4 door Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG suggested by patent filings!
The web is ablaze with an alleged German patent filing that suggests the SLS may be in for an unexpected third bodystyle – that of an unconventional four-door.
Mercedes appears to be considering a set of rear-hinged demi doors to go along with the vertically sweeping main gullwing doors that would give access to a small back seat.
The drawings accompanying the filing clearly suggest an extended wheelbase to accommodate the extra doors, as well as what looks like a second COMAND multi-function control knob on the console between the seats, but that could just be a bit of artistic license or perhaps some lazy cut/paste work in Photoshop duplicating the front seats.
The patent document looks genuine -- and is in fact on the German Patent and Trademark website. According to the site, the named inventor is Jochen Bisinger, for owner Daimler AG, published on February 9, 2012.
Re: 4 door Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG suggested by patent filings!
Interesting.
It could very well turn-out to be a one-off though.
There are several sports cars and supercars that have been turned into Limousines and Estates. Case in point the Ferrari 360 Modena and the Ferrari 456 GT respectively.
If the wheel-base has been lengthened, it might ruin the fluidity of the design. And the SLS is quite a long car in the first place. I believe this would be to counter the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide?