Mercedes-Benz Gives Us A Sneak Peek For Their Eighth-Gen AMG® Roadster
Mercedes-Benz’s AMG®, the high-performance subsidiary of the company has released a slew of images for their new 8th-gen SL car before its official reveal and set release in North America later this year (2021).
The refreshed roadster, dubbed R232, will inevitably face-off with the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, as well as Aston Martin Vantage. It will also sport a new aluminum space-like bodysuit under the unofficial title Modular Sport Architecture, with key details that are also used on the upcoming 2nd-gen Mercedes-AMG® GT.
These vehicles have been cooked up and developed in company with one another, with a strategy intended to amortize development and procure costs, all while mustering up economies of scale for production and servicing operations for each model line.
At the same time that the AMG® GT will be constructed as both a coupe and a roadster body style while conserving its two-seat structure, the latest SL comes back only as a roadster and with a 2+2 seating configuration intended to provide it with more practicality and changeability than its predecessor.
The main objective was to give the car a sportier image derived from its dealings with motorsport, the automaker confirmed the upcoming model is already making different moves since it will only be sold under the AMG® brand name.
In the released images, you can see different variations of SL prototypes zooming through the cold-weather while testing in Sweden and also showing off new roof options. According to Mercedes-AMG®, the new on-road testing adds to a wide-ranging virtual simulation development program.
While the new SL and the AMG® GT were all covered up, both shared the same probing hood and interior setup placed at the back of the front axle line, making it look more like a traditional sports car rather than the 7th-gen model from 2011.
Other comparisons are seen at the rear, where the new SL’s trunk lid is particularly short and slopes. It also has a large spoiler that deploys in order to increase downforce at speed.
As with the 1st-gen AMG® GT roadster, a new AMG® also tacks on a folding fabric roof for the first time since the 5th-gen model ended its production in 2001.
For the past two decades, the SL had a folding aluminum hardtop. The latest model is nostalgic as it returns with a fabric-covered setup encompassing a glass rear window that folds and stays within a set space above the fuel tank at the rear.
These changes don’t just end at the exterior, as the two-seat layout of the previous two generations of the SL is swapped with a roomier 2+2 configuration with small rear seats located at the rear bulkhead.
Official word hasn’t been revealed yet, however, there is talk of the SL having a slightly longer wheelbase as opposed to the upcoming 2nd-gen AMG® GT to lodge the rear seats.
In company with the mild-hybrid engine options are going to be a turbocharged 2.0L 4-cyl., turbocharged 3.0L inline 6-cyl. and twin-turbocharged 4.0L V-8 in SL43, SL53, and SL 63 4MATIC®+ EQ Boost models. Additionally, each engine will be paired to a standard 9-speed MCT Speedshift gearbox constructed by AMG® with steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles and a slew of driving modes.
The SL will also move away from customs in other areas; As with the standard rear-wheel-drive, the upcoming model will offer a 4MATIC® variable all-wheel-drive system on certain cars for the first time in its 70-year reign.
The roadster will also get a new plug-in hybrid drivetrain, which fuses the twin-turbocharged 4.0L V-8 with an electric motor lodged in the rear axle and a lithium-ion battery. This electrified battery will be featured in the 800-horsepowered SL73 4MATIC®+ EQ Power model.
After completing their winter testing in Sweden, Mercedes-AMG® revealed that the next development phase for the SL will hone in on its invigorating setup at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany.
In a statement, the company says “Mercedes-AMG® will be ensuring that this latest interpretation of the SL draws even more than ever on its sporting roots,”
Mercedes-Benz of Washington
When the time finally comes to purchase your spanking new AMG® Roadster, be sure to do it at Mercedes-Benz of Washington, we carry a wide range of Mercedes-Benz models, including that of their AMG® vehicles.
Those who are interested in any of our vehicles can simply view our online new car inventory and chat with a representative for further assistance.