Mercedes-AMG officially reveals the seventh-generation SL, a car that returns to the fabric roof and 2+2 layout sported by earlier incarnations of the iconic German roadster as part of a comprehensive overhaul for the 2022 model.
Set for North American delivery during the second quarter of next year, the luxury roadster has been developed by Mercedes-Benz’s performance car division in an engineering program that will see it share key components with the second-generation GT due out in 2023.
Both cars are based on a newly developed MSA (Modular Sportscar Architecture) aluminum space frame platform that AMG says shares very little with the structure used by today’s first-generation GT coupe and roadster models.
“We were able to start from scratch without building on an existing structure,” says Jochen Hermann, AMG’s chief technical officer, who notes the body of the new SL without doors, hood and trunklid weighs “about 594 lbs. (269 kg).”
Arriving 67 years after the original SL, the new model adopts a thoroughly reworked exterior design. Similarities to the smaller GT Roadster are evident in the overall silhouette, as are a number of typical Mercedes-Benz design cues, including AMG’s signature Panamericana grille and angular CLS-style adaptive LED headlamps.
Further back, the long probing hood is heavily reminiscent of earlier SL models, leading back to a heavily raked windshield. The wheel arches protrude from the body, housing wheels ranging from 19 to 21 ins. in diameter.
An active spoiler is integrated into the trailing edge of the trunk. It deploys at five different pre-set angles from 50 mph (80 km/h) onwards to enhance downforce.
For the first time since the fourth-generation SL, the new model features a triple-layer fabric roof. Claimed to weigh 46 lbs. (21 kg) less than the metal roof used by the previous generation of the Mercedes-Benz roadster, it takes a claimed 15 seconds to fold and stow behind the cabin (pictured, above).
Trunk capacity varies from a nominal 7.5 cu.-ft. (212 L) when the roof is down to 8.5 cu.-ft. (241 L) when it is up – a respective 5.8 cu.-ft. (164 L) and 9.3 cu.-ft. (263 L) less than that offered by the outgoing SL. AMG counters any loss of practicality by suggesting the new rear seat can be used to stow luggage.
Dimensionally, the new roadster has grown. Length, width and height have increased by 3.5 ins. (89 mm), 1.5 in. (38 mm) and 1.7 in. (43 mm), respectively, to 185.2 ins. (4,704 mm), 75.4 ins. (1,915 mm) and 53.5 ins. (1,359 mm). It’s the wheelbase that sees the biggest increase, though, extending by 4.6 ins. (117 mm) to 106.3 ins. (2,700 mm) to accommodate the new rear seats.
Despite the adoption of the new aluminum platform, curb weight has increased in part due to the added dimensions and, as a first for the SL, the adoption of all-wheel drive; the 4,343-lb. (1,970-kg) SL 63 4Matic+ outweighs its direct predecessor by 276 lbs. (125 kg).
Mercedes-AMG confirms two initial V-8-powered SL models, the SL 55 4Matic+ and SL 63 4Matic+, though WardsAuto can confirm others, including an SL63e gasoline-electric hybrid, are also under development.
The former, which returns the 55 name to an AMG model for the first time since the G55 ceased production in 2012, is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0L V-8 with 469 hp and 516 lb.-ft. (700 Nm) of torque.
In combination with a standard nine-speed, torque converter-equipped AMG Speed shift MCT automatic gearbox and a fully variable AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, it is claimed to provide the SL 55 4Matic+ with a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 3.9 seconds and 183 mph (295 km/h) top speed.
The SL 63 4Matic+ receives a more heavily tuned twin-turbocharged 4.0L V-8 (pictured, below) developing 577 hp and 590 lb.-ft. (800 Nm). Drive is channeled through the same nine-speed gearbox and AWD system as the SL 55 4Matic+, giving the new headlining SL model a claimed 0-62 mph time of 3.6 seconds and 196 mph (316 km/h) top speed.
Reflecting its added performance potential, the SL 63 4Matic+ boasts an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential as standard. It can be specified for the SL55 4Matic+ as part of an optional AMG Dynamic Plus package.
The roadster receives a thoroughly new five-link double-wishbone front suspension in combination with a multi-link setup similar to that used by the existing GT at the rear. The SL 55 4Matic+ receives conventional anti-roll bars while the SL 63 4Matic+ uses hydraulic elements to counteract body roll, both in combination with adaptive damping as standard.
