Back in the day, a car was considered to be luxury. It was handmade and edition of some models could be limited to just a hundred of units. Car enthusiasts still consider a roadster produced by Mercedes to be one of the best convertibles in the entire history of car manufacturing — 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC (W198). Only 92 of them rolled off the manufacturing lines. Production of the W198 was ceased in 1963.
According to the information circulating on the Internet, a wealthy gentleman from Eastern Europe addressed the Gullwing America tuning studio with a request to create a replica of the legendary 300 SC using the modern Mercedes SLS AMG supercar as a base.
Gullwing America is a US-based tuning studio majoring in building retro cars on the base of modern Mercedes-Benz models and also creating precise replicas of the legendary Gullwing.
The engineers from the Gullwing America have eagerly responded to the request. This is the story of how the renovated Mercedes-Benz roadster — GWA 300 SLC — came to life. However, car experts express their indignation, as the GWA 300 SLC replica is quite different from the original model. Even though the major objective set by the GWA’s boss Arturo Alonso was to keep all the original lines in replica’s silhouette.
The “new old” Mercedes borrowed a modified body from its predecessor. As a reminder from the past, an aluminium body was handmade to bring back the shape of a classic convertible. A special body kit was also custom handmade. A modern radiator grille crowned with the GWA emblem and LED headlights serve as an evidence of technological advancement in car manufacturing. The replica features an electric pop-up spoiler located between the boot lid and passenger cabin. This active spoiler moves out at the speed of 150 km/h or higher to increase the downforce.
Rear four-ribbed diffuser with four tailpipes also reminds the SLS AMG. The engineers have developed a four-pipe sports exhaust system, height- and stiffness-adjustable suspension. The roadster is fitted with massive classic-style GWA Evolution wheels — 21x9.5 front and 22x12 rear. Wide Continental tyres provide an ideal grip.
The running gear and interior design were borrowed from the modern SLS AMG. What concerns the powerplant of the exclusive replica, it comprises a 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol-powered V8 engine delivering 571 hp and 650 Nm of torque. The roadster sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, while its top speed is 315 km/h.
The interior of the modern SLS AMG remained almost untouched for the replica — there are plenty of carbon fibre elements everywhere, which have not been replaced to wooden ones in favour of the strict classic style. For instance, the frame of the multimedia console is made of carbon fibre to reduce the weight. Apart from interior elements, both rear diffuser and front splitter are also made of carbon fibre. Seats are reupholstered in red leather. Rear-view mirrors are framed in chrome. The open GWA 300 SLC features both a fabric roof and a removable hard top stored in the boot. Luggage compartment is relatively small.
Altogether, the car combines a classic design and modern speed and power backed by German quality.
The wealthy Eastern European businessman addressed the tuning studio in May 2011, however, there is no word yet regarding the delivery date of the unique sports car. The price also remains unknown. Well, it’s obvious that will be much higher than the price of a production Mercedes-Benz SLS Roadster AMG, which had been used as a base. The price tag of the latter is around 12 million RUB (approx. €261,000) at the moment.
