The Mercedes-Benz 560SL was the top of the line variant for the R107 SL-Class. Introduced in 1986, the 560 SL was powered by a 5.5L V8 engine which was paired to an automatic transmission. The 560SL was only sold in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia. The larger displacement was meant to compensate for the reduced output of the 500 SL 5.0-liter engine due to the stricter emission laws in these markets. Production of the 560SL lasted until 1989, when the model series was discontinued.