Looking to the past points the way to the future - a paradox at the heart of the guiding principles followed by the Mercedes engineers. Building on the Stuttgart manufacturer’s illustrious history, these principles spark the impetus and creativity for new, enthralling ideas. Not least because the future is built on our heritage.

This is made clear at first glance of the 2008 SL: unmistakably, the new-look front section pays tribute to the "facial traits" of the first SL models, adapting them to the contemporary Mercedes design idiom and combining traditional features with new styling elements to pave the way for future design concepts. After all, the SL has always been a one-off in the Mercedes design philosophy, positioned firmly outside the usual vehicle hierarchy, setting the style trends for other future models to follow. And it is a feat Mercedes-Benz has pulled off successfully several times throughout the history of the SL.

Past, present, future: the designers set out to come up with a harmonious, three-part composition from these elements when designing the new-generation SL. They aimed to tighten up the contours of the sports car, convey its characteristic features even more clearly - particularly its performance, its agility and its effortless superiority.
To achieve this they focused on the front section. Bumper, radiator grille, headlamps, bonnet and wings were completely redesigned. All the front-end styling touches aim to emphasise the width of the body, lending the car a more powerful stance combined with a more dominant appearance, an altogether more compelling expression of its poise and assurance.

The V-shape of the front section is a typical, well-established styling element that symbolises in particular agility, performance potential and forwards thrust. All the new Mercedes passenger cars - S-Class, CL-Class and C-Class - sport this design feature, which now also makes an unmistakable statement on the new-generation SL.
The entire front section appears to be cast from a single mould. This overall impression comes especially from the new-look bumper which now forms a unit with the radiator grille. So in effect, there is now no horizontal division between the radiator and bumper - the radiator grille is harmoniously integrated, has more room than before and therefore appears visibly higher.

Radiator grille: wide and powerful like on the first SL sports cars

As always, the radiator grille is the most important styling element in the SL front section. It is not only higher but also substantially wider than before, adding to the dominant, ultra-powerful appearance of the new-generation SL. The designers have deliberately avoided the multiple horizontal louvres found in the previous model. Instead there is now just a single louvre to emphasise the extra width of the radiator and to give the front section an even more distinctive shape.

Traditionally, the radiator grille has been a very important styling element in Mercedes passenger cars. For decades it has been among the unmistakable hallmarks of the Mercedes-Benz line-up, taking its place as one of the key elements in the brand's stylistic gene pool. The Mercedes designers always make discreet but nonetheless tangible enhancements to these kinds of identifying features; they endeavour to always reinterpret these styling elements, giving them a fresh, contemporary look, both in terms of their basic proportions and detailed execution. All of which keeps the design idiom and the brand image alive, innovative and dynamic - and at the same time unmistakable.

The so-called SL radiator was adopted directly from motor racing during the 1950s, and has been a symbol of Mercedes sports cars ever since. Each of the previous SL sports cars that Mercedes-Benz has unveiled since the legendary "Gullwing" has shown clearly the relative emphasis placed on tradition and progress: although each model has features in common with its predecessors, it also clearly demonstrates further design development and emphatically ushers in a new design era. The same also applies to the new generation of the SL.

The Mercedes designers pay special tribute to the Mercedes 300 SL (1954/1957), 230 SL (1963) and 280 SL (1971) sports cars in particular with the current radiator styling. Here, too, a very wide radiator made up of a single louvre emphasises the roadster's poise, adding further weight to the formal statement made by the car.

Tradition: typical styling elements reinterpreted

The Mercedes principle involves combining the past, present and future. The designers also turn to other styling elements from the Mercedes sports car history to turn this principle into reality. Take just two examples:

• The powerdomes on the bonnet were among the hallmarks of the "Gullwing" and the 300 SL Roadster back in the 1950s. Originally they were conceived to house the in-line six-cylinder engine; the engine had to be mounted horizontally and tilted 50 degrees to the left - hence the distinctive moulded recesses in the bonnet. Since then they have been a typical feature of Mercedes sports cars, fitting in harmoniously with the contemporary front-end design of the new-generation SL.
  
  
• The side air outlets in the wings on the 300 SL were driven more by functional than stylistic considerations. Today they serve as design elements that provide a stylish connection with the classic SL models. The designers have stylistically evolved this detail for the new-generation SL: the trim panel has been enlarged and given an even more dynamic shape.
  
  

Present: integration of the SL in the current Mercedes styling

The new Mercedes design style is characterised by the compelling interplay of lines and surfaces. The lines are clearly drawn, adding to their very powerful appearance. They give structure to the surfaces and provide interesting lighting effects.

The new-generation SL embraces this current design concept. A distinctive shoulder line runs from the new-look front wing, continuing right through to the rear end of the sports car and finally flowing harmoniously into the design of the rear light cluster. The sports car demonstrates down to the last detail that it is a member of the current model family - and that it continues the common Mercedes design idiom as well as embracing the glorious tradition of the SL models.

The larger, new-look exterior mirrors on the sports car literally offer the driver a better " rear view " , thus enhancing safety. The additional LED indicator repeaters built into the housing with their arrow-shaped surround make for an eye-catching feature.

Future: headlamp design adds impetus to new design concepts

The design of the new-generation SL also provides an opportunity to map out new stylistic approaches and hone important styling elements of the Mercedes design in a bid to forge the link between heritage and the future. Take for example, the headlamps. The experts from Sindelfingen have fine-tuned the design, which they unveiled on the CLS-Class in 2004 and later also included on the S-Class, CL-Class and C-Class, thus providing added impetus for the design of future Mercedes models.

The new Mercedes headlamps provide the visual link, ensuring a cohesive front-end and side design and adding to the overall harmonious image. This impression is reinforced with the new-generation SL; the headlamps come well up into the bonnet and at the same time right into the flanks.

Rear: new-look bumper for extremely powerful appearance

As well as the front bumper, the designers have restyled the rear bumper on the SL, taking the opportunity to reinforce the roadster's sporty attributes here, too. This is achieved particularly through the diffuser-style structure of the lower area, which is also delineated and visually highlighted by a tautly drawn edge. The bumper comes across as wider and larger than before - testimony to the roadster’s pure power. This impression is reinforced by the perfectly integrated, trapezoidal exhaust tailpipe trims, yet another addition to the new design elements on the Mercedes sports car.

Interior: cockpit modelled on earlier racing car

A look inside the new-generation SL illustrates the interplay of classic and contemporary. The cockpit instruments with their classic, chronometer-style gauges awaken memories of the racing cars of bygone years and their exact, enhanced dials promise unerring precision.

Red needles on white dial rings - the new splash of colour on the instrument cluster whose dynamic needles are reminiscent of racing cars: the speedometer and the rev counter needles normally sit in the "six o'clock position", but instantly spring to life when the ignition is turned. They rotate once around the dials to their maximum values and then revert to their zero positions, letting the driver know the SL is ready to race.

The sporty three-spoke leather steering wheel is also new in the cockpit of the sports car. It comes with illuminated buttons for a host of functions and optional gearshift paddles to manually control the seven-speed automatic transmission. The integral seats come with a new-look surface design whose classic longitudinal contours also hark back to the SL of yesteryear. Seat comfort and lateral support continue to meet the high standards expected from Mercedes-Benz.

Five different colours are available for the SL interior. The colour natural beige has been added as a replacement for the previous cognac brown. Mercedes customers can also personalise the trim elements, with a choice of aluminium and prism-pattern aluminium (in conjunction with the sports package), as well as fine-wood finishes including burr walnut, pale burr walnut with a high-sheen finish, and black ash. Pale poplar grain trim elements are available exclusively for the SL 600, the top-of-the-line V12 model.

The Mercedes-Benz designo range offers even more individualisation options, including ten metallic paint finishes, twelve leather colours and five trim options comprising wood and stone.















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