2007 Mercedes Review

Specifications

Kobra?

When Carroll Shelby crammed a 289 cubic-inch Ford V8 into a miniscule British roadster, people called him crazy. Going a step further and dropping the 427 cubic inch Ford motor into the same car confirmed it. With over 450 horsepower at the wheels, lighting the fuse on one of these ultra-short wheelbase rockets was a frightening experience. But one cant help but wonder; what would a modern-day 427 Cobra look like?

This; the new Special Series of Mercedes Benz SLK55. In normal Mercedes-Benz form, the SLK is a tame convertible powered by the buyers choice of either a 2.8- or 3.5-liter V6; the larger of which maxes out at a respectable although hardly earthshaking 268 horsepower. In AMG-tuned form, the little drop-top gets a far more sporting 5.5L V8 good for 355 horsepower, and now, thanks to even more AMG wizardry, this new version of the SLK55 boasts 400 horsepower.

Conspicuously unnamed, its simply referred to as a “Special Series,” the new top-line SLK boasts some impressive engineering not belied by its lack of specialized nomenclature. Beginning with a restyled front air dam that sports an amalgam of holes, ducts, and scoops to feed the new transmission and steering fluid coolers, this new SLK is all business. Also, new carbon fiber side air outlets provide sufficient air flow through the now-larger engine oil cooler, while the front fenders air outlets are painted black on the inside for an even more aggressive look. Oh, did we mention the fenders themselves are even wider than stock and made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic to save weight? And dont think that the AMG wizards stopped there, oh no. For their pièce de résistance (or more appropriately stück von resistance) they lopped the SLKs signature folding hardtop mechanism out of the car, replacing it with a solid, non-retractable, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic panel that reduces the diminutive coupes weight by 99 pounds. Combined with the fenders and other weight-saving devices, the purest of SLKs weighs only 3,296 pounds, improving the power to weight ratio from 9.5 pounds per horsepower to only 8.2 pounds per horsepower.

There is, of course, another end to that ratio: the power. Displacing 5.5 liters, the V8 benefits from a new air intake and filter as well as a performance-tuned exhaust system. Combined with the AMG-tuned Speedshift 7-G-tronic transmission and lighter weight, the little musclecar sprints to 60 mph in a mere 4.4 seconds. Thats four tenths of a second less than the standard SLK55. Getting all this power to the ground is a set of lighter AMG alloy wheels fitted with thebuyers choice of either mid size 235/35 ZR 19 (front) and 265/30 ZR 19 (rear) tires or specialized sport compound tires intended for occasional track use and abuse.

Combine all this with a carbon and alcantara trimmed interior, and youve got yourself the modern German interpretation of Shelbys infamous 427 Cobra. With that in mind, Mercedes has yet to affix a name to this so-called Special Series. Might we suggest “Kobra?”

Expect the new SLK55 Special Series to be arriving in dealerships right about now, that is if you happen to live in Europe. So far, none of these fixed roof specials are being brought over to North American shores, being that there just arent going to be enough made to bother making a fuss (thats not the official word, just the opinion of our editor), but the price in Europe will be 107,300 euros ($135,230)… hmmm… maybe thats the reason for not bringing it across the pond?