Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Mercedes SLK55 AMG

It sits there, all tension and sinew, ready to pounce on lesser cars. Start it up and it barks with a clear V8 voice that thumps off the neighbor's house, setting them discreetly peeking from behind their lace curtains. This is an SLK? Oh yeah. No longer a blocky Benz with dwarfism, the SLK55 AMG ripples with muscle and delivers speed like a spin kick to the temple. A bad-ass Mercedes, indeed.


Photos Copyright ©2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Brabus-tuned M-B SLK.

Brabus hasn't wasted any time tuning the new Mercedes-Benz SLK, and is bringing its normal blend of aero mods and engine tweaks to those unable to keep their new SLK stock for long. Brabus opted to yank out the SLK 55 AMG's 5.5-liter V8 and fitted its own 6.1-liter mill that cranks out 445 hp and 468 lb.-ft. of torque. Power is routed through a seven-speed automatic gearbox and down to Brabus' own LSD. Zero-to-60 times drop to 4.3-seconds, while six-piston aluminum calipers clamp 355 mm slotted discs up front and four-piston calipers with 300 mm rotors in the rear end the party before things get out of hand.

Naturally, some new rollers are part of the equation, with optional 17-, 18- or 19-inch wheels tucked into the fenders with a 30 mm drop provided by new Brabus sports springs. The visual mods are wrapped up with a wind tunnel-tested front spoiler, rear apron and trunk lid wing, while four chrome exhaust tips hint at the SLK's new found power.

All the details are available in the press release after the jump.

click above for more images of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG

We brought you a single pic of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG on Christmas Day, but Merc has released everything it's got on the über roadster and it looks like what we reported then was correct. The car doesn't receive nearly as thorough a refreshening as its slower siblings, but does get smoked headlamps and a different chin treatment, opting for the single blacked-out lower air intake rather than the F1-inspired split front apron on lesser SLK models. Out back the faux diffuser and dual quadrezoidal (we just made up that word) tailpipes are gone, replaced by a set of dual oval pipes flanking what looks like a skid plate of some sort.

Performance-wise the SLK 55 AMG carries over largely unchanged, which means you'll still find AMG's 5.5L V8 underhood producing 360 hp and 376 ft-lbs. of torque. The AMG Speedshift 7G-TRONIC transmission returns, as well. New this year is the SLK's direct steering system with variable servo assistance, which reduces the amount of turns needed to go from lock to lock and makes turning an easier effort on the driver. Also new are a set of 18-inch AMG twin-spoke wheels, on top of which the car can accelerate to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Remember when that was supercar territory ten years ago? Now it can be had in a cut little roadster from Mercedes-Benz.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

click above pic to view more images of the Kleeman GTK Concept

Well-known Mercedes tuner Kleemann has released the first official rendering of its own car, an in-house production called the Kleemann GTK. The carbon fiber skin is wrapped around an SLK body, and the design language is "based on the unique Kleemann design code of elegance and simplicity acknowledging the Nordic design traditions of simple and organic shapes." That apparently means a Reventon (again with the Reventon) snout, a Castagna Aznom front fender treatment, and sharper SLK lines from the A-pillar back.

The GTK is actually based on the SLK 55, and gets a Kleemann Kompressor system, 20-inch Kleeman wheels and 8-piston Kleemann brakes in front and 4-piston out back. That "kompressor" means the little roadster puts 540 HP and 516 lb-ft through its 7-speed auto box. Twenty-inch Kleeman rims ride rubber slivers called Toyo T1-R tires designed specifically for the car. According to Kleemann, it gets to six-oh in 3.7 seconds and runs up to 180+ MPH. Kleemann isn't going to do mass production, so for those of you with the means (lots), place your call now.

[Source: Kleemann]

Click image to enlarge

Who does AMG think it is? BRABUS?

Mercedes' in-house tuning arm is upping the ante on three of its delectable, monstrously-powered passenger cars by offering optional performance packages that further enhance their dynamics.

The lucky recipients of the AMG Performance Studio's additional love are the CLS 63, SLK 55, and SL 55 -- three cars we'd gladly welcome into the Autoblog garage in their stock forms. Just the thought of even better versions makes us feel all warm and fuzzy. The full list of modifications made to each car is detailed after the jump, but suffice to say that no matter which one you choose, expect suspension, brake, wheel/tire, and appearance upgrades that make the cars even more well-rounded and provide a stronger street presence than stock AMG machines.

Pricing for the upgrades is set at 8,236 € for the CLS, 5,220 € for the SLK, and 11,948 € for the SL. If you're already paying the premium for an AMG ride, why not just go all the way and take the performance package, too? You know you want to.

(Pics, press release after the jump)

[Source:DaimlerChrysler]