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Mercedes-Benz CLK320 Cabriolet comes out of a stunning coupe
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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CAPO SANTA MARIA, Italy -- A serpentine strip of asphalt hugs limestone cliffs along the Adriatic coast in southern Italy, site of recent tests driving the CLK320 Cabriolet, a stunning new convertible issued by Germany's Mercedes-Benz.
The Mediterranean sun shines hard from a vivid blue sky on this arid landscape dotted by ancient olive groves, and the sea reflects the sky's intense color in shimmering highlights. There's no way for driver to check the view, however, because we're hanging the nose of one Cabriolet only a meter behind the tail of another as both cars charge with surprising agility around serious curves cast hundreds of feet above the water.
At the cape of Santa Maria de Leuca, southern tip of Italy's boot heel, both cars stop so drivers may catch a breath and assimilate the heady experience of pushing these Mercedes convertibles to the edge of sporty performance.
Already, the drive had taken us from cobbled streets of baroque Lecce, capital of Apulia, and down divided Route 16 at high speed to the Adriatic at Otranto, where the undulating coast road revealed the firm stance yet compliant nature of CLK320 Cabriolet.
Parked beneath the cape's lighthouse, the twin cars appear as a sensuous statement of curvaceous automotive design. A bold front end reflects forms of the E320 sedan with four articulated oval headlamps separating a bright chrome grille capped by the Mercedes tri-star emblem.
Every angle exaggerates the aerodynamic fluidity of motion: Grille tilts back further than on the E sedan, headlamps skew more vertically to narrow the shape, the hood slopes more seriously and windshield cants to the extreme to achieve a low line for the convertible's lid when up.
A cloth soft top, in three layers draped over an aluminum frame, stows beneath a metal bonnet by motorized means. With top down, CLK looks slick and aggressive, its bonnet flashing airdome bulges like a vintage race car.
When raised, the top has an interior lining which resembles a hardtop.
Open the door and a luxurious interior treatment expands across leather-clad front bucket seats and two etched rear spaces, with seats separated by console and touches of burl walnut wood splashed as decoration.
The cockpit will look and feel familiar to anyone acquainted with the ergonomic nuances of a Mercedes-Benz sedan, with power toggle controls in standard positions. An instrument cluster, tucked beneath an arched brow, shows the large tachometer front and center, with all instruments set in easy-read black-on-white graphics.
This dazzling new car, built on the Mercedes C Class compact chassis and derived directly from the CLK320 coupe, represents a new 1999 4-person personal luxury convertible pitched at an entry point of $47,200.
It contains the same powerful V6 engine as the CLK coupe, along with a sophisticated 5-speed electronic automatic shifter. Both spin off a platform developed first for the SLK230 hardtop/convertible roadster.
Designs for convertibles trace through lore of Dailmer and Benz back to the Twenties with the 1928 SSK supercharged roadster. The last 4-seat open car from Mercedes was the pricy E320 Cabriolet offered from 1993 to 1995.
Instead of simply lopping the roof off a CLK320 coupe and adding a ragtop, the CLK320 Cabriolet was designed as a convertible from the outset, using rigorous Mercedes standards for performance and safety regarding rigidity of chassis and integrity of structure.
To construct the convertible, Mercedes first produces primary structural components at an assembly plant in Bremen, Germany, then ships the parts to Karmann Coachworks in Osnabruck for assembly. The body returns to Bremen for painting, then bounces back to Osnabruck for installation of interior components and final assembly.
It feels solid, despite the absence of a roof's unifying structure, mimicking the stability and rigidity of a sports coupe rather than the usually loosy-goosy drop-top.
This stiffness quickly became apparent while driving across the heel of Italy, where potholes seem to outnumber olive trees in the absence of road repair crews. Even the roughest route failed to rattle this car, which achieves a new high mark for torsional rigidity.
It sets a convertible standard for safety systems too.
Safety begins with a strong framework of steel with front and rear crunch zones and reinforced side bracing. Dual frontal airbags plus door-mounted side airbags are in place, as is a front passenger seat with the Mercedes BabySmart system which disables the passenger's-side airbag when a child is aboard or infant seat installed.
An on-board anti-theft system prevents the vehicle from operating with unauthorized ignition key.
Further, power-assisted disc brakes link to anti-lock system and traction control, and there's also the innovation of Brake Assist on hand, which automatically applies full brake force during panic stops to decrease stopping distances by 45 percent.
For rollover protection, CLK uses integrated steel roll bars buried below rear-seat head restraints in a spring-loaded mechanism which will deploy in milliseconds if on-board sensors detect a potential roll.
Regarding power, this Mercedes can fly when unleashed.
It stocks the new Mercedes V6 engine, which represents a shift from in-line to high-tech V format. The single-cam 3.2-liter aluminum plant develops 215 horsepower in concert with the 5-speed electronic automatic transmission.
A notchy shift gate mounted on the center console allows driver to run up or down the gears with control of a manual stick.
Thanks to a modest overall weight gain of 410 pounds for convertible hardware and structural bracing, the car does not suffer any appreciable loss of acceleration compared against the coupe. It runs from zero to 60 mph in only 7.7 seconds and achieves a top speed, electronically blocked due to limitations of tires, of 130 mph.
Standard CLK Cabriolet assets include the 3-layer power top and a 3-piece wind deflector which fits behind front seats with top down. Also, there are power adjustments for front seats with memory functions, an automatic climate system with dust filtration, and a 7-speaker Bose auto system pre-wired for cell phone and compact disc player.
Options limit to electronic stability system, headlamp washers, heated front seats and 6-disc CD changer.
1999 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK320 CABRIOLET
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 320 CABRIOLET Specs |
| Description: |
Compact luxury convertible |
| Model Options: |
Compact luxury convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
105.9 inches |
| Overall Length: |
180.2 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.2-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/5 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
18/26 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 47,200 |
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