Kompressor: supercharged engine provides 450 Newton metres of torque
Aufgeladen: Kompressor sorgt für 450 Newtonmeter Drehmoment
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Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG
The AMG V6 Kompressor engine: a technical masterpiece
The suspension: active safety at the highest level
The AMG styling package: rear axle lift reduced by 50% As is normally the case with vehicles in the Mercedes AMG range, the bodywork design of the SLK has been given its own, very individual design. The front and rear aprons, side skirts and an elegantly integrated airflow breakaway edge on the boot lid, which reduces the lift on the rear axle by more than 50 per cent, give the SLK 32 AMG its own characteristic appearance. The AMG styling elements are continued in the interior. Sports seats with integrated head restraints, designed especially for the roadster, ensure perfect lateral support, whilst the well-balanced ergonomics of the seats guarantee comfort on long journeys. Both seats and door panels are trimmed with two-tone leather as standard, the same material that is to be found on the AMG steering wheel and gear knob. Similarly attractive is the trim on the centre console in high-quality, dark bird's-eye maple. The individually designed instrument faces, including a speedometer that shows speeds of up to 300 km/h - in the case of the SLK 32 AMG in silver - are also typical of Mercedes AMG; for the first time the speed is shown in steps of 30 km/h. From 2001 onwards, there are plans to build around 2000 SLK 32 AMG per annum. Approximately half of the production is destined for the USA, where the Mercedes Sport division has enjoyed enduring success for quite some time now. The other units will be distributed primarily in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Great Britain and Japan. Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG
DaimlerChrysler Communications, November 14, 2000 |
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- Mercedes AMG GmbH has introduced a new dimension to the compact roadster
sector. In the spring of 2001, the SLK 32 AMG, with its 260-kW/354-hp AMG
V6 supercharged engine, will take up a new leading position in this sector,
which has been dominated from the very early days by the SLK. No other roadster
in this class shows quite such a supreme development of power. The same is
valid of the engine's maximum torque of 450 Newton metres, thanks to which
the Mercedes SLK 32 AMG can speed through the 100 km/h mark in a mere 5.2
seconds. Yet despite such sporty evidence, the roadster uses an average of
just 11.2 litres of premium lead-free fuel ( 95 ROZ ). As racing driver Bernd
Schneider, who recently won the German Touring Car Masters ( DTM ) with Mercedes
AMG and was given an exclusive opportunity to put the SLK 32 AMG through
its paces, explained, "This fascinating new roadster is not just about pure
power. The SLK 32 AMG has been re-defined in all its essential components.
Its excellent performance and sporty suspension, with ESP as standard, are
not just fun; they give the car a dynamic character whilst enabling it to
remain absolutely controllable and viable for everyday use. This homogenous
picture is further enhanced by details such as the newly designed AMG sports
seats and the tasteful but commanding AMG bodywork styling. I am also impressed
by the way that this high-performance sports car manages to keep its emissions
low and to meet the EU 4 emissions standard. All these aspects, as well as
the overall concept of the vehicle with its practical Vario roof add, in
my view, to the definition of a roadster which is still unique in the way
its concept is so logically thought through".
The Mercedes
AMG V6 Kompressor offers very clear dynamic advantages over the familiar
3.2-litre naturally aspirated engine of the SLK 320. The use of a supercharger
means that the engine output could be increased by 100 kW / 136 hp and the
maximum torque by 140 Newton metres. The Affalterbach engineers were particularly
keen to give the vehicle a dynamic torque characteristic, as a consequence
of which the roadster develops its power at low revs, whilst also being able
to move smoothly in higher gears. At 2300 rpm the engine is already able
to use 400 of its 450 Newton metres. This power is passed to the rear wheels
via a very sportily tuned five-speed automatic gearbox. As an alternative,
the gear ratios can be changed by hand using the one-touch shift (+/-). No
less innovative is the charge air cooling system used by AMG, which features
a very efficient air-water-heat exchanger system. The biggest advantage here
is the compensating ability of the system to counteract temperature peaks.
As a consequence, unlike conventional air-to-air systems in which, under
certain thermic load conditions, the ignition angle and hence the output
usually have to be corrected downwards, in the SLK 32 AMG the full spectrum
of the vehicle's performance can be used at all times. Technological refinement
also marks the engine acoustics. With the exception of the intake manifold,
the whole exhaust system, including the oval, chrome-plated twin tailpipe,
has been completely redesigned. And you can hear it; for the sound produced
has a very special resonance that manages to avoid being irritating.
Due to
the vehicle's high performance, the SLK suspension has been especially adjusted
for the AMG version, whose top speed is electronically regulated to 250 km/h.
In addition to a new spring/damper configuration, the wider rear track width
and a larger dimension torsion bar on the front axle, the good deceleration
figure for the brakes (approx. 10.5 m/s2) is a particular highlight.
The braking system features internally ventilated disc brakes all round (diameter
at the front 334 mm, at the rear 300 mm), ABS, Brake Assist (BAS), ESP and
an integrated ASR system. The sterling silver-coloured 17-inch AMG light-alloy
wheels with their twin-spoke design are a completely new development. Not
only do these look good, fitted as they are with size 225 tyres on the front
and 245 on the rear, they also offer optimum cooling for the high-performance
disc brakes.
