The new aluminum platform will combine with hybridized engines.
According to reports, a new generation of Mercedes Benz’ SL, lighter and more luxurious than the previous, is in development and will be available for purchase sometime in 2020. This is what Britain’s Autocar claims. It also includes a few interesting facts about the resurrected grand tourer.
The eight-generation SL will first and foremost move back to a classic fabric soft top. This will replace the complicated folding hardtop on the previous generation. The new platform will allow the vehicle to ride and benefit from engineering input from AMG’s performance division. The new aluminum-intensive architecture for the SL will be shared by the successor to the AMG GT. This means that the luxury sports cars will share the same axle assemblies, suspension systems, steering systems, 48V electrical architecture and – most importantly – hybrid powertrains. According to reports, the grand tourer will be equipped with a transaxle engine and a dual-clutch automated transmission.
The MSA platform (modular sporting architecture) will make many important improvements to today’s model. These improvements include a lower overall and more evenly distributed weight between the two axles. As an added bonus, the older models will influence the body proportions.
Unspecified sources told Autocar that the new platform had given them more freedom. “The front axle is farther apart than the firewall. This gives it traditional proportions. Because it’s not governed by height or width for packaging the hard-top roof, it looks more streamlined, especially at the rear. The revived SL is expected to have a variety of hybridized gasoline engines, including a SL63 variant with a electrified V8 underneath. Mercedes is also looking at adding another member of the SL line-up. However, our source suggests that a hardtop coupe inspired by the SLC manufactured between 1974 and 1981 could be in development, although nothing is confirmed at this time.