This is what you get when you combine freedom and creativity
Restomodding is all the rage these days and the way we see it, the trend is here to stay as it allows the grease monkeys to improve their favourite classic cars with modern technology and equipment based on their own ideas. Furthermore, the builders are not bound by any constraints when it comes to restoring old cars. Well, except maybe financial. Other than that, the sky is the limit.
John Sarkisyan or Slang500 as he calls himself is no stranger to this realm as his company, S-Klub has built several eye-catching restomods over the last few years. The most famous one so far is the 300 SL Gullwing built in 2018. But it seems that the winged classic is set to lose its popularity to Sarkisyan’s latest creation – the 300 SL Speedster.
Of course, Mercedes-Benz never officially made a 300 SL Speedster so Sarkisyan went on and built himself one. Although the finished product looks very much a like a genuine 300 SL with some modifications done to it, this car actually started life as a 2002 SLK 32 AMG. The shell is made entirely of fibreglass and Sarkisyan had no problem fitting it on top of the SLK’s chassis as it turned out that both cars have an identical wheelbase measurement.
You might be bummed out knowing that underneath this beautiful piece of machinery is not an actual 300 SL but note that Sarkisyan still managed to get his hands on a number of OEM parts such as the badges, grille, headlight bezels, turn signals, to name a few. Interestingly, the windshield was sourced from a Porsche 356 Speedster. To complement the over fenders, HRE wheels wrapped in wide Toyo tyres are used.
As you can see, the whole interior is upholstered in red leather with some sections decorated in plaid. The dashboard is original but has been modified to accommodate the windscreen, while the seats are carried over from the Porsche. Perhaps the coolest feature (apart from the copper gear knob) here is the three-spoke steering wheel custom made for this project by Budnik. A billet adapter had to be installed to create some space between the steering wheel and the dashboard.
Right behind the cabin, hidden beneath a motorised deck lid is custom McIntosh sound system. Just like the cabin, the whole compartment is upholstered in luxurious red leather. The same material can also be found in the boot, where the battery and pumps for the air-lift system are stored.
Powering the 300 SL Speedster is an AMG 3.2-litre V6 supercharged engine taken from the SLK 32. As if the fact that it breathes through side-exit exhausts wasn’t cool enough, Sarkisyan decided to upgrade it with some copper piping. The output is not disclosed but in its standard form, the engine makes a healthy 354 hp and 450 Nm of torque, which should be more than enough for something that would live most of its life as a show car rather than a canyon carver.
So, what do you think of Slang500’s 300 SL Speedster? Is it a little bit over the top or done just right? Whatever your opinion is, the car will definitely turn heads everywhere it goes.
