ALL-NEW MERCEDES-AMG SL ON FINAL DEVELOPMENT DRIVE

USPA NEWS - The new MERCEDES-BENZ "300 SL" sports car model (that is the 300 Super-Light, in case you didn´t know what the “˜SL´ stood for!) undertook road trials in public for the first time in March. March 1952 that was! And in those days the company was called Daimler-Benz AG.

Almost 70 years after the very first 300 SL was announced that year, the now eighth generation of the new SL is about to enter the home stretch of its development. While the public road trials of the original Mercedes-Benz 300 SL took place on the A81 Autobahn, today's Mercedes-AMG engineers do their test driving on a special, closed proving ground in snowy Sweden. Closed to the public most of the time, Mercedes Benz have released these pictures to the automotive press.

Human versus computer

Mercedes tells us that, “Although a large portion of development work on the new 2+2 seater SL Roadster took place in digital form, a certain amount of analog development driving remains essential“. That´s good to hear. It takes a human to know how a human can really appreciate driving a car!

As an example, the final tuning of the fully variable 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system, for instance, now offered for the first time in the SL, is undertaken in wintry regions. The redesigned soft top, too, has to prove itself in the harsh conditions that prevail near the Arctic Circle.

The handling dynamics of this iconic Roadster, set to make its debut later this year, will soon undergo final refinement on the north loop of the Nürburgring, amongst other places.

On the most challenging racing circuit in the world, specialists from Mercedes-AMG will ensure that this latest iteration of the SL draws more than ever on its sporting roots.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, the hallmark soft top returns, giving a real sportscar look-and-feel, rather than the less noticeable hard top that so many convertible manufacturers employ. This gives a much more likeable roofline and a somewhat lower rear end as seen in the picture above.

The legendary new Roadster will be available as model variants exclusively under the Mercedes-AMG name. This gives it a truly sporting heritage, and marks a change from the hitherto “˜AMG treatment´ that we´ve been used to in the past. My own E350 Cabriolet with the “˜AMG Package´ for example has, amongst other things, AMG wheels, AMG studded foot pedals, steering wheel shift peddles, and lower suspension. That´s about it. Hardly a real AMG! I can´t wait to try the new SL. It was iconic when I was a boy, and I hope it continues the rich history it´s had since 1952!