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Mercedes-AMG SLS Rendering Shows Modern Take on Not That Old Classic Model

A little over eleven years ago, the world got to see the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG for the first time. That's not at all debatable since that's when the model made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and yet the gorgeous model immediately felt strangely familiar.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG reboot rendering 3 photos
Photo: Giorgi Tedoradze via Instagram
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG renderingMercedes-Benz SLS AMG rendering
That's because the intention of its designer, a man called Mark Fetherston, was to create a spiritual successor of the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, and, by God, did he do it. The SLS AMG didn't even need to have its doors open to spot the resemblance, though it definitely would have helped.

From a strictly corporate point of view, the SLS AMG was a successor to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, but the new model had a sort of added elegance the SLR severely lacked. So much so that it had people slightly confused about what exactly the SLS AMG was: a grand tourer or a sports car?

Why not both? The model was the first vehicle developed entirely by AMG, which also had the support of former Formula One pilot David Coulthard in the process. As a result, the SLS AMG mixed very high levels of comfort and refinement with excellent track performance, all in an exclusive package.

It's hard to fault the design of the current Mercedes-AMG GT but put it next to the SLS AMG and it'll feel like the lesser car. After all, the gullwing-doored model did win numerous design awards, including the prestigious Red Dot: Best of the Best, back in 2010.

We're still a few years away from a replacement for the Mercedes-AMG GT, but what if the carmaker decided it shouldn't wait as long as it previously did before coming up with a 300 SL Gullwing successor and replaced the current GT with an SLS AMG reboot? In that case, according to industrial designer Giorgi Tedoradze, the German manufacturer might come up with something like the vehicle you see in the pictures.

That's not a bad-looking GT. That said, it has absolutely zero of the old Gullwing's spirit and about the same amount of the SLS AMG's. The only things it somewhat shares with the 2010 model are the proportions and the color. Other than that, it's just an overly aggressive sports car that would have looked more natural with a kidney grille on its nose, if you get our drift.

We would actually love to see a new Mercedes-AMG model in the vein of the SLS AMG, and we're sure we're not alone in this, but it would have to follow the original a lot more closely to have the right impact. Otherwise, the whole point would be lost.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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