Mercedes to Debut New Concept Alongside C63 AMG Coupe and One More Unnamed AMG Model at NY Show

The latest news coming out from the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show in late April is that Mercedes-Benz is planning three worldwide and three North American production debuts. The three world premieres include a never before seen concept model and two AMG cars, the 2012 C63 AMG Coupe that we’ve already showed you, and another one which has not yet been revealed.

While we can only speculate on the unnamed concept model, it is very likely that the AMG production car is the SLS AMG Roadster as it was recently teased in the German firm’s SuperBowl commercial.

As for the North American motorshow debuts, these are new 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350, C-Class Coupe, and C-Class (the latter was shown at a special media event on the sidelines of the Detroit Show in January).

Read more »

Mercedes-Benz Drops Mega Photo Gallery of 2012 SLK Roadster

After Monday’s release on the facelifted C-Class range, Mercedes-Benz today also published a slew of photos of its brand-new 2012 SLK hardtop roadster that goes on sale in Europe at the end of this month, with the U.S. launch to follow in June.

The third-generation of the SLK keeps the two-piece folding hardtop of its predecessors but gets a fresh design with styling cues from both the SLS AMG and the new CLS. It also comes with as a new range of fuel-efficient engines, including a 1.8-liter force-fed four-cylinder with either 184HP or 204HP, and a 3.5-liter V6 delivering 306HP in Europe and 302HP in North America.

Other highlights include the addition of the panoramic vario-roof with MAGIC SKY CONTROL, which switches to light or dark at the touch of a button, and the new COMAND system with 7-inch color display and central controller. Hit the jump for the complete gallery that also includes sketches and photos of the development prototypes like the one pictured above.

Read more »

Mercedes-Benz Shows New C-Class Coupe and SLS AMG Roadster in Super Bowl Spots

In an exclusive pre-game release and following a behind-the-scenes version that we showed you on Friday, Mercedes-Benz has published an extended cut edition of its Super Bowl XLV commercial called 'Welcome'. With this ad, the German automaker 'welcomes' four new additions to its range including the next generation SLK roadster and CLS 63 AMG, as well as two never before seen (at least not officially) models, the SLS AMG Roadster and the C-Class Coupe. The quartet of new Mercedes-Benz cars can be seen towards the end of the video, which is posted for your viewing pleasure after the break.

Read more »

VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz's First Ever Super Bowl Ads Teased

Continuing our online stream of the automotive-related ads of the Super Bowl XLV, we now have a trio of teaser spots from Mercedes-Benz, which will be making its first advertising appearance at the game. According to the German automaker, four new models will be featured in the ads, with two of them making their world debut in the 60-second-long spot called 'Welcome'. You can watch the two teaser spots plus the making of the 'Welcome' commercial right after the break.

Read more »

A Short History of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster

It might not be a widely known fact, but strictly speaking, the Mercedes SLK roadster has a 55-year-old pedigree. Allow us to explain. When the German automaker presented the first SLK concept study in 1994, it was continuing the firm's small roadster tradition which stated back in 1955 with the 190 SL.

Read more »

New Videos of 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK on the Road and the Track

If you're tired of ogling the same 50 second clip of the 2012 Mercedes SLK published at launch, we have some good news for you as the Stuttgart automaker has released some fresh footage of its roadster model, filmed both on the road and the track.

The third generation of Merc's roadster comes with a two-piece foldable metal roof top and a choice of a force-fed 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine available in two states of tune, or a 3.5-liter V6 motor. In Europe, the 2012 SLK will be available for order starting from next week, while U.S. sales will begin this summer. Click here for more details or follow the jump to watch the videos.

Read more »

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Blows its Cover

Over the past year, numerous scoops and a major leak, accompanied by several official releases, have shed light on many details on the 2012 Mercedes SLK. In fact, we were expecting the German maker to bring the third generation roadster to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, ahead of its projected March debut. Even though that never happened, today, Mercedes finally released the last pieces of the SLK puzzle.

Claimed to offer a 25% increase in fuel economy compared to the previous model, in Europe, the SLK will be available with three engines, all of them featuring direct injection and stop/start systems.

Filling in the base model's shoes is the SLK 200 BlueEfficiency variant, powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder powerplant, capable of 184 hp. Mated to a seven-speed 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission, the four-pot needs just 6.1 liters of gasoline per 100 km (38.6 US mpg) in the combined cycle. The SLK 200 sprints to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7 seconds and has a top speed of 237 km/h (147 mph).

Read more »

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Patent Drawings

While looking for the designs of the Smart Roadster model we showed you in our previous post, we stumbled upon these drawings of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK used for trademark filings. Being that an official video of the 2012 SLK has already been leaked online (you can watch it after the jump if you missed out), these pictures simply offer some additional -and unobstructed- views of the roadster model with the retractable hardtop.

Read more »

VIDEO: F1 Star Nico Rosberg gets a Taste of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster

There’s nothing wrong with using your assets, so we don’t blame Mercedes-Benz for trying to build some hype around the upcoming 2012 SLK by inviting Formula 1 pilot Nico Rosberg to take the hardtop roadster for a spin. However, the entire happening feels much too scripted, from the way the camera ducks just when the front fascia is almost revealed to what Rosberg says. Luckily, we already know what the German roadster looks like, so we won’t shed unnecessary tears. The highlight of the video is clearly the demonstration of how the Magic Sky Control panoramic roof works. Hit the jump to watch the clip. Read more »

AutoLeaks: 2012 Mercedes SLK Revealed Ahead of Time through Video, Over 60 Photos

WikiLeaks and Julian Assange aren't the only ones spilling documents and data all over the net. Today, an official promotional video of the all-new third-generation 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster showed up on Youtube. Not surprisingly, the French language film was pulled off Youtube pretty quickly, but not before we managed to get these screenshots and all the valuable information it contained.

Looking at the video, we can tell that, even though the new SLK's silhouette remains familiar, there are plenty of new details and a crisper styling for the body which brings to mind the larger SL model. Notable changes include the new CLS-inspired front grille and the air vents on the front fenders.

Read more »

Mercedes releases new photos of 2012 SLK Roadster, gets panoramic glass roof

Mercedes-Benz has published a bevy of pictures of its next-generation SLK hardtop roadster during endurance testing in the heat of Death Valley to show off the upcoming model's panoramic glass-roof with Magic Sky Control [MSC].

Driving with the top down is not always an option. There might be clear blue skies, but temperatures could be also very low. Other times the car's interior gets way too hot if it has a panoramic glass roof. Either way, your drive is ruined.

And this is where the Magic Sky Control system comes into the picture. A roughly 2,000 euro (US $2,772) option for the next generation SLK, the MSC is, in essence, a panoramic roof that can be made either transparent or darkened, just by pushing a button.

Read more »

SPY VIDEO: New Mercedes-Benz SLK Scooped Testing Alongside CLS

Mercedes-Benz just can't keep spy photographers away from its next SLK roadster. This time, the two-seater model with the retractable hardtop was spotted undergoing hot-weather testing alongside heavily cladded prototypes of the 2011 CLS sports saloon in the infamous Death Valley in the southwestern United States.

Read more »

More Reader Shots from Dubai: New Mercedes-Benz SLK and 2011 Ford Explorer

Our Dubai crowd appears to be on a roll lately. For the second time this week, a Carscoop reader from UAE's most populated emirate managed to snag a prototype version of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster on the road. Maciek also spotted the freshly revealed 2011 Ford Explorer in some funky black and white camouflage. Ford's people noted on the company's dedicated Explorer page on Facebook that the SUV was out hot weather testing in the desert. More pictures after the jump.

Read more »

HMC Hidalgo: A Bugatti Lookalike Based on the Mercedes Benz SLK AMG

What you're looking at here is the Hidalgo, a re-skinned Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG with obvious styling influences from the 1930-era Bugatti Type 57 models including the iconic Atlantic. It's the work of a Swiss firm called Helvetic Motor Company (H.M.C.), which to be honest, we have never heard of before.

Think of the Hidalgo as something like the European equivalent of Japan's Mitsuoka Himiko Classic which is based off the MX-5. The Swiss replica is powered by the SLK AMG's 5.5-liter V8 engine producing 355HP and 376 lb-ft of peak torque, good enough to get the Hidalgo from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in a claimed 3.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

Read more »

Carscoop Reader Snaps New Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster in Dubai

About a week ago, we brought you a set of spy pictures of the redesigned 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK snagged testing in Germany. Now, one of our international readers has spied a camouflaged prototype of the hardtop roadster driving on the public roads of Dubai.

While Mercedes is sticking with the two-piece retractable hard top, the two-seater 2011 SLK is expected to bring a sportier design theme with a more angular direction inspired by the well-received SLS AMG Gullwing supercar.

Read more »

SPIED: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Prototypes Drops the Cladding

The all-new, third generation of Mercedes-Benz's SLK Roadster is still about a year away from launch, but the disguise is already starting to fall off the prototype. As you can see in these spy photos, this example of the 2012 SLK does without the heavy cladding of the test cars seen in our previous stories.

The new images show that the 2012 SLK ditches the current model's F1-inspired nose in favor of a much bolder grille and more geometrically shaped headlamps, all themed after the SLS AMG Gullwing model. However, Stuttgart's Z4-fighter will continue to be a strictly two-seater roadster with a two-piece folding hardtop.

Read more »

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Reader Spy Shots

Carscoop reader Benjamin L. has grabbed some new spy shots of the next generation Mercedes-Benz SLK. Apparently, the German automaker is still conducting real-world testing for the new hardtop roadster as Benjamin snapped this prototype earlier today wondering around the outskirts of Paris in a black plastic suit of armor.

Like the current version of the SLK, Stuttgart's BMW Z4 rival will feature a two-piece folding metal roof, but it will also receive all of Mercedes' newest gadgets and accessories.

While the heavy camouflage doesn't allow us to get a clear view of the new SLK's looks, it is expected that Mercedes will drop the current model's F1-inspired nose in favor of a much bolder grille and more geometrically shaped headlamps, all themed after the SLS AMG Gullwing model.

Read more »

VATH Supercharges Mercedes-Benz SLK 55AMG Roadster to 565HP and €126,000+

Another day, another tuning story. This time it's Mercedes-Benz specialist Vath that has unveiled the V58 which is based on the SLK 55 AMG. The stock model comes with a 5.5-liter V8 engine delivering 360HP and 510Nm of torque.

The increase of the V8 engine's displacement to 5.8-liters along with the addition of a compressor and a series of other measures including a new exhaust system and recalibrated ECU, just to mention a few, push output to 565 horsepower and 770Nm or 568 lb-ft. The extra kick in the pants allows the V58 SLK to top out at 310km/h or 193 mph.

Read more »

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK Roadster Spied, gets SLS AMG-esque Interior [Updated]

*Article Updated With New Spy Photos

Our spies have snapped new shots of the forthcoming, third generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, which is due for launch sometime in 2011. Like the two previous SLKs, the new model will continue to be a two-seater, rear-wheel drive roadster with a retractable hardtop. However, its styling is expected to be less 'fragile' and more dynamic with Mercedes-Benz' designers most likely taking inspiration from the SLS AMG Gullwing.

And while the excessive black cladding on the outside obstructs our view of the 2012 SLK's exterior styling, our man with the long lens managed to bag a few revealing pictures of the interior.

Though not of the best quality, the images show that the new SLK's dashboard is clearly inspired from the SLS AMG.

It features a similar instrument cluster layout with two large gauges as well as an almost identical center console design boasting a pair of prominent air-vents with cruciform nozzles that are reminiscent of a jet's engines.

It very likely that the new SLK will grow in dimensions, thus improving passenger and luggage space.

Underneath the skin, Mercedes' new roadster model will make use of the C-class platform and suspension hardware, tuned of course to deliver more responsive handling characteristics.

The SLK's engine lineup will comprise of four-cylinder and V6 options at launch. As for the AMG version, there are all sorts of rumors circulating on the net, ranging from a twin-turbocharged V6 to a smaller displacement V8 turbo, but none have been confirmed.

Mercedes-Benz Launches SL Night Edition and SLK Grand Edition Specials

Two new special edition roadster models have been added to Mercedes-Benz's European range. Both the SL Night Edition and SLK Grand Edition gain numerous interior and exterior features, and are available for order now.

Starting with the SL Night Edition, Merc's flagship hardtop roadster is finished in an exclusive designo magno night black paint and features 19-inch AMG five-spoke light-alloy wheels in a two-tone, high-gloss finish, silver-painted front brake callipers with the Mercedes-Benz logo and darkened headlamps/tail lights.

Inside, the SL's cabin is dressed in black nappa leather and shining chrome trim while the seats also have arrow-shaped seams and silver-colored contrasting features. Finally, the sports steering wheel, shift lever and roof lining are in black.

Moving onto the SLK Grand Edition, the compact roadster is distinguished on the outside by the designo graphite paint finish, 18-inch light-alloy wheels with five triple spokes, silver-coloured fins on the bonnet and darkened headlamps.

Interior highlights include the standard AIRSCARF system, the new seats that are upholstered in basalt grey nappy leather, with red stitching and arrow-shaped seams. Basalt grey nappa leather is also used for the door linings and is contrasted by the designo pearl leather armrests.

Depending on the engine variant, the additional cost for the special models is between 3700 and 5200 Euro for the SL Night Edition and between 2300 and 3500 Euro for the SLK Grand Edition.

In typical Mercedes-Benz style, the special paint finishes will cost you an additional 3640 Euro for designo magno night black and 1800 Euro for designo graphite.