For many, the Mercedes-Benz SL remains the archetypal 2+2 Grand Tourer, combining the character of a sports car with the comfort of a GT...all underpinned by the reputation for innovation and quality of one of the planet’s foremost premium brands.
Trouble is, that popularity often results in a loss of exclusivity but fortunately it’s a problem which Sportech can help owners solve – not single-handedly, but with the help of acclaimed bodywork specialist Lorinser.
"Lorinser has been around since before the Second World War and has made tuning products for the Mercedes-Benz SL since the first generation was introduced in 1954,” explains Sportech boss Chad Wentzel. “The car currently on sale is the facelift of the fifth generation and like its predecessors is proving to be very popular. As a result, many buyers love to personalise their cars and there are literally dozens of possibilities in the bodykit department.”
Because of its reputation for build precision coupled to a tasteful yet still daring interpretation of how a customised SL should look, Sportech has opted for Lorinser and can offer the kit as seen here for R250 000 including painting and fitting in the company’s modern Johannesburg facility.
The front of the standard SL is quite conservative and the there was plenty of room for improvement. The new spoiler/bumper assembly is characterised by three enlarged openings, with mesh grille inserts. The spoiler ‘sword’ (the indented section directly below the nose of the car) adding a menacing element. The spoiler flows seamlessly into the widely-flared Lorinser fenders, which add some 50 mm to the total width of the car. The three-pointed star in the centre of the single –bar grille has been replaced by the ‘Lorinser’ script while the backdrop is an open mesh pattern.
“I particularly like what Lorinser has done with the sides of the car,” says Wentzel, “and the treatment of the air vents behind the front wheelarches and the cooling ducts ahead of the rear wheels is very classy. The car has a lovely ground-hugging stance which transforms the SL’s composed look into something much more aggressive – especially when the car has its roof closed!”
It all culminates in a rear end which is full of energy and the new rear bumper draws its inspiration from the nose and flanks. The bottom section features a pronounced diffuser, flanked by a pair of exhaust outlets either side. The finishing touch comes in the form of a subtle winglet on the trailing edge of the boot lid, which follows the curve of the sheetmetal down to the outer edges of the lid.
Needless to say, fitting such an extraordinary bodykit and leaving the wheels and tyres unchanged would be a bit like going to a black tie dinner with velskoen on your feet and Sportech is able to supply a range of 19 and 20 inch mags – with premium tyre brands to suit – from the world’s finest makers of light alloy wheels.
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