Mercedes-Benz SLC
HWA, not McLaren, will build Mercedes’ next great sports car.<b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b><b></b>
There have been rumors for quite some time of a McLaren/Mercedes-Benz split from building high-end road cars. In fact, after the ambitious but not-very-successful Mercedes SLR McLaren, shared plans for a smaller (and more affordable) super-sports model were abandoned.
Instead, Mercedes’ DTM partner—HWA—has been chosen to develop and build the baby SLR. This new SLC will be based on the next-generation SL (code-named R231, scheduled for 2011), a front/mid-engine car with rear-wheel drive, in contrast to earlier speculation of a smaller mid-engine Mercedes-McLaren. A show car is under construction and will be displayed at Geneva next spring.
You might be familiar with AMG, Mercedes’ tuning division, but what is HWA? Actually, it’s very similar. The letters stand for Hans-Werner Aufrecht, a former Mercedes engineer and co-founder of AMG in 1967, which itself stands for Aufrecht, Melcher (a business partner with Aufrecht, who later resigned) and Grossaspach (the village name of AMG’s first headquarters near Stuttgart).
In 1998, Mercedes took over 51 percent of AMG. But AMG’s motorsports activities, engine development and special vehicle department were left to Aufrecht, who immediately founded HWA. In early 2005, Mercedes took over Aufrecht’s remaining 49-percent stake in AMG. Now, HWA employs 224 people and takes care of Mercedes’ special operations, such as the works DTM team. A little-known fact, it was HWA that built such limited-production series models for Mercedes as the road-going CLK GTR and the CLK DTM AMG.
And though HWA will develop and build Mercedes’ new sports car, the name will read Mercedes-Benz SLC AMG…not HWA.
The SLC will have a fixed carbon roof to lower the center of gravity and gullwing doors to link it with the SLR. The SLC will be a 2-seater, although one of the design goals is that the car provide more than adequate space for two people and their luggage.
The SLC engine is well known and respected for its performance— the 6.2-liter AMG V-8. In the SLC, it will be modified to pump out 700 bhp. Even more punch will arrive when a twin-turbo version makes its debut later. HWA is aiming for a price of around $200,000, and only 500 cars will be produced in total.
Source: RoadnTrack
