Soft-top Mercedes SLS spied

These are clearest pictures yet of the long-rumoured open-top version of the Mercedes-Benz SLS.

It’s expected to be launched at the Frankfurt motor show in a year’s time, but as far as we can tell from the photos, it won’t have a folding hard top. Instead, reports suggest that the roof will be electrically operated and made of canvas, with an aluminium frame underneath.

As a result, we expect that this open-top version won't weigh significantly more than the existing coupe. Assuming it retains the current car’ 6.2-litre V8 engine, that means it should be pretty much as quick as the coupe, which blasts from 0-60mph in less than four seconds and has a top speed of almost 200mph.

Where the soft-top does differ from the coupe is that it has conventional front-hinged doors, while the pictures also show that there are rollover hoops behind the seats to give extra safety.

There is no word yet on when the car will go on sale or how much it will cost. However, given that it will be shown for the first time at next year’s Frankfurt show, and that the coupe costs £157,500, we expect to see it in showrooms in late 2011 with a price of at least £170,000.

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