![]() At the touch of a button on the console, five hydraulic cylinders spring into action and 25 seconds later, the two metal panels making up the roof slot sweetly into place. The car's piece de resistance, however, has to be that 'accordion' roof, combining as it does all the advantages of a fixed-head coupe with those of an open-topped convertible. There's no flab here Mercedes has created the stiffest bodyshell in the class, so it's no surprise to find that this in turn makes the car the safest of its kind. But leicht? At around 1,360kg, this is a much more substantial piece of metal than you'd expect for a sports car of this price. The newer two-litre hits 60mph in just under eight seconds on the way to 139mph, the revised 2.3 takes seven seconds while the top speed is 149mph and the new V6 hits 60mph in 6.7 seconds and lunges on to a 152mph top speed.Ĭompact too is an accurate description - though unlike cheaper roadsters, the cockpit is far from being cramped. Sporty you can easily agree with the 2.3-litre supercharged Kompressor engine (lifted from the C-class) makes sixty in eight seconds on the way to 141mph. Stuttgart says that 'SLK' stands for sportlich, leicht and kompakt - sporty, light and compact. It isn't only the price which puts it in a different class from Alfa Spiders, Z3s, MGFs and MX-5s, it's the sheer depth of ability designed in from the outset. Others hail the wedge-shaped profile with its steeply raked screen and stubby C-class-style taillights as a modern piece of automotive art.īut if the SLK isn't really an SL, you couldn't really call it an affordable roadster either. Some see the retro-style body bulges as reminiscent of the great Mercedes 300SL from the Fifties. You wouldn't guess that from looking at the photographs - but that's only because Michael Mauer's styling is so well proportioned, often delicate yet in places, downright purposeful. Moreover, in the metal, it's a much smaller car, four inches shorter than an Escort and only six inches longer than a Fiesta. You could see this as a smaller version of the SL, but really the SLK appeals to a younger, more aggressive style of customer, a fact which, to be fair, appears to be borne out by the bulging order book. The range was finally replaced by an all-new SLK model in 2004. In early 2001 the rapid SLK32 AMG was offered for sale. Inside, there was new turned aluminium trim, new steering wheel, revised instruments and improved sports seats with electric operation on the SLK230 and 320. The engineers sharpened up the handling, enlarged the fuel tank, moved the indicator repeaters to the door mirrors and restyled the bumpers, grille and side mouldings. #MERCEDES BENZ KOMPRESSOR MANUAL#These came with a new six-speed manual gearbox or an optional five-speed automatic with Tiptronic-like clutchless manual operation as well as Mercedes' ESP traction control system and Speedtronic cruise control. #MERCEDES BENZ KOMPRESSOR PLUS#Until April 2000 it was only available in one form: with the C-class's four cylinder 2.3-litre supercharged 'Kompressor' engine under the bonnet and an automatic gearbox.Īt that point, Mercedes' response to critics of their 'underpowered' sports car was a revised and expanded range with 2.0 and 2.3-litre supercharged four-cylinder engines plus a 3.2-litreV6. The car was originally launched on the British market in November 1996. There are quite a few about now but values remain surprisingly firm. On the used market, that appeal still holds good. Models like the SLK roadster have given the Stuttgart maker a completely new - and accessible - sporting image. A prestigious Mercedes-Benz sportscar used to require a lottery win. ![]()
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