Coachbuilt cars can be great. Take something new with modern power, performance, and amenities, and give it a nostalgic retro look. The Radford Lotus Type 62-2 and the Zagato Iso Rivolto are two prime examples of great coachbuilding. This Mercedes-Benz 300SL homage by Saoutchik is… not.
Credit to Saoutchik for giving it the ol' college try, but this retro-tinged Mercedes-Benz SL probably should have stayed on the drawing board. It was created by Ugur Sahin Design (a designer responsible for many much-better-looking vehicles) in collaboration with Pogea Racing. Saoutchik was a prominent French coachbuilder in the 1920s and 1930s, and the name returns after 70 years.
Dubbed the 300GTC, this coachbuilt SL was inspired by the original 300SL 'Gullwing' of the 1950s and supposedly has, "all the spirit and personality of the iconic Mercedes 300SL." Agree to disagree. It has a radical front end with rounded headlights, an extended rear with ultra-slim taillights, extra vents, and chrome accents aplenty. The only good thing about it is the monoblock-style wheels, which look good on anything.
Saoutchik doesn’t say what powers the 300GTC, but the standard Mercedes-AMG SL has a few engine options for buyers to choose from. The base SL43 has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid assist making 416 horsepower, the SL55 has a twin-turbo V-8 with 469 horsepower, and the SL63 has 577 horsepower. There’s even an SL63 S E Performance with 805 hp—plenty enough to outrun this car’s many questionable design decisions.
Thankfully, only a handful of these coahcbuilt cars will ever hit the road. Saoutchik says it will only produce 15 examples of the 300GTC. The company doesn’t list a price, but we can only imagine each one will be extremely pricey. They say money can’t buy taste.
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