New Mercedes-Benz SL not replacing GT fully

Mercedes-AMG has provided clarity on the placing of the all-new SL relative to the GT following reports of the former replacing the latter outright.

The first entirely new SL in twelve years, and the first to be made exclusively by AMG, the internally designated R232, won’t be replacing the GT fully, only the Roadster variant, which will be exiting production next month.

This is according to Benz’s Design Head, Gorden Wagener, who told US publication Road and Track that both models serve an entirely different purpose despite being made by AMG.

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“The GT of course obviously is more of a race car or sports car. And I mean this new SL is a true sports car, definitely. But also I mean with air suspension and all the possibilities you have, you can turn it from a cruiser to a race car with the click of a button,” Wagener said.

“The current GT is a pure driving car, and basically the new SL is a completely different kind. With all of the tech that is in there it will make a huge difference, between day and night”.

In spite of the mentioned discontinuation claims, the publication reports that an all-new GT, poised to be a coupe only model, will become a reality at some stage underpinned by the new MSA platform the SL debuted with.

It is also expected to derive motivation from the same engines as the SL, though with the likely option of the plug-in hybrid unit that bowed on the GT63 S E-Performance two months ago.

Despite AMG having ruled out the return of a new GT R, the line-up could well be topped by the GT73e, whose combination of the long-serving 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 and a 150 kW electric motor will produce a claimed 600kW/1 000 Nm.

For now though, little about the new GT or indeed the mentioned powertrain prevails, but expect more details to emerge towards the end of this year in heading towards 2022.