I6 ( at 5,500 rpm). Only the 280 was available with a manual gearbox. SL 500 and 600 continued with their respective engines. A second facelift, introduced in late 1998, comprised new external mirrors, 17" wheels and new bumpers. Also new were the engines, SL 280 with a M112 2.8 L 18-valve SOHC V6 ( at 5700 rpm), SL 320 with a M112 3.2 L 18-valve SOHC V6 ( at 5,600 rpm), SL 500 with a M113 5.0 L 24-valve SOHC V8 ( at 5,600 rpm). The V12 engine remained unchanged. Australian market The new Mercedes Benz R129 roadster was first introduced into the Australian market with the 300SL and 500SL models with only the eight cylinder variant being available throughout the entire production run of the R129 model 1989-2001. The six cylinder 300SL 24 was replaced in 1995 by the SL 280 and finally the SL 320 in 1999 and the twelve cylinder 600SL first arrived in 1993 changing to SL 600 in 1995 with the last SL 600 being delivered in 2000. Only 38 cars of the 600SL/SL 600 were delivered to the Australian market. North American market Not all engines were offered in North America. The 1990 Mercedes-Benz SL base model was the 228 hp 300 SL version (European 300 SL-24) equipped with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission, but it was the 322 hp 500 SL (with a 5.0-litre V8 engine) which made the most headlines. For model year 1993, the 600 SL was additionally introduced stateside. The SL 320 replaced the 300 SL in the United States in 1994, but the SL 280 was not offered. The 6-cylinder SLs were dropped from the US lineup in 1998, leaving just the V8 and V12. Chassis 1990–1995 Front suspension Independent damper struts with separate coil springs and gas-pressurised shock absorbers, triangular lower control arms with anti-dive geometry and stabiliser bar. Rear suspension Independent 5-arm multilink with separate single-tube gas-pressurised shock absorbers and coil springs, geometry for anti-lift, anti-squat and alignment control, stabiliser bar. Wheels 8.0Jx16H2 aluminium alloy and regular. Tyres 225/55 ZR 16 steel-belted radial. Brakes 2-circuit hydraulic power-assisted 4-wheel discs. Antilock Braking System (ABS). 1996–1997 Body construction Monocoque with front and rear crumple zones and removable hardtop. Front suspension Independent damper strut with anti-dive geometry and stabiliser bar. Separate shock absorbers and coil springs. Negative-offset steering. Rear suspension Independent 5-arm multilink with geometry for anti-lift,