2013 Mercedes-Benz SL: Spy Pics & Info

[whereismysl]

Hi - I just found these on autoteileverwertung.de
This is going to be a fabulous car...

Cheers

 

[K-A]

Nice find! I think the fronts are starting to look too ubiquitous. You could have said that's the front to a new A or B Class or SLK or the like and I would have believed it.

 

[NarutoRamen]

^^I think that might be it. Good find.

 

[whereismysl]

I quite like it - btw: New A-Class is not so ugly either

Those guys are not timid publishing their products on time
and all made in Poland LOL "Merscedski"

 

[Shining Star]

Whoa. Great first posts. Welcome to the forum!

 

[Deleted member 1071]

What has Bernard's position been at Daimler thus far, and how long has he been employed by them? Also, is that insider info or a hunch that Bernard isn't pleased with exterior design? Not being antagonistic btw, I'm genuinely curious.

Also, I had no idea that there was even a thought of Dr. Zetsche being replaced. Are you sure that Bernard would replace Zetsche, or would he become a member of the Board instead?

Dr. Bernard is a member of Daimler-Benz' B.o.D. and is the director of M-B Car and Light Commercial Vehicle division purchasing and production. He is Dr- Zetsches' heir-apparent albeit this not being etched in stone. Dr. Zetsche stated about 2 years ago that his objective for Mercedes-Benz was to simply build excellent vehicles and not subscribe to illusory visions. Dr. Bernard is considered by more than a few "insiders" to be a dynamic visionary-and a fanatic, petrol running through his veins, absolutely bonafide car guy who has a passion for performance as well as gracefully elegant yet sporting automotive design. His appointment as CEO could lead to a marked "envigoration" of the M-B brand. It is also envisaged that with Dr. Bernard at the helm, M-B will accomplish its' goal of lowering the average age of its' customers (which currently is well into the 50s').

But Dr. Zetsche will presumably be hanging on for another year or so-until the expiration of his current contract as CEO.

 

[SKY]

Welcome to the forum mate. Fantastic way of entering. Both A and SL front ends look nice.

 

[K-A]

Wow, that's news to me! I thought that it was full force Zetsche for the future of M-B. He seems to have done wonders for/with the brand since he took over, as M-B has went from last to first in terms of quality and upholding their past traditions in that regard. Where I think focus needs to be put in, is in the Design Team as well. It's not that they can't/haven't/don't design beautiful cars, it's that it seems like they're able to fling whatever ambitions they have against the wall and see if it sticks, and through that, some of the designs are looking very desperate and "attempted" rather than natural and confident. I liked Wagener when he was working under someone a little more conservative, as it seems like he's maybe overly ambitious for such a position. Also, I'm not a fan of Zetsche opening the M-B brand up to so many cheap/entry/"kids" models, nor aligning with Nissan, however, I'm not in the Boardroom so I have no idea about how good or bad business moves those are.

If M-B changes CEO's so soon, AGAIN, that would be bad news for enthusiasts and shareholders. That rarely works in favor of any company (a revolving door of CEO's). Zetsche seems competent and has done good with the brand thus far, unlike Schremmp, who needed to be ousted apparently, so I think him resigning or being ousted would be a huge shock and a very negative thing for Daimler as a whole, unless this other guy is an absolute marvel.... Then I guess short term pain would be worth the long term gain.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Wow, that's news to me! I thought that it was full force Zetsche for the future of M-B. He seems to have done wonders for/with the brand since he took over, as M-B has went from last to first in terms of quality and upholding their past traditions in that regard. Where I think focus needs to be put in, is in the Design Team as well. It's not that they can't/haven't/don't design beautiful cars, it's that it seems like they're able to fling whatever ambitions they have against the wall and see if it sticks, and through that, some of the designs are looking very desperate and "attempted" rather than natural and confident. I liked Wagener when he was working under someone a little more conservative, as it seems like he's maybe overly ambitious for such a position. Also, I'm not a fan of Zetsche opening the M-B brand up to so many cheap/entry/"kids" models, nor aligning with Nissan, however, I'm not in the Boardroom so I have no idea about how good or bad business moves those are.

If M-B changes CEO's so soon, AGAIN, that would be bad news for enthusiasts and shareholders. That rarely works in favor of any company (a revolving door of CEO's). Zetsche seems competent and has done good with the brand thus far, unlike Schremmp, who needed to be ousted apparently, so I think him resigning or being ousted would be a huge shock and a very negative thing for Daimler as a whole, unless this other guy is an absolute marvel.... Then I guess short term pain would be worth the long term gain.

I am certainly not aware of any motions to "oust" Dr. Zetsche. His contract will simply be expiring sometime in 2013, I believe. And he has been with the Daimler-Benz (formerly Daimler-Chrysler) organization for a long time. An individual with many merits, accomplishments and actually probably one of Daimlers' better CEOs' (remember, Schrempp and Reuter were also once D-B CEOs'). And Dr. Bernard is also no stranger to the D-B organization, although he departed the company temporarily having occupied high-level positions with the VW-Group as well as the Cerebus equity fund. Dr. Bernard was also an heir-apparent CEO during Schrempps' reign, but left D-B as a result of differences between him and Schrempp regarding the then D-C subsidiary Mitsubishi.

 

[K-A]

Ah, okay, I get it now, with the Contract expiration. Well, I think it would be bad new for Zetsche to go, as again, he took CEO relatively recently, and a "revolving door" effect won't be great. He's already put the plans for his idea of M-B's future in motion, and with somebody else coming in, and once again changing stuff around, it could get messy. On a plus note, Bernard is basically "keeping it in the family" which is imperative to continued success of an already successful company. Case in point is Apple, the worlds greatest company, the modern worlds greatest visionary, and an incredible team. After Steve Jobs resigned, they elected Tim Cook to be CEO, tried, true, proven, and a remarkable part of Apple's success to date (while flying under the radar, i.e many people have no idea about how imperative he's been to get the company to where they are today), and have made sure to keep the "family" intact before hiring new guns. It would be nice if car companies could learn a thing or two about how closely knit and efficient they manage their company and products, with focus on quality and efficiency above all else.

 

[LaArtist]

Wow..that grill looks less akward..
So that means its freakin camo on the test cars that make it look retarded..

Thank god

 

[Morrison]

Il ike more the headlights of the A class than the SL ones. Actually, they look so much like those from the Slk, for me it`s no hope. It seems that at the front the Sl will be a larger SLK which for me it isn`t good.

 

[PHYBENZ]

The inner part of the SL headlights reminds me of the inner part of these below. Same sort of shape of both the bumper and headlights.

 

[K-A]

Puuke... don't compare Nissan with Mercedes-Benz lol

Uh oh, you have to now.... M-B and Nissan are partnering up.

.... The smiley I meant to use is actually "".

 

[Tarek]

^Lol..relax KA the upper models won't be touched.

 

[deity]

Didn't I hear somewhere it was the E-Class that was going to shared? :S

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Now as far as their partnership goes, will it be something like with Chrysler, where
everything and anything is shared between the two automakers, or is it merely a
production plant partnership (such as in Mexico) where they both utilize the
space for production of their vehicles?

It's something in between. Both companies will stay independent, but they will exchange powertrains. Also I think there was talks of sharing R&D and production costs.

Truth be told, I don't know how to feel about this whole alliance deal. I'm pretty ambivalent if they share electric motors and other non-ICE components...I doubt there will be a distinctive feel between either entities when it comes to electric propulsion. Plus that'll reduce their individual risk and potentially make it more affordable for the consumers. But if they use the same platforms, engines, transmissions, etc., then what will differentiate one from the other besides their sheetmetal? I have no problems with Renault-Nissan-Samsung, as they are a well-respected company with alot of good technology and under Carlos Ghosn, relatively well-managed. But it might be a shame that things that make both good and distinct, may become dilute and potentially reduce options for consumers.

Also I have no problems with M-B moving downmarket. They've been selling A/B-segment cars for a while. If we want M-B to survive, be independent, and make cars like the S-class and SLS, well they need to sell their wares to more people so they can shore up capital to make those cars that are quintessentially Mercedes-Benz. I really see no way around that. Then again, I'm not terribly creative when it comes to business models and that sort of thing.

Oh yeah, can't wait to see the SL. With each new pic, the rear looks great. The front looks good but there's still some reservations. The interior looks luxurious, like a proper SL ought to be. Hopefully, a Dec. 15 reveal will be true. Especially, in the good ol' duel that is between M-B and BMW, the 6er GC provided the tit (*snickers*), and hopefully M-B will provide the tat with the SL soon enough. Not a bad December.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Should Dr. Wolfgang Bernard replace Dr. Zetsche as Daimler-Benz AG CEO, we can anticipate a new "dynamic" in Stuttgart/Untertürkheim. The controversial Dr. Bernard is a bonafide carguy as well as a an unrelenting manager with a keen grasp of economics. He is very polarizing and his "stepping on toes" has at times been to his detriment. But he will certainly "move" things in a way far different than Dr. Zetsche has so far. Not that Dr. Zetsche hasn't been an effective CEO. He most indeed has. But Daimler-Benz, in the face of ever increasing competition by its' main rivals BMW and the premium brands of the VW-Group, is in dire need of some serious revamping. Dr. Zetsche has repeatedly stated that it was his mission to position Mercedes-Benz as the Number One premium offering. That aspiration appears to look rather dodgey in view of the companys' current offerings. In order to return M-B to the pinnacle, more has to be brought to the table than being content with being "just as good". A main area that needs to be addressed is the exterior design of its' automobiles. I believe that Dr. Bernard is well aware of this.

This post is incredible. Dr. Z has done a brilliant Job at bringing MB back from the brink of catastrophe and the current line up and upcoming models are a testament to his success. 'In dire need of a revamp' is an incredible overstatement. The catastrophe that was Chrysler took its toll on the company and its resources were stretched in the further development of existing models as well as the move downmarket to compete with BMW and Audi volumes. Nevertheless they are making inroads and the product onslaught over the next few years will be testament to this. The innovations being presented and the quality of the new line up is also testament to what a brilliant job Dr. Z has done with what he inherited. Mercedes has not looked stronger for quite some time, granted there is room for further improvement. Dr. Z is the right man for the Job, and has proven his worth a thousand times over. Wolfgang will be ready when Dr. Z is ready to retire, and not a moment sooner.

I just don’t think enough people realise what an immense toll the Chrysler era took on Mercedes to appreciate just how the strong the company is looking now.

 

[K-A]

I agree. The products are vastly improved from what we've had for the past 10+ years. The fact that M-B is leading both BMW and Audi, and most other Luxury competitors in terms of new model quality reports is a huge testament to the quick and precise execution of bringing M-B quality of yore back.

I think Dr. Z's done exactly what was needed to be done to bring Mercedes back, and it happened within one or two product cycles, which is remarkably quick. It's easy to find flaws and room for improvement indeed, but considering what he was working with, M-B has made a helluva turnaround before their reputation suffered any longstanding and hard setbacks. I think Daimlers board will do whatever it takes to keep him on board.

M-B just posted record Sales numbers, and in the U.S, outsold BMW handily in November, bringing BMW's YTD lead to a meager 1K or so cars out here (closest they've been all year). I hate to tout Sales numbers as an award for manufacturers from an enthusiasts perspective, but considering we're speaking about the CEO, and considering the momentum BMW have been building throughout the last decade while M-B was faltering (under Schremmp), it's certainly a strong testament to how quickly Dr. Z reacted.

Plus, he's got a cool mustache, and has this Mad Scientist look that is totally appropriate for the godfather of car brands.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

This post is incredible. Dr. Z has done a brilliant Job at bringing MB back from the brink of catastrophe and the current line up and upcoming models are a testament to his success. 'In dire need of a revamp' is an incredible overstatement. The catastrophe that was Chrysler took its toll on the company and its resources were stretched in the further development of existing models as well as the move downmarket to compete with BMW and Audi volumes. Nevertheless they are making inroads and the product onslaught over the next few years will be testament to this. The innovations being presented and the quality of the new line up is also testament to what a brilliant job Dr. Z has done with what he inherited. Mercedes has not looked stronger for quite some time, granted there is room for further improvement. Dr. Z is the right man for the Job, and has proven his worth a thousand times over. Wolfgang will be ready when Dr. Z is ready to retire, and not a moment sooner.

I just don’t think enough people realise what an immense toll the Chrysler era took on Mercedes to appreciate just how the strong the company is looking now.

Umm...I think that Dr. Zetsche would agree that Mercedes-Benz is still quite some distance from having reached the goals of its' aspirations. A glance at global sales statistics, average return per unit, etc. will reflect that Mercedes-Benz faces some very stiff competition and does not occupy an unassailable pinnacle of the "premium/executive" market. Yes, major inroads have been made in terms of quality and content of M-B automobiles. And with regard to safety features, M-B remains a leader. The big question is whether M-B can expand without diluting its' values. Alliances with the likes of Renault/Nissan are all fine and good, but the respective corporate cultures may differ vastly. This applies to a far lesser extent to BMW also-see the PSA connection. In this aspect, the VW-Group has a large advantage over its' German rivals. Another big question will be powertrain developement. M-B is very innovative in terms of fuel cell technology. And the new SL reflects the companys' prowess with regard to lightweight construction. BMW is pushing electronics as is the VW-Group, as well as lightweight construction (see BMWs' increasing involvement in the SGL-Group and Audis' Ultra Program). The VW-Groups' progress will be interesting to witness as it is a company firmly anchored in traditional internal combustion technologies (just look at Dr. Piechs' history...) and may be a bit more inhibited to tread the path of fuel cells or electronics than its' competition. Relative, of course. In the end, it's a matter of commitment.

Yes-M-B has made remarkable progress. But it's all relative in the face of increasing competition and more discerning, less brand enslaved customers. And yes, Dr. Zetsche is arguably one of the better CEOs' that D-B has had in recent history-perhaps the best since Dr. Zahn or Dr. Breitschwerdt. I've never stated anything different. But the challenges have changed as has the marketplace.

The ultimate outcome ? My admittedly flippant guess: The VW-Group will increase its' grip on this market segment and will eventually have it in a stranglehold. Just my silly little guess...so relax, folks...