Both halves are linked by a kinematic mechanism which is locked securely when the roof is closed. The roof design, marketed as the Vario-Roof, consists of a folding steel hard top divided in half along a transverse axis. The very first U.S.-market R170 Mercedes SLK was completed on Novemand went on sale in January 1997 for the 1998 model year. Worldwide sales hit 55,000, over double the entire nine-year production of 190SLs, and between 19, over 311,000 SLKs were sold. The SLK was a modern incarnation of the 1950s Mercedes-Benz 190SL by returning to four cylinders and a 94-inch (2,400 mm) wheelbase. It was powered by a 193 hp 2.3 L supercharged straight-4 engine and a choice of automatic transmission or 5-speed manual transmission. SLK 230 Kompressor launch model became a competitor to the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3. On April 22, 1996, the new production SLK-Class, based on the R170 platform was introduced at the Turin Motor Show. In early 1993, the final design was selected and approved by the board, with the German design patent being filed on September 30, 1993. By the middle of the year, five of them were proposed again in full-scale. By late 1991 under Bruno Sacco, the first design sketches were drawn and twelve 1:5 scale models being built in the first half of 1992. The new V-6 delivers a stronger punch and is quieter, more refined and more worthy of the brand.At start of the 1990s, after the introduction of their two-seater grand-tourer R129 SL and the Mazda MX-5, Daimler-Benz set out to create a new compact roadster, slotted below the SL. 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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