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Mercedes Gullwing

Posted September 25, 2008 10:05 AM

From Auto Express:

Successor to Mercedes' iconic SL300 Gullwing spotted, sporting extreme dimensions and a pair of top hinged doors. Here's a Merc with wings! This is the Mercedes Gullwing, set to fly to the top of the tree when it hits showrooms in 2010 after a Geneva show debut the same year. This heavily disguised mule looks like the offspring of an encounter between a Dodge Viper and a Mercedes SLR, thanks to its slung back cabin and disproportionately long bonnet, but one feature gives its true identity away - the doors. This is the first time a Gullwing mule has been spotted with production-ready top-hinged doors (albeit sporting some gargantuan panel gaps), verifiable by the pair of riveted black panels on either side of the roof, which cover the hinges. Previous mules were a mishmash of Viper and Mercedes SL parts.

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Guru
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#1

Re: Mercedes Gullwing

09/26/2008 12:23 PM

A cross between an SLR and a Viper, eh? Well, it sure looks better than the battlewagons the Chryslers with Benz touches turned into!

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#2

Re: Mercedes Gullwing

09/26/2008 12:31 PM

My friend bought the very first 300SL off the floor at the international car show in New York City. He paid $6500, a lot of money in (1955 I think). It was an awesome car, but not practical in terms of comfort or access. Good car for picking up chicks. It could run circles around the Corvettes that came out at that time.

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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Mercedes Gullwing

09/26/2008 3:49 PM

I always figured you'd need awfully long arms to close the doors from a seated position...

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Guru
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#4

Re: Mercedes Gullwing

09/27/2008 9:55 PM

The Gullwing door idea was said to be not as convenient, when the DeLorean DMC-12 was built, but in fact that proved to be a myth.

The design fault of having top-hinged doors would appear to be leakage problems in wet weather, after the door seals wear somewhat.

Mind you, for those who can afford a new Merc, they will sell it before things start to9 go wrong, and leave the new buyer to pay for the repairs.

Kind Regards....

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