Photo: Daimler AG
In less than six months, the three-pointed star will be introducing the fifth and final member of the Mercedes-Benz MFA (Modular Front Architecture) platform, in the form of the CLA Shooting Brake.
A number of Mercedes-Benz officials have tried to put our minds at ease by repeatedly telling us that the MFA platform will only feature five models and that previous plans about a new roadster to slot under the SLK were put on hold.
Well, you might want to take this with a grain of salt, but if our sources are correct, the Mercedes-Benz SLA Roadster isn't yet out of the question, despite the initial plans of creating such a model dating back to the first generation of the A-Class.
We're sure that some of you still remember the highly-talked-about Vision SLA Concept, a petite roadster that was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2000.
With a body constructed mainly of aluminium and plastic, the Vision SLA was pretty much a Mercedes-Benz version of the traditional British lightweight roadster, a style which was later put into production by the ill-fated smart roadster and smart roadster coupe.
Sporting a 1.9-liter engine taken straight out of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W168) and front-wheel drive, the project was deemed as unfeasible in that form for a number of reasons. The most important ones were naturally related to the fact that the original A-Class platform was too expensive to be modified in order to also accommodate a niche roadster.
Now that every single model built on the highly-lucrative MFA platform is or is about to be selling like hot cakes, the introduction of a sub-SLK roadster built on it has been again discussed at high level at Daimler, with an official ruling on the matter to be decided in the upcoming months.
Well, you might want to take this with a grain of salt, but if our sources are correct, the Mercedes-Benz SLA Roadster isn't yet out of the question, despite the initial plans of creating such a model dating back to the first generation of the A-Class.
We're sure that some of you still remember the highly-talked-about Vision SLA Concept, a petite roadster that was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2000.
With a body constructed mainly of aluminium and plastic, the Vision SLA was pretty much a Mercedes-Benz version of the traditional British lightweight roadster, a style which was later put into production by the ill-fated smart roadster and smart roadster coupe.
Sporting a 1.9-liter engine taken straight out of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (W168) and front-wheel drive, the project was deemed as unfeasible in that form for a number of reasons. The most important ones were naturally related to the fact that the original A-Class platform was too expensive to be modified in order to also accommodate a niche roadster.
Now that every single model built on the highly-lucrative MFA platform is or is about to be selling like hot cakes, the introduction of a sub-SLK roadster built on it has been again discussed at high level at Daimler, with an official ruling on the matter to be decided in the upcoming months.
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