2011 / 2012 Mercedes SLK Revealed

2011 Mercedes SLK finally gets an official reveal. Sort of.

To be honest, we’d expected Mercedes to be forthcoming on the new Mercedes SLK a little before now. Especially after we ran a French promotional video for the 2011 Mercedes SLK that leaked out over a month ago. A video which featured the 2011 / 2012 Mercedes SLK in all its glory and highlighted all its features (and which we’ve re-posted below).

Still, better late than never even if there’s precious little revealed we didn’t already know. And even now we’re not getting the official reveal, as that is scheduled for later this month to coincide with the 125th anniversary celebrations at Mercedes.

As we already know, the new SLK is a less aggressive looking successor to the current model, although Mercedes claim it to have a sportier chassis. And, like it or nor, there’s going to be a diesel SLK – a 2.1 litre four-pot turbo with 204bhp. Which, even though we’ve warmed to the fuel of Satan recently, just doesn’t seem right. Even if it will be the best seller.

Still on the list for the new SLK is a folding tin-top, only now you can cough up an extra couple of grand and have the Magic Sky Control roof that controls sunlight at the touch of a button. Styling comes from the SLS school of design, with the interior also getting an SLS-style workover. Although we hope there’ll be more headroom in the new SLK than in  the SLS.

Engines at launch will be a couple of 1.8 litre turbos and the 3.5 litre V6. The 1.8 litre turbos will deliver 184bhp in the SLK200 and 204bhp in the SLK250, with even the SLK200 breaking 7 seconds to 60mph.

The SLK350 gets the new 3.5 litre V6 which delivers 306bhp which – with its seven-speed ‘box – hustles the new SLK to 62 mph in just 5.6 seconds. And manages to average 39.8mph, thanks to stuff like stop-start. But not at the same time.

Coming at the end of the year – along with the diesel SLK – will be a new SLK55, which is expected to feature a normally aspirated version of the 5.5 litre turbo Mercedes are starting to fit as a replacement for the 6.2 litre in other AMG models. The new 5.5 litre V8 is expected to produce around 425bhp.

Not a lot we didn’t already know. And no UK prices or specs yet.

(27 photos – click any thumbnail for full gallery)

By Cars UK