Mercedes-Benz's secret plans for a front-engine sports car positioned beneath the SLS have progressed to a decisive phase, according to representatives from the German maker. They've confirmed that the new V8-powered two-seater has been granted an official code name -- traditionally the first step toward intensive development and a production future.
The new sports car is scheduled for launch in 2014 and has a projected price of just over $100,000. The evocatively styled two-door has been conceived in a joint exercise between Mercedes-Benz's regular passenger car department and its AMG performance car division. AMG is set to assume responsibility for the car's engineering, development and testing in a move mirroring that of the SLS coupe and its forthcoming roadster sibling.
High-ranking Mercedes- Benz officials already refer to the new model as the SLC -- a name last used on a fixed-roofed version of the fourth-generation SL, produced between 1971 and 1981. Unlike that car, though, the modern-day SLC is set to receive its own unique exterior and interior design. The coupe version, depicted here, will be followed in 2016 by a fabric-roofed roadster variant. However, in a move aimed at ensuring that its development and production costs are kept in check, the new SLC is earmarked to share various mechanical and electrical components with next year's seventh-generation SL.
Buoyed by the success of the SLS -- both commercially and in terms of image building for the rest of the range -- Mercedes-Benz's management sees the SLC as the next logical step in cementing plans for a two-tier lineup of performance cars wearing the three-pointed star: those based on regular models and a more exclusive lineup of dedicated cars.
One of the key rivals for the SLC will be the Porsche 911. Members of the AMG engineering team involved in the early development strategy describe the 911 Carrera S as being an obvious dynamic benchmark. But they've also revealed that the Aston Martin V8 Vantage is among a group of cars already pinpointed as competitors.
There was speculation that Mercedes had ditched early plans to provide the car with a front-engine layout in favor of a midengine architecture. However, this has been strenuously denied by high-ranking sources. "Mercedes-Benz has no history of midengine road cars," said an insider. "We have occasionally toyed with the idea in various concept cars. But when you look back, the company is defined by its front-engined sports cars, such as the original SL."
The styling of the SLC has been developed by a close-knit group of in-house designers at the company's Sindelfingen studio near Stuttgart. Among those involved is British-born designer Mark Featherstone.-- reporting by Greg Kable, Autocar
smilez says:
03:38 PM, 05/23/11
I'm not very into Mercedes, but this is a good looking ride. And any competition for the 911 is always a good thing for the enthusiast.
nasahrsandi9 says:
03:39 PM, 05/23/11
looks nice, but won't be anywhere near as good to drive as a 911.
smilez says:
03:44 PM, 05/23/11
nasahrsandi9 -
And you know this how?
t_q says:
03:45 PM, 05/23/11
i guess no slm now... i was hoping they'd go for it.. a supercar with a midengine .. that means a straight competition .. i guess the guys at mercedes dont have the balls
noobnox says:
03:47 PM, 05/23/11
Looks like a little too much going on styling wise, but I'm just glad they got rid of the fake F1 looking snout...hopefully forever.
altimadude05 says:
03:58 PM, 05/23/11
Does anyone else see a little Viper in this car?
nj2481 says:
04:23 PM, 05/23/11
Does it have a hand brake?
coolb944 says:
04:42 PM, 05/23/11
Well it's not like this is a company sponsored rendering. The car hasn't even gone into development yet. Whoever created the rendering did a great job though!
It'll be cool to read about it and see it, but I can hardly say I'm excited about another MB I can't afford, or maybe ever will be able to afford.
A nice sub-SLK car to compete with the VW BlueSport would be MUCH more interesting to me.
thecubanratio says:
04:49 PM, 05/23/11
Why is this article copy-and-pasted from autocar with modest editing? It's good that you reference both autocar and the writer of the article, but portions of this article are identically the same to that of autocar. Was this intended?
fst1 says:
05:19 PM, 05/23/11
@thecubanratio: We bought the article from a freelance journalist who also sold the story to Autocar.
Ed Hellwig
Editor
vantageman says:
05:20 PM, 05/23/11
Maybe were talkinga bout a different 911 but to the person that saids drive as good as a 911? I would love to know what that means anything other than an awd has twitchy handling, it rides like a fold out chair being pushed over rocks and the handling can go from accurate to oversteer very quickly, its not hard to drive better than a 911 it takes a professional driver to really even exploit the 911 the enw ones arent as unpredictable as the old ones were but lets be real, to drive like a 911 isnt a compliment
nuieve says:
07:37 PM, 05/23/11
Looks much better than SLS.
tempesting says:
07:42 PM, 05/23/11
this car looks freakin HAWT
thecubanratio says:
09:33 PM, 05/23/11
@fst1
Thanks for the clarification, sorry for giving you guys a hard time.
Good article nonetheless.
thecubanratio says:
09:34 PM, 05/23/11
@fst1
Thanks for the clarification, sorry for giving you guys a hard time.
Good article nonetheless.
stovt001 says:
08:01 AM, 05/24/11
So how will this differ from the SLS? Or SL? Slot in halfway between?
sierrabravo says:
08:16 AM, 05/24/11
I like the look of it from up front. Not that I can afford one, but it would be cool to see MB offer it with a true manual (to my knowledge they don't offer a lot of those).
horsepwr1 says:
08:37 AM, 05/24/11
Chevrolet Corvette Designers should take note. This is what the future Corvette should look like. It kind of has some retro covette designs in it. It makes me think of a 57 blended with the modern lines of today. The bar has been set.... now go get it.
mrbacon says:
12:17 PM, 05/24/11
Another sporty car from the manufacturer that doesn't equip its sporty cars with the manual transmissions that enthusiasts want.
Yawn.
danwilson1 says:
12:24 PM, 05/24/11
Mrbacon said:
"Another sporty car from the manufacturer that doesn't equip its sporty cars with the manual transmissions that enthusiasts want."
There are tons of enthusiasts out there who appreciate an efficient DSG or automatic transmission.
I find it funny how everyone bitches about the lack of manual transmissions on many modern cars, yet nobody complains about the death of manual windows, manual oil pumps, manual engine starters, manual seats etc. Don't those manual systems give you more "control" over the car, eh?
fuhteng says:
12:41 PM, 05/24/11
Beautiful drawing.
Isn't the SLK supposed to be a boxster/caymen competitor? It's in the same price range, but I don't really think it is a true competitor. I don't think this will be a competitor to the 911 either.
stovt001 says:
02:15 PM, 05/24/11
"Don't those manual systems give you more "control" over the car, eh?" No, they give you more control over accessories. The transmission directly impacts the driving experience.
j2j says:
09:24 PM, 05/24/11
As renderings go, that's pretty nice.
danwilson1 says:
01:42 AM, 05/25/11
"No, they give you more control over accessories. The transmission directly impacts the driving experience."
Rolling down the windows manually can be considered part of the "driving experience".
Manual transmissions are dying out. They're literally being phased out of various motorsport competitions in favor of more efficient and faster-shifting transmissions. This trend is also hitting the civilian sports car sector. In the near future I'm pretty sure we won't be seeing any M/T sports cars anymore.
kevm14 says:
05:21 AM, 05/25/11
"Don't those manual systems give you more "control" over the car, eh?"
There's nothing seat-of-the-pants satisfying about rolling up your own windows. But a nice 1-2 shift with scratch (or dual stripes) or a couple well executed rev matched downshifts? Uhh...totally different thing.
stovt001 says:
07:57 AM, 05/25/11
+1 to kevm14. Once a brilliantly executed shift plasters a smile on your face on your weekday morning commute no less, you'll understand. It isn't about being faster or more convenient. It is about pleasure, pure and simple. If I was taking a car around a track, I'd take a well sorted automated manual any day. To have fun at legal and sane speeds in an affordable car, give me 3 pedals and a stick. That's all I need to grin from ear to ear.
carsgalore says:
08:24 AM, 05/25/11
@altimadude05:
Does anyone else see a little Viper in this car?
I thought I was the only one that noticed it!
supra4 says:
11:06 PM, 05/28/11
Lets hope it weighs significantly less than the SL
gtrguy2012 says:
11:09 PM, 05/30/11
Look at that! It doesn't look like a squashed beetle. So it's already got the stupid 911 beat.
alex38 says:
05:34 AM, 06/ 2/11
Wow, very promising. Aggressive lines - i could see this giving Porsche a run for its money.
alex38 says:
05:36 AM, 06/ 2/11
Wow, very promising. I can see this giving Porsche a run for its money if the final product looks like this (but still need to see the profile and tail-end)
different1 says:
09:17 PM, 06/ 9/11
now that is sexy
leon79 says:
09:45 AM, 06/10/11
The car that Is pictured isn't real nor does any of it's styling features represent what Mercedes's 911 fighter will look like. This is called photo shop, and editors do this to put a face with the article. With details just now being leaked about the real car it will be months before we even start seeing spy photos. Amateurs