Here's a little secret you might not have known about the Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing; it turns out that before the SLS AMG became the supercar of our dreams, it was originally pegged to be the next-generation Dodge Viper->ke1404. Hard to come to grips with? Not so much if you really think about it.

According to Inside Line, the car's all-aluminum chassis and new suspension design was already in the oven for the next-gen Viper when Mercedes decided to put the SLS AMG in the development pipeline as well. The big thing to remember here is that, at that time, Daimler still owned Chrysler->ke21 and had the means to borrow some of Chrysler's brand designs, including that of the next-generation Viper.

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Here's where the twist happens. Due to the economic crisis that took the legs out of Chrysler, plans for the next-generation Viper were eventually scrapped and the Daimler-Chrysler alliance fell by the wayside when the former decided to cut ties with the latter, but not without the SLS AMG project continuing. So when plans for the next-generation Viper were halted, the green light was on for the SLS AMG. And the rest, so they say, is automotive history.

As for now, the Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing has become one of the most sought-after supercars in the world while questions surrounding the Dodge Viper's future remain up in the air, although there are already plans on bringing the American sports car back in 2012. In the meantime, we're left thinking just how big of an impact the financial crisis had on the entire auto industry, so much so that it pretty much changed the course of history.

The Mercedes SLS AMG Gullwing - and the history behind it - will certainly attest to that.