TheMercedes-Benz SLK-Class is acompact executiveroadster, produced byMercedes-Benz. It was released in 1996 and was built at the Mercedes plant inBremen, Germany, until the end of production in 2020.
The former name "SLK" was derived fromsportlich (sporty),leicht (lightweight), andkurz (short).[1] With the release of the facelift R172 in 2016, the SLK-Class was renamed toSLC-Class in accordance with the revised nomenclature adopted by Mercedes. Under this scheme, roadsters use the base name "SL", followed by the model's placement in Mercedes-Benz hierarchy, the letter "C", being the roadster equivalent to theC-Class.[2][3]
The R170 Mercedes SLK was the first generation compact roadster produced byMercedes-Benz, from 1995 to 2004.[4][5] It was designed from late 1991 underBruno Sacco, with a final design being completed in early 1993 and approved by the board, with a German design patent filed on September 30, 1993.[6] The production SLK-Class was introduced at theTurin Motor Show on 22 April 1996, appearing as a modern incarnation of the 1950sMercedes-Benz 190SL, by returning to four cylinders and with an identical 94-inch (2,400 mm) wheelbase.[7] A facelift was introduced to all models in 2000, featuring an updated design and updated engines.[8]
The R171 SLK was unveiled at the2004 Geneva Motor Show. It features increased use of high-strength steel,[9] and improvements to the car's torsional strength and aerodynamic efficiency.[9] Models feature a more compact, revised roof mechanism that is operated in 22 seconds (previously 25 seconds), resulting in an increase in boot capacity by 63 liters (2.2 cu ft).[9] The R171 also introduced the Airscarf system that integrates neck-level heating system into the headrests of the car.[9] The front-end design of the car was inspired by the noses found inFormula One cars.[9] It was facelifted in 2008 and featured new engines and minor exterior design changes.[10]
R172 SLK-ClassMercedes-Benz SLC-Class Front (left)
The R172 SLK was released in 2011.[11] It was available with a range ofinline-four,V6, andV8, diesel and petrol engines, and introduced an electronically operated window tint shade for the sunroof, called Magic Sky Control. A facelift was released for vehicles produced from March 2016, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the SLK-Class.[12] The model range was also renamed to SLC-Class to conform to the new Mercedes nomenclature, and introduced new engines and a revised design. In 2020, Mercedes-Benz released a Final Edition to commemorate the end of the car's production run.[13]
Alfieri, Bruno (1997).Mercedes-Benz SLK. New Great Car Series (in English, German, and Italian). Milan: Automobilia.ISBN8879600559.
Allner, Michael (2021).Mercedes-Benz SLK & SLC: alle Generationen, alle Baujahre [Mercedes-Benz SLK & SLC: All Generations, All Model Years] (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN9783613043671.
Bass, Chris (2015).Mercedes-Benz SLK: R170 series 1996-2004. The Essential Buyer's Guide series. Dorchester, Dorset, UK: Veloce Publishing.ISBN9781845848088.
Bols, Udo (2007).Mercedes-Benz Personenwagen: Eine Chronik [Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars: A Chronicle] (in German). Brilon, Germany: Podszun Verlag.ISBN9783861334125.
Engelen, Günter (2006).Faszination SLK: R 170 (in German and English). Königswinter, Germany: Heel Verlag.ISBN9783898806848.
Koehling, Bernd S. (2021).Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SLK R170 - From the SLK 200 to the SLK 32 AMG and Tuners. Independently published.ISBN979-8736788729.
———————— (2021).Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SLK R171 - From the SLK 200 K to the SLK 55 AMG and Tuners. Independently published.ISBN9798736812097.
———————— (2021).Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the SLK R172 - From the SLK200 to the SLK 55AMG and Tuners. Independently published.ISBN9798736830558.
Vieweg, Christof (1996).Alles über den Mercedes-Benz SLK [Everything about the Mercedes-Benz SLK]. Technik transparent series (in German). Stuttgart: Mercedes-Benz AG.ISBN3980445712.
——————— (2004).Die neue SLK-Klasse: Menschen, Modelle, Motoren: alles über den Mercedes-Sportwagen [The new SLK-Class: Men, Models, Motors: everything about the Mercedes sports car] (in German). Stuttgart: Hampp Verlag.ISBN3930723093.
Zoporowski, Tobias (2018).Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170): Alle Modelle von 1996–2004 [Mercedes-Benz SLK (R 170): All Models from 1996–2004]. Praxisratgeber Klassikerkauf series (in German). Königswinter, Germany: Heel Verlag.ISBN9783958436961.
_%25E2%2580%2593_Frontansicht%2c_3._Juli_2011%2c_Essen.jpg)
_(cropped).jpg)
_front_20100402.jpg)
.jpg)
