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The Best Used Cars for $8,000Sneak Peek: 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL Roadster
Want a sneak peek at the new 2022 Mercedes SL roadster? Of course, you do! We've got the details (and pics)!Want a sneak peek at the new 2022 Mercedes SL roadster? Of course, you do! We’ve got the details (and pics)!
Make Way for the New Generation
Way back in 1954, the first Mercedes-Benz Super Leicht Roadster was released. Translated to English, that’s the ‘Super Light’ Roadster, but you’ll know it as the iconic 300 SL Roadster. The sixth generation of the SL-Class was unveiled in 2012. The 2022 version will be a little different.
Mercedes-AMG is developing this model, not Mercedes-Benz. Don’t expect an AMG GT Roadster copycat though. The new generation of the SL is supposed to be out by the end of the summer and Mercedes is hoping a fully redesigned model will floor car enthusiasts with excitement.
Specs
There aren’t a lot of details released yet, but Mercedes has teased a few things. We’re expecting a pair of six-cylinder engines and a V-8 to be available, producing up to 800-horsepower. There will also be a plug-in hybrid. A nine-speed automatic transmission will be backing up any motor.
This SL roadster will be a fully variable 4MATIC AWD system. That’s a first for the SL. With a focus on making this generation sportier than the last, speed is sure to be a priority on all trim levels.
Rebuilt From the Ground Up
Based on the bodyshell concepts and some photos from a developmental drive, the new SL looks impressive. The slight glimpses we’ve seen in photos are certainly building the anticipation. We do know that 2022 SL will be long, low, and wide. The entire vehicle concept is designed towards the lowest possible center of gravity.
Made of a lightweight composite aluminum chassis, Mercedes had several goals with this vehicle: precise driving dynamics, sporty body proportions, and high comfort.
Inspired by the original 300 SL Roadster and its racing heritage, the designers for the 2022 model sat down with pens and paper for this. There weren’t any components held over from the preceding SL model or the AMG GT offspring. They literally drew it from scratch.
Mercedes promises agile driving dynamics, so designers increased torsional stiffness of the bodyshell by 18% to achieve a sportier drive.
An Impressive Interior
One look at some of the sneak peek pictures from the new 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL roadster and you feel richer. It’s easy to understand why someone sitting in one could feel just a little more confident, a bit braver, and very exhilarated. Meanwhile I’ll be feeling a little more envious every time I see one of these pass by.
I want to sit in this car! It’s as simple as that. The seats are crafted leather with hand-stitched detailing. Other materials used include wood, metallic, and carbon fiber inlays.
Mercedes said that the goal with the 2022 SL roadster is to appeal to a sporty group of customers, while giving them maximum comfort. It appears they may be able to check that box off as ‘mission accomplished.’
Designers used this redesign as a chance to get creative with the rest of the interior, too.
The dashboard maybe isn’t as futuristic as the Mercedes EQS, but it sure does look flat out cool!
They manufactured an aviation-inspired, symmetrical, fully digital 12.3-inch instrument panel that is integrated into a three-dimensional visor.
Analog geometry was mixed with the digital world for that effort. It’s a phrase they termed ‘hyperanalog.’
This design prevents reflections caused by sunlight if you’ve got the top down or sunroof open.
You’ll notice a wing-like shape, broken into upper and lower sections.
The cockpit design continues the focus on comfort for the driver. A unique, adjustable display in the center console makes it easy to control any and all infotainment.
That display is on a 11.9-inch high-definition LCD screen.
The latest Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) software will be integrated along with several displays and modes. There’s no indication what infotainment will be standard and what will be available in the higher trims, but it’d be a waste of a 11.9″ LCD screen not to include some good standard features.
The 2+2 cockpit seating configuration does allow for two smaller seats behind the front, so, if you’re feeling generous enough to take a few people along for the ride, you can.
The Next Icon?
Achieving icon status isn’t easy, so it’s hard to say whether the new version of the SL roadster will make it anywhere near that level, but it’s off to a good start.
All the details released so far certainly seem impressive. The big question is: how will it drive? Hopefully we’ll find out soon so that we can take it out and post that review, too!
