A new SLR is said to be in the plans, and apparently it’s set to take on a different route in terms of the way it produces power. According to Auto Bild, a successor to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren – said to be called the Mercedes-AMG SLR – is slated to make an introduction come 2018.
This time round, the SLR is said to be going the hybrid-power assistance path, and will instead take on the likes of the Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 and Porsche 918 Spyder – electric-assisted hypercars.
It appears though, that the engineers are considering whether to switch from a front-engine layout to a mid-engine one. Should it be the former, then a supercharged V6 engine, with an electric motor, is said to be the way to go. Combined, the electric-petrol mix is expected to produce a total of 650 PS.
Furthermore, should it be a front-engine layout, the website states that it will have “active aerodynamics,” and a “new door concept.” The front-engine proposition will see a total of 3,000 cars made per year, with a targeted price of €250,000 (RM1.12 million) to €300,000 (RM1.35 million), per unit.
Should it be a mid-engine SLR for that matter, a supercharged V8, with two 125 kW electric motors on the front axle is the route that the company will take. This combination is said to generate a total of 1,050 hp. In addition, the mid-engine route will see high usage of carbon-fibre for its construction.
If things go according to plan, the mid-engined SLR will be limited to just 500 to 750 units and will carry with it a price tag of over €1 million (RM 4.5 million). As for the sequence of models, the coupe will reportedly be the first among the line-up, followed by a roadster variant and the flagship Black Series one.
That said, as these are all rumours, we’ll have to wait and see if any of this will come to fruition. But in any case, which one would you rather see? A light hybrid Merc supercar to take on the BMW i8, or a full on AMG hypercar to go against the holy trinity?
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I think it’s nigh possible that the SLR replacement will go hybrid. R&D began with the yellow electric SLS which proved to be as capable as the gasoline version.
We’ve had the 918, P1 and LaFerrari all running hybrid setups already.