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Mercedes-Benz SLK350 pop-top turns into a serious sports car
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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PORTLAND, Ore. -- At Portland International Raceway, a loop track spread over Oregon-side shoals of the Columbia River, the sleek two-seat SLK350 sports car from Mercedes-Benz of Germany flies down the first straightaway in a compelling demonstration of strength and power.
From a starting line at the top of the straight, which stretches for almost half a mile, this new car in fresh second-generation format rips to the speedometer's mark of 60 mph in only a tick or two over five seconds.
By the time we rein it to prepare for the first set of turns, we're racing well into the triple-digit speed zone with the stiff SLK chassis riding low against the asphalt in rock-stable pose.
Then, in swift sidestep sequence through a three-kink chicane with Z-rated rubber squawking, this one shows us how agile and athletic it can act.
Whip, zip, rip -- it charges around those corners.
We continue through all 12 turns on the 1.94-mile circuit, but by now we're convinced: Mercedes has taken SLK the roadster, cast initially as a cute pop-top suited for boulevard cruising, and transformed it into a serious but fun-to-drive sports car.
It looks serious too.
The aggressive pointed prow of SLK350 is a design that mimics styling of a carbon-fiber Mercedes supercar, the scissor-door SLR McLaren tabbed upwards of $400,000.
SLK's prow features oversized headlamp clusters on front corners and an exaggerated round tri-star Mercedes emblem posted front and center, with special fins bisecting the flanking radiator grille ports and a broad air intake vent in the low fascia sandwiched between foglamps.
Body lines are classic for a roadster with a long front hood that sweeps up the steep rake of a windscreen and over the two-seat cockpit to a brief boot in back.
But there's more: Mercedes takes the concept of a breezy ragtop roadster one step beyond the expected with SLK by adding a hardtop that folds origami-fashion and tucks away in the trunk.
The transformation from a weather-tight hardtop coupe to airy convertible is a high-tech operation that takes only 22 seconds.
By flicking a single console switch (or optional remote-control tab on the ignition key), the car employs hydraulic cylinders and electric motors to drop sideglass windows, pop the rear deck lid, pleat the roof and fold it flat in the trunk, then apply a smooth bonnet trailing integrated roll bars positioned behind seatbacks.
With the hardtop up, SLK's trunk capacity is good for a roadster -- at 9.8 cubic feet it rivals some compact sedans. Dropping the top trims trunk volume to 6.5 cubic feet due to the stowed and pleated top.
There's more room in the cabin as well because SLK rides on a new platform with the wheelbase extended by 1.2 inches in length.
The body size also expands.
It's three inches longer than the predecessor SLK and wider by two and a half inches.
Independent suspension elements are tuned for tight control and sporty traits.
Components include a three-link design up front with MacPherson struts and coil springs, while at the rear there's a five-link arrangement with anti-lift and anti-squat geometry, plus a stabilizer bar.
Steering mechanism switches to a direct and responsive rack and pinion system.
SLK also stocks an array of computerized electronic hardware for vehicle control and safety.
There are devices aboard to stabilize forward movement and tire traction, rollover sensors to gird for an impending accident, plus smart brakes with anti-lock (ABS) and brake assist (BAS) systems.
With the electronic stability program (ESP), sensors measure wheel speed and lateral acceleration and can brake an individual wheel to correct potential skidding or spinning of the car.
Also, SLK carries multiple air bags to cushion the human cargo including new seat-mounted air bags for shielding head and thorax regions of riders in the two seats, even air bags to protect the knees.
Nomenclature for SLK conforms to the alphanumeric designations employed by Mercedes for all of its vehicles, with the class size defined by alphabetical letters and the engine volume expressed in liters and translated to digits.
Thus, SLK350 takes its name from the SLK Class of convertible roadsters and a new 3.5-liter V6 engine with engine displacement turning into the numbers 350.
Likewise for a soon-to-arrive SLK55 and its hand-built 5.5-liter V8.
For SLK350, the new Mercedes V6 -- with aluminum block and heads, dual overhead cams plus an electronic throttle called "adaptive accelerator" -- produces 268 hp at 6000 rpm plus a flat line of torque that reaches to 258 lb-ft between 2400 and 5000 rpm.
To manage the torque, SLK350 brings a choice of either a sporty new six-speed manual shifter or the new 7G-tronic TouchShift automatic -- first seven-speed automatic transmission for production cars.
To-and-fro movements of the TouchShift lever allow a driver to step up or down the gear ladder one notch at a time with the control of a manual stick.
We test SLK350 with each transmission and come away with a strong preference -- for each.
The manual brings the sporty control favored with sports cars, and we like that hands-on approach. Yet the 7G-tronic is precise, smooth and fast to shift, with the TouchShift feature achieving similar control of a manual.
A new design for the cabin features a cockpit with twin bolstered bucket seats separated by a console.
Standard gear includes the electro-hydraulic retractable hardtop, ABS and ESP, dual-zone climate controls, premium leather upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Options extend to a Thermotronic luxury climate control system, the inventive AirScarf neck-level heating system for top-down driving in cold weather, various audio kits up to a surround sound system with 11 speakers, the infrared-remote SmartKey, and bi-xenon headlamps with cornering light.
The MSRP for a 2005 SLK350 comes in at $46,220.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2005 MERCEDES BENZ SLK 350 Specs |
| Description: |
Sports coupe/roadster |
| Model Options: |
Sports coupe/roadster |
| Wheelbase: |
95.7 inches |
| Overall Length: |
160.7 inches |
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 3.5-L V6 |
| Transmission: |
Manual/6, Auto/7/TouchShift |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc ABS/BAS/ASR/ESP |
| Airbags: |
2 (front), 2 (side), 2 (knee) |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/6: 18/25 mpg, A/7: 19/25 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 46,220 |
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