Thanks to the box-office success story that was Back To The Future, the De Lorean may be the most recognizable instance of the gull-wing door, but the most historically significant and the first model to truly popularize this unique portal was the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Since then, the German automaker has continued experimenting with the gull-wing design, with the C111 and C112 concepts from the '60s and '70s. Apparently, the time has finally come for a return of the iconic design feature on a production supercar. We've already seen spy shots of what appears to be an odd mash-up of Dodge Viper parts with McLaren supercar bits tacked together, but the latest mule now appears to have the upwards-opening doors that could give the new model its name. Besides the doors, we can definitely see the long hood and short deck styling that echos the design of the current SLR. Rumor has it that the new supercar will wear the AMG badge and be powered by at least 550 horses from an undetermined powerplant hooked to a seven speed automatic transmission. More as we get it.
Fans of the classic Gullwing Mercedes 300 SL have been eagerly awaiting the new Gullwing SLC supercar, which Mercedes' tuning house AMG has been spied working on over the last year. But if emerging reports are to be believed, the SLC won't wear a Mercedes badge at all. The true successor to SLR McLaren will reportedly be the first vehicle to be badged exclusively as an AMG product, forgoing the vaunted three-pointed star altogether.
Reports also indicate that with dimensions of 4650mm long, 2700mm wheelbase, 1950mm wide, and 1250mm high, the SLC will be similar in proportions to a Ferrari F430. Project C197, as the Gullwing SLC is internally known, is expected to make its debut at the 2010 Geneva show, with a cloth-roofed convertible R197 version to follow a year later.
The facts surrounding the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz SLC supercar are scarce, but one thing's for sure: gull-wing doors are part of the package. So far, we've only seen spy shots of the SLC wearing body panels pilfered from other M-B products, along with one Viper-clad mule. But these newest images procured by eMercedesBenz not only give us a glimpse of the gull-winged homage, but also provide us with some idea of the proportions of the new supercar.
Previous reports suggest that underneath the elongated aluminum hood lays a turbocharged version of AMG's 6.3-liter V8, putting out around 600 hp and an unruly amount of torque. The cab-backwards stance, short rear overhangs and makeshift spoiler all hint at the Merc's pavement punishing potential, and the raised driver's side door -- still far from complete -- appears to remain true to the original 300SL.
