FRANKFURT: The SL has been a Mercedes sports car legend for over 60 years. Now the development of the new Mercedes SL is heading for the home stretch, a fact confirmed by sports car department AMG, which is overseeing the latest version of the roadster.
Sources close to the company say it's going to premiere in early 2021, and several surprises are in store. Word has it that the SL won't only be back with a soft top after two generations with a retractable hardtop. It's also going to come with a back seat, as the 129 series did.
As a 2+2-seater, it'll be in line with the BMW 8 Series or the Porsche 911 convertible. At the same time, it replaces the S-Class convertible, which won't be available this autumn after the generation change for the luxury sedan.
AMG hasn't yet made any statements about the roadster's technology, but it's likely to again be available with six and eight-cylinder engines, and should have at least some hybrid elements.
If AMG is in charge of developing this, it is highly likely to have their own engines installed, meaning the SL 53 is probably set to be just as popular as the SL 63. It's unclear though whether there will be another V12, given the current emissions regulations.
