Retro looks, modern AMG performance, all in a custom package. Check out this super slick SEMA 360 ‘Builder’s Showcase’ entry.
Cloning a $1M Car? Mercedes 300SL With a Modern Engine/Chassis
While SEMA this year is a little bit different, we wanted to take a minute to highlight one of the coolest cars in the SEMA360 Builder’s Showcase. Larry Chen did a video for Hoonigan AutoFocus that shows off the most accurate Mercedes 300SL clone on earth. The car you see in this video was created by disassembling a true 300SL, and molding and recreating every panel of the car. So while it is made from fiberglass, this SL is dimensionally perfect. It is so accurate, that factory Mercedes parts still fit. The glass, grille and lots of the exterior trim is all direct from Mercedes.
Where this car splits from the original Gullwing is the platform and drivetrain. Look under the recreated skin and you will find the bones of a 2002 Mercedes SLK 32 AMG. Very little of it is stock, of course. Custom wheels from HRE, sized to exactly fit the car, hide upgrades brakes. Look a little deeper and you will find a fully upgraded suspension setup from KW.
Move into the cabin and the same level of unbelievable detail fills the interior. Everything is covered in custom diamond-stitched blue leather, and the blending of old and new pieces is exquisite. The seats are real buckets direct from a 300SL, but the gauges are all from the SLK, mounted to a custom dash in the center of the car. In the rear is a large leather trunk in matching blue leather, but rather than a removable piece of luggage, it is actually a housing for the massive Macintosh audio system hidden inside the car.
It is a Hoonigan video, so the whole thing ends up with some rolling shots and then a huge a burnout. If you are want to enjoy a little bit of SEMA magic from your own home, give this video a play and bask in the glory of the greatest Mercedes 300SL clone ever created. It is a true work of art in every sense of the word, and we can’t wait to see what other magical creations we can find during this year’s online-only SEMA event.
