5 inches
Width: 71.5 inches
Height: 51.1 inches
Curb weight: 4,200 lbs.
Seating: 2 passengers
Fuel economy: 17.8 miles per gallon
SOURCE: Mercedes-Benz USA.; fuel economy from Globe testing.