Next Mercedes SL Has A “Very, Very Bright” Future

Many people around the world think the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing is one of the most beautiful cars ever made and while the stunning coupe is not getting a modern-day successor, its spirit will be brought back to life with the next-generation SL.

CarAdvice spoke with Mercedes chief designer Gorden Wagener recently and he disclosed some preliminary details about the new “Sport Leicht.”

Daimler’s boss Dieter Zetsche has already said the new SL will be a “real wow car, a stunning car” and now Wagener mentions that the future is “very, very bright.” To him the 300 SL is the “nicest SL” which is why the new one will attempt to evoke the spirit of Gullwing.

Don’t get excited about gullwing doors making it to the production model however a design study could make use of the iconic doors. Mercedes’ man in charge with design mentioned the new SL won’t be a modern interpretation of the Gullwing, nor will it have a retro-inspired design. However, it will borrow the “DNA and spirit” of the first 300 SL unveiled back in February 1954.

When will we see a new SL? The latest talk indicates we’ll see it as early as next year based on the same aluminum-intensive platform as the next-generation AMG GT.