Tag: slk

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, First Drive

On Top Of The World With Merc’s New Magic Roadster

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK – Click above for high-res image gallery

We usually see women behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. Who can blame them? It’s a cute little car. The original SLK debuted in 1996 with a four-cylinder powerplant and all of 136 ponies. What it lacked in the motivation department it made up for with its Vario-roof retractable hardtop. Not since the 1957 Ford Skyliner could a car stop so much traffic while parked.

The SLK gained some testosterone with its first facelift in 2000. While the exterior was still rather tame, the chick car jokes ceased in 2001 with the introduction of the 354-horsepower SLK 32 AMG.

Things continued to get better with the all-new 2004 edition and its sleeker styling that paid homage to Mercedes’ Formula One designs and the beastly McMerc SLR. The reality that AMG could stuff its hand-built 5.4-liter V8 under the hood made the second-generation SLK a serious performance car.

For 2012, the SLK officially begins its third generation, and you can see the difference from 100 yards. Especially from the front view, the roadster looks more mature and substantial. The split-grill design reconstitutes the 190 SL’s design from the late 1950s in a handsome, modern manner. The bolder aesthetics continue in the rear, which features large arches over the rear wheels and LED taillamps. And it keeps getting better on the inside…

Continue reading First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK…

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK: First Drive

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

Photos copyright (C)2011 Rex Roy / AOL

Continue reading First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz has released studio shots of the newly-redesigned SLK Roadster, which debuts later this year as a 2012 model. The new SLK will be the third generation of Mercedes’ entry-level convertible.

The redesign moves the SLK’s shape further toward its higher-end brethren, and introduces Merc’s new panoramic vario roof with Magic Sky Control, which means the car’s glass roof can change its tint.

Mercedes has redesigned the SLK’s engines, offering four- and six-cylinder mills with electronic stop-start as standard. Mercedes claims the new engines are about 25 percent more efficient than the mills in the last-generation SLK. Initially, the SLK will be available with a seven-speed auto, but Mercedes promises they will add a traditional six-speed manual in the future.

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 Front2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK side2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 rear2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 front2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 350

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Pics Aplenty: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK revealed ahead of schedule [w/video]

Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film – Click above to watch video after the jump

Mercedes-Benz has pulled the drapes back on its 2012 SLK… by accident. A French promotional film made its way to the Internet, and the star of the clip is the redesigned hardtop convertible. We’ve got the video and a host of screen-grabs that show off some of the SLK’s new features.

The compact two-door Benz will be available with the company’s neck-warming AirScarf system, adaptive headlights, a seven-speed automatic transmission and a Magic Sky Control roof that darkens at the touch of a button.

The style of the Mercedes-Benz SLK has grown up to fall in line with the rest of the family. The front sports a very aggressive treatment with a gaping grille and a massive Three-Pointed Star. The whole package comes off as a miniature SL rather than a soft imitation of one.

Check out the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK from all angles by taking a stroll through the gallery below, and then hop the jump to see the video. Hat tips to Douglas and K7!

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK leaked in French promo film

[Sources: CarScoop, bobaedream.co.kr]

Continue reading Leaked: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK revealed ahead of schedule [w/video]

Leaked: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK revealed ahead of schedule [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK to get ‘Magic Sky Control’?

Filed under: Convertible, Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

The roof of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK has been teased, giving us a glimpse of the Magic Sky Control that could be contained within. As with the panorama roof on the big daddy SL roadster, there’s quite a bit of ‘bezel’ around the central open area, probably containing the electrical components necessary to work that ‘magic’.

The roof will be opaque normally, and there will be no electrical action going on. At the press of a button, however, a charge will be run through the top panel which will arrange particles contained in the glass to allow light to pass through. Voila, magic. Or physics, take your pick. The next SLK will show itself in person at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz, Auto Express]

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK to get ‘Magic Sky Control’? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Clearest look yet at 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

Filed under: Spy Photos, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style, Luxury

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK spied

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve been staring at spy shots of the forthcoming 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK for months, but now we have our best look yet at what Benz’ baby coupe will look like once the camo tape is peeled away.

The grille gets a nose job to match its larger SLS AMG sibling, and the photo above reveals it to be a more pleasing aesthetic than in previous shots. Also, it seems the new SLK wants to play with the cool kids who are all wearing LED running lights.

If our intel holds up, the reason behind the larger grille isn’t just to mimic the gorgeous gullwing, but to feed the new 476 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. If that mill is going in any SLK, it’ll be wearing an AMG badge on the back, and we’re hoping to get a better look when we stop by the Mercedes-Benz booth at the upcoming Paris Motor Show.

Gallery: Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK

Spy Shots: Clearest look yet at 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shamelessly retro Mercedes SLK-based HMC Hidalgo looks better than expected

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Coupe, Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

HMC Hidalgo – Click above for high-res image gallery

Now here’s a pleasant surprise. The designers at Helvetic Motor Company have officially pulled back the sheets on their Hidalgo, and we have to say that while we were expecting the worst, this Swiss Miss is actually pretty sharp. When a builder announces their intention to reskin a perfectly amiable vehicle like the Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG, that typically means bad-news bears. But the Hidalgo seemingly manages to blend heaping helpings of Bugatti Atlantic-era styling with the benefit of the Silver Arrow’s considerable running gear. Power from the 5.5-liter V8 has been kept to the stock 355 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque, enough to make this an interesting alternative to today’s contemporary BMW-powered Morgans.

If you’re thinking the car looks like something you’d like to get your hands on, you should probably be on the phone with HMC right now. The company is apparently only planning on building six examples per year at most, each one with a price tag of $410,000 at today’s current conversion rates. Hey, we never said nostalgia was cheap.

Gallery: HMC Hidalgo

[Source: Autoblog.nl]

Shamelessly retro Mercedes SLK-based HMC Hidalgo looks better than expected originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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