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NEWS
SPY PICS: Mercedes SLC to replace SLS AMG
Iconic gullwinged coupe and roadster will make way for lighter, more compact and cleaner-running SLC coupeMercedes-Benz’s flagship SLS is set to be replaced in 2015 by a more compact and nimble coupe dubbed SLC (reprising a nameplate worn by the svelte two-door built from 1971-81) and pitched in the same price ballpark as the Porsche 911.
According to Germany’s Auto Bild magazine, the SLC – known internally by the codename C190 – will be offered with twin-turbo V6 and V8 power, in lieu of the thunderous 6.2-litre atmo V8 that propels the SLS. Both engines will be mated to a rear-mounted seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, as is the case with the SLS.
It’s believed the SLC will be underpinned by a modified version of the SLS’s aluminium spaceframe architecture, although reports suggest it will ditch the latter’s gullwing doors in favour of conventional side-hinged portals, boosting stiffness while reducing weight.
That said, the SLC will carry over the SLS’s front-mid-engined layout, again making for long-snout/cab-rearward proportions. According to reports, there will be only one bodystyle (at least initially), with no roadster on the agenda for the time being.
Sources suggest the flagship SLC will be powered by a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that’s good for 362kW and 680Nm, which should add up to sprightly performance in a coupe that’s tipped to weigh around 1550kg.
Word has is there will also be an SLC ‘S’ version, mimicking the strategy of the latest E63 AMG, which is spearheaded by a go-faster S model (but it won’t have all-wheel-drive, as is the case with the ballistic sedan).
Improved breathing and a free-flow exhaust will reportedly liberate 437kW and 750Nm from the twin-turbo V8, enabling it to lock horns with the upcoming 911 Turbo S. The SLC S will also gain carbon-ceramic brakes, various body addenda and sportier seats.
There are even hotter SLC variants in the pipeline, including a beefy GT variant and a full-house Black Series headkicker.
As for the entry-level twin-turbo V6, it’s said to eke out 250kW, putting it more or less on par with the basic 911 Carrera. Expect its pricing to also reflect that of the Zuffenhausen coupe.
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Written byGautam Sharma
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