Merc wants to adapt this...
Hands up who'd like to see another bespoke new AMG sports car, this time priced under the SLS Gullwing and taking on Porsche's 911 head to head? Judging by PH's convivial dinner with AMG's Director of Vehicle Development Tobias Moers last night, you're not the only ones...
The Gullwing has made its mark quickly in the supercar sector, establishing itself (in sales volume terms at least) as a viable alternative to the 911 Turbo and Audi's R8 V10 in its first year. And as we've mentioned before, the Gullwing's success could open up all sorts of new possibilities for AMG.
"When the SLS project started it was a 'one-shot' only," Tobias told us last night. "The Mercedes board said 'okay let the AMG engineers get on with it, and we'll see what they can do'. But there was no strategy beyond making the first car."
...to make a rival for this
"Now the SLS has proved it's a good story, and there isn't anyone who thinks it's just a one-shot any more."
Don't get carried away just yet though, as the strategy about a future model is far from fully formed. "It's not officially on the agenda at Mercedes Board meetings by any means," says Tobias somewhat cryptically, "but now if we talked about it over lunch nobody would try to kill us!"
We reported last year on the view from inside AMG that the SLS's front/mid-engined platform could be easily shortened from the front, but according to Tobias it's not that simple as the structural nature of the SLS's powertrain (with its rigid carbon torque tube between engine and transaxle) makes the frontal void very important for crash protection.
He did confirm that AMG wouldn't be looking at a bigger car, but otherwise it seems there's still a lot up for grabs. Tobias also suggested the E-Cell SLS project might put pressure on development resources and rule out any early action now that the electric model has been confirmed for production in 2013.
AMG version of C coupe in the wings
Talk Turns to C63 coupe and AMG A Class
There's plenty of excitement afoot at AMG in the meantime, however, including the likelihood of a Black Edition for the AMG C63 Coupe (
based on a new Coupe that Mercedes will reveal at Geneva in March
), and a longer term plan to take on the new BMW 1 Series M with an entry-level AMG A Class.
A new 'regular' Merc A Class will be revealed at Frankfurt, when apparently it will move from the current version's weird double-decker platform to something much more traditional - with transverse four-cylinder power and front-wheel drive.
Intriguingly, it also appears there'll be a 4x4 model, and it's a 340hp turbocharged version of that one that could be on the cards to battle the Audi RS3 and BMW's 1 Series M. Expect it to arrive 18 months or so after the boggo A Class, predicts our source.
Get ready for a 4x4 340hp A Class
There's also the roadster version of the Gullwing to look forward to this year - it will come with a three-way adjustable damper set-up (comfort, sport and sport-plus) designed to appeal to a less hardcore market and the suspension changes will be optionally available on the Gullwing coupe, too.
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