Photo: Kolesa.ru
The SL-Class, otherwise know as Mercedes-Benz's stubbornness with wheels. This model should have been discontinued long ago, yet they're developing a brand new roadster, and we can't help but be excited.
Last week, we published an in-depth story on what makes the 2022 SL tick. Best of all, the R232 had been the star of an official prototype photoshoot, which makes the following set of renderings that are based on those shots kind of ironic.
Normally, our spy photographers have to hide in the bushes just to get the footage we need. But Mercedes just went ahead and did everything for us. The rendering set is from the Russian website Kolesa, which tried to capture the spirit of the official spyshots and give us a preview of this 2022 model.
“The next generation of the legendary SL Roadster is going back to its roots, which lay in motorsport back in 1952. Mercedes-AMG, as the performance and sports car brand of Mercedes-Benz AG, has fittingly taken on the task of overall vehicle development for the reinterpretation of the legendary roadster,” the official press statement reads, meaning we might not see the Benz badge anywhere.
AMG is increasingly becoming a quick fix when a model is too expensive or not exciting enough. The phenomenon began with the badly named GLE 450 AMG Coupe back about five years ago, as well as SLC 43, which renounced its hand-made V8 in favor of a twin-turbo V6.
According to reports that pre-date the spyshots, the R232 generation of the SL-Class will have an engine range that starts with the 43 and ends with a mind-blowing 73 e. However, the "43" model may not be motivated by the familiar six-banger, but by a turbocharged four-pot. Compensating for this shortcoming, it's expected that the flagship SL 73 will boast over 800 horsepower, about a quarter of which will be electric.
Based on these renderings, the bodywork of the new roadster won't be something to get excited about. But Mercedes design, in general, has taken a turn for the less dramatic in recent years. Could this be the way to capture the majesty of the 1950s?
Normally, our spy photographers have to hide in the bushes just to get the footage we need. But Mercedes just went ahead and did everything for us. The rendering set is from the Russian website Kolesa, which tried to capture the spirit of the official spyshots and give us a preview of this 2022 model.
“The next generation of the legendary SL Roadster is going back to its roots, which lay in motorsport back in 1952. Mercedes-AMG, as the performance and sports car brand of Mercedes-Benz AG, has fittingly taken on the task of overall vehicle development for the reinterpretation of the legendary roadster,” the official press statement reads, meaning we might not see the Benz badge anywhere.
AMG is increasingly becoming a quick fix when a model is too expensive or not exciting enough. The phenomenon began with the badly named GLE 450 AMG Coupe back about five years ago, as well as SLC 43, which renounced its hand-made V8 in favor of a twin-turbo V6.
According to reports that pre-date the spyshots, the R232 generation of the SL-Class will have an engine range that starts with the 43 and ends with a mind-blowing 73 e. However, the "43" model may not be motivated by the familiar six-banger, but by a turbocharged four-pot. Compensating for this shortcoming, it's expected that the flagship SL 73 will boast over 800 horsepower, about a quarter of which will be electric.
Based on these renderings, the bodywork of the new roadster won't be something to get excited about. But Mercedes design, in general, has taken a turn for the less dramatic in recent years. Could this be the way to capture the majesty of the 1950s?
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