Structural safety still plays a significant role in the development and optimization of vehicle safety. This fact is reflected by the increase of rating and mandatory requirements like the revised FMVSS 208 and recently introduced small overlap test protocols. Related safety measures could lead to a major conflict when it comes to weight issues with impact on fuel efficiency and costs. To resolve this challenging conflict as far as possible, targeted measures such as innovative technical solutions and intelligent development methods are required. This paper will present an innovative vehicle safety and structure concept as well as balancing measures by the example of the new Mercedes- Benz SL roadster. The SL integrates an allaluminum body and is the first mass-production Mercedes employing this type of design. Making the entire bodyshell from aluminum reduces the weight of the cell by 24 percent. Viewed across the entire life cycle (including the manufacturing phase), the new bodyshell concept of the SL reduces CO2 emissions by 15 percent over the predecessor model. This innovative structure concept gives rise to a lightweight occupant cell with pronounced structural rigidity for high structural performance. It facilitates a light yet stable cell compound for a highly rigid occupant cell. This concept leads for example to good results in frontal small overlap tests without any additional measures. The crash test program for the development of the bodyshell was effectively supplemented with targeted simulations based on CAE methods. Therefore existing CAE methods had to be augmented to accommodate the lightweight construction of the new SL. Among the structural safety the SL has a wide portfolio of safety measures with respect to the Mercedes Benz integrated safety concept.