1997 was the year the Germans brought Roadsters back to the market. Perhaps offended by the MX5 that Mazda has marketed succesfully prior to that. Porsche launched it's Boxster, BMW added the Z3, and Mercedes Benz introduced the SLK.
The first impression the SLK gave to the public was that it was going to be the cheaper version of the then succesful SL coupe, with a small 4-cylinder supercharged (Kompressor) engine, and at almost half the price. The coupe was famous for it's power-folding hardtop, which easily stow in it's trunk at a touch of a button.
The first impression the SLK gave to the public was that it was going to be the cheaper version of the then succesful SL coupe, with a small 4-cylinder supercharged (Kompressor) engine, and at almost half the price. The coupe was famous for it's power-folding hardtop, which easily stow in it's trunk at a touch of a button.
The SLK took off quite well since it was officially launched in 1997, more powerful V6 engines were also added later on to make the SLK more fun to drive.
Finally, the SLK was redesigned with 'F1 nose' in 2004. Today, Mercedes is preparing for the third generation SLK, dued in 2011. From the spy shots we received, the new coupe kinda remind us of the Mercedes SLS supercar.
The 2011 SLK is said to have a longer front end, in to pass the new Pedestrian Protection law in Europe. The trunk has been enlarged by about 12% for more storage, as it's hardroof are taking lots of the space. The new coupe will have a weight loss of about 200 pounds, for better performance and fuel efficiency, I guess. Aside from those, the usual high tech Mercedes stuffs such as Night Vision, Lane Departure Warning and Active Cruise Control should be included. Engines wise, it is predicted that the new SLK will come with a brand new 2.2-Liter 4 cylinder diesel from the C class sedans. Some said that a 300 horsepower 3.0-liter twin turbo V-6 may be available upon launching late next year. A hybrid edition may be offered post 2012.
Finally, the SLK was redesigned with 'F1 nose' in 2004. Today, Mercedes is preparing for the third generation SLK, dued in 2011. From the spy shots we received, the new coupe kinda remind us of the Mercedes SLS supercar.
The 2011 SLK is said to have a longer front end, in to pass the new Pedestrian Protection law in Europe. The trunk has been enlarged by about 12% for more storage, as it's hardroof are taking lots of the space. The new coupe will have a weight loss of about 200 pounds, for better performance and fuel efficiency, I guess. Aside from those, the usual high tech Mercedes stuffs such as Night Vision, Lane Departure Warning and Active Cruise Control should be included. Engines wise, it is predicted that the new SLK will come with a brand new 2.2-Liter 4 cylinder diesel from the C class sedans. Some said that a 300 horsepower 3.0-liter twin turbo V-6 may be available upon launching late next year. A hybrid edition may be offered post 2012.
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