Strange-looking Mercedes SL Mule Caught on Camera in Germany
Underneath the smallish E-Class clothing lies the 2021 SL, which may likely arrive as a 2+2 and come with a soft top.
The current Mercedes SL is a roadster with a retractable hardtop, a pair of luxurious bucket seats, and a range of twin-turbo engines ready to move the car through the straights and corners of your favorite scenic roads.
Come the 2021 model year, the next-gen SL is going to shake a few of those things up. One of our spy photographers happened to be in Germany the other day when he caught sight of an odd-looking E-Class sedan rolling by, which turned out to be a mule for the new SL.
Per our photographer, the shortened E-Class body hints “to the new mission expected in the next-generation SL,” based on its “squat, aggressive stance” alone. For starters, the new SL will take up where the outgoing S-Class Coupe and Convertible will leave off when they take their final exit off the Autobahn in the early 2020s. Thus, for the first time in its long history, the SL will likely come as a 2+2, providing extra room for bags or seating for your children.
Underneath the shortened E-Class is Mercedes’ new Modular Sports Architecture platform, which will also be used in the next-gen SLK/SLC when its day comes again. The use of the new architecture — specifically the commonality of parts available — “will help the business case for both of the lower-volume drop-top offerings,” according to the photographer.
Finally, the 2021 Mercedes SL will likely lose the retractable hardtop it’s had since 2001, returning to “the elegance of a soft-top, and the more handsome styling that usually results.” We can’t wait to see the real thing rolling down the road soon enough.
Spy Photos by KGP Photography
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