Welcome back ladies and gentlemen; I hope you all had a fantastic February weekend.  Before I begin this morning I must first issue a small disclaimer about our posting today:  inclement weather is wreaking havoc on our internet connection, causing sporadic outages even as I write this; but hang in there, the stories are coming - they may just take a little longer to appear.

First up comes a story sent to us by two astute readers, Kirk and Shiv - a story which showcases what's being called the next-generation 2009 SL-Class.  Featuring a CL-esque grille and what one would surmise to be updated headlights, the vehicle in question is clearly a new SL; in our modest opinion, however, it's not the next-generation SL. Instead, we're theorizing that it is one of two things:

First, it's possible the SL caught testing is a new variant of the current SL (obviously the SL63 AMG comes to mind), and with the new engine, so to comes a styling revision to coincide with the rest of Mercedes' current model range.  Secondly, it's possible the SL in question is simply being used to test various components of the next generation SL, much like components of the new C-Class were first tested in the previous-generation C-Class' frame.

Either way, Mercedes opting to introduce the next-generation SL with styling so closely reminiscent of the current model is highly unlikely.  As for whether or not our deduction is accurate, only time will tell...

To see more photos and judge for yourself, you can find two additional spy shots of a potentially new SL-Class below, or head over to Winding Road to view the full spy photo collection in its entirety.

And a special thanks to Kirk and Shiv for the tip; we truly appreciate it.