![]() Sure, there’s a decent amount of grip available when you chuck the car through a sequence of bends, but it gives you little in the way of feedback through the steering wheel. Nevertheless, even in a manual car, the SLK’s power delivery is unlikely to feel as energetic as that of an Audi TT from the same era. Admittedly, this momentary lag is partly due to the car’s auto-box, which doesn’t particularly like to be rushed into a downshift. ![]() Indeed, if you were hoping to read that the SLK comes across as a proper driver’s car like the Mazda MX-5, then I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.Even with the V6 at its disposal, the SLK doesn’t blow you away until you really mash your foot down on the loud pedal. And in truth, that’s probably the option that suits this car best. The car that I’d be driving, however, was equipped with Mercedes’ ‘5G-Tronic’ automatic transmission instead. Prior to 2001, those powertrains would have been accompanied by a five-speed manual gearbox, whereas later models got a six-speed. The supercharged SLK 200 and SLK 230 Kompressor models are a little livelier though, producing between 160bhp and 195bhp respectively, but still aren’t in the same ballpark as the V6. By comparison, an early SLK 200 churns out just 134hp. Now, although it is a tad heavier than the more common four-cylinder cars, it makes up for the slight extra heft with a claimed 215hp. In this guise, the Merc comes with a 3.2-litre normally aspirated V6. To find out, I got behind the wheel of an SLK 320, which was positioned at the top of the trim level tree. All the right attributes were there on paper, but what about in practice? The SLK was built atop a shrunken version of the C-Class platform, weighed between 11kg depending upon spec, and had an engine range which suggested it could be quite a sporty proposition. The name might be rather unimaginative but, on the surface at least, it certainly seems to be accurate. Naturally, Mercedes also wanted a slice of the pie and the R170 SLK, or ‘ Sportlich Leicht Kurz’ – Sporty Lightweight Short, to you and me – was what they came up with. Models like the Mazda MX-5, MGF and BMW Z3 all performed well on showroom forecourts far better than their modern-day counterparts do. Once upon a time, small convertible sports cars were the rising niche in the automotive market. The new V-6 delivers a stronger punch and is quieter, more refined and more worthy of the brand.The Mercedes SLK was part of a mid-90s flurry of convertible sports cars but has a very different personality to most of its peers The SLK230 is reasonably quick, but the engine is loud and coarse under full throttle not what you expect on a $40,000 car from a luxury maker such as Mercedes. With either engine, the standard transmission is a six-speed manual, and the optional transmission is a five-speed automatic with Touch Shift, which allows changing gears manually by tipping the gear lever left or right.Įlectronic Stability Program (a skid-control system), traction control, antilock brakes and side-impact airbags are standard on both models. The new 3.2-liter V-6 engine produces 215 horsepower, 25 hp more than the supercharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder. The V-6 model also gets power seats, a telescoping steering column, wood interior accents and a leather/wood steering wheel as standard equipment. ![]() Leather bucket seats are standard on both versions of the SLK, and metallic trim replaces carbon fiber dashboard trim on the four-cylinder model. ![]() It stores in the dual-hinged trunk, which opens at the front to accept the roof and at the rear to accept cargo. Pushing a button on the console raises or lowers the articulating top in less than 25 seconds. Operation of the retractable steel hardtop is unchanged. The V-6 SLK320 also has unique five-spoke wheels and a larger front air dam. The 2001 models get several visual changes, including new front and rear aprons, sculpted rocker panels and body-color door handles. With base prices of $38,900 for the SLK230 and $43,900 for the new SLK320, these roadsters are around half the price of Mercedes luxury roadster, the SL, which starts at $82,600. The SLK230 arrived as a 1998 model and the first modern car with a retractable hardtop roof. The new V-6 version joins the SLK230, powered by a supercharged four-cylinder engine. Mercedes gives its rear-drive SLK roadster a new V-6 engine and gets an early start on the 2001 model year with the addition of the SLK320 model. ![]()
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