Today on Driving With Dinosaurs, we'll be looking at the last days of the king of the convertible species, the Esselsaurus Rex (more commonly known as the SL). It evolved throughout the Yuppirasic period becoming heavier and more powerful, and even survived the great Crash that wiped many monsters out.

But by the time of the Tonyaceous period the mighty SL was on its last legs. Challenged by smaller, faster, more elegant and nimble members of the species, the SL's days were numbered.

Yet it wouldn't die without a fight. At the end of its life the beast had grown even more powerful than ever. It had turned into the fearsome SL73 AMG.

OK, I can't keep the dinosaur theme going, but it makes a good starting point. I haven't driven an SL for a while and it does feel like a car on the verge of extinction. Which it is. A new SL arrives next year and, judging by two disguised prototypes I saw on a German backroad, it'll be more compact and better proportioned than this behemoth.

It has to be a lot lighter too. The SL73 AMG weighs just over two tonnes - and it feels it. The 7.3-litre V12 offers a potentially terrifying 525bhp at 5,500rpm and a 558lb ft mountain of torque at 4,000 revs, yet such is the tonnage that the SL feels merely fast, not frightening. Yes, it will dispatch 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds but it never feels that swift. Despite a major reworking of the V12 motor and a pair of sizeable chrome tailpipes, there's not much in the way of aural excitement.

So if you want noise there's only one thing for it. Switch off the ASR and ESP electronic governors and burn some rubber. The SL73 does stupendous burnouts that literally tear up the tarmac - there are holes in several country lanes near Stuttgart as proof. Getting the SL to break traction is easy, you just stomp hard on the long-travel accelerator and wait a moment for the smoke and explosion of noise. As a result, with all the electronic aids switched off, the SL can be slid around corners with an armful of oversteer. But it's not an easy car to balance.

Even with all the hi-tech nannies doing their stuff, the SL is not a car to be hustled along a country road. It's big and although the straights disappear rapidly, slowing for corners isn't fun. The brake pedal has a lot of dead travel and you feel the weight of the car shift forward on its soft suspension. There's no pleasure to be had trying to manual work the 'box and it's best left in Drive.

It's more at home on speedy autobahns, but the brakes and woolly steering still fall short of modern expectations.

Although lavishly appointed inside and with some efforts made to bring it bang up to date such as satnav and a complicated trip computer, the scattergun ergonomics and off-set driving position are all signs of age. Only the electric roof really stands the test of time. In place it is remarkably well insulated and it folds away quickly - with just one button press - and disappears out of sight under a hard cover.

Only the badges and huge alloys differentiate the 73 from lesser SLs. It costs twice as much as a 280, yet only a trained eye could tell the difference.

So is it worth it? Sadly, no. Any SL, even this beast, feels too dated to spend such a fortune on. The dinosaurs had their day, and so has the SL. But at least it's going out with a bang.

Back to Mercedes-Benz SL Overview