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"Dear Editor!

The new MERCEDES-BENZ "300 SL" (super-light) sports car model will be undertaking road trials in public for the first time this week. We are therefore delighted to enclose the technical data for this vehicle, together with a photo."

The lines above were sent to media on March 12, 1952 from the company then known as Daimler-Benz AG, announcing nothing less than a global sensation: the first public appearance of the iconic original racing sports car, the 300 SL.

Almost 70 years later, the now eighth generation of the new SL is about to enter the home stretch of its development. While the public road trials of the original Mercedes-Benz 300 SL took place on the A81 Autobahn, today's Mercedes-AMG engineers do their test driving on a special, closed proving ground in snowy Sweden.

Although a large portion of development work on the new 2+2 seater SL Roadster took place in digital form, a certain amount of analog development driving remains essential. The final tuning of the fully variable 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system, for instance, now offered for the first time in the SL, is undertaken in wintry regions. The redesigned soft top, too, has to prove itself in the harsh conditions that prevail near the Arctic Circle. The handling dynamics of this iconic Roadster, set to make its debut later this year, will soon undergo final refinement on the north loop of the Nürburgring, amongst other places. On the most challenging racing circuit in the world, specialists from Mercedes-AMG will ensure that this latest iteration of the SL draws more than ever on its sporting roots.

The legendary new Roadster will be available as model variants exclusively under the Mercedes-AMG name. The new SL also remains true to virtues other than its long history: with its unique design, exclusivity, and exceptional levels of quality and luxury, this new interpretation of the icon continues the success story that began in 1952.

 

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