Spy Shots: Mercedes SLC Super Coupe
The SLC cometh. Mr. H. Lehmann and crew caught an early development mule out testing, and word is that the car will likely get its grunt from a front-mounted 6.2-liter V8 provided by AMG. In natural guise it would put out 500 bhp, but with a few blowers that could easily be "remedied" to 700 or so.
The SLC will be focused more on sport than luxury, and though based on the next-gen SL and sharing many of it parts, it will use carbon fiber throughout, including its hard top. We'll have to see what kind of weight specs (and body) are eventually revealed, but you're looking at Merc's main competitor for Audi's upcoming RS8.
[Source: Winding Road]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SSBR 1:13PM (6/20/2007)
Looks good. But it simply looks like a larger SLK with a bigger engine, and probably slap another $30k-$40k on top of a SLK550. I don't think Mercedes needs another large coupe. Mercedes needs a BMW 1-Series fighter for next year... And please don't say its the C-Class "honda hatch" they have, that one doesn't count.
http://www.rolesor.com
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naggs 1:14PM (6/20/2007)
they expect this go up against 911s and R8s?
my suspicion is confirmed. noone in MB has any idea what a sportscar is.
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Jay 1:16PM (6/20/2007)
I know that pic wont be the final version but it looks like a teenager got a hold of it and slapped on a wing and some 20’s. He must have forgotten to turn the neon underbody lights on.
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doglet 1:17PM (6/20/2007)
is this the one being developed by another company? i sure hope so because i am pretty sure that everything bad about the McMerc SLR was MB and everything good was McLaren.
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Peter 2:05PM (6/20/2007)
Sigh. All we've got is an artist's rendering of what the car may or may not look like and a car that's not only not the "final version"(if there will at all be one), but just a current gen SL test mule. Yet you guys seem to know an awful lot about how this car will actually turn out. Impressive.
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Shaun 2:37PM (6/20/2007)
Is that an intercooler I see peeking out in the grill?
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ruggels 3:21PM (6/20/2007)
Who honestly thinks mercedes will be able to compete with the 911 and R8 - both severely competent cars on the track. Hell what was the last mercedes that did the twists well? sans the SLR
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Bart 4:04PM (6/20/2007)
What was the last Mercedes that did the twists well? In what era are you living in? Mercedes has always built great sports cars, the 'normal' ones are drivers cars, all the AMG models are high performance. Such as the recent black edition of the CLK which will put supercars to shame.
You people make biased, uninformed statements. Cut it. The general shapes of the car arent even known either. So any render you see will be an artist's impression and probably not even close to the real deal.
HWA is Mercedes' partner for the DTM cars. If they can translate the DTM cars' technology to the road (which I'm sure they will, ever since the 190E Evo they nailed it), not only will it be able to compete, it will break up the market currently dominated by Porsche. People are looking for alternatives to the Porsche, its become almost common. Only the recent 9ff models really tickle people's imagination.
The popularity of the R8 is a sure show of this trend. I'm sure other manufacturers will follow suit, but it looks like Mercedes is making a head start. With their large pool of technology to dip in (much like the VAG group) they have a lot of potential.
Now BMW just needs to get in the game. I'd love to see the BMW/Mercedes battle live up again. I've been generally displeased about late generation BMWs, maybe they could put something revolutionary on the road to match.
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philadelphonic 4:06PM (6/20/2007)
I call major BS.
What that looks like, if those photos can be believed, is nothing more than an update/refresh of the SL - and even that would be with a smartcar sized grain of salt.
Look familiar?
http://news.windingroad.com/body-stylesmarket-segment/convertibles/spotted-2009-mercedes-benz-sl/
The hood and spoiler (imported directly from a 17 year old from LA) make me think that they are up to a SL BLACK or something along that line.
Autoblog should consider the source, and think twice before reporting this as a fact.
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MikeW 6:38PM (6/20/2007)
I'd love to see a V10 derived from the 6.2. If you can fit the small bore V12 in there, so can a large bore V10.
Shoot for 700hp that way, but settle for 650hp.
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