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just need a simple explanation

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Old Dec 19, 2002 | 05:46 PM
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just need a simple explanation

just a quick question, not really familiar with the mercedes scene becuase I just recently recieved a c230k upon getting accepted into stanford.
What was the reason for mercedes to release a cl and a clk? what does the K stand for...does It have a purpose....like i is injection for BMW. And that also goes for the same with the sl and slk....is it just to provide similar cars to a group of people that can't exactly afford the sl...but can get teh slk?
if any kali people you know can perhaps plugg in a better eaton supercharger in my car....hook me up....just need to wait till the end of my senior year...:o

thanks...sammy
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Old Dec 19, 2002 | 05:57 PM
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2002 C230 : 2007 C230
cl, clk, sl, slk are just model designations just like Honda has civic, accord, CRX.
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Old Dec 19, 2002 | 06:05 PM
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I believe someone said...

I think it was discussed in the latest issue of "Benzo" magazine. The U.S. reps for Kleeman said that, except for the clk series, the letter "K" on a Mercedes represents "K"leeman and indicates a supercharged vehicle. "K" as in Kompressor, "K" as in SLK, "K" as in C32 K AMG.

Don't kill the messenger, I won't swear by the above, I'm just repeating what I remember reading last weekend.

HTH,

EDJ
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Old Dec 19, 2002 | 07:59 PM
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Correct me if someone knows the right answer, but I've heard it somewhere that the K in both SLK and CLK stands for "Kompact" as the Benz carmakers in Germany designed it. Take SLK for example, S for Sleek, L for light, K for Compact. They are also seen as the smaller/cheaper version of the SL class. Same thing w/ the CLK, the smaller/cheaper CL perhaps.

Last edited by LAMAY123; Dec 20, 2002 at 12:36 AM.
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Old Dec 19, 2002 | 10:23 PM
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ahh ok...cool....

I've read about kleeman before...and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they do a much better job of tuning than rentech. I'll be heading out for stanford soon, so I'd definatly appreciate if anyone can help me with some quality mb tuner shops. But I aint no nub, I've done a complete rebuild of an engine of my old corrado and actually rebuild the supercharger after it hit the 160,000 mile mark.

The "k" for compact seems to be pragmatic...might explain the reason why thier a bit cheaper..none the less well built and beautifully created machines.

thanks

-sammy
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Old Dec 19, 2002 | 11:09 PM
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'03 W211 aka E-500
Hope This Helps...

According to the page 40 "Benzo" magazine article on Kleeman USA, the author, a Terry Galanoy, states this:

"Now it's every model for itself. Although Mercedes-Benz has long used the letter "K" to designate a factory compressor or supercharged-equipped model, this is not true of its line of stock CLK series coupes. These are blowerless. However, the entry-level C230K coupe and the nifty-swifty little SLK two-seater sportster do have the K designation and do have Kompressors. Go figure."

Anyhow, hope this helps. The Benzo magazine is dated 2002, Volume 1.

EDJ
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Old Dec 20, 2002 | 03:50 PM
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This was posted awhile ago....hope it helps

Originally posted by Hal H
This goes back to the 30's in MB model designations such as the type SS and SS-K

C =Coupe'
L =Leicht (light curb weight) compared to sedans
K =Kurz (shorter wheel base) compared to larger sedans

and, as we've seen in recent years after the numeric designation

C230 K = denotes 2.3 Kompressor - supercharged.

On the top level MB 20's - 30's models it was optional to get a supercharger if you could afford it.

In the current (U.S. offerings) models you have:

SL =Sport Leicht
SLK=Sport Leicht Kurz
C = Compact series
CLK = Coupe Leicht Kurz
E = Executive series
S = Super series
CL= Coupe Leicht ?? (not sure about this) in the old days this was merely a coupe body of the S class

ML = (I have not idea - never thought about it - not an SUV enthusiast)
G =Gelandewagen

There are other series offered in other countries

A class
V class
Smart Car
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Old Dec 20, 2002 | 04:06 PM
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'03 W211 aka E-500
Yeah, I think...

the ML series stands for

M: Mini-van
L: Leicht (as you point out, light curb weight).

I don't really know, I'm just making fun of the Mercedes Mini-van because I hate those roller-skate looking, jelly-bean wanting-to-be things!

EDJ
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Old Dec 20, 2002 | 04:11 PM
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Re: Yeah, I think...

Originally posted by ElDiabloJoe
the ML series stands for

M: Mini-van
L: Leicht (as you point out, light curb weight).

I don't really know, I'm just making fun of the Mercedes Mini-van because I hate those roller-skate looking, jelly-bean wanting-to-be things!

EDJ
I believe that in the newest SLs, the L in fact stands for Lead...

OK, OK, not very funny.
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Old Dec 23, 2002 | 05:29 AM
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300ce
.....wellcome to the world of MB naming.

......yes, the K in MB's usually means that the car has a kompressor, but this appliues to stock MB's and the usually comes after a THREE DIGITS such as C230K etc.

.......After market tunners such as Kleemann add a K to the car, but the K comes in after TWO DIGITS, not three digits. For example CLK 320 becomes CLK32k. If it was left as CLK320K as some have done it will denote an oem compressor and would mean that the car came stock with the Kompressor. No such CLk exists.

.............Even the new supercharged SL55, e55, CL 55 do not have sl55k or e55k or cl55k written on them. The side panel just has v8 kompressor. So you can be safe that when a car reads CLK32k or e55k, it has an aftermarket kompressor such as a Kleemann.

...............As for SLK vs SL and CLK vs CL..........my understanding is that the K in this case denotes Kompact. The sl and SLK are both roadsters without back seats but SLK is more compact. The CL and CLK are both coupes with back seats but the CLK is more kompact. THe K in these instances do not have anything to do with a compressor. So, you can be safe that in MB.s when the K comes after a series of alphabets instead of after a series of numbers, it has nothing to do with a kompressor.

...............Now if you think you are confused, MB has developed the CLE, a four door "coupe".....go figure.

Ted
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Old Dec 23, 2002 | 05:38 AM
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i thought the CLK class was a deritive of teh E Class... man i'm messed up! lol
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Old Dec 23, 2002 | 07:27 PM
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300ce
..............the CLK is actually a derivative of the C class but marketed "upmarket" while the old 300Ce was a derivative of the class.

Ted
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Old Dec 24, 2002 | 01:38 PM
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for the current models:
163 ML, 170 SLK, 203 C, 209 CLK, 211 E, 215 CL, 220 S, 230 SL, 463 G Wagon

call the cars by the Chassis code and it is easier to differentiate
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Old Dec 25, 2002 | 02:44 AM
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Umm what they said, YEA!!!!
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Old Dec 26, 2002 | 01:43 AM
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No wonder higher education costs so much!

I did not realize that Stanford gave each entering freshman a new Mercedes-Benz.
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Old Mar 9, 2005 | 07:41 PM
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2005 C240
Originally Posted by PhucNguyen57
for the current models:
163 ML, 170 SLK, 203 C, 209 CLK, 211 E, 215 CL, 220 S, 230 SL, 463 G Wagon

call the cars by the Chassis code and it is easier to differentiate
Phuc, you make a good point! I pulled some size statistics for those chassis numbers:

163 ML - 182.6 x 72.4

170 SLK - 160.7 x 70.4

203 C - 178.2 x 68

209 CLK - 182.6 x 68.5

211 E - 189.7 x 71.3

215 CL - 196.4 x 73.1

220 S - 203.1 x 73

230 SL - 178.5 x 71.5

463 G Wagon - 185.6 x 71.3
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