Hello petrolheads!
Today
I’m writing about what, frankly, has always been my dream car. 20 years after
having first set eyes on it in a car magazine, and having immediately fallen in
love with the form, I finally got hold of an R170 Merc. In other words, the
first generation SLK. Actually, nowadays, the collection comprises not one, but
three such SLKs. It took quite some time to find the perfect one, and all of a
sudden, there were three. More about that later.
The
one I’m reviewing today is actually the second one, with a very similar
configuration to the first one. I bought it because, well, how could I not?!
Two family owners from new, low mileage, decent service record, reasonable
shape… furthermore, the colour combination is wonderful, and not that common.
This
is one of those cars which, quite unanimously, people think has aged particularly
well. The SLK was born a classic, due to simple and elegant lines, with more
than a hint of sportiness. Even though, back in 1996, Mercedes-Benz was setting
the car world alight with a small roadster with the manufacturer’s most
irreverent colour choices to that date – who doesn’t remember the “Yellowstone”
exterior paint or the red interiors? – and a folding metal roof which was a
thing of wonder. It was the beginning of Merc’s product expansion, with the
clear aim not only to improve sales, but especially to win new customers, due
to their aging customer base… Looking back, going radical, for
Mercedes-Benz standards, certainly paid off.
Modest mechanicals at launch
At
start, in the Summer of 1996, the SLK was available in three engine and two
gearbox variants, depending on market. There was a basic SLK 200, reviewed before, which could be had
with a manual or an automatic gearbox, both with five forward gears. Its
performance was sedated, but fine for cruising. Then there was an SLK 200
Kompressor, available exclusively with the manual gearbox, and an SLK 230
Kompressor, with either the manual or automatic gearbox. The performance of
both Kompressor units was similar – the 200K was only sold in Portugal, Italy
and Greece, due to (heavy) taxing being based on engine displacement – and
actually more than decent. A manual 230K would do 0-100 km/h (62
mph) in 7,4 seconds, with a top speed of 231 km/h (144 mph).
Comparing
the raw numbers with those of a Porsche Boxster 2.5, its biggest rival, the
Benz would do a pretty good job keeping up – it was actually faster
than the Boxster at overtaking, due to the supercharged engine’s high torque.
But that was where the similarities, performance-wise, ended.
Not a sports car
The
“problem” of the SLK was related to the business case which allowed it to be
born in the first place: the W202 C-Class underpinnings. The C-Class was a
great car – it still is today, in a place where climate is dry and warm, as its
ecologic paint hates humidity and especially salt – but it had been developed
with zero sportiness ambitions. It excelled at being as comfortable and safe as
you could get in the class, not to speak about long-term reliability. That’s
why Kompressor SLKs looked so enticing on paper, but proved to be a
disappointment for sportier drivers: the engine note was coarse, to say the
least, the extremely smooth power delivery made it feel slower than it was and,
oh my, that manual gearbox. Feel was bad, gearlever throws were way too long
and it seemed to be a six-speeder without third gear, due to the bigger jump
between second and third. Amazingly, some journalists reported that the rear
end could be very lively under a heavy foot, weird given these cars had bigger
rear tires and traction control as standard equipment.
The big restyling
These
shortcomings didn’t stop the SLK being an overwhelming success. After launch,
some markets had delivery times stretching for well over two (!) years, and
Merc increased production capacity twice during the first year, their best
sales estimates surpassed by half. So, in early 2000, when the time for a
mid-life refresh came, they naturally played safe. Yet, behind the small
surface changes, there was a major revolution beneath it.
Porsche
had launched a 3.2-litre Boxster S, BMW had given its Z3 6-cylinder power as
well, so Merc started by expanding the engine palette to also include a six-cylinder
engine. Then eliminated the base, normally-aspirated 200, proceeded to
differentiate and improve the supercharged units, including new exhausts. Additionally,
for good measure, reworked that old 5-speed manual gearbox (giving it an extra
sixth gear, reworking the remaining ratios and massively shortening the
gearlever throws), improved the suspensions (thicker anti-roll bars, new
dampers and shorter springs), increased the fuel tank capacity (53 to 60
litres) and added yet more safety equipment, such as ESP with BAS and side airbags.
Sportier… but still not a sports car
Given
the magnitude of the changes, it’s fair to say that a new SLK was born. Fast
forward to 2019, and the base 200 Kompressor unit is still an example regarding
power delivery, the performance it provides is still more than adequate, its
fuel economy is decent – I average below 7 l/100km (over 40 UK mpg). The engine
note also improved massively, especially at higher revs, when it actually
reminds me of a Twin-Spark Alfa Romeo 156. From the outside, that is, as inside
it’s always very insulated and… numb.
The
gearbox is still its Achilles’ heel though, as it’s still very slow and the feel
spoiled by the difficulty in selecting a gear – slow gearlever movements
certainly help.
The
suspension improvements massively improved handling, and the best thing, not at
the expense of comfort – it matches a current E-Class on standard suspension
and small wheels – but the steering wasn’t even touched. Could be worse though,
because despite being slow and devoid of feel, it’s actually very precise. Also
left alone were the brakes: coming from the W210 E-Class, performance was never
a problem. The spongy feel is typical Merc though, similar to that of the Smart
Roadsters.
On a
mountain road, the facelifted R170 can’t be described as a fun car to drive,
even by its biggest admirer. It’s very agile, the compact dimensions, wheels at
each corner, low center of gravity and high platform rigidity allowing for
confidence-inspiring fast cornering. Yet, it sort of reminds me of the Seat León
Estate I drove last year, that sense of extreme no-frills competence, even if
the SLK is way more agile, due to the short wheelbase. It’s always planted,
forgives mistakes and does a commendable job at eating up kilometres without
its passengers noticing. It isolates the driver from the road, and that’s the
exact opposite of a sports car: creating theatre. Regarding this, it’s the
complete opposite of a Smart Roadster.
Superb tourer
Looking
back, it’s easy to see Merc was not gambling very much. All they did was
launching a smaller SL. The biggest difference between both regards their sense
of solidity – when open, an R129, somewhat, feels superior in that area, even
though it was already 7 years old when the R170 first came out. The SLK doesn’t
feel far behind – if anything, it even feels more rigid – but it might have to
do with the interior materials used by the SL and its bigger dimensions. That’s
precisely where Merc saved money, by giving the SLK a relatively poor interior.
The seats, switchgear and some areas are fine, but the soft paint-covered
centre tunnel and dashboard bring the quality perception down. It matched a
Boxster or S2000, and won hands down against all the rest, but lagged behind
its big brother.
What
not only bettered an R129, but destroyed it altogether, was that genius roof.
It was so relevant that it created a new segment altogether, with imitators
showing up all over the world. The system is very reliable, but as in any
hydraulic system, oil changes are paramount to keep it working fine. And, as
Merc’s marketing then said, you do have two cars in one: a relaxing roadster
for that weekend drive, or a practical tool for the year-round daily life. The
fact that, even nowadays, still so many are used as daily drivers, is a
testament to the validity of this concept and long-term economic sense older
Mercs usually brought with them.
The
values of R170s in especially good condition, or exotic colour combinations,
are already climbing, despite 311 222 units – circa 140 000 with the restyling
– having been produced. Small wonder. In a frantic world where speed is
everything – being it motion or just life – I would say the R170 is even more
relevant nowadays than back when it was launched. Under all circumstances, it
brings an amount of relaxation and feel-good factor to its occupants that fits
2019 as perfectly as a lake in the middle of a desert.
Verdict: the
most comfortable and stylish way to look sporty.
Official vital data:
Engine
and transmission:
1998
cc, supercharged inline-4 cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, steel (block)
+ aluminium (head) (Otto)
163 PS
(120 kW)/ 5300 rpm
230 Nm/
2500-4800 rpm
Red
line: 6200 rpm
6-speed,
manual transmission
Dimensions
and weights:
Length/
wheelbase/ width/ height: 4,010/ 1,715/ 1,276 metres
Turning circle: 10,58 metres
Weight:
1365 kg
Boot:
348/ 145 litres (VDA, respectively in coupé and roadster forms)
Fuel
tank: 60 litres
Tires:
205/55R16, GoodYear Efficient Grip
Performance:
Top
speed: 223 km/h (139 mph), reached in 6th gear
0-100
km/h (0-62 mph): 8.2 seconds
Fuel
consumption (NEDC, urban/extra-urban/average): 13.8/ 7.2/ 9.6 l/100km (20/ 39/ 29
UK mpg)
CO2
emissions: 231 g/km (Euro 4)
3000 rpm, 6th gear: 123 km/h (speedo)
Main
equipment: twin-zone climate control, twin front airbags, sidebags,
radio with CD-player, leather steering wheel and gearbox knob, leather seats, cruise
control, variable speed limiter, drive lock, power steering, 16” alloy wheels,
ABS+ASR+ESP.
Portuguese
price in 2003: 46 000€.
Driven:
2 000 km (1 250 miles), since September 2017; car left with 49 060 km (30 660
miles).
Rating:
19 out of 20
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