[Scorcher]

2013 Mercedes Benz SL-Class brochure leaked ahead of its official reveal in January 2012.
Source

[theragingbull]

SLK nose. CLS rear. Why can't German manufacturers come up with all new designs? This new SL looks striking but there's too much resemblance to the smaller cousin SLK.
Though i must say the interiors are a vast improvement over the previous gen and I totally love them! But again, same thing in the SLK and SLS.

The SL has not been a VFM buy in India. The SL350 starts at upwards of a crore and one can get a 911 Carrera for that money! Or even the M3 which costs a lot less and is anyday much more fun to drive than the SL.

[Scorcher]

2013 Merc Official Unreleased Pictures too leaked!

Source

[ajmat]

Rather evolutionary compared to the usual SL model changes. But then again, there are so many other model options like the SLK and SLS so this model merely caters to the traditional segmen. Interiors look good.

Like I maintain about Mercs - see them in the metal then decide about the looks

[fre2bpowerless]

Interior and the rear look hot. Not digging the headlamps, anyone else thinks they're too boxy and out of sync with the rest of the car.

[dipen]

Originally Posted by fre2bpowerless

Interior and the rear look hot. Not digging the headlamps, anyone else thinks they're too boxy and out of sync with the rest of the car.

looking at the pics on both points.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Alright , no diplomacy here. What an absolute piece of trash !!!
What are these guys doing ? The design looks weird and confused to me. I am sorry but i would prefer the last gen SL to this one anyday !! Ok the interiors looked like they have been worked upon but as Zohaib said, why on earth would anyone spend upwards of a crore on a NON AMG SL when one can buy a 420~ hp M3 or a Porsche for round about the same amount ? Pointless crap IMO.

[revintup]

Love the design. Understated yet aggressive.

Now why would merc launch a car in 2012 as the 2013 model?

I just dont get these manufacturers. All seem hell bent on designating cars as the 'next' years model even though it is available readily.

Isnt it a cheap trick to make us feel 'good' that we have the latest model in hand. Guess if it goes unchecked, I would drive a '2213' model before i die.

[avishar]

I would have to agree with Platzda Turbo here.

Actually these days car design has become so generic,there is no sense of excitement of seeing a new SL."How is the design?Oh its good,nothing really bad about it",and thats about it.When we see it in flesh we may like it because its low, swoopy with a big hood and its a sportscar.Mercedes,BMW and Audi have all come out with too many models and all look the same with some variation.

The tail lamps of this looks like the E60.Again look at the interiors,do they have to flog the SLS interiors to death?

I like the older SL,the pre-facelift one.This is good no doubt,more faster,more power,more features,but its just another car from the xerox machines.

[vaisakhr]

Nice post Scorcher.

IMO, the front looks odd. Those big headlamps and grills doesn't feel so sporty. They feel more classic. Interiors are nice though. Love that shifter.

[ACM]

Somehow don't digest that a 2013 car model brochure was ready today (even in draft format) and it was leaked out. It is too early. Yes can understand photographs being leaked out but a brochure?

So feel these are just some creatives that were created for various purposes and there is a possibility that the SL shown is not the final version that would come out in 2013 (or for that matter even end 2012 as would be countered by logic)

Also why is a 2013 SL brochure released in 2012 Jan? For taking bookings for 2013? what about 2012 bookings?

So maybe lets wait it out and see if this is indeed the SL brochure but no harm in sharing views on what we see.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Alright , no diplomacy here. What an absolute piece of trash !!!
What are these guys doing ? The design looks weird and confused to me. I am sorry but i would prefer the last gen SL to this one anyday !! Ok the interiors looked like they have been worked upon but as Zohaib said, why on earth would anyone spend upwards of a crore on a NON AMG SL when one can buy a 420~ hp M3 or a Porsche for round about the same amount ? Pointless crap IMO.

Or perhaps, even a BMW 650i, which has two extra seats at the back.

I do not like this SL much. They've tried to go all retro up front, but the rear looks like a straight lift off the CLS. Mercedes, if you want to go retro, then by all means do so. But for God's sake, don't give us a confused car.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Or perhaps, even a BMW 650i, which has two extra seats at the back.

Again, wont be necessary spending upwards of a crore on a 650i when with just 75 odd lakhs you could get yourself a spanking 640d.
Power in the mid 300s and 700+ NM of torque. Just imagine the relentless surge of torque from that tri-turbo monster and ofcourse a lunatic 0-100 timing. I am pretty sure the 640d will NOT be much off the 650i on the 0-100 times. So 75 odd lakhs for the 640d and the remaining 25 lakhs for unadulterated diesel worth a lifetime or more.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Again, wont be necessary spending upwards of a crore on a 650i when with just 75 odd lakhs you could get yourself a spanking 640d.
Power in the mid 300s and 700+ NM of torque. Just imagine the relentless surge of torque from that tri-turbo monster and ofcourse a lunatic 0-100 timing. I am pretty sure the 640d will NOT be much off the 650i on the 0-100 times. So 75 odd lakhs for the 640d and the remaining 25 lakhs for unadulterated diesel worth a lifetime or more.

I agree.

The 640d would make much more 'sense', mathematically, or otherwise. But you'd never catch me driving a diesel. it's not about the power/torque delivery, or the 0-100 times, for moi. It's the free-revving nature of petrol engines.

That said, I wonder if Mercedes will contemplate giving us a diesel SL. The M5 should be available with a diesel-mill soon, so you could expect it from the others as well.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I agree.

The 640d would make much more 'sense', mathematically, or otherwise. But you'd never catch me driving a diesel. it's not about the power/torque delivery, or the 0-100 times, for moi. It's the free-revving nature of petrol engines.

That said, I wonder if Mercedes will contemplate giving us a diesel SL. The M5 should be available with a diesel-mill soon, so you could expect it from the others as well.

In my books, a petrol makes no sense if you cant access all the power that the engine has on offer. In India the main issue starts from the grade of petrol itself. High octane is anyway not available readily in the first place and where it is, its at a ridiculously high premium. So for most people it is in a way inaccessible. Even for people who have all the money in the world to tank up their Gallardo/911/M5 with premium petrol, they have very very few outlets offering 95/97 octane so each time they want to tank up (which is pretty frequent going by the cars such people drive ) it means wading through traffic to go to that distant pump which offers premium fuel.
Petrols are fun no doubt but the premium 1 has to pay for that 'fun' to be accessed (specifically referring to high end supercars of course) is way too hefty.
Diesel ? All manufacturers recommend standard grade diesel so there goes the question of 'non-availability'. The chances of diesel prices going up are remote when compared to petrol. When you sum it up with the kind of refined, relatively fun to rev diesels that the Europeans are manufacturing lately you become one happy individual trust me. I mean 0-62mph in 6 seconds at 45 bucks a litre is happiness personified for me. Lol
Diesel SL....hmm....M550d/R8 diesel/ A7 4.2 TDi/640d...yup, i would say a high end diesel grand tourer is not far away. How long are they going to resist ?