Mercedes-Benz SLE Shooting Brake Offers An Futuristic Take On The SL’s Future

Sales of the Mercedes-Benz SL have been steadily declining for quite some time, forcing the German automaker to drastically overhaul the vehicle for its seventh generation.

According to our most recent information, Mercedes-Benz intends on reinventing the SL and launching it as a more driver-focused model, more similar to the AMG GT than the current iteration. To do so, AMG will be heavily involved in the development of the vehicle. It will also use the same Modular Sports Architecture (MSA) as the next-generation AMG GT.

What if, though, Merc decided to take the new SL in an entirely different direction? Designer Emre Husmen, for one, is offering a potential look of what a radically-altered SL could look like.

Rebranded as the SLE, it features an electric powertrain and has been drastically repositioned from a roadster into a Shooting Brake. While the adoption of an electric drivetrain would be a significant departure, the same stands for the new bodystyle that would make it more practical and spacious.

And, we have to admit, the design of the hypothetical SLE also happens to look very good. Up front, the inclusion of an electric powertrain has allowed the traditional grille to be replaced by a large digital display that could be configured to show a host of different things.

The only similarity between the SLE and the current SL is the Shooting Brake’s elongated hood, but the former gets a sleek and aggressive roofline which may not offer much headroom, but certainly looks the part. At the rear, you’ll notice LED taillights, a narrow window and (for some reason) faux dual tailpipes.