AFFALTERBACH - The Mercedes SL is certainly one of the brand’s most iconic historical nameplates, but in recent years its allure has faded. The most recent model was hardly the most exciting vehicle in the line-up and it stuck around for longer than it should have, but just as we thought the company was giving up on its SL badge, comes news that an all-new model is set to hit the streets soon.
But the most exciting news is that for the first time, the SL is going to be engineered entirely by the Mercedes-AMG performance division in Affalterbach. This will be the fourth vehicle to be created in-house by AMG, following the SLS, the GT sports car range and GT 4-door Coupe models.
It’ll still be a while before we get to see the new SL in the flesh, but Mercedes has posted some pictures on its website of disguised prototypes, which are now entering a phase of wide-ranging dynamic driving tests, both on the road and at the company’s Test and Technology Centre in Immendingen.
Mercedes won’t tell us anything further for now, but the prototypes do imply a few things, such as the fitment of a soft top rather than the previous model’s retractable hard top, which should save some weight. The car also looks smaller and more nimble than its predecessor, and rumour has it that it will be built on the Mercedes-AMG GT’s platform.
Engine options are likely to include the new turbocharged straight six, in the SL53 variant, while the SL63 would more than likely inherit the familiar 4-litre twin-turbo V8.
IOL Motoring