Sportline ZERO

If the SportLine was an adventure in whether we could, then SportLine Zero was inevitable because we knew we should. Where the original SportLine started with a question, SportLine Zero began with a comment. From that moment on, we simply had to build one… and we don’t use that word lightly. This is not a conversion.

In recent years Electric Vehicle technology has moved out of the left field and into the spotlight. As EVs have become a part of the modern motoring world, the classic car industry has been slow to understand how electric power can benefit the classic sector. When capital cities began to place restrictions on internal combustion engines based on emissions, the market for classic and iconic electric vehicles took root.

As cities embrace greener driving, enthusiasts looking for a more exclusive zero emissions drive began to reach out. Where there was once confusion and apprehension as to how the electric vehicle market might impact the classic car world, now there was clarity and vision. We didn’t need an off the shelf conversion kit for the part time mechanic, the market wanted a perfect representation of an SL, superbly built and not impeded by compromise.

Starting life in 1971, ‘Greta’ arrived at SLSHOP ready for retirement. With the engine missing and a faulty gearbox, this car was finished, left to be scavenged by hungry workshops.

Call it destiny or call it timing, but as this SL rolled to it’s final stop at SLSHOP, Sam Bailey was on hunting for a solid early car to transform. In the true spirit of re-use and recycle, Greta was plucked from the jaws of the mechanics and swiftly relocated to restoration.

Over the course of a year this car was stripped to its core, with every ailment cared for to the highest degree. We wanted the first SportLine Zero to be both a showstopper and a show winner. The modern technology under the bonnet gave it show stopping qualities, while the old fashioned craftsmanship and the way it’s stitched together added show winning credentials.

From the very outset, SportLine Zero was envisioned as an electric SL, built in the true spirit of Mercedes-Benz. It wasn’t just a case of bolting modern power to a classic chassis, we wanted old and new to be incorporated as one.

Every aspect of SportLine Zero has been carefully planned to maintain the handling characteristics of the R107. 

While many other electric classic cars are a modern electric drivetrain with a pretty outer shell, SportLine Zero retains the axles, suspension and driveshaft of the original. Where possible we have used old-fashioned technology to give the car the weighty and handling that R107 owners know and love.

The svelte lines of the R107 make it one of the most timeless and iconic shapes of all time, a cutting edge design that neither dates nor fades. The addition of 10 Tesla batteries makes this the most aesthetically accomplished and technologically capable classic car in the world.

It’s quintessentially Mercedes-Benz… recharged.

Pull the chrome door handle, sidle yourself across the leather and find a comfortable position, reach for the luxurious padded door pull… wait for the reassuring thud as one of Stuttgart’s all time greats envelops you in a luxurious cocoon. Strap yourself in, focus on the horizon and turn the key…

There’s a faint electrical hum as the car comes to life, rising to a subdued and barely audible crescendo. A red light on the dashboard indicates all is well and the LED gauge that used to be a temperature dial shows battery levels.

Weighing roughly the same as a standard R107 SL, the car is balanced front to back by an even split of batteries shared between the boot and bonnet. The electrics and running gear are all smartly hidden, leaving no clues to the cars potential other than the dials, a non-standard gear selector and charging plug beneath the fuel flap.

Unlike a traditional internal combustion engine, the electric motor requires no time to come to life. There’s no delay while fluids warm and belts churn. Once the key is in the ignition, the SL is ready to be enjoyed. Although we don’t call it the ignition, because there’s nothing to ignite…

Mounted in the front and rear of the car are 53kWh of Tesla batteries, powering a 150hp 213lb.ft electric motor. This is more than enough power for an SL and offers 150 miles of range – perfect for the average enthusiast. 

The SportLine Zero uses standard R107 axles, driving though a manual transmission, which you can pop into second gear and drive like a conventional two-pedal automatic.

Push the throttle and the SportLine Zero delivers it’s power delicately. We’ve chosen to dial down the acceleration at slow speeds to more closely match the R107, giving it an organic and less robotic feel to EVs you may have driven. It offers 0-60 sprint times similar to the original, but the performance can be refined and adjusted to suit the owner. Don’t be deceived by the classic looks, this is a quick and capable car.

As you push the throttle further the acceleration keeps on coming, all kept in check by Mercedes-Benz R107 SportLine suspension and brakes. We used as much of the original components that make up the R107, because the feeling and the aesthetic are closely linked to the overall experience.

The car still feels weighty and substantial, a key aspect of the famously over-engineered R107. Have we lost the soul or created an all-new sensation? We’ll let motoring journalist Quentin Wilson answer that one – he was one of the first non SLSHOP staff to drive the SportLine Zero:

“This electric SL can really shift… the sheer ingenuity of engineering this old Merc to drive so well on battery power eclipsed my nostalgia for its traditional powerplant… I was repeatedly struck at how captivating it felt’ (Excerpt from Classic Cars, April 2020 – Read the full article here)

“What’s also quickly apparent is how natural it all feels, like the SL should have always been powered like this.” (Excerpt from Daily Telegraph, April 2020 – Read the full article here)

We’ve gone the distance to build an electric powered SL, not an electric car that looks like an SL.

What began as our dream can now be your reality – the order books are open. Even before the ink dried on our electric car brochure we began seeing enquiries from around the world, interested parties who had caught wind of the SportLine Zero project and wanted to be involved.

Electric Vehicles have now moved out of the shadows and firmly into the limelight, and as daily drivers, they are certainly here to stay. Many capital cities around the world are now increasing the restrictions on emissions, so why let that impact your classic car enjoyment? 

At the time of writing there are 21 towns with low emissions zones, including London and Edinburgh. Worldwide the trend is increasing, with European cities embracing clean air zones and pushing petrol heads out of key cities. We don’t believe this should be the end of classic car enjoyment in these places, we believe it presents an opportunity to make the ultimate statement of style, sophistication and forward thinking.

As with our SportLine collaborations, a SportLine Zero project is a joint undertaking between SLSHOP and yourself. This is not an off the shelf product, this is a custom build, finished to your specification. Everything can be set to your exact requirements, from the finish of the cabin, to the paint and chrome, down to the way the car handles and accelerates. Choose from a range of standard SL or SportLine touches, the finest materials and set your own palette when it comes to colour.

It doesn’t just have to be an R107, either. 

Picture the delicate lines of Paul Bracq’s Pagoda drifting silently along the lawn at your local Rotary Club show, electric motor humming along giving an air of dignity while packing more acceleration than even the 280SL ever managed. 

Or the sweeping, curvaceous lines of that 1950s fashion icon, the 190SL. A timeless shape that’s stylistically future proof, freed from the shackles of its ancient four-cylinder engine and instead using electric power to bring beauty to the world?

We have the expertise and the know how to build your dream classic electric Mercedes-Benz, whether that’s an R107, a W113 Pagoda, a W121 190SL or something else. We have donor cars ready and waiting, the only limit is your imagination… 

Should it be Nautic Blue, Classic White, Impala Brown or Icon Gold? Will you follow our lead on the subdued acceleration or would you like to be a bearer of traffic light surprises? 

Whatever path you choose for your electric SL, we are excited to start working on your very own SportLine Zero.