Autoblog

If you were this close to purchasing an SLR but recent events concerning a guy named Lehman severely reduced your amount of disposable cash, then allow us to introduce you to the SL Carbonite. For the price of a 2003-2008 Mercedes SL, plus $47,400 for Carbonite's hood, fenders, front and rear fascias, lowered suspension and Mandrus 20-inch wheels, you can have an SL(R) for a song that's a lot less pricey than the Mercedes-McLaren. Carbonite has also said it will only build 20 of these cars per year, which means your money could get you even more exclusivity than the real thing. Of course, what your money can't do is erase the fact that you don't actually have the real thing -- but that hasn't stopped so many others... Check out the high-res gallery of doppelganger shots below.

With the arrival of the new Mercedes-Benz SL, it's time for all the usual suspects to update their body and tuning packages accordingly. Observers familiar with Lorinser's stuff know what to expect here, and in typical fashion, there's enough mesh grillework to allow for every conceivable cooling need, real or imagined. A large vertical vent replaces the "gills" that are standard on the current SL's front fender. There's also an opening in the side skirts ahead of the rear wheel, and a wide grille spanning the area between the exhausts, too. The whole affair sits on a lowered suspension, and big Lorinser alloys fill up the wheel wells. Power upgrades aren't ready yet, so for the time being, the kit's an all-show, same-go proposition. Image-conscious buyers will want to keep their original tri-star grille emblem handy, as that much plainer Lorinder badge isn't going to impress the neighbors nearly as much.


[Source: Lorinser]

On March 1, 2008, Second Life will host the grand opening of the Automobile Dealer Relations Center (ARDC) called AutoLand. While that sounds like the kind of place where you'll have to run for your life from a cyborg Yul Brenner, it will actually be home to a multi-brand showroom in the virtual life sim that was created by customer relationship management software maker iMagic. What's more, you'll be able to chat with up to 50 dealers nationwide about pricing, availability and service issues.

We have to admit that we find the idea of a virtual car showroom kind of funky (disclaimer: this blogger has never been in or on or at Second Life before today). After all, Second Life's graphics aren't cutting edge, so at best you'll only be able to look at chunky representations of the car you're interested in buying. As for chatting with dealers, virtual sales don't affect the brick-and-mortar bottom line much, and if the chatroom becomes a forum to gripe about service issues, we can see things getting testy pretty quickly. If nothing else, it's a neat experiment, and we'll see what happens. And when you get tired of kicking digital tires, you can head on over to Peugeot island and see what the hubbub is about: that company leads all 11 automotive brands in Second Life with more than 9 million accounts.

[Source: AOL Money & Finance]

click above for more high-res images of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL

Today, Mercedes-Benz officially released details regarding the 2009 SL-class, photos of which escaped onto the web last week. In addition to its updated exterior styling, which you can see for yourself in the attached gallery, the hard-shell droptop adds a new entry model for Europe -- the 231-horsepower SL 280. On top of that, the SL 350 gains power (now 316 horses) while improving overall fuel economy. The other engines are carryovers -- the 388-horse V8 in the SL 500 and the monstrous 517-HP twin-turbo V12 in the SL 600. Both get a slight improvement in fuel economy, too. The flagship 600 is distinguishable from its lesser kin via unique 18" wheels and the matte-finish "gills" aft of the front wheel well.

Also new for the SL is MB's direct-steer system, which was introduced on the new SLK and also recently made its way into the warmed-over CLC. Improved lighting is standard and the optional Intelligent Light System offers drivers five different light settings to handle varying road conditions. Inside, the usual raft of luxury and techno-baubles are in place, and we particularly like the SL's re-engineered AIRSCARF neck heaters, which now have their motors and blowers built into the headrests, with nifty views of their fans visible from the rear. You can read all about the new SL in Mercedes' ridiculously verbose press release, which we've pasted after the jump. Absent from the discussion is the next SL-class AMG missile, but our buddy Ashley at eMercedes-Benz has scored a photo of that bad boy already, which is shown above. The SL will have its coming out party in Geneva this March.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

It's been a regular smorgasbord for fans of Mercedes roadsters over here, with this teaser shot of the upcoming facelifted flagship SL hitting the web just a few days after Benz revealed the updated version of the smaller SLK. But while the SLK was revealed first in "ordinary" guise, the image above shows the full-fat, fire-breathing SL 65 AMG version.

We already know that the facelift will feature a heavily revised front end with new headlight treatment, but from the rear three-quarter view Mercedes is enticing us with, all can also see the revised taillights, new diffuser with quad exhausts, and a subtle lip spoiler. The new SL 65 also appears to be riding on AMG's latest 19-inch five-spoke rims, similar in style to those found on Stuttgart's other earth-pounding range-topper, the Porsche 911 Turbo.

With the teaser shot also comes information on the two AMG models in the new SL range: the SL 65 AMG we see here, and the SL 63 AMG. The former packs AMG's twin-turbo V12 pumping out a whopping 612 horsepower, while the latter is driven by Affalterbach's 6.3-liter V8 with 525 horsepower, replacing the outgoing 55 version and in the process distancing it from the smaller SLK 55 AMG revealed previously.

We'll have to wait to see more images of the new AMG roadsters, including those that celebrities will be wrapping around trees.

[Sources: Mercedes-Benz via World Car Fans and Motor Authority]

2008 is going to be a hectic year for the engineers responsible for new product launches at Mercedes-Benz. The team in Stuttgart have one all-new, one redesigned and five refreshed models coming before this time next year. Mercedes will jump into the compact crossover segment for the first time with the all-new GLK, which we'll finally get to see minus all the spy photo disguises. The GLK should turn up in concept form at Geneva with a production launch later in the year.

Another new badge, if not a whole new car, is the CLC. Formerly known as the C-Class Sport Coupe, this two-door hatchback coupe gets fresh styling on the old C-Class chassis. As for the five existing models getting mid-cycle refreshes, both the SL and SLK roadsters are getting nose jobs and butt lifts. Their overall looks remain the same, but lights get reshaped and grilles get updated in a manner similar to the new C-Class. A similar treatment will also be applied to the big CLS foor-door "coupe" and the small A- and B-Class hatchbacks.

[Source: AutoCar]

A design update for the Mercedes-Benz SL is on its way for 2009, and Lehmann managed to snag a very lightly disguised prototype running around while testing. Images in hand, they further disrobed the Merc coupe with the use of Photoshop, so what we're left with is a very clear picture of what's coming. The revision boils down to a new nose and tail, with powertrain changes, as well. The SL's front end gets a grille treatment that's more in keeping with the rest of Mercedes line, and the extractors on the front quarter panels mimic the SLR's gills. Headlamps have taken on the "hockey stick" look, sure to confound styling critics. They hardly touched the back end (not that there was anything wrong with it), as a new lower valance looks to be the most major change we can spot there. Engine choices are likely to remain largely unchanged, but the SL55 AMG will be replaced by an SL63 AMG, banishing supercharger whine from the SL for now.

[Source: Straight Line, Photo: Lehmann]

After giving the world the Black Series CLK at the New York Auto show as a fortieth birthday present, the gang at AMG are at it again. A very special Mercedes-Benz SL has been spotted being prepared at AMG's Nürburgring shop. Like the CLK, the SL gets modified bodywork to cover the steamroller tires and will undoubtedly get an extra helping of power. So far there's no word on when we'll see it officially or how much power it will have, but the smart money is on something involving a "63" badge on the boot.

[Source: Winding Road]

Mercedes engineers have been busy testing several new prototypes at Colorado's Mt. Evans roadway, with both the upcoming C63 wagon and the facelifted SL roadster spotted on the high-altitude pass. These shots were taken by Doug DeMuro who you may remember also sent in the pics of Ralph Lauren's all-black Bugatti Veyron driving near the designer's ranch near Ridgway in Colorado.

Mercedes took the wraps off the new C63 sedan at the start of this month, and the forthcoming wagon variant is in line to get the same performance upgrades. This means the new sports wagon will be powered by a 457hp hand-built 6.2L AMG V8 developing peak torque of 600Nm. The spy shots reveal the new C63's bonnet power bulge, pumped wheel arches and the front bumper side vents. Previous versions of the AMG prepped C-wagon were never sold in the US, but the fact that Mercedes engineers are testing it in Colorado means we might see it Stateside.

Another new model spotted on Mt. Evans that same day was the facelifted SL roadster, which is likely to feature a new SL63 variant as well. The prototype reveals a new front-end design for the SL with different shaped headlights, plus a new bumper and grille, but we'll have to wait until it's launched next year to see how it all pans out.

Big props to Doug for sending these in!

In late June we showed you spy shots of the Mercedes-Benz SCL, what we believe will be Mercedes' answer to the Audi R8. It seems that the new Merc will be armed with a new weapon when it enters the fight - a lower curb weight.

Just Auto is reporting that Mercedes has plans to build the SL model out of aluminum, much like Aston Martin, Audi, Jaguar and Rolls-Royce have done with some of their models. Expected to use an aluminum spaceframe and body panels, the new SL should be at least 10 - 15% lighter than the current model, the weight of which ranges from 3,860 lbs. to 4,500 lbs. depending on what model and options are chosen.

Not wanting an interruption in SL production when the new aluminum structure is phased in, Mercedes is planning the super coupe SLC as a car that will use the spaceframe but be produced only in limited numbers. The idea is to make sure all the kinks are ironed out of the new production process before it's applied to the higher volume SL. Expect only about 3,000 to 4,000 SLC coupes to be produced, and you'll be able to pick one up around 2010, two years before the new all-aluminum SL debuts.

The SLC, however, will not share a body panel with the SL, which means it could even be the retro "gull-wing" coupe at which insiders have been hinting. We're also not sure if Mercedes will even continue to produce the SLC after the new SL arrives in 2012. At this point, there remains more questions than answers.

[Source: Just Auto - sub. req'd]