Refreshed SL Caught Running Around in Revealing Camo
Of all the cars in the Mercedes lineup, few are more important to the image of the company than the SL. These high-end roadsters are slow changing behemoths of luxury and style that have been mainstays in the portfolio for decades.
Alas, change is in the air. The R231 generation car debuted back in 2011, but already Mercedes is prepping a mid-cycle refresh. Our crack team of spy photogs captured the new car doing some testing, all wrapped in camouflage, and it gives us a few ideas with where they are going.
For starters the nose is wrapped up to hide what should be a relatively major change (as far as SL refreshes go, anyways), with a new grille, revised hood, and more aggressive bumper work. The rear end is wrapped and tucked slightly and you should expect to see lightly revised tail lamps that are a touch thinner as well as some new exhaust tips. Everyone loves new exhaust tips.
One of the most interesting parts is the fact that the top is wrapped. My current theory is that Mercedes-Benz is either working on a new folding arrangement, or the top uses a lot more glass than previous models. Interior styling shouldn’t change much, but expect the kids at Mercedes to find some way to add just a touch more luxury and technology to the cockpit.
With the new SL400 and its twin-turbo V-6 engine having already dropped, there likely won’t be any new engines announced with this refresh when it arrives next year, but expect Mercedes to drop an AMG Sport badge on this machine soon afterwards. With a goal of doubling AMG sales on the table, the AMG Sport brand will represent a large influx of new models.
Expect this sexy beast to hit showrooms late 2016 as a 2017 model.
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