The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is already an amazing vehicle, but it's about to get even better. Mercedes-Benz showed off the 2013 SL-Class model earlier this month at the North American International Auto Show, held in Detroit, MI, and it seems to have made one of its most drastic changes since its introduction in 1952.

Though the "SL" name has always stood for "Super Light," the vehicle has come a long way from its original lightweight tubular frame. The new Mercedes-Benz SL-Class will be made of all-aluminum and will be the lightest SL-Class model ever- about 275 pounds lighter than the current SL-Class. Thomas Rudlaff, the shell's designer, explains, "The effect is as if a large passenger has stepped out of the car."¹  Dieter Zetcsche, Chairman of Daimler explains the appeal of the [SL-Class] (and why it was chosen for this makeover), stating, "There are around 900 million cars in the world and thousands of models. But there is only a handful of automotive icons. Our [SL-Class] is one of them . . . You would struggle to find a car that embodies Gottlieb Daimler's aspiration more perfectly than our new [SL-Class] - the best or nothing."²

The new Mercedes-Benz SL550 will hold a 7-speed automatic transmission and a stop-start idling system, as well as 429 horsepower and improved fuel economy. There are two retractable hardtops from which to choose; one is glass and the other is an almost-transparent "Magic Sky Control" roof. The car is fitted with a number of other innovative technologies that you'll have to see to believe!

Anxious to know more about the 2013 SL-Class? Stay tuned here with Mercedes-Benz of Hoffman Estates for more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, why not stop by and see the newest 2012 Mercedes-Benz models? Located at 1000 West Golf Road Hoffman Estates, IL 60169, we're easy to find!

Source: ^1,2http://www.freep.com/article/20120108/BUSINESS03/120108011/1014/business01