15th September, 2006
It was ten years ago that the Mercedes-Benz
SLK-Class made its debut in European showrooms. The compact roadster was one of the
highlights of the first Mercedes-Benz strategic product initiative and still
stands as a symbol of the new, dynamic brand image of the Stuttgart-based car
maker. Furthermore, the SLK-Class established a new market segment in 1996, a
segment which has since enjoyed exceptionally rapid growth. Thanks to the steel
vario-roof, which turns the two-seater into a weatherproof coupé in a matter of
seconds, the roadster was and continues to be the inspiration for many other
open-top cars. The current SLK-Class continues to set trends with innovations
such as the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system. Worldwide, Mercedes-Benz has
produced a total of some 459,000 SLK models since 1996. With an average market
share of 34 per cent, the current SLK-Class is the world leader in the compact
roadster segment.
HEAR MOTORING
NEWS ON RADIO
SHOP ON-LINE AT
OPTICAL AND HEARING
|
|
"Roadster driving pleasure with new perfection" was
how Mercedes-Benz summed up the SLK-Class at its market launch in the northern autumn 1996.
The Stuttgart-based car maker's claim was borne out by the roadster's compelling
design, sophisticated technology and exemplary safety which provided the basis
for its success.
The innovative vario-roof is what made the SLK unique among open-top cars. It
offers all the benefits of a fixed hard top but is just as flexible as a soft
top. The fully automatic transformation from roadster to coupé – or vice-versa –
takes only a matter of seconds and the brilliant design of the vario-roof allows
it to be stowed in the boot. It deploys at the touch of a button, sliding
forward and closing above the occupants to protect them from the elements.
It was this feature that made the 1996 SLK a
trendsetter for a new generation of open-top cars equipped with vario-roof-type
technology which offers distinct benefits with regard to sound insulation and
year-round comfort.
Mercedes-Benz also opened a new chapter in the field of cabriolet safety with
the SLK-Class. The two-seater's airbags, sidebags, belt tensioners, belt force
limiters, automatic child-seat recognition function and effective roll-over
protection (featuring tubular reinforcements in the A-pillars and high-strength
steel roll-over bars) also put it well ahead of other open-top cars.
|
Innovation: the world's only car with a warm-air
blower integrated in the seats
The new SLK-Class, which has been on the market since
March 2004, expresses its sporty character even more emphatically and sets new
trends with its trailblazing technology. In addition to an enhanced vario-roof,
which opens even more quickly and occupies less boot space thanks to its
pivoting rear window, the Mer-cedes sports car is unique in offering the
AIRSCARF neck-level heating system. Integrated in the seat backrests, the
patented AIRSCARF system blows warm air from openings in the head restraints and
thus functions as an invisible scarf which keeps each occupant's head, throat
and neck warm. This means that the SLK-Class makes it possible to enjoy open-top
driving pleasure even during the colder months. In other words, AIRSCARF allows
SLK owners to drive with the top down for longer and more frequently.
A number of features – including adaptive, two-stage airbags and newly
developed head/thorax sidebags – also set the Mercedes two-seater apart from
other sports cars in this segment.
In addition to trendsetting technology, high design
values are another hallmark of the SLK-Class. When the roadster appeared ten
years ago, its stylish lines were an instant hit and were one of the decisive
factors in the sensational success of the model series. Enthusiasm for the
two-seater was so great that the SLK sold out shortly after the market launch
and production capacity had to be increased significantly.
More than 311,000 units of the first-generation SLK-Class were produced
between the northern autumn 1996 and March 2004.
The new SLK-Class has been continuing this successful trend since March 2004.
Customers have a choice of four engine variants, including the six-cylinder SLK
280 and SLK 350 as well as the SLK 55 AMG which has an eight-cylinder power
plant. The power output of the SLK models ranges from 120 kW to 265
kW. Since late summer 2006, Mercedes-Benz has offered a new SLK-Class
Sports package which gives the two-seater an even more dynamic look and feel.
To date, Mercedes-Benz has produced some 148,000 units of the current
SLK-Class and leads the world market in this segment with an average share of 34
per cent. In Germany and other West European countries, almost one out of two
new registrations in this sports-car segment is an SLK.
Other Mercedes-Benz news:
here.
More news:
Peugeot 207 EPURE concept car
13th September, 2006
At the Paris Motor Show later this month Peugeot will reveal the “207 EPURE”
concept car – a glimpse of a future 207 model with a futuristic power plant .....
more
Nepta: A Prestige Cabriolet Concept from Renault
12th September, 2006
Renault is unveiling its new Nepta concept car, a four-seater cabriolet
with fluid lines and a thoroughbred profile, at the 2006 Paris Motor Show .....
more
Holden Launches WM Statesman And Caprice
12th September, 2006
Holden has launched its top-of-the-range WM Statesman and
Caprice models, offering more differentiation from their short wheelbase siblings than ever before .....
more
World Premiere of Nissan Qashqai
11th September, 2006
Inspired by the concept car of the same name that was presented at
the 2004 Geneva Motor Show, the Qashqai is a new vehicle for Nissan in Europe .....
more
Mitsubishi Wins Second Targa West
11th September, 2006
Mitsubishi has won Targa West for the second successive year, beating a
class field that comprised many exotic marques .....
more
Peter Brock (1945 - 2006)
10th September, 2006
Australian motor sport legend Peter Brock, 61, died around midday
(local time) on Friday 8th September, 2006, in a car crash in Gidgegannup, Western Australia .....
more
New Peugeot 307 XSE HDi 6-Speed Automatic
8th September, 2006
With many customers looking at their choice of vehicle in a new light,
whether it be for fuel economy without sacrificing drivability, or even from an environmental perspective, the 307
is providing many with the answer, especially in its diesel guise .....
more
Motor Vehicle Sales Dip in August
7th September, 2006
Australian vehicle sales dipped slightly in August as the effects
of high fuel prices and rising interest rates combined to discourage some buyers from car showrooms .....
more
New Ford Transit Has It All
7th September, 2006
Ford's most successful global commercial vehicle range,
Transit, enters a new era in its long and accomplished life with a series of extensive improvements .....
more
Saab Diesel Confirmed for Australia
31st August, 2006
Saab is expanding its product offering in Australia with the
addition of the diesel range of 9-3 TiD vehicles .....
more
Dual Airbags for the Nissan Patrol DX wagon
28th August, 2006
Nissan Australia has announced another safety upgrade for its
rugged Patrol four-wheel drive range – the addition of standard dual airbags to the Patrol DX wagon -
available from October 2006 .....
more
Around Australia for Under $1,000!
27th August, 2006
Ford's LPG Challenge returned to Melbourne at 3:15pm on Friday 25th August
after driving more than 13,950kms around Australia and spending only $997.55 on fuel by filling up solely on LPG .....
more
Volkswagen Iroc concept car
25th August, 2006
The largest car maker in Europe showed the reinterpretation of the
successful Scirocco idea in a world premiere in Berlin last night – the Iroc concept .....
more
Saab Icon Celebrates 20 Years
24th August, 2006
The iconic Saab convertible turns 20 this year and to celebrate Saab
is launching a limited edition 20th Anniversary Convertible .....
more
VW supply 200 T5s to the UK's AA
22nd August, 2006
The UK’s largest breakdown organisation, the AA, has
strengthened its roadside recovery fleet with an order for 200 Volkswagen Transporters .....
more
Team Hummer Looks to Continue Winning Streak
22nd August, 2006
Team Hummer, one of off-road racing's most successful teams,
looks to continue their 13-race streak of placing a Hummer on the podium .....
more
New cone laying machine
21st August, 2006
A new machine to improve safety and reduce congestion at roadworks
on high-speed roads was unveiled, in England .....
more
VW Eos Highway 1 Debuts At Pebble Beach
20th August, 2006
The Volkswagen Eos Highway 1 design study debuted, this
weekend, at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance .....
more
Gordon Murray joins Caparo
18th August, 2006
Vehicle light-weighting expert Gordon Murray has been appointed
director of advanced concepts at Caparo Vehicle Products .....
more
Woodward Dream Cruise: Ford
18th August, 2006
At this year’s Woodward Dream Cruise, one of America's great
motoring events, Ford Motor Company is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the quintessential hot rod, the
’32 Ford, also known as the "Deuce" .....
more
America's Saab Enthusiasts Head for the Adirondacks
18th August, 2006
Saab owners and enthusiasts will gather to celebrate their passion for
their cars and the Saab brand at the 24th annual North American Saab Owners Convention .....
more
Cadillac CTS Reaches New Milestone
18th August, 2006
Taking home a new Cadillac is a special occasion for Americans (if
not the rest of the world) and this was especially true last week for the Luyber family .....
more
Woodward Dream Cruise: General Motors
17th August, 2006
Milestone GM vehicles from every era, including the future, will
be on display and on the road Saturday, 19th August, at America's 2006 Woodward Dream Cruise .....
more
Ford Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Hot Rod
17th August, 2006
The year was 1932. The United States was reeling from the Great
Depression. War loomed in Europe. Famine ravaged Russia. Yet hope and innovation were dawning .....
more
Touareg V10 TDI Pushes New Diesel Trend in USA
17th August, 2006
The Touareg V10 TDI, a series production off-road vehicle, has
reached the summit of Pikes Peak at 4,300 metres for the first time in the history of the legendary "Race to
the Clouds" .....
more
Suzuki To Expand Production
16th August, 2006
Suzuki has announced that it will add a new manufacturing plant – with
a capacity of 240,000 compact vehicles – to its Sagara facility at Makinohara-City, Shizuoka, Japan .....
more
| 
