2022 Mercedes-Benz SL Beauty's Skin Deep
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz SL is a timed release. Its dramatic entrance will come before the end of 2021. Before its arrival, will you tire of it, or be that much more enthralled?
Previously, we saw SL prototypes drifting in the snow, showing off their all-wheel drive (AWD) capabilities. Now the automaker wants you to see beneath the surface, reinforcing the rigidity of its composite aluminum structure.
If you owned an original SL, it had a space frame with the lowest weight and highest torsional rigidity.
The 2022 SL combines a lightweight composite aluminum chassis and a self-supporting structure. Neither any preceding SL nor the AMG GT roadster provided any part to the new 2022.
“The body shell design team was faced with the overall development of the new SL, starting from scratch, without any existing structure,” said Jochen Hermann, Chief Technical Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.
“We reconciled the high package demands, while achieving excellent rigidity with a favorable weight, providing agile driving dynamics and exceptional comfort,” Hermann said.
The requirements for the new roadster were more comprehensive scope than its predecessor. The 2+2 layout with 2+2 seats and a number of drive systems created complex challenges. The driving performance characteristics of the brand, plus comfort and safety were all taken into account.
The space frame, the basis of the SL’s success 70 years ago, was very light with high torsional rigidity. However, regular doors were not possible due to their entrance height, which resulted in the original’s gullwing doors.
Today’s frame construction design can cope with tensile and compressive stress. Closed triangles transfer stress to a tubular pyramid at the engine compartment’s end.
Aluminum, steel, magnesium, and fiber composite intelligent material composition ensures the highest possible rigidity in conjunction with low weight in the new SL.
The magnesium instrument panel support, along with the carbon fiber front module cover bridge demonstrates the effort to achieve the best possible diverse material use.
SL production will take place at the Bremen plant where its predecessor was built.
[Images: Mercedes-Benz]
With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.
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"If you owned an original SL, it had a space frame with the lowest weight and highest torsional rigidity." Could somebody translate that into meaningful English?
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