StudioTorino Envision Fabulous Looking Mercedes-Benz SL Shooting Brake [w/Video]

What would a shooting brake-style coupe version of the Mercedes-Benz SL roadster look like? This is a question you no longer need to look for an answer, as Italian design house, Studiotorino, developed a project called “Coupetorino 2013”, which is a concept for an SL Shooting Brake model.

A non-profit academic project at Istituto di Arte Applicata e Design (IAAD), the Coupetorino 2013 began to take shape in 2012 when six design students (Bruno Arena, Michele Bavaro, Riccardo Luigi Cascone, Stefano Manini, Dario Pellegrino and Cristiano Zanot) set out to transform the Mercedes SL into an exclusive coupe with the support of Steffen Koehl from Global Advance Design Mercedes-Benz.

Envisioned as a one-off special edition or limited series model, the Coupetorino was a realistic work-study project for the students, who also had to integrate engineering feasibility and cost of production in their work. Mercedes’ role consisted of Steffen Koehl giving three lectures and maintaining a continuous contact with the students via email.

A 1/4 scale model was created using a large and monolithic stereolitography technique with an internal surface thickness that would allow manual modifications, with the presentation taking place on May 27 at the Mercedes-Benz Design Center in Como.

The Coupetorino 2013 is a successor to the Coupetorino 2008, a similar project developed in the same way with IAAD and Mercedes-Benz Design Center.

While this is an academic project, we can’t help but wonder whether such a coupe would make sense for Mercedes-Benz. The design is certainly top notch and the six young students clearly have a bright future ahead of them. So what do you think, should Mercedes-Benz build a shooting brake version of the SL?

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY