A few minutes behind the wheel makes it clear that the SLK's biggest asset is a nearly inexhaustible supply of driving pleasure. The S in the model name denotes Sport, and deservedly so. The SLK is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in about 7.4 seconds with a top speed of 143 mph. But the fun comes from much more than its impressive straight-line speed. The key word in assessing the car's fun quotient is balance.Though the L in SLK means Licht, or light, the SLK weighs in at 3000 pounds-not exactly a lightweight. But that's on paper. On the road, it steers, stops, and goes around corners with far less coaxing than its heavier SL cousins. Indeed, it makes a good account of itself on a race track when measured against the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3. The all-independent suspension is tuned for flat cornering and precise handling, and delivers exactly that, while providing a ride that won't rattle your teeth. Driver and passenger will be as relaxed at the end of an all-day drive as they were at its beginning and, if there were a few twists and turns along the way, the driver will likely sport an ear-to-ear grin. The antilock brakes and electronic traction control system perform flawlessly. The third component in the model designation, K, really means Kurz, or short, but for U.S. versions it can be said to stand for Kompressor, or supercharger. Without its supercharger, the SLK wouldn't be nearly as peppy. The mechanical supercharger forces air into the Mercedes 2.3-liter twin-cam 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. A version of the same engine (also supercharged for 1999) is used in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan. A variety of high-tech features work with this blower to make the engine both powerful and responsive. Peak power-191 horsepower-is impressive, but the key to this engine's willingness to play is a wide band of peak torque, available from 2500 to 4800 rpm. Behind the engine is a five-speed manual transmission that shifts easily and has just the right gear ratios for enthusiastic driving. The five-speed automatic is just as nice in its own way, featuring adaptive electronics that monitor driving style and tailor the shift time and speed to suit. In the enthusiast-driving mode, for example, the five-speed automatic will shift at the engine's peak power; and it will not shift up into a higher gear when the car is slowed for a corner, keeping it in a lower gear for smoother, better performance coming out of the corner. In more sedate use, it changes gears with remarkable smoothness. Order the manual gearbox anyway. Be a real sports car enthusiast. Perfection? Not quite. While the muted whine of the supercharger will be music to some, the exhaust note has a slightly agricultural quality to it. We also found a little more engine vibration than we'd like at cruising speeds.
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