The Mercedes SLK is a roadster, smaller and cheaper than the Mercedes SL series.
At the Turin Motor Show in April 1994, Mercedes-Benz presented a compact roadster with a long front end, short front and rear overhangs and a pronounced wedge shape in a study with the abbreviation SLK. The special feature of this 2-seater sports car is the folding steel roof. At the touch of a button, the entire roof disappears electro-hydraulically in the trunk within 25 seconds. When it came to safety, the SLK impressed with two roll bars behind the seats and the particularly stable A-pillars. This guarantees an absolutely high level of rollover protection for the occupants. The range of engines included a 2.0 liter four-cylinder with 100 kW (136 hp) and a mechanically charged 2.3 liter four-cylinder with 142 kW (193 hp). In the spring of 2000, the two-liter engine variant received a mechanical supercharger which then brought 120 kW (163 hp) onto the road. The range of engines was later expanded with two six-cylinder engines. The first series, R 170, was produced from 1996 to 2004.
The 2nd series, R 171, appeared in spring 2004. Thanks to a newly developed chassis, more powerful engines and more direct steering, the R 171 offered even more driving pleasure.