A pair of camouflaged Mercedes-Benz test vehicles was recently spotted in Sabie, Mpumalanga. The one looks very much like the 2014 S-Class, but it’s the SLS AMG-based test mule that’s proving quite the quandary.
Leisure Wheels web editor Anzet du Plessis spotted the cars just two weeks ago.
While the saloon is most likely the upcoming S-Class, there are a number of theories surrounding the nature of the SLS accompanying it.
Looking at the back of the car the diffuser, rear spoiler and exhaust pipe arrangement are pure SLS AMG Black Series. Mercedes-Benz South Africa has been somewhat cagey about whether this model is coming our way, and while one school of thought suggests that this camouflaged example is a test bed for local homologation purposes the LHD cabin layout is a bit odd.
Another theory put forward is that it could be a test bed for the SLS AMG Electric Drive – a crushingly powerful EV version of Mercedes’ supercar propelled by four synchronous electric motors providing combined outputs of 552 kW and 1000 N.m. This model accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.
Having contacted a representative at Mercedes-Benz South Africa, the only response was that its marketing division was not aware of these developments.
