The SLK was a treat for both of us, a gorgeously refined craft far outside our workaday worlds, and I took it on a passel of favorite winding roads in the Phoenix vicinity. Fast, with 300-plus horsepower, and sharply maneuverable, the two-seat Mercedes easily handled whatever I dished out.
A set of 18-inch AMG alloy wheels enhances the racy styling of the SLK. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz) Arriving back in the driveway much later than originally intended, I raised the roof as Leo tumbled out. ?I don?t know if I?ll be able to wipe this grin off my face,? he said.
The third-generation SLK, Mercedes? little roadster with the retractable hardtop, certainly is grin inducing. New for 2012, SLK presents a more evocative image and crisper driving character than the model it replaces. With a dash of aggressive styling from the SLS AMG supercar, SLK also loses some of its chick-car stigma to become a fitting competitor to the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4.
I liked the second edition of SLK, feeling that it had stepped up its sporty image with a roomier, better-developed design than the wedgy, toylike original. This new model is another step up, more racy and more rakish, a more-effective head-turner and more fun to drive.
In its press material, Mercedes folk state that the new SLK channels the character of the 190SL from the 1950s, which was an affordable alternative to the exotic 300SL roadster. But the 190SL was something of a poseur with slack performance from its simple four-cylinder engine, especially compared with the power and sophistication of the 300SL.
Despite its 3,400-pound heft, SLK350 is agile and responsive in the corners. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz) SLK is so much more than that. It?s a fully developed sports car that may be smaller than the SL500 convertible but not lesser. Just different. The 302-horsepower V6 is muscular and sounds great, and the firm suspension feels race-track ready. Power is up 34 horsepower for the new direct-injection engine over the previous V6 model, as is fuel mileage.
In typical Mercedes fashion, SLK is as solid as a burgermeister. It?s kind of heavy at 3,400 pounds, with the roof and mechanism providing some of that heft. It?s also laden with refinement and an abundance of luxury features, thick carpets and trim, and electronic gadgets. Top up, SLK is as snug as any premium coupe. Top down, SLK takes on a more adventurous character, ready to romp and show off its sporty style.
A major plus for the SLK in my personal book is that I fit in it so well. I?m a long-legged 6-foot-6, and too many roadsters make me feel crunched behind the wheel. I wasn?t exactly lounging in the SLK, but I didn?t feel too cramped either.
The interior seems very high quality, also in Mercedes fashion, solid and well-designed with decent driver interface with the electronic features. One complaint: for such a brilliantly engineered car, why couldn?t they design cupholders that hold cups instead of spilling them? Just asking.
One feature not included on the test car was the highly touted Magic Sky Roof, new for 2012, which changes its level of sun-blocking tint with the touch of a button. The tester had a fixed-tint glass roof in the convertible hardtop.
Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/driven-mercedes-sharpens-slk350/
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