Merc preps alloy super coupe, sires next SL
Newswheel staff :: 20 July 2007 :: Filed under Cabriolet, Coupe, Front engine sportscar, Mercedes Benz
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Gull-wing reborn?
Tricky to know for sure what Mercedes' next move in the high-end sports car market will be. What with rumours of a mid-engine supercar resurrected from the failing ambers of the McLaren partnership and more recently reports of a new alloy front-engine coupe, a model that’s expected to share its underpinnings with the next SL…
To be dubbed the SLC, specifics regarding the new coupe remain thin. However, it’s a safe bet to expect AMG’s impossibly good 6.2-litre V8 engine to make an appearance.
In naturally aspirated form, we’re therefore talking 500bhp or so. Slap on a pair of blowers and no doubt AMG’s engineers will be able to produce pretty much any figure you fancy. What’s more, claims that the car will be constructed from an aluminium space frame certainly bode well for kerb weight and therefore overall performance and handling.
Not much is known about the styling of the new coupe, but the suggestion is that the overall vibe is modern-day 300SL Gullwing – in spirit if not in terms of direct aesthetic inspiration.
Move over, McLaren
Intriguingly, reports say the SLC is being developed by German sports car maker HWA, AMG´s partner at the German Touring car Masters. Which is all you need to know about the current state of the McLaren-Mercedes partnership.
It’s also worth noting that the SLC will share its hidden hard points and oily bits with the next SL coupe-cabriolet cruiser. The most obvious implication, therefore, is that the SLC will be front, and not rear, engined.
The SLC is thought to be pencilled in for a 2010 launch, with production limited to around 4,000 to 5,000 units annually. The alloy SL, meanwhile, rolls out in 2012, giving MB time to polish the production process for its novel space frame alloy chassis.
A concept version of the SLC is expected at the Geneva show next year.
Of course, with new and often conflicting details regarding Merc’s high-end sportscar plans emerging almost daily, all of the above is no better than the best available information. It’s all subject to change.
Linkage:
WindingRoad
Autoblog
