In cruise mode, if you squint your eyes, it's easy to think you're in the bigger of Mercedes' roadsters. A total restyling of the gauge panel, seats and supporting aesthetic touches resulted in a decidedly upper-class look and feel to the accommodations. Hand-fitted leather upholstery will be among a long list of standard fitment for U.S. cars, including a nine-speaker sound system and in-dash CD player, Tele Aid, an automatic antitheft alarm system and a mini spare backing up the 17-in. 10-spoke alloys on U.S.-bound SLKs. The staggered tire setup consists of 225/45R17s in front and 245/40R17s in back.
One option is worth singling out for its uniqueness-the AIRSCARF system, which pumps warm air through the seats' backrests, onto the necks of the occupants. At high speed its effect was negligible, but when creeping along it helped keep a late afternoon chill off my neck.
Mercedes-Benz continues to churn out one terrific car after another, blanketing the world market with a wider spectrum of vehicles than has ever been offered by a single manufacturer. This car-for-everyone strategy would be a dismal failure for a lesser entity than Mercedes' mighty machine, and a stunning stream of superb vehicles argues in favor of this proliferation of new models.
The SLK re-emerges into a market full of good cars at a time when two-seaters might be considered a bit frivolous, but the typical buyer, according to Mercedes marketing, will be a tad younger (49) than the 320 buyer, a bit less affluent ($120,000), and will more likely be an unmarried male.
We won't get the 2.0-liter version in the U.S., and sales of the SLK 350 begin this September with prices starting in the mid $40,000s. Pursang performance freaks may want to wait for the SLK55 AMG, due in showrooms in November. We'll save details of this monster until we drive it, but suffice to say its power-to-weight ratio puts the 320 to shame.
Though, really, the V6-powered SLK has nothing to be ashamed about. Its connection to the heart and soul of Mercedes' technical acumen is clearly felt in every mile of driving. High-tech touches, both seen and unseen abound. For instance, the excellent new seats have backrests made of magnesium for its lightness and high strength. And transmission choice is either a six-speed manual or a new seven-speed automatic gearbox. I'd opt for the stick, as its linkage and throws and feel are so improved that it's actually fun to shift this car.
There are all the expected safety systems in place, including new head/thorax airbags in addition to the front adaptive airbags and two-stage belt limiters. Steel tubes in the A-pillars and the two roll-over bars also are in place, which, thankfully, I never needed. Everything stayed sunny-side up in sunny Mallorca, a great place to drive (and bike).
Details: 3.5L V6Less is more for the new SLK and C-ClassBe it weight, noise, fuel consumption or emissions, Mercedes-Benz's new 3.5-liter 272-bhp V6 has less of it. Highlights of the unit include variable intake and exhaust camshaft adjustment, a world first for a V6 engine, a two-stage intake manifold, tumble flaps in the intake ducts and an intelligent heat management system.
Bringing weight down, however, is not just a matter of clever design. New manufacturing technology also has an important role to play.
"The camshafts, for example, are assembled using an internal pressure-forming method (IHU) with pressed-on lobes," explained Thomas Hornikel, overall project manager for New Generation V engines.
The lightweight camshaft construction was also a factor in reducing the loads necessary for the new infinitely variable timing mechanism. The camshafts are controlled by electro-hydraulically operated vane-type adjusters. They are located at the front ends of the shafts and are controlled by four integral hydraulic valves. The intake camshafts are driven by a duplex chain, while the exhaust shafts are moved directly by the intake shafts via a braced pair of gearwheels. The system was a joint development project between INA and DaimlerChrysler's Berlin engine facility.
The new valve control system enables continuously variable valve adjustment up to 40 degrees for the very first time in a V6 application. Aside from the main benefit of permitting optimum timing, it provides the engine with the added facility of exhaust gas recirculation, a key factor in improving fuel consumption. The camshafts are adjusted so that the exhaust valves remain open for a short time as the intake valves are open, while the partial vacuum in the intake manifold draws in the exhaust gases.
Mercedes-Benz also designed new flow-optimized intake ducts for the best possible throughput in accordance with engine load. From approximately 3500 rpm, the flaps are open, thus providing the shortest possible intake path and upping engine output. By closing the flaps under partial load, the route to the cylinders is lengthened, thus creating pressure waves that improve torque generated at lower engine speeds. The result is 225 lb-ft (305Nm) of torque, or 87% of maximum torque, available from as low down as 1500 rpm.
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