From the spy shooters at Brenda Priddy & Company:
Mercedes is preparing its SL sports-roadster for the last half decade before its replacement arrives in 2013. While it underwent a minor facelift last year, modifications for this major overhaul seem to be quite radical and will include an all-new front with a new bumper, air intakes, grille and headlights—the latter reminiscent of those on the CLS four-door coupe.
Some speculate that the car, snapped here testing in Stuttgart, would be a test mule for the entirely new successor of today’s SL, but that’s is very unlikely as mules do not normally have thinly disguised tails, as seen on this prototype. They’re usually either heavily disguised—or not at all. Instead, we reckon the taillights and the bumper of this facelifted model will be slightly re-designed as well—and that's the actual the reason for the black tape on the SL’s rear end.
As Mercedes has always kept engines of the SL up-to-date, we do not expect to change much under the hood.
Photo Credit: Brenda Priddy