We have heard rumors of a downsized SLS sports car from Mercedes-Benz, and today the company has confirmed that it will build the car,called the SLC, with the aim to compete directly with the Porsche 911. 

Following in the path of the SLS AMG(shown above), the new small SLC will likely be badged as an AMG standalone product, much the same as Dodge did by branding its new Viper as an SRT product. The SLC will be close in size and price to the Porsche 911, and is meant to keep Mercedes up to the times as they do not offer a mid-size front engine sports car right now that truly competes with the 911, while both of their major German rivals do.

Along with confirming the new small sports car, Mercedes head of design, Gorden Wagener, told Auto Express that the new small coupe that will be based on the Concept Style Coupe will be called the CLA. He also revealed that Mercedes has plans for expansion at the low end of the market, with SLC and CLA, as well as the ultra-luxury high end of the market with a new car that will replace the now defunct Maybach.

The SLC may be powered by an all-new 4.0 litre V8, and might even receive a V6 variant in an attempt to keep costs low. The gullwing doors on the SLS will not be making it to the small sports car, as it needs to remain competitive in price.

The SLC should make its debut in 2014, and watch for it to cost somewhere just under $100,000.

[Source: Auto Express]

Reports continue to trickle out out an upcoming baby-SLS model from Mercedes-Benz’ high-performance AMG division, with the latest claiming the Porsche 911-rival could be called the SSK.

The SSK would be build on a shortened version of the SLS’s all-aluminum structure to keep weight to a minimum. The car will also do without the 6.2-liter V8 engine (which Mercedes has already said will be axed from the company’s lineup soon anyway) in favor of a turbocharged V8. Performance will still be impressive with a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds expected.

In a bid to lower the cost, the SSK won’t get the SLS’s trademark gullwing doors, but rather conventional units.

The decision to build the SSK is reportedly part of a larger plan by Mercedes to grow the high-performance AMG unit into a more complete brand.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

There’s no official word yet, but Mercedes’ high-performance AMG division is looking to expand and may do so by adding a baby SLS to the lineup. As the new sports car flagship for the Mercedes brand, the 563-hp SLS has just launched in the U.S. and is the first-ever ground up vehicle to be built by AMG.

A new, smaller version of the SLS would reportedly use the new car’s chassis, but with smaller dimensions, which is certainly possible as the SLS, with its front/mid engine configuration already has plenty of space up front that can be cut. A new V8 engine would be built for the car with a displacement under the current car’s 6.2-liters. It would get direct-injection as well as a new cylinder cut-off technology (using just four-cylinders when all eight aren’t needed), which is currently being developed for the next generation SLS.

This new AMG model would ideally be a shopping alternative for those in the market for a Porsche 911.

[Source: PistonHeads]