It’s back. With a vengeance. The immediate sense of the new edition of the Mercedes-AMG SL is that it marks the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. A new era for the model series and the performance and sports car brand that will be the iconic vehicle’s home from now on. The new SL has even stronger roots to the origins of the Mercedes-Benz legend than its predecessors had; at the same time, it is a new way into the future. “The Star is Reborn”: the new SL’s motto heralds a rebirth that makes the pioneering and oldest Mercedes-Benz model series sportier, more luxurious and more appealing than ever before.
But first, let’s take a brief look at the history of the legend: a strong idea developed into an icon out of adversity. In June 1952, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race management at the time decided to revolutionise the doors of their SL. This bold decision led to the birth of the legendary “gullwing” doors – and was crowned with a double victory at the French endurance race. Only two months later, a quadruple victory followed at an Eifel race on the Nürburgring. In 1954, Mercedes-Benz introduced the production model and made history again.
The heart: Behind the star on the AMG-specific radiator grille is a powerful 585 PS AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine.
World premiere: For the first time ever in the SL series, there is an all-wheel drive.
Today, that very model, the 300 SL Gullwing, limited to just 1,400 vehicles, fetches sale prices of over one million euros. Some consider the SL to be the most important sports car icon of the 20th century, not least because no other vehicle reflects its era as passionately as this sports car. It wasn’t only because of its prowess on the racetrack: soon after the SL took the motorsport world by storm, the production version was capturing the hearts of Hollywood stars and celebrities, preferably along the coastal roads of the picturesque Côte d’Azur.
From the 1960s, the “Pagoda”, as it became known, set the course for the future of the SL in the following decades: the vehicle retained its sportiness and the series also became a pioneer for the brand. Time and time again, it was the vehicle selected to be the first to feature new Mercedes-Benz technologies introduced into series production. For example, the first mass-produced all-aluminium body made its debut in 2012, saving a remarkable 140 kilogrammes in weight.
SL actually stands for super light, but can also be adapted to super luxurious for the latest model. The vehicle architecture is supported by a state-of-the-art aluminium spaceframe. And designer Kasia Bodziak-Schwarzburger, who puts the latest version of this icon in a particularly expressionist light for our photo spread, intends to make it the most natural thing in the world from now on to soar into a new dimension with the SL. Or, to put it in her own words: “The SL is certainly the blueprint for any sports car. It immediately conjures up images of an arrow-quick red convertible. In contrasting colours, it whizzes through zig-zag roads through retro rust-coloured hills.
In my mind’s eye, a woman is at the wheel, wearing large sunglasses and a long scarf around her head, which catches the wind and swirls out of the car. My very first association was born in the 60s,” explains the designer. “And just as the new interpretation of the AMG model still honours the spirit of its original model, you can perhaps also see in my staging where the initial inspiration came from. It was important to me to take up all the elegance of the tradition that the SL brings with it as a running theme, at the same time progressively interpreting this freshly for the new edition in keeping with the spirit of the times. The atmosphere surrounding the car should be like the product itself: light and dynamic.”
Der Blick beider fällt auf einen CL 500 4MATIC in der Lackierung designo graphit. Die Baureihe C 216 bietet bis heute ein fantastisches Fahrzeug mit markanten Linien und ruhigen Flächen im Wechselspiel, mit starker Ausdruckskraft und souveräner Ruhe, sind sich Knothe und Pfeiffer einig. Mit wenigen Schritten sind beide beim Auto. Die Freude über ein Wiedersehen mit dieser Baureihe steht beiden ins Gesicht geschrieben. Ihre kundigen Blicke gehen in alle Richtungen des Interieurs, die Hände streichen über die edlen Materialien und legen sich auf das Lenkrad.
The designers created a blend of analogue geometry and the digital world for the brand-new edition of the icon – the buzzword: “hyperanalogue”.
Bodziak-Schwarzburger used a dichroic film for her sculptural set design. This is a technologically sophisticated material whose iridescent surface is increasingly being used in modern architecture. “We gave the film a new, unexpected shape for the Mercedes-AMG SL, lifted it out of its usual dimensions and played with reflections to achieve a futuristic effect. The result is an aura that expands the object, filling the room. It is both transparent and mirrored, depending on the incidence of light – combining lightness and a certain sleekness. Attributes that also neatly sum up the SL,” explains Bodziak-Schwarzburger. The designer’s unorthodox perspective on the vehicle once again brings the point home: the Mercedes-AMG SL represents the future. The sports car icon now comes entirely under the Mercedes-AMG flag, strengthening the vehicle’s sporty character.
But above all, the designers and engineers have readjusted the core DNA of the SL so perfectly, precisely and comprehensively that you quickly get the sense: this SL generation seems more assured and clearer than it has been in a long time. Just as it was embedded in its original genes, the new SL is a unique sports car. The heart: behind the star on the AMG-specific radiator grille is a strong 585 PS AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine. The power of the top-of-the-range SL 63 4MATIC+ model is transferred by the sporty AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9 transmission. For the first time in its 70-year history, the roadster has all-wheel drive. The result: maximum driving exhilaration and optimal suitability for everyday use. This is how a sports car should feel, look and drive.
As with the first SL from 1952, the new SL was literally created from a blank sheet of paper. The 2021 SL is based on a completely new 2+2-seater vehicle architecture developed by Mercedes-AMG. Constructed in lightweight composite aluminium, the chassis consists of an aluminium spaceframe with a self-supporting structure. This design guarantees maximum rigidity and creates the perfect basis for precise driving dynamics, a high level of comfort and sporty proportions.
This way, the SL 63 4MATIC+ accelerates to 100 kilometres per hour in a breathtaking 3.6 seconds on 20-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels and can reach a top speed of 315 kilometres per hour.
Mercedes-AMG SL 63 4MATIC+ WLTP:
Kraftstoffverbrauch kombiniert: 13‒12,5 l/100 km;
CO₂-Emissionen kombiniert: 294‒282 g/km.9
Der Blick beider fällt auf einen CL 500 4MATIC in der Lackierung designo graphit. Die Baureihe C 216 bietet bis heute ein fantastisches Fahrzeug mit markanten Linien und ruhigen Flächen im Wechselspiel, mit starker Ausdruckskraft und souveräner Ruhe, sind sich Knothe und Pfeiffer einig. Mit wenigen Schritten sind beide beim Auto. Die Freude über ein Wiedersehen mit dieser Baureihe steht beiden ins Gesicht geschrieben. Ihre kundigen Blicke gehen in alle Richtungen des Interieurs, die Hände streichen über die edlen Materialien und legen sich auf das Lenkrad.
Comfort meets top quality: The interior combines luxurious materials such as leather with Burmester speakers.
Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz Group AG Gorden Wagener wants to return glamour to the model series with the Mercedes-AMG SL. “I’m a huge fan of the 300 SL Gullwing,” says the Mercedes-Benz chief designer, referring to the original model. “With the new SL, we have created a repositioning of the iconic SL design,” says Wagener. Mindful of the Mercedes-Benz vision, he continues: “The expressive exterior gives off a light, puristic impression, perfectly harmonising sensual beauty with extravagant design.” This is achieved through clear, reduced lines and effectively placed elements such as the AMG-specific radiator grille. You can sense the SL blueprint in the new vehicle design. Historical references and high-tech details reinforce the close ties to the brand’s earliest models and emphasise the future-oriented nature of the vehicle.
And that is exactly what the new Mercedes-AMG SL is: a sports car icon of the 20th and, now, 21st century.
Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
“This combination is also reflected in the interior, where the highest levels of comfort and quality meet the ideal level of sportiness. The high-quality combination of the analogue world and state-of-the-art digital equipment makes it clear that the new SL is the rebirth of an icon for the modern era,” says Philipp Schiemer, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. As soon as you sit in the vehicle, one thing very quickly becomes clear: the 300 SL was an inspiring force for the design here too. The designers created a mix of analogue geometry and digital world for the new edition of the icon – the buzzword: “hyperanalogue”. Burmester speakers blend into luxurious surfaces in high-end materials such as high-quality leather. From sporty-dynamic to elegant luxury: Mercedes-AMG offers an impressive range of customisation options in the interior.
Various exterior design packages are available, further sharpening the elegance and dynamism in the look. At the same time, the navigation system features augmented reality functions. Its technology is guided by a computer-assisted assessment that adds virtual aspects to the real world. The high-quality fabric soft top can be elegantly stowed in the rear of the vehicle in just 15 seconds and at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour, letting the occupants enjoy the full intensity of the ride.
So the ride towards the morning is not just carefree – it’s also totally thrilling. A high-performance E PERFORMANCE hybrid variant of the SL is already being planned. And the anticipation is already electrifying.