Mercedes-Benz SLK Road Test / Car Review

Introduction

A prestigious Mercedes-Benz sportscar used to require a lottery win. No longer. Models like the SLK roadster have given the Stuttgart maker a completely new & and accessible & sporting image. On the used market, that appeal still holds good. There are quite a few about now but values remain surprisingly firm. This is a car that has aged very well.

History

1996 to 2004

The car was originally launched on the British market in November 1996. Until April 2000 it was only available in one form: with the C-class's four cylinder 2.3-litre supercharged 'Kompressor' engine under the bonnet and an automatic gearbox.

At that point, Mercedes' response to critics of their ^~underpowered' sports car was a revised and expanded range with 2.0 and 2.3-litre supercharged four-cylinder engines plus a 3.2-litreV6.

These came with a new six-speed manual gearbox or an optiona