Mercedes SLK Roadster worthy of its heritage

Mercedes-Benz has a long, proud of Motorsport history, production of some of the most incredible racing and desirable sports car in history. Therefore, it is gratifying to see that the automaker now has produced a compact Roadster, which is a worthy heir to this heritage.

Mercedes-Benz cars carried their national colours have the tradition of the gentleman sports car racing, after (in the case of Mercedes, the meant for Germany, a shadow silver brought Mercedes cars the nickname "Silver arrows").

But the compact Roadster SLK age always seemed something pretender of this title. If the SLK in 1998, was a silver arrow it was set from a child's toy arrow and bow one.

The new SLK is different. It has fat, muscular styling, visible from the line topping SLS-sports car is influenced. Successful based on the car without the unsaid, half-hearted message, well, I really wanted a SLS, but an SLK was I all could afford.

Mercedes-AMG performance subsidiary voted very quickly some SLKs in the past, and the second generation SLK wore styling that Mercedes Flash fell quickly to imitate formula 1 driver, but all of these efforts somehow flat.

No SLK, not even the AMG versions was taken seriously as a sports car. In fact, the SLK has car were regarded mostly as a woman. This was probably in part to the styling of the first car. But it might be also the indirect from the SLK been technical innovation of a folding roof hardtop coupe convertible.

Others had made such roofs before, mainly Mitsubishi with its 3000GT. But the SLK was the first popular success, enjoy probably driven over the feeling of security one, provided rigid roof.

Now, but also the affordable Mazda Miata offers a folding hardtop coupe convertible, such fears and those of city residents and others who hesitate, a canvas top parking car on the road is to dispel.

So why spend $68,000 on a compact Roadster from Mercedes-Benz, if a Mazda Miata pretty closely to look, ability and specifications for a third of which is price? Buy one to same reasons could be a Honda Accord, rather than the Mercedes E-class medium-sized sedan - refinement and pedigree.

Consider roof the SLK magic sky control. It is a glass skylight in the rigid convertible roof whose opacity can be set is. Press a key and the glass is clear, resulting in a light, air cockpit with the roof up. But in the searing Sun shades of a different touch of a button the glass by 95 percent of sunlight to block.

The cabin is swaddled from leather and wood everywhere you look, well executed and completed, in contrast to all of it some of the earliest SLKs budget equipment.

Contribution to the SLK bad reputation was treated inept. It robbed the driver's car reputation from rivals such as Porsche Boxster enjoyed the SLK. Although men exactly as women go, they think they need the same way, at any time to qualify for a race, and they knew that the SLK was not up to Bullitt play through the streets of San Francisco (not the Mustang and charger, which the iconic Chase scene took place, but that is a fact in the mythology of the ages lost).

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To underline the point, the new car with the precision and control sports car buyer demand processes, Mercedes chose to the new SLK in the Western North Carolina Street, known as the tail of the Dragon debut.

In the tail, I found 318 curves, the SLK in particular from made up a turn to the next. The brake pedal provided in feeling similar inspiring way trust, so that the driver, stomp hard on the brakes and then smoothly cone delay to nothing at the bend in the curve. These are not features that previous models enjoyed, they are welcome additions.

The SLK350 standard 7-speed automatic transmission is confusing but predictable, the car is driven in lively. Transfer, and practically all automatic is prone to Downshifting too many gears and thereby interfere with at inappropriate times of the driver's intention.

Mercedes SLK customers will certainly never notice but if the company Ernst make way into Porsche and BMW customers area allows then the driver full control of the transmission is a must.

The real problem here is that Mercedes offers three modes for the SLK shift: comfort, sport and something labeled "manual", which changes Interestingly automatically gears in most cases despite its name. If a company uses "Manual mode" on their transfer and Assembly gearshift paddles on the car of the steering column, it needs, to move only if it is said, to do so.

Fortunately, the entry-level SLK250 - which is a turbo 1, 8-liter four cylinder engine powered by, when it debuts this year - with a real six-speed manual are offered in addition to the optional 7-speed automatic.

Over at Mercedes manual turning handles of the company's have reflected lack of interest in such proletarian equipment, so that I can only hope that the execution of the manual transmission shifter manual mode are better than the automatic transmission.

The SLK250 have the advantage of a four cylinder engine sound. Sound will never be rivals, who say a V12, but it sound to the sometimes flatulent-sounding V6 in the SLK350 pretty racy in comparison.

So if SLK250 can supply with manual transmission, full sport driving experience as the target Bullseye have impaled thoroughly such as the SLK350 which provides experience luxury roadster, then this latest silver arrows really.

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