Highlights

1 of only 50 Lorinser GS03 models ever built
Based on the R230 SL500
Distinctive bodywork by Adolf Koch unique to Lorinser GS03
Power increase from 306bhp to 401bhp and 0-60 mph in just 5.6secs
Various bespoke options from Mercedes’ Designo customisation service
Just 47,700 miles
Advisory-free MOT until 17th March 2026

The Appeal

In the rarefied world of customised Mercedes-Benz cars, Lorinser makes AMG and Brabus look positively commonplace. This longstanding German Mercedes dealer has been tuning the firm’s cars for decades but decided in 2003 to go one step further and develop its own car, the GS03.

Lorinser’s designer, Adolf Koch, conceived the GS03 as a celebration of his 40-year career. So when he took the Mercedes R230 SL500 as his starting point, it really was just that: as the photographs of this car show, the GS03 looks significantly different to a standard R230 SL with distinctive extensions, grilles and bumpers.

Thankfully, for such a purposeful car, the GS03 is more than a styling exercise. Power leapt to 401bhp compared to the standard SL500s 306bhp, enough to catapult the GS03 to 60mph in 5.6secs.

Just 50 GS03s were ever built, of which this is the 5th. The original bill of sale, which is with the car, shows it cost in excess of 130,000 euros in 2004. This Merc's low miles and excellent condition attest to its mere handful of careful owners.

The R230 is one of Mercedes' finest grand tourers, a cleverly engineered coupé-come-convertible designed for relaxing, long-distance driving. The GS03 moves the goalposts, offering a more distinctive alternative with more performance and exclusivity in bucketloads. If you like the SL but want a version few others have, here is your chance.

The History And Paperwork

First registered 22nd March 2004
Delivered on 9th January 2004
Four former registered keepers recorded
47,700 miles
Extensive history file including original bill of sale
Mercedes VIN Datacard confirms this car left the factory as a SL500
MOT until 17th March 2026
Seven Mercedes-Benz main dealer stamps to 31,767 miles in 2016

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The Condition

Telurium Silver metallic paintwork in excellent condition
Lorinser styling package including wide body and front and rear bumpers, latter with central twin-exit exhaust
Lorinser 20inch turbine alloy wheels with split rims
Falken tyres all round
Folding metal hard top
Mercedes Designo custom bespoke options including stone leather and part wood steering wheel and carbon fibre effect gearshift
BOSE sound system
Light grey leather interior
Heated, ventilated and electric memory seats
Panoramic glass sunroof
Alpine satnav
Keyless entry
Dark wood veneers in good condition
Alcantara trimmed instrument binnacle

The R230 SL is a marvel of Mercedes design, combining high quality and luxury with an airy sense of style. This car started its life as a SL500, from close to the top of the R230 range, which provide a very high level of equipment. It was then carefully optioned by the first owner using Mercedes’ bespoke Designo service, before being again personalised by Lorinser.

The Lorinser styling package is quite an achievement. It manages to transform the svelte lines of the R230 SL500 that left the Mercedes factory into something altogether more macho and purposeful. The modifications are neatly integrated and, while distinctive, not over the top. There are extra grilles and wider arches as well as new front and rear bumpers. The latter is particularly attractive with its central twin-exit exhaust flutes.

The original owner also specified the attractive turbine-style 20inch split-rim Lorinser alloy wheels. These are shod with Falken quality tyres.

The R230 was the latest in a long tradition of SL Mercedes sports cars. As such it stays true to the ethos, combining high performance with a practical, spacious layout including a decent sized boot. It also utilises Mercedes then-revolutionary folding hard top, a clever design that can transform the R230 from coupe to convertible and back again at the flick of a switch and in a matter of seconds.

The general condition of the exterior is very good. It is finished in Telurium Silver Metallic and there are no obvious marks or even parking dings. There do not even appear to be any stone chips.

The Lorinser alloy wheels are in very good condition, just light kerbing on both nearside wheels detracting.

The underside of the car appears very good, with no obvious issues. There are no structural advisories on the MOT.

Interior specifications include heated and ventilated seats, with electric memory function. There are attractive dark wood veneers throughout and an Alpine satnav system as well as a Bose sound system. The instruments are clad in Alcantara and there is a discreet Lorinser badge confirming that this is the 5th of 50 GS03s.

The condition of the interior is superb, reflecting the low mileage and what must presumably be some very careful owners. The light grey leather and carpets, which one might expect to suffer due to their colour, are in very good unmarked condition. The only issues are very minor: the clear plastic on the ventilated seat switch on the driver’s side door has cracked. The other issue likely originated at the factory: there is a small area of poor trim finish on the top of the passenger door card.

The Mechanics

Supercharged 4966cc V8 Mercedes engine
Power increased from 306bhp to 401bhp
0-60mph in 5.6secs
7spd automatic gearbox with semi-automatic option
Lorinser sports exhaust
Full Mercedes dealer service history to 31,767 miles
Extensive history file to support ongoing maintenance
Original bill of sale showing specifications and Lorinser options

The GS03’s party trick is to match its looks with performance. This car left the factory in January 2004 as an SL500 equipped with a 306bhp version of Mercedes’ very smooth 5.0-litre V8 engine. Lorinser has a tradition of tuning dating back to the 1970s and continues to offer performance tuning across the Mercedes range. The GS03, therefore, tapped into the firm’s experience, resulting in a power hike to 401bhp, enough to deliver the 0-60mph sprint in just 5.6 seconds.

The tuning work also extended to a Lorinser sports exhaust. The ventilation grilles around the car are also said to improve braking performance.

The extensive history file shows seven Mercedes dealer stamps up to 2016 and 31,767 miles and we're informed that the car has full service history.

Summary

There are modified Mercedes and then there is the Lorinser GS03, a car so rare that it scores only a handful of hits on Google. Just 50 were built, combining extensive and distinctive bodywork changes with significant performance upgrades.

This GS03 is a rare RHD model with low owners and low mileage. It appears to be in excellent condition, the thick history file suggesting careful stewardship by its previous owners. If you like the R230 SL Mercedes but want something that really stands out, then this Lorinser certainly delivers something a little different.

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