JIMS 2011: MERCEDES-BENZ STAND REVEALS NEXT A-CLASS, TOPLESS SLS AMG

Three years ago Mercedes-Benz debuted the SL 65 AMG Black Series at JIMS, which was then known as Auto Africa. This time the company’s centre piece is a family car. It’s the upcoming A-Class in concept form. Quite the hottie is this thing, as it features a new, sleek and coupe-like design that will square up much more closely with the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3.

A-Class is not expected on showroom floors for another 2 years but the concept did showcase what it’s likely to look like. There will even be an official AMG version for the first time, whose maximum power output is certainly going to be more than 240kW.

So strong is the A-Class’s presence at JIMS that it even overshadowed the world debut of a right-hand-drive SLS AMG Roadster. In fact, it was the older “gullwing” coupe that seemed to gather more attention, very much thanks to those iconic doors. SLS AMG Coupe remains the fastest carever tested by IN4RIDE.

Another great attraction at the Merc stand is the red C 63 AMG Coupe with its black wheels. It will soon hit local dealerships at a price that is just under R1 million. Disappointingly we did not see the Black Series model, or even that CLS Shooting Brake concept at that stand.