Whoa. That was our first reaction when we saw this news, uncovered by Autoblog. If you have a watchful eye, there is a lot that can be learned from filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Those in the technology sector know this in particular; bloggers try to guess Apple’s next moves or future introductions by scouring the site for new filings. Car manufacturers also file things with the USPTO all the time.
Some are outliers just to cover the bases, others are things that signal production models – such as new names and technologies. When looking, Autoblog came across some big news – a patent filing for a four-door Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Yes, you read that right. As expected, this car would be anything but a traditional four-door sedan. The SLS has gullwing doors, meriting an unconventional layout if that design trait is to be retained. The filing shows an SLS that sees its wheelbase stretched a bit, adding a set of smaller rear doors.
The doors would be positioned behind the existing gull wings. Aesthetically we aren’t sure how that would work out, but we’re sure Mercedes would figure it out just right. Judging by the drawings, space back there would be far from cavernous – more like a 2+2. That put it on par with the Aston Martin Rapide.
Autoblog reached out to Mercedes, and in typical automaker fashion they responded that they don’t comment on future product possibilities. There is no denial about this though, which is very interesting. The accompanying support documents are in German and include production-like comments on structural rigidity and weight gains due to the added doors and wheelbase stretch.
The renderings could be for a concept but we think a production car like this would just be insanely cool – and something entirely from left-field. Build it Mercedes!
