After a few months of hiding, our spy photographers have once again caught up wit the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL. Seen here undergoing some cold weather testing in Sweden with the current SL, the next-gen SL looks like it will take some design cues from the Mercedes AMG SLS.

Despite some heavy plastic cladding, the car’s classic layout is still visible. The relatively long front and rear overhangs, along with a retractable metal roof, will remain key features on this SL. New to the SL will be the upright front grille, owed to new pedestrian-protection rules in the EU. We expect the final car to have a somewhat more elegant location for the third brake light.

Unlike today’s model, which is built in the Bremen, Germany factory, the next generation will be built in Stuttgart – partly helping to save jobs that are endangered by Mercedes’ plan to outsource production of the C-Class to the United States.

It is far too early to speculate which engines will make into the next SL, as even Mercedes-Benz likely hasn’t fully committed to any single set of engines, but we do know that there is a strong suggestion that Mercedes-Benz will abandon the use of V12 engines – adding one engine to list of non-candidates for the next SL.

We hear this 2012 SL may very well debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, but confirmation is still at least a year away. We’ll keep you updated as the details and spy photos trickle in.

Spy Images