Come next year German Automaker Mercedes-Benz and British sports car manufacturer will part ways when the current agreement expires. The two companies were responsible for the Mercedes McLaren SLR roadster.

“The partnership ends in 2009 and it will not be renewed”, a Mercedes spokesman said.

Reports also suggest a new flagship premium roadster in the making called the SLC which will come in 2010 and will replace the SLR. The car will be built by Mercedes’s in-house performance unit AMG at company’s Sindelfingen plant, near Stuttgart, Germany.

Colin Couchman, a London-based auto analyst for Global Insight said that the German automaker needs this “halo” model to emphasize its reputation for engineering excellence.

“The Mercedes ethos has always been to be at the forefront of technology. In the past few years, the company has been distracted by other areas of its business while neglecting the top end of its lineup. They want to make up for lost time,” Couchman said.

According to Couchman, the high price of the SLR limited its sales. Mercedes have sold 1,577 SLR’s worldwide since its launch in 2003. The car also suffered technical issues with SLR being one of the model which was recalled in 2006 when the company recalled 680,000 cars.

In 2006, Mercedes-Benz  USA recalled 433 SLR’s for overheating problems.

Source: Automotive News