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About the Mercedes Benz SLK
Warm sunshine and crisp breeze are all we can enjoy from open air cruising with roadsters. However, once it rains, the comfort with a soft top is inferior to closed body cars with hard top. The Mercedes-Benz developed and unveiled their SLK in 1996 with an epochal roof open-close system, to cancel the handicap of traditional roadsters.
It was named after initials of three German words, "Sportlich (sporty)", "Leicht (light)" and "Kompact (compact)", which tell what this car is all about. The folding metal roof, called "Vario Roof", is fully automatic in its operation, when the driver merely presses a button on the console. The entire opening and closing process of the roof takes only 25 seconds. With this hi-tech mechanics, the Mercedes made it possible for the owner to enjoy the privileges of both a roadster and a coupe in one car.
Three sorts on engines are offered for the SLK, and among them, a 4 cylinder DOHC engine with displacement of 2.3 liter is top-of-the-line. Having a super charger, the output measures 193 horsepower and it is transmitted to the rear wheels via a 5-speed automatic transmission. The front suspension uses double wishbones while the Mercedes 5-arm multilink suspension is equipped at the rear for excellent road holding.
The SLK combines the exciting looks and driving pleasure which are a typical feature of open-top sportscars, with the technical perfection of the modern Mercedes car engineering.
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