Photo: Mercedes-Benz
The new Mercedes-Benz SL roadster is one of the two major L.A. premieres alongside the GLS facelift. But unlike the full-size SUV, the convertible seems to have lingered under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel for a little longer, as this leaked set of photos clearly proves.
The rear side of the car has emerged almost unscathed, with just a redesigned bumper with two bulges where the double exhausts are sticking out, and a more discreet lip spoiler that’s now better integrated into the trunk lid. The taillights also received new graphics, as advertised, but the overall shape has remained the same.
The result is a back end that looks significantly more modern despite a relatively discreet approach and a limited number of modifications. It also looks quite sportier, especially in the case of the AMG SL63 and SL65 versions - just as it should.
The side profile is absolutely the same, bar for a new set of side skirts that could very well go unnoticed, and the new front and rear bumpers that can also be seen from this angle.
Moving on to the front, the long hood hiding the engine gets some new, more aggressive creases, while the radiator grille is completely changed. Unlike other models, it’s not just the number of blades or the pattern on the mesh grille that’s been modified, but also the outline itself. Mercedes-Benz has gone for a trapezoidal shape with very rounded corners and a larger base. This gives the new SL a more planted stance, but it also makes it a bit more similar to the original 300 SL (W194) racecar.
Not that the two actually resemble as much as nostalgics would like to believe. The new Mercedes-Benz SL (and especially the new Mercedes-AMG SL63 and SL65 models) managed instead to inch closer to AMG GT’s design, which means the roadster comes with a more modern look. If anything, the SL appears even more stable and agile than AMG’s sports car of the moment due to its longer and flatter silhouette. Still, there’s no real risk of cannibalization between the AMG models here.
To achieve this transformation, the front has been completely redesigned and now comes with a new bumper that looks disjointed from the upper part of the car because of a shiny carbon fiber strip (chromed for the SL65) looking like a thin mustache that splits the two areas. If design cohesion stopped being a good thing, then those who drew this deserve a bonus.
On the inside, the changes are even harder to spot. There’s a new steering wheel and, apart from that, nothing can be seen with the engine switched off. Switch it on and the new, updated COMAND system will show its multitude of information on a display the same size as the old one, but presumably with better graphics and resolution. People have cheered Mercedes-Benz’s decision not to use a stand-out display like on other models, but on the other hand, nobody would have minded had it grown an inch or two.
The SL range will get the new 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic that will slowly spread out over the entire Mercedes-Benz range, but the info on the engine department is limited. However, all clues point to absolutely no major novelty, with all the models keeping the units they were using before the facelift. In the AMG section, that means a 630 hp 6.0-liter V12 biturbo for the SL65, and a 537 hp 5.5-liter V8 biturbo for the SL63. Which, let’s face it, aren’t bad numbers at all.
The new Mercedes-Benz SL is still waiting for its official debut that will take place at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show next week, but our quench has been partially satisfied by this large number of images leaked online. Rest assured we’ll be right here to report the moment all the official information becomes available.
The result is a back end that looks significantly more modern despite a relatively discreet approach and a limited number of modifications. It also looks quite sportier, especially in the case of the AMG SL63 and SL65 versions - just as it should.
The side profile is absolutely the same, bar for a new set of side skirts that could very well go unnoticed, and the new front and rear bumpers that can also be seen from this angle.
Moving on to the front, the long hood hiding the engine gets some new, more aggressive creases, while the radiator grille is completely changed. Unlike other models, it’s not just the number of blades or the pattern on the mesh grille that’s been modified, but also the outline itself. Mercedes-Benz has gone for a trapezoidal shape with very rounded corners and a larger base. This gives the new SL a more planted stance, but it also makes it a bit more similar to the original 300 SL (W194) racecar.
Not that the two actually resemble as much as nostalgics would like to believe. The new Mercedes-Benz SL (and especially the new Mercedes-AMG SL63 and SL65 models) managed instead to inch closer to AMG GT’s design, which means the roadster comes with a more modern look. If anything, the SL appears even more stable and agile than AMG’s sports car of the moment due to its longer and flatter silhouette. Still, there’s no real risk of cannibalization between the AMG models here.
To achieve this transformation, the front has been completely redesigned and now comes with a new bumper that looks disjointed from the upper part of the car because of a shiny carbon fiber strip (chromed for the SL65) looking like a thin mustache that splits the two areas. If design cohesion stopped being a good thing, then those who drew this deserve a bonus.
On the inside, the changes are even harder to spot. There’s a new steering wheel and, apart from that, nothing can be seen with the engine switched off. Switch it on and the new, updated COMAND system will show its multitude of information on a display the same size as the old one, but presumably with better graphics and resolution. People have cheered Mercedes-Benz’s decision not to use a stand-out display like on other models, but on the other hand, nobody would have minded had it grown an inch or two.
The SL range will get the new 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic that will slowly spread out over the entire Mercedes-Benz range, but the info on the engine department is limited. However, all clues point to absolutely no major novelty, with all the models keeping the units they were using before the facelift. In the AMG section, that means a 630 hp 6.0-liter V12 biturbo for the SL65, and a 537 hp 5.5-liter V8 biturbo for the SL63. Which, let’s face it, aren’t bad numbers at all.
The new Mercedes-Benz SL is still waiting for its official debut that will take place at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show next week, but our quench has been partially satisfied by this large number of images leaked online. Rest assured we’ll be right here to report the moment all the official information becomes available.
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