Spyshots: Next-Gen Mercedes SLK

We admit it is somewhat unfair to present you photos of a vehicle which is still some good years away before entering mass production, but we reckon Mercedes enthusiasts will enjoy seeing these shots of the 3rd generation SLK.

Unfortunately though, not much has changed from the previous set of spyshots we brought you. The car is still wearing the heavy, bulky, tank-lookalike camouflage. Even so, some of the features of the future SLK can be distinguished.

At the front, the new SLK will use a new grille and headlights, both with a more upright stance than in the current generation. The front nose of the SLK will change as well, boasting a more aggressive look than the Formula 1 inspired one on today's SLK.

The side mirrors will change too and are now bigger and moved further back than in the current version. They are now located on the doors and not in front of the side window. All in all however, those who were hoping for a design revolution with the new SLK may be disappointed, as the SLK will remain faithful to the design cues common to the SLK.

As for the engines, it's all about speculations at this point. Four cylinder petrol engines, starting at around 180 hp, are said to form the backbone of the SLK lineup. Of course, a more powerful, AMG style version will more than surely be provided. The AMG SLK will make use of a smaller supercharged or turbocharged engine (probably a V6), instead of the current 5.4l V8.

This will not affect performance however, as power output will remain at about the same levels as in today's AMG Black Series: 400 horsepower and 520 Nm of torque.