The marketing brains at Mercedes originated this acryonym from Sporty, Light, and Short (or Kurz in German). The SLK R170 was Mercedes first take at shrinking the popular SL sports car. The SLK 170 was first introduced in 1996 to much fanfare. The SLK was a sales powerhouse, starting with 50,000 units in its first production year. This car did stagnant in the market for too long; soon, competitors came out with more compelling products. The SLK was starting to get unfavorable reviews against its direct competitor, the Audi TT. Furthermore, its technology was becoming dated.
The SLK gets the most praise for the hard top design, while the engine garners the most giggles and snickers. The steering mechanism came for the C-class chassis, the recirculating ball steering, which was sloppy.
Making comparisons to members of its class, the TT Roadster, the BMW Z3, and the Alfa Romero Spider, the SLK wins hands down with its body lines. While its engine wasn’t as powerful as the others, this is preferred by North American drivers who desired relaxed driving styles.
The distinctive feature for this Mercedes was its retractable hardtop. For those who don’t like backwash, you’ll want to pick up a Mercedes SLK R170 windscreen / windblocker / wind deflector. The SLK hard top follows its heritage from the Mitsubishi 3000 GT Spyder, Peugeot 206cc, Lexus SC, Mercedes SL Class, and the Chrysler Sebring.
the 2/3 liter Kompressor came out in 2000 to take on these initial problems and provide new improvements. This car has more power, a body make over, greater refinement, and is more agile in handling. The engine is smooth and doesn’t stutter when idling. Mercedes did make upgrades with the transmission, making shifting smooth as silk. There was new six-speed transmission, pieced together from the E-class. The five speed transmission came out in the automatic. Going with the top down still invites all of the backlash, needing a Mercedes SLK R170 windscreen, windblocker, wind deflector. Next, a smoother and safer ride became possible with chassis improvement.
None of these changes are big or grand, being small changes over time. The Mercedes SLK 170 is a car that still wows, handles well, and draws the eyes.
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