Mercedes has a long history of making automobiles. While the brand is now synonymous with being the leaders in luxury and innovation, a lot of the brand’s core has changed over the decade. One of the beautiful cars ever to grace the roads was the 300 SL Gullwing and the legacy continued with the SL moniker adorning a good sum of cars bearing the three-pointed star. However, the demand for the iconic SL nametag has diminished recently thanks to a variety of 4-seater drop-tops flooding the market.
The current generation of the SL was introduced back in 2013 and is definitely a notch below its competitors. With the SL-Class barely creating any waves, it’s high time Mercedes did something about it. Spy shots have surfaced and the seventh-gen SL-Class looks a lot more promising than the existing model.
Interestingly, this time instead of Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes- AMG is in charge of the build which could potentially bring back the glory days of the SL. With a wealth of history backing the nameplate, we sure hope it does.
From what we know so far, Mercedes-AMG is planning the SL-Roadster for the 2022 model year. While information is scarce, here’s us rounding up everything we know about the upcoming Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster.
Expect Plenty Of Performance
While the Mercedes GT cannibalized the sales of the SL-Class, Mercedes was quick to pull the plug on their AMG tuned SL63. Since last year, the SL moniker has been running without a dedicated AMG variant. From the leaks and spy shots available, we can conclude that the folks at AMG are cooking up two versions for the 2022 SL Roadster; an SL53 and a more hardcore SL63 pictured here in camo.
It’s easy to speculate which powerplants Mercedes will be opting for given the AMG lineup shares powertrains among one another. The SL53 will likely be powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 429 horsepower, while the more powerful SL63 is expected to use the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that is capable of pumping out 577 horsepower. The 3.0-liter inline-six is now common with AMGs sporting the 53 badge while V8s are preferred in the top of the line 63 variants.
As you may know, AMG ditched the V12 last year with the S65 Final Edition being the swansong to the powerplant. Since 12-cylinders won’t be making its way into the SL, we expect something else. With the upcoming AMG GT 73e 4-door expecting a monstrous 800 hp unit, we reckon the motor-assisted powertrain could end up in the SL with a similar 73e nametag.
Aside from the powerplant, the upcoming SL will utilize a new rear-wheel-drive platform dubbed MSA (Modular Sports Architecture). Employing a revised architecture means the new SL would be more dynamically capable as well as being relatively light. Since the MSA platform relies more on a low weight philosophy, extensive use of aluminum and materials of similar properties are expected. Another takeaway from this is that the new generation of AMG GTs will also employ the MSA architecture.
Every Bit Of The GT Ethos Is Expected
Speculations point that the SL Roadster would be a 2+2 convertible as opposed to the previous few generations which were strictly a 2- seater. Although, the setup is rumored to be a lot more comfortable than say the rear seats of a 911. This move in particular will help the SL fill the gap left by the S-Class convertible and siding with roomier rear seats seems logical.
On the GT side of things, the SL will sport a luxurious interior with the finest of materials as is the norm with high-end Mercs. However, the SL-Class will adopt a fabric roof as opposed to the complicated hardtop of previous generations. Keeping in line with the design ethos, the soft top setup would be a lot less heavy while offering a bit more trunk space. On the technology front, expect Merc’s latest MBUX software embedded infotainment system along with a host of other intelligent driver-assist tech.
When Can You Expect the Mercedes-AMG SL
Since Mercedes-AMG axed the R231-gen SL63 and the S-Class convertible, there is a definite void in Merc’s lineup of convertibles. From what we know so far, AMG has been extensively testing their upcoming offerings. From the images released by the folks at AMG, it’s clear that testing is almost in its final stages and we can expect the launch or unveiling of the SL by mid-2021 with sales starting by the second half. Pricing of the upcoming 2022 Mercedes SL roadster is expected to be around $95,000 for the SL53 and $116,000 for the SL63 with the rumored SL73e nudging the $140,000 mark.
Sources: MotorTrend, CarAndDriver