We go back to 1957 when the legendary Mercedes 300 SL, nicknamed Gullwings was presented. This legendary automotive milestone that laid its roots in the world of competition in 1952 did not leave anyone indifferent since it had a 3.000 cc engine and delivered a power of 243 HP with which it could reach 245 km/h, figures difficult to reach by cars of that time.
The evolution of the Mercedes SL
After the legendary Alas de Guviota, in 1963 it was the turn of the nicknamed Pagoda, and later it was the turn of the Mercedes 350 SL, all of them were models that undoubtedly created great expectations for automotive lovers.
The last version we knew of the SL was the 2019 facelift.
Let's take a leap of almost 70 years compared to the first SL, we are in 2021 and technology has led to spectacular advances in the automotive world. Recently Mercedes-AMG has presented the new Mercedes-AMG SL, a vehicle that is far from what we knew as Mercedes SL but which continues to be characterized as the most exclusive Mercedes convertible along with the Lessons.
As you see, we have talked about Mercedes-AMG and not Mercedes-Benz and that is the basis of the new SL It was designed from scratch by AMG engineers. and it shares nothing with the old model or the Mercedes-AMG GT roadster.
The icing on the cake; your chassis
Indeed, what makes the new Mercedes-AMG SL be a vehicle the chassis is really special. It is a roadster chassis that uses the 2 + 2 configuration, that is, two front seats and two rear seats with which an attempt has been made to reduce its weight as much as possible without losing rigidity, living up to its name. SL (Super Light).
To do this at AMG, they have chosen to use materials such as: aluminum, magnesium, steel, carbon fiber, fiberglass and composite resins. Elements that They considerably reduce its weight, while providing greater rigidity and facilitating the distribution of a lower center of gravity.
To give us an idea of the chassis that the new SL mounts, the transverse rigidity of the body is 50% higher than that of the Mercedes-AMG GT while longitudinally it is 40% higher.
As we can imagine, the development of a chassis with these characteristics is not an easy task and, in fact, this process has meant for Mercedes-AMG a 3-year study until all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.
Notably The self-supporting body of this vehicle weighs only 270 kg without including doors, hood or other additional elements, spectacular figures taking into account the vehicles that resemble it and are currently marketed.
“Affalterbach has stressed that the objective in the design of this vehicle has been lower the center of gravity as much as possible to increase dynamism. "
Engines
Although it is yet to be determined, what is clear is that we will have several options to choose from. Going through the smaller engines that will supposedly get a performance between 360 HP and 400 HP to the supposed top of the range which will be nicknamed SL 73 e which will have a combustion engine supported by an electric one that will allow it to get a power of 800 HP. never seen so far in a vehicle of these dimensions. Of course, it is expected that all its engine variants will be helped by an electric motor from AMG (AMG Performance Hybrid) as we already saw in the Mercedes-AMG GT 73 E-Performance.
Highlights of the new Mercedes-AMG SL
It is the first Mercedes roadster that the new generation of the 4MATIC, the 4MATIC+. Recently tested near the Arctic Circle in very harsh conditions, the new Mercedes-AMG SL has shown what it is capable of.
Mercedes-AMG SL: luxurious interior worthy of an SL
As Mercedes-AMG characterizes, the interior of this vehicle will have the best finishes to offer a position of sporty, luxurious and technological driving since this time it will have an 11,9-inch central screen in vertical format, reminiscent of the one mounted on the new Mercedes S Class.
Through this screen the user will be able to connect with the MBUX in its latest updated version, accompanied by specific AMG content with options that we had already seen before such as: “Performance” or “Track Pace”.
What is sought with this interior is to combine digital with analogue, although analogue will clearly predominate.
Without a doubt, the interior, which has been taken care of down to the smallest detail, demonstrates the exclusivity and luxury that have always characterized this model.
Turbine type air vents are very similar to those of the Mercedes EQS.
This eighth generation of the SL will be presented at the end of the year, it will be manufactured in the well-known Bremen plant (Germany) and you can find it in our dealerships starting in 2022.
Without a doubt, the new Mercedes-AMG SL will mark a before and after in the saga.
