Yahoo Autos The Next Mercedes-Benz SL Will Attempt to Return the Once-Legendary Roadster to Greatness
Mercedes-Benz is working on the next generation of its iconic SL-class roadster, and here is what we know about it.
The new model will switch to a platform based loosely on the AMG GT, and will offer both inline-six and V-8 engine options.
Debuting in 2021 as a 2022 model, the new SL will start just under $100,000.
The next-generation Mercedes-Benz SL will be an attempt to restore the once-legendary Benz roadster to its former luster by way of a fabric top and small but usable rear seats.
Fully developed by AMG in Affalterbach, the next-gen SL will be based on a stretched and thoroughly updated version of the architecture beneath the two-seat AMG GT, which itself goes back to the gullwinged SLS AMG. Seems fitting. And yet this reinvention will be more in the spirit of a grand tourer for two reasons: Mercedes needs to differentiate it from the GT roadster, and the SL will eventually replace the S-class cabriolet.
Sadly, the new car won't get the outgoing SL's 12-cylinder, which Mercedes silently removed from the order sheet in mid-2018, but turbocharged straight-sixes and V-8s with 48-volt hybrid assistance will ensure that the SL doesn't lack for power or torque.
The SL is far enough from its past glories that it's about to start appearing in daytime TV commercials opposite generic cartoon characters. But as the descendant of the 300SL Gullwing, it wears one of the brand's, if not the automotive world's, greatest nameplates. In other words, it only matters as love does, or as do sunny days with the sound of children at play. Sales of the current SL have tanked. The next one needs to be less homely. But even that might not be enough; by the time the car comes out, the global audience for big traditional convertibles might all fit into a single four-seat SL.
It will be unveiled in 2021 as a 2022 model. Six-cylinder versions will begin just under $100,000.
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