Mercedes-Benz has already started testing
the next generation SL, and now new information has emerged, roughly one year
before its rumored premiere. The sports car, which will continue to challenge
the likes of the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, will have a distinctive styling,
inspired by the original roadster of the 1950s, Daimler’s chief design officer,
Gorden Wagener, told Autocar.
Previous spy shots of the new SL don’t
confirm Wagener’s statement, but they don’t rule it out either. The prototype
spotted at the beginning of the year was heavily camouflaged and partially
under wrap, yet we could see that the distinctive styling of the model is still
present, including the long hood, open cockpit with a soft top replacing the
folding hard top of the current one, as well as a smoother overall design.
The all-new SL is understood to be
co-developed with AMG and will be built on the same platform as the next-gen
AMG GT. Nonetheless, despite sharing the MSA architecture with the GT, it won’t
cannibalize it. Besides ditching the folding hard top, the new SL is believed
to boast a 2+2 seating configuration as well. This will make it a more proper
rival to the likes of the 911 Cabrio.
As far the engine lineup is concerned, the
entry-level model, the SL 450, should arrive with a 3.0-liter six-pot
mild-hybrid, producing 362 HP. The AMG variants will boast the ubiquitous
4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, making up to 630 HP in the SL 63. An SL 73 PHEV could
join the lineup, with an electric motor mounted on the rear axle and a V8 under
the hood, adding up to a total of 805 HP. Don’t hold your breath for a V12
though, as it’s very unlikely to happen due to stricter emission regulations.
