The Mercedes-Benz SL280 was a variant of the R129 SL-Class that was introduced for the 1994 model year. The SL 280 was powered from 1994 until 1997 by Mercedes' M104 engine which was a 2.8L inline six unit that sent 190hp to the rear wheels via a 5 speed manual or a 5 speed automatic transmission. From 1998 until 2001, the SL280 was upgraded with Mercedes´ M112 V6 engine paired also to a 5 speed manual or a 5 speed automatic transmissionProduction of the SL280 lasted until 2001, when the model series was discontinued with the introduction of the next generation R230 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.