Rendered or Spied? Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG pops up on mag cover

We can't tell you for sure whether or not this image of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG on the cover of Autobild is the real deal or a well done rendering based on some spy shots, but it does appear to have that quality of an actual photograph rather than a Photochop special.
The SLS AMG will mark the first appearance of a production car fitted with gull-wing doors since, well... we suppose the DMC-12 DeLorean, though we're certain that Mercedes hopes its car conjure an image of the original 300SL on which this supercar's styling is based. The cues are all there, including a grille that looks like a guppy with its mouth wide open, fender vents aft of the front wheels and, of course, those doors.
Power will surely be provided by the biggest AMG-sourced V8 that will fit under the long hood, though we have heard rumors of an all-electric version arriving in 2015. We'll see about that, but in the meantime you can compare the shot above to spy shots of the car that were officially released by Mercedes back in April.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
[Source: Autoblog Spanish]


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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ben lee 3:36PM (7/10/2009)
Some pictures with the doors down would be great
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Nuieve 3:39PM (7/10/2009)
Pretty car.
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audi_arena 9:21AM (7/11/2009)
lol... if this is a real picture then this car will mark the decline of the once-great MB brand...
Evan 3:40PM (7/10/2009)
Is that an exclusive? I can't tell.
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k.w.a 3:40PM (7/10/2009)
that thing is ugly. i'd still get one if i were able to, of course, but i like the shape of the slr much more
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zamafir 4:12PM (7/10/2009)
agreed. to bad they couldn't work ANY of the magic they used on the slr stirling moss. if this is, indeed, the real thing.
Carlos 4:46PM (7/10/2009)
It is pretty ugly
BowserUSC 5:11PM (7/10/2009)
Agreed, looks like an Altima threw up on an old Gullwing
evan 3:40PM (7/10/2009)
This seems to be pretty much what all the mules looked like, they did a great job channeling the old 300SL, I like it.
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aj121489 3:43PM (7/10/2009)
Idk looks legit to me, but Photoshop is quite an amazing program that I haven't harnessed the full power of yet so for all I know it's Photoshopped
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John P. 3:47PM (7/10/2009)
Not even close to having the beautiful proportions of the 300SL. There's not much I like about this. blah.
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derek 11:51PM (7/18/2009)
THAT'S LEGIT.
Anyone who says it is a fake...can go SUCK IT.
(i hate people who see something soooo amazing and realistically legitimate...and they say "It's not real! That Photoshopped!")
That is one good looking Mercedes!!!
Nice!
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LBuzzer 4:02PM (7/10/2009)
The headlights do it in.
They have nothing to do with the rest of the car's design... like they were stuck using the binnacles cuz they had them sitting on a shelf somewhere...
Other than that, it looks Ok. The engineering within is what will surely make this car shine. R&T had a really good exposé of it a couple issues back.
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obliv222 5:58PM (7/10/2009)
Looks like it came straight from the 80's. Maybe thats what theyre going for?
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Carnut1.blogspot.com 4:11PM (7/10/2009)
I love the styling. They did what the Camaro and Mustang did and the Challenger should've done. They somehow captured the essence of the original with out copying it. Put the new Camaro next to a '69 and it looks completely different. Yet somehow it captures the whole theme and style of the car with modern edges and styling. The only bad thing I have to say is that the rear looks a little BMW-ish to me, which isn't really a bad thing, as I also like BMW's style.
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Milos 4:22PM (7/10/2009)
It's nice, but i think BMW did a better job of reviving old brand icon with it's Z8...
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Protzenegger 7:55PM (7/10/2009)
+1. That car was highly underrated (and equally overpriced).
Bobmarley 4:23PM (7/10/2009)
I hate to be negative but its freekin ugly
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Taglane 4:29PM (7/10/2009)
As a photoshopper, I can tell the photo has been retouched, but this must have not looked far off from the orginal base photo.
But it's fugly, so whatev.
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ImSteevin 4:33PM (7/10/2009)
The real problems with the car are its headlights, which don't really seem to fit, and the beltline, which rises as it meets the doors instead of arcing and falling like on the old SL.
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