It appears that the Germans are slowly warming up to the idea of front-wheel drive. The latest rumors out of Mercedes hint that the company has restarted plans to develop a front-drive convertible, currently named the SLA-Class. The proposed roadster would slot-in below the SLK and ride on Merc’s new MFA platform, already seeing action underneath the CLA hatchback.
Mercedes purists might gawk at the thought of a front-drive convertible, but the business model makes sense. The SLA would allow Mercedes to add more performance to the next SLK roadster and close the gap between it and the SL. Doubters need only look at the success of the the company's current front-drivers to see what is possible for its roadster cousin.
Four-cylinder engines will almost certainly power the front wheels of the base models, and power all-wheels on upscale models of the baby Merc, effectively pitting the SLA against the Audi TT and new BMW 2-series. Sounds good to us. Build it Mercedes!
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[via Left Lane News]
