SPIED: Mercedes-Benz's Next-Gen SL-Class To Get LIGHTER

If there is one major complaint about the current-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, it is that it is WAY too heavy. Although I have had the opportunity to give the car a proper drive on the road and track -- where it really threw its weight around -- it feels great as a daily driver.

That can mostly be attributed to its weight and sturdy construction, which makes sure it is a stable cruiser. Unlike most convertibles that have plenty of flex and feel unsure, the SL feels like a normal car.

Now, according to reports, Mercedes-Benz has said it's going to lighten up the famously heavy SL for the next generation BUT will that compromise the sturdy feel that we've grown accustomed to?

It's not like the SL is meant for the track anyway, so let's hope Mercedes doesn't compromise its sturdy build.


These are the best pictures yet of Mercedes-Benz’s new SL — the car with which the forthcoming rear-wheel-drive SLC is set to share selected chassis components and electrical architecture.

The seventh-generation SL roadster is due to reach the UK at around this time next year. Codenamed R231, the new SL has been thoroughly re-engineered as part of a weight-saving programme that’s set to affect all future Mercedes-Benz models...

[Source: Autocar]


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quizz - 5/24/2011 1:35:50 AM

+6 Boost

It can have a "sturdy" feel and also be light. The CL is another car that can stand to lose at least 300 lbs.

LexSucks - 5/24/2011 8:46:30 AM

+1 Boost

Lighter? That's something that they should have been thinking about decades ago.

t_bone - 5/25/2011 12:01:38 AM

+1 Boost

When they say "lighter" I don't think they are going to come up with anything that will blow away in the wind, past the Lotus factory. Maybe breaking 2 tons?