Is the 2005 Mercedes Benz Slk 55 AMG a good car?
By
Vroomouk
This blog will answer the following questions: is the 2005 Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG a good car? How fast does it go? How does it compare to its bigger version the SL 55 AMG?
Is the 2005 Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG a good car?
Yes, the 2005 Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG is a good car. Mercedes Benz introduced the second generation of the SLK in 2004. The letters SLK stands for sporty, light and compact; the car holds true to its name as it is sporty to drive thanks to its front-engine rear-wheel-drive layout. The curb weight of the SLK model series R171 is only 1575 kg OR 3472 lbs despite having a stronger chassis than the previous model.
The 2005 SLK 55 AMG was launched at approximately 70,000 USD and it was very capable of matching the performance of its bigger sibling SL 55 AMG which was priced at 30,000 to 60,000 USD more than the SLK 55 AMG.
The following table summarises some of the key specifications of the 2005 SLK 55 AMG
| Specifications | Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG (2005) |
| Wheelbase | 243 cm or 95.67 inches |
| engine | 5.4 litres V8 Petrol |
| transmission | 7 G Tronic automatic Gearbox |
| passenger | 2 |
| Curb weight | 1575 kg OR 3472 |
The new design of the second generation of Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG has made it more aerodynamic. The coefficient of drag is 0.32, it is calculated as the ratio of the drag force to the force produced by the dynamic pressure multiplied by the area. The front end resembles the shape of a formula one car.
The Vario roof system that opens and closes the hard top is also modified. There are fewer hydraulic cylinders and the second generation uses a combination of hydraulic cylinders along with electric motors. Therefore the entire operation of opening and closing the roof only takes 22 seconds. The use of electric motors and a mechanical pivot has not only made the folding mechanism more compact but also more reliable. The cargo space is now 300 litres which is 63 litres more than the previous generation.
The second generation was very popular and Mercedes Benz sold 500,000 units till 2008. Globally the sale was limited as SLK was not available in all the international markets. In countries like India and China, it had to be imported as a completely built unit which significantly increased the cost of the vehicle.
In the European market, the SLK with a standard V6 engine competed against cars like the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, and Audi TT. The introduction of the SLK 55 AMG model completely outperformed the competition offered by its rivals. Mercedes Benz also developed an SLK 55 AMG Black series model which was more powerful than the 55 SLK AMG. The roof and front fenders were made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced plastics materials so it was lighter. There were additional engine oil and transmission oil coolers in the black series and it was launched a year later than the 2005 Mercedes Benz 55 AMG model.
How does it compare to its bigger version the SL 55 AMG?
Despite the fact that the Mercedes Benz SLK55 AMG and the SL 55 AMG are two-seaters hard top convertible roadsters, the underpinnings are completely different. The SL 55 AMG has a longer wheelbase at 256 cm or 100.79 inches. The width is 182.7 cm or 71.93 inches so there is more interior space available.
The SLK was designed as a much smaller and lighter car with no compromise on performance. Unlike the SL model which is currently in its seventh generation, the SLK was discontinued in 2011. Mercedes Benz replaced the SLK with a completely redesigned SLC model with the latest technologies like high performance LED lights and a lighter body shell made of steel and aluminium alloys.
The suspension of the 2005 SLK 55 AMG was completely mechanical; the Black edition had an aluminium front strut brace. The SL 55 AMG on the other hand had a more advanced suspension system. It was called Active body control and used hydraulic shock absorbers to control the ride height of the vehicle.
The engine of the SL 55 AMG was supercharged by a twin-scroll supercharger with twin intercoolers. SLK got the naturally aspirated slightly less powerful version of the same engine.
Mercedes Benz used panoramic glass in the roof of SLK that could change the colour after the application of electric current. Therefore, the Glass allowed more light inside the compact cabin of the SLK and made it look more spacious. After activating the Magic sky feature, the Glass became dark; protecting the inside passengers against the heat and lowering the interior temperature.
The SL did not get the magic sky roof and its convertible roof system was much slower because of the size and heavy weight of the hard top.
How fast does the 2005 Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG go?
The 2005 Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG has a top speed of 250 km per hour or 155 miles per hour. It is powered by a 5.4 litre V8 engine M113. It is a naturally aspirated engine with port fuel injection. The power output is 355 brake horsepower at 5750 rpm and 510 Nm of torque. The M113 has two intake valves and a single exhaust valve per cylinder. The single exhaust valve greatly improved the scavenging effect and the torque characteristics of the engine. Maximum torque is available from as early as 4000 rpm, the power curve is very linear as there is no forced air induction.
The V8 engine is mated to the 7-speed automatic transmission, the gear changes are very smooth and SLK accelerates from 0-60 km per hour in just 4.9 seconds. The 7 G Tronic automatic transmission is capable of making accelerated multiple downshifts very quickly. Hence, in the city the ride is very comfortable to buy as soon as the kick down is recognised by the engine control unit, the acceleration is constant and can be felt until the redline of 7000 rpm.
Other articles about Mercedes Benz you may be interested in
What is a Mercedes Benz mbrace?
How to put a Mercedes Benz car with a dead battery in neutral?
Conclusion
The 2005 Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG is a good car. It offered good performance and handling at a reasonable price. There are a fair amount of SLK 55 AMGs available in the used car market and Mercedes Benz even has its own certified cars program. So the SLK 55 AMG is with it if you want a lightweight sports car with a Mercedes Benz badge. The black series of the SLK 55 AMG is very rare and SLK is the last sports car sold by Mercedes Benz with a manual gearbox option.
