Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK caught training for Z4 fight

The engineers in Stuttgart are hard at work prepping the next-generation SLK roadster, which should launch next year as a 2012 model. The smallest offering from Mercedes-Benz doesn't look all that far from being show-worthy either, which leads us to believe that the SLK could possibly make an appearance at the Paris Motor Show later this year.

Details on the new SLK are slim, but rumor has it that an all-new twin-turbocharged V6 is in the works for the AMG-badged roadster, producing somewhere in the area of 476 horsepower. That's pretty insane, especially considering that the current (and already potent) SLK55 AMG makes due with just 355 horses.

Obviously, the refreshed exterior design takes a lot of cues from the Big Daddy SLS AMG supercar, but new interior spy shots show that the updated cockpit will also be more akin to the Gullwing, as well. Note that the center stack features the Command head-unit integrated into the flat dash, with the radio and HVAC controls placed on a separate console below. We like what we see, especially since the current SLK interior is rather drab – not nearly as nice as what you'll find in the new BMW Z4.

Scroll through the gallery below to see new spy shots of the next-generation SLK from all angles.

[Source: CarPix]