The Mercedes-Benz SLK is to be congratulated! 20 years have passed since the German brand launched the metal roof roadster.
It was precisely 20 years ago that the "star brand" stirred up the Turin Motor Show by launching the Mercedes-Benz SLK. A model designed to position itself below the Mercedes-Benz SL, which was based on the Mercedes-Benz C-Class platform and which had a very well-conceived design.But above all, what made the difference in the launch of the Mercedes-Benz SLK was the solution found for the hood, a system that the German brand dubbed Vario and which consists (until the current generation) in a retractable hard top that combines the robustness of a conventional hard top with the functionality of a canvas roof. In just a few seconds the SLK could transition from a coupé setup to a roadster setup – the best of both worlds?
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When it comes to engines, two versions were available at launch: a 2.0 liter atmospheric 136hp (SLK 200) and a 2.3 liter supercharged by a volumetric compressor (SLK 230 Kompressor), capable of developing 193hp – powers that were 20 years ago ensured performances worthy of note.
The year 2000 saw a facelift and with it came the SLK 320 version with 218hp – the first version with a six-cylinder block. A little later (2001), the ultimate sports version with the AMG signature arrived: the SLK 32 AMG, also equipped with a 3.2 liter V6 engine but with 354hp of power and 450Nm of maximum torque. In all, sales of the three generations of the SLK exceeded 670 thousand units, with the first generation alone accounting for more than 311,000 units.
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At the end of last year, the brand decided to replace the SLK name with SLC, thus bringing the model closer to the various names used in the rest of the range.Congratulations on your 20 years SLK!