Even without the three-pointed star badges, it would be difficult tomistake the SLK for anything but a Mercedes-Benz. It is short but sleek,
with a chunky, puroposeful look to it. Nice touches include the faired-in
aerodynamic headlights, steeply raked windshield, large rear light clusters
and bumpers tucked tightly against the body. Seven-spoke aluminum alloy
wheels--carrying different-size tires front and rear--fill the wheel openings,
contributing to the SLK's purposeful appearance.
But the SLK's most obvious and unusual exterior feature is its power-operated
hardtop. It is standard equipment and, being integrated into the car, eliminates
the need for a soft top. Five hydraulic cylinders fed from a trunk-mounted
pump raise and lower the lid when the driver operates a single switch.
When the top is being lowered, side windows retract, latches on the windshield
header are released, the trunk lid is raised (backwards), the roof folds
into two halves and slides into its bay, and the trunk lid closes. Naturally,
raising the top involves the same steps in reverse.
That's a pretty clever piece of engineering. What makes it more impressive