German Car Zone

Mercedes might launch a small roadster in 2011. The new toy would compete with the Mazda MX5 and potentially also the BMW Z2 and Lancia Fulvia. It is not the first time that such a project has been mentioned, but the technical choices made for the next A-Class are more favorable to a convertible body than in the past.
Indeed, the future small Mercedes will share components with the new C-Class: rear wheel drive and front engines. The next A-Class will also lose the patented “Sandwich“ floor. Apart from its high production cost, this particular floor does not allow Mercedes to extend the range as easily as BMW is able to with the 1-Series. Today a small roadster would require a specific platform, making it hard to break-even with a low production figure.
Mercedes revealed a concept car called SLA at the 2000 Detroit Motor Show. 148“ long, it took inspiration from the SLR roadster but with an astonishing bonnet and surprising front lights. The rear-end was more conventional with a luggage carrier. Inside the layout was minimalistic: a wheel, a gearstick and a few buttons. The SLA had a 1.9 litre engine with an modest output of 123 bhp.
Source: Autozeitung

MB tried the small roadster segment with the Smart roadster and failed badly, maybe this time with the three pointed star, people will take it more seriousely.

The Smart Roadster was basically an overpriced toy which should have been sold at Toy'R'us.

^lol,well i can't imagine somehting smaller than the SLK coz it's already small enough!

Interior looks pretty classy... other than that, simply not so hot.

Those pictures are of the Vision SLA Concept presented in 2000 Detroit Motor Show so the small roaster, if makes it to production, should look very different.

This is the one car I would love to design, I already have most of it figured out.
Simple basic roadster, Slightly smaller then the SLK, soft top, not too many options. A basic drivers car.

I agree, it seems almost pointless to me.

That is exactly what it would have to be, not a mere minature SLK/SL, but a serious and pure sports car with a manual and like you say a cloth top. I don't see this one getting off the ground though, unless the SLK is taken upmarket just a bit. This roadster if done right would be better off as a Smart in the U.S. not a Mercedes.

I'd like to see another derivative of the S-Class platform, like a giant CLS. I want Mercedes to come up with another unique car, a segment maker like the CLS was and the R-Class was supposed to be.

M