Quite Carried Away
by Alan Douglas (25 Mar 04)

You may have thought the SLK from Mercedes was pretty well perfect. Clearly many drivers in Britain thought so, which is why they snapped up the car from its launch in 1996, leaving showrooms devoid of models of the new roadster and pushing up second-hand values to way above the new list price. It took about a year for Mercedes to cope with the huge demand, and for prices to settle to something more sensible.

Since those heady days, a total of 23,100 SLKs have been registered in the UK as part of the worldwide production of 308,000, and apart from one small facelift a couple of years ago, the car has remained virtually unchanged - until now. And for those who thought the previous SLK was the bee’s knees, just wait until you see the new one.

The current model was a trendsetter with its sensational folding steel roof, which in itself was a masterpiece of balletic engineering. I remember the first time I saw the roof in action, I just stood back and appreciated the intricacy of its operation.

The new one, which will be available in the UK from July, has obviously been taking evening classes in movement back at the Stuttgart factory. Not only is it faster, folding or unfolding in just 22 seconds, but it is even tidier to tuck away more tightly to release more space in the boot.

It Gets Better And Better

But the roof is just part of the new SLK story. For a start, the new car looks stunning, more rounded with sexy curves instead of the rather box-like style of the outgoing version. The back end is a dream, mirroring the looks of the bigger SL, while the front is dramatic and powerful with a huge three-pointed star in the centre of the re-styled prow. The car is bigger - 72mm longer and 65mm wider - and it really suits its extra dimensions.

The wheelbase is also extended by 30mm, and both front and back ends are nicely tapered to round off the overall wedge shape.

For those of you who fell for the original version’s charm there was one thing missing – but that’s been rectified in the new model. Open-top motoring is great when it’s warm and sunny, but can be decidedly chilly on nippy mornings or cool evenings.

Which is why Mercedes have come up with a world first in its AIRSCARF neck-level heating system. Small vents are built into the head restraints of the seats, and individual dashboard buttons similar to heated seat switches control the level of warm air directed on to the back of the neck. It is very pleasant and just as the Merc men describe it, "like an invisible cashmere scarf".

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