Mercedes is preparing to pave the way for a replacement to the SLR McLaren. The car will officially be terminated in 2009 due to its unpopularity among consumers. According to the rumors they are planning on building the new McLaren at the Woking, England facility. It will be powered by a V8 550 horsepower engine that will be built by Mahle. Mercedes stated that the new car will be competing with the Ferrari F430. For now there is no official name – but it has been codenamed the P11.
Mercedes has reached new heights as the 500,000th SLK compact roadster was delivered since its release in 1996. Over 310,000 consumers chose the model directly from the first generation. When the successor of the SLK was released in March of 2004 it sold over 190,000 units.
“With the launch of the SLK in 1996, Mercedes-Benz successfully established the premium segment for compact roadsters. Thanks to innovative technology such as the vario-roof and the neck-level heating system AIRSCARF, the SLK has long been recognized as a cult car of modern times,” expains Dr. Klaus Maier, Executive Vice President Mercedes-Benz Cars, responsible for Sales and Marketing. “The new-generation SLK models, which we are delivering to customers since April 2008, are sportier than ever. I’m confident that the dynamic looks and performance of the new SLK will again set pulses racing among sports cars enthusiasts around the world.”
Mercedes is batting down the hatches and preparing to balance low emissions with a high output for the next generation AMG. In other words we will see less displacement, more turbo, and even some hybrids. Shocked? So were we when we first heard.
Mercedes will be throwing out the 6.2 liter V8 engine and introducing the new 5.0 liter, twin turbo, V8 which will be designed to push out 570 horsepower and 665 pound-ft of torque. The output is said to hit 700 horsepower and 885 pound-ft of torque instead of the 612 horsepower V12 mil.