Whiteamg55

I want the bigger slk63 and the current front end. Your Thoughts


http://www.leftlanenews.com/index.php?s=slk55

DiamondKomp

I doubt they're going to change the front end. That's extremely drastic for a mid-life facelift. The most dramatic mid-life facelift we've seen in recent times is the 7-series butt-redesign, and even that was nowhere near as a drastic as removing the F1-nose from the SLK would be.

If they do turn out to do this for the '08 model year, then it will make the F1-nosed SLK55 one of the rarest MB cars in recent times.

slk55lvr

In my opinion one of the greatest appeal factors of the slk was it's styling. If they change it to look like a regular Benz I think they are making a HUGE mistake.

big SLK

...unless it's an improvement

9moon

personally, no other car out there has a better front look than ths SLK.. if they were to change a thing or two, they should concentrate on makin the back a bit as bz as the front..

SoCalSLK55

Spoke to my stealer about design lifecycles (and an ex-gf who designed for MB once upon a time) and was told that standard design lifecycle for a body style is six years for MB aside from minor tweaks that don't require changes in the fabrication process.

Not sure if that's written in stone, but if there's any truth to it, I can't imagine any reason to make changes to the SLK body style.

Personally, I prefer the SLR style nose to the SL as to my eye, it's more agressive.

lisamcgu

Everything about the new SLK has been a little strange. Why did MB pour so much $ (new design, engine, ...) into one of their cheapest models to begin with? And then virtually no marketing? For the SLK 55, instead of making a bunch of them, they have taken steps to keep it somewhat rare and in demand - why?

I believe, if the article is correct, about the SLK63 being made BEFORE they change the hood style back to being in line with the rest of the group (boring), then THAT car will be the rare car to have.

Could happen given the SLK's recent history.

DiamondKomp

What do you mean? All cars in the MB lineup get a redesign every 6 or so years. I mean, they weren't going to leave the R170 body style on the road for another 6 years. I don't think there was any unusual expense in designing the R171. Just because it is the most distinctive looking front end in the lineup (next to the SLR) doesn't mean it cost more money to design. And the SLK did not get any kind of special engine treatment either. Both the AMG 5.5 and the V-6 3.5 are shared with a bunch of other cars. I believe the SLK350 was the first car to get the new V6's, but the engine was by no means specifically designed for the SLK.

As for marketing, I recall a bunch of TV and print ads around the time the R171 was introduced. No more or less than any other MB model gets (which isn't really that much).

Isn't that the whole point of the AMG models? To be somewhat rare and in demand?

I agree.

lisamcgu

I was thinking of the 05 SLK 350 which got the new 6-cylinder. This is the car I was going get until I heard about the more torquey v8 in the SLK55. Plus with that 7 spd transmission and new exhaust how I could resist.

lisamcgu

Are you stuck in the 90s or something?

AMG production has skyrocketed from about 2003 on. In 99 only about 500 E55s were sent in the US, and it stayed that way until 2002. NOW, its thousands per year, just for the US, and just E's. Go to So Cal if you don't know this. Dime a dozen. So Cal Chevy.

MB could be selling thousands of SLKs, with the demand, as they do with Es, but they're not. They are holding back and this is evident by the rarity in spotting one, even here, in So Cal, where in some towns the MAJORITY of cars are MBs, and 55s are in the thousands.

And check out the number of 55s in a MB car lot. There's plenty, except for the SLK55. And the resale on the SLK55 is one of the best for all the AMG cars. I could go on but I think that's enough.

dinko

Lisa I recently looked on KBB and the resale on my SLK55 doesn't look so hot.

fredfromny

Edmunds.com was at least $10k higher for mine.
Try cars.com for an even better picture.
We are fortunate to have a car with such little depreciation!
Cheers.

DiamondKomp

Well, I was in SoCal back in maybe January, Westwood, Santa Monica, Newport Beach. Yes, there are more high-end cars down there, but there didn't seem to be a lot of R171's, which is the same up here in Northern California.

I'm not sure if that's because MB is holding back production, or if the R171 styling is just too distinctive for some people, especially the kind of people who bought R170. I can say up here, R170 considerably outnumbers R171.

Shinigami

Considering the fact that the R170 was on sale for approximately 8 years, and the R171 has now been on sale for 2 years, it should be normal that there's a lot more R170's around

But different styling changes work differently in different parts of our different world