Photo: SB-Medien
Mercedes-AMG is reportedly moving forward with development of a smaller, cheaper sports car that will slot under the GT range. This exciting new model will be a true rival to the Porsche Cayman and a roadster version is also planned.
While the project doesn't have a nameplate or a production date, a concept has been shown to the Mercedes management board. According to a report from Autocar magazine, it's going to replace the SLC.
We still remember how Mercedes had a Cayman rival before there even was a Cayman. We're talking about the early SLK 55 AMG, an experience dominated by the hand-built V8 engine. What a thing that was!
AMG is one of the few brands that can sell anything it wants. Vloggers all over YouTube lust after the C63 Coupe or the GT R. So the company seems to want to put its motorsport and endurance racing heritage into something small instead of a bespoke SUV.
We hesitate to use the word "affordable" here since the Porsche Cayman is anything but. Forget the base price; most cars are specced to over $80,000. The baby AMG should be the same, but that's still about half the going price of the GT.
About the engine, nothing is known at this moment. The report only states that it should have similar power to the current A45 hot hatch or the CLA 45. While that could imply a 2-liter turbo engine will be used, the configuration doesn't strike us as particularly exotic.
V6? Probably not, since AMG doesn't have a hand-built unit plus the whole Mercedes range is moving into inline-6 engines. One of those would be nice, but they are pretty long and difficult to package.
Interestingly, the rivalry between the SLK 55 AMG and the Porsche Boxster S also featured another contender, the Z4 M. BMW is a few months away from revealing a brand new model which will have an M40i 3-liter turbo version with about 360 HP or more.
We still remember how Mercedes had a Cayman rival before there even was a Cayman. We're talking about the early SLK 55 AMG, an experience dominated by the hand-built V8 engine. What a thing that was!
AMG is one of the few brands that can sell anything it wants. Vloggers all over YouTube lust after the C63 Coupe or the GT R. So the company seems to want to put its motorsport and endurance racing heritage into something small instead of a bespoke SUV.
We hesitate to use the word "affordable" here since the Porsche Cayman is anything but. Forget the base price; most cars are specced to over $80,000. The baby AMG should be the same, but that's still about half the going price of the GT.
About the engine, nothing is known at this moment. The report only states that it should have similar power to the current A45 hot hatch or the CLA 45. While that could imply a 2-liter turbo engine will be used, the configuration doesn't strike us as particularly exotic.
V6? Probably not, since AMG doesn't have a hand-built unit plus the whole Mercedes range is moving into inline-6 engines. One of those would be nice, but they are pretty long and difficult to package.
Interestingly, the rivalry between the SLK 55 AMG and the Porsche Boxster S also featured another contender, the Z4 M. BMW is a few months away from revealing a brand new model which will have an M40i 3-liter turbo version with about 360 HP or more.
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