Mercedes-Benz SLE Shooting Brake Offers An Futuristic Take On The SL’s Future

[cawimmer430]

Gotta say, that concept is hot-looking. Bold move if the next SL will be a Shooting Brake and an EV...



Mercedes-Benz SLE Shooting Brake Offers An Futuristic Take On The SL's Future

Sales of the Mercedes-Benz SL have been steadily declining for quite some time, forcing the German automaker to drastically overhaul the vehicle for its seventh generation.

According to our most recent information, Mercedes-Benz intends on reinventing the SL and launching it as a more driver-focused model, more similar to the AMG GT than the current iteration. To do so, AMG will be heavily involved in the development of the vehicle. It will also use the same Modular Sports Architecture (MSA) as the next-generation AMG GT.



What if, though, Merc decided to take the new SL in an entirely different direction? Designer Emre Husmen, for one, is offering a potential look of what a radically-altered SL could look like.

Rebranded as the SLE, it features an electric powertrain and has been drastically repositioned from a roadster into a Shooting Brake. While the adoption of an electric drivetrain would be a significant departure, the same stands for the new bodystyle that would make it more practical and spacious.



And, we have to admit, the design of the hypothetical SLE also happens to look very good. Up front, the inclusion of an electric powertrain has allowed the traditional grille to be replaced by a large digital display that could be configured to show a host of different things.

The only similarity between the SLE and the current SL is the Shooting Brake's elongated hood, but the former gets a sleek and aggressive roofline which may not offer much headroom, but certainly looks the part. At the rear, you'll notice LED taillights, a narrow window and (for some reason) faux dual tailpipes.




Link; https://www.carscoops.com/2018/12/mercedes-benz-sle-shooting-brake-offers-futuristic-take-sls-future/

[12,000 RPM]

I've always said they need a fixed roof SL. SLC? Mercedes has too many coupes though. C, E , S, SL, AMG GT.... do they still make the SLK? And then there are the 4 door and SUVs lol....

[Raza]

I've always said they need a fixed roof SL. SLC? Mercedes has too many coupes though. C, E , S, SL, AMG GT.... do they still make the SLK? And then there are the 4 door and SUVs lol....

I think the SLK is the SLC now.

[FoMoJo]

Ouch!  It hurts to look at it.

[cawimmer430]

I've always said they need a fixed roof SL. SLC? Mercedes has too many coupes though. C, E , S, SL, AMG GT.... do they still make the SLK? And then there are the 4 door and SUVs lol....

All their coupes seem to be selling well, though.

The SLK is still around but it's known as the SLC. Supposedly it will get canned after this generation. The SL seems to be a victim of the success of the AMG GT, especially since in some cases the AMG GT is cheaper than the SL!

The SL to me lost its appeal when the R230 was facelifted and turned into this nastiness...

[12,000 RPM]

I can't see why MB would cancel cars that are selling well :P

MBs in general got ugly for about a decade. Now they are at the top design wise.

[Submariner]

I've always said they need a fixed roof SL. SLC? Mercedes has too many coupes though. C, E , S, SL, AMG GT.... do they still make the SLK? And then there are the 4 door and SUVs lol....

They have one in the AMG GT.  Making the SL more driver focused is basically making the SL into another AMG GT.

My dad has the current iteration of the SL.  It makes perfect sense for him (and I imagine, people in his demo) - fast, comfortable, relatively good to drive, useable 90% of the year (he garages it in the winter but he could drive it if he wanted), offers most of the comfort of a fixed roof coupe, with the advantage of being a convertible.  And despite the trunk penalty with the roof down, the space behind the back seats is large enough for a long weekend worth of luggage, even when the seat is all the way back for this 6'3" driver.

I'm not sure where the SL goes, TBH.  If you improved the road feel a bit and dialed in the suspension, the SL would be an 8/10's AMG-GT.  If you soften it up, it becomes a bit big and a bit soft, and that isn't where the market is going either.

[cawimmer430]

I can't see why MB would cancel cars that are selling well :P

MBs in general got ugly for about a decade. Now they are at the top design wise.

Well the SLC and SL are not selling well. It's about 99.9% certain that the SLC will get cancelled, and the next SL is gonna "be out of this world" (according to some MB executive). We will have to wait and see. 

The AMG GT Coupe and AMG GT Roadster seem to have become what the SL should be. On the German MB website the AMG GT is cheaper than the SL (120,000 Euros vs 123,000 Euros [SL500]), with only the V6-powered SL400 starting at 99,000 Euros.

[Submariner]

Well the SLC and SL are not selling well. It's about 99.9% certain that the SLC will get cancelled, and the next SL is gonna "be out of this world" (according to some MB executive). We will have to wait and see. 

The AMG GT Coupe and AMG GT Roadster seem to have become what the SL should be. On the German MB website the AMG GT is cheaper than the SL (120,000 Euros vs 123,000 Euros [SL500]), with only the V6-powered SL400 starting at 99,000 Euros.

Jesus.  That's expensive.  I think the SL400 starts at $90,000 USD here.

If the SL500 is going to move upscale luxury, to the AMG GT's hard charging drivers car, then it will basically be a two seater S coupe/convertible.

I suppose that dynamic has kind of existed before with the CL/SL but then the CL was coupe only...

[12,000 RPM]

Yea, the tricky thing now is the S class convertible. Well, the whole market really. Someone looking for a high end convertible is spoiled for choice. For my money I'd probably do a 911 C4S. I feel like the SL is very old money. As long as people are buying E Class wagons there will always be SL buyers

[CALL_911]

I don't know the numbers or anything but I'd be very surprised if the SL matches the S convertibles sales.

[Submariner]

35 year SL sales figures: http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/mercedes-benz/mercedes-benz-sl/

I didn't realize it has taken such a dive in sales...the R230 handily outsold the current model.

[12,000 RPM]

All those god damn GLE Coupes

[cawimmer430]

Yeah, those "4-door SUV coupes" are just horrible-looking. GLC Coupe and GLE Coupe are nasty and pointless.

But they sell...