While everyone is waiting for the new R171 generation Mercedes SLK, tuners are still preparing some cool packages for the recently discontinued model. One of those tuners is Piecha Design who have prepared the “Final Performance RS EDITION,” in order to say good bye to a pretty cool car.
The send-off package includes a distinctive front-spoiler bumper with integrated LED daytime running lights, wedge-shaped side skirts with air intakes, a rear bumper with a wide grid core and diffuser vane, and a rear spoiler lip. The vehicle also carries Piecha dp2 Phantom rims in a 19 inch (front) & 20 inch (rear) size with the use of 225/35 front tires and 265/25 rear tires.
The package also includes lowering springs from H&R, a new set of dp2 Phantom rims, black anodized aluminum aero wings, and special wind deflector with the signed “Final Performance RS Edition” logo. These additions are pretty cool, but the highlight of the vehicle is the legendary PIECHA power converter. This converter allows the vehicle to take in all of the power of the engine without even thinking twice about it. We’d love to tell you the amount of power this converter is facilitating, but Piecha have yet to announce these numbers.
Press release after the jump.
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We’ve already caught a glimpse of the future Mercedes SLK featuring the brand’s new Magic Sky Control system with a spy shot captured a little over a week ago, and although finally seeing the technology cleared up the questions we had about its aesthetics, the whole technology part is still a little unclear. In an attempt to part the clouds of uncertainty, Mercedes has released a series of images that they are hoping will explain this phenomenon.
Magic Sky Control is in fact a transparent glass roof that can be darkened on demand in a matter of seconds. It’s like the transitional lenses people wear that go from clear to dark when stepping out into the sun. It works by using electrically-governed particles that shift to allow only a certain amount of UV light into the car. The technology is said to help keep away UV and infrared rays and can reduce the 1,000 watts per square meter into a measly 50-200 watts. Bringing that shade to the interior of the vehicle should make for quite a pleasant driving experience during those warm, sunny days.
The images provided by Mercedes include results from testing performed on the new Magic Sky technology. The tests were done at temperatures higher that 50 degrees Celsius in the shade, and, with an open roof, the load from the sun in the heat of Death Valley reached 1000 to 1100 W per square meter. With the transparent glass roof it dropped to 200 W, and when the roof was switched to darkened mode with MAGIC SKY CONTROL, it dropped to 40 to 50 W – 1/20th of the original value.
Don’t get too excited though; the Magic Sky Control doesn’t come cheap. The price for this technology is an extra 2,000 euro ($2,700 at the current exchange rates) on top of the base price for the car.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
The first teaser image of the next generation Mercedes SLK already revealed that the future sports car will be offered with a new system called "Magic Sky Control," but the full-on look of the technology has been spied in these first shots taken of the future Mercedes. Kind of deflates the importance of the teaser image, doesn’t it?
The transparency of this panorama roof is controlled by electrically-governed particles that can shift to adjust how much light is filtered into the car. The technology is said to help keep away UV and infrared rays and can reduce the 1,000 watts per square meter into a measly 50-200 watts. Impressive, but you can’t get it for free. The price for this technology is an extra 2,000 euro ($2,700 at the current exchange rates) on top of the base price for the car.
The base SLK should have around 230 HP from a six-cylinder motor, while the higher end versions could get a 3.5-liter. There were rumors about a turbocharged four-cylinder, but that doesn’t seem likely.
The AMG version will probably have the new 5.5-liter turbocharged V8.
As you probably know by now, the next generation SLK will be making its world debut sometime next year. And as these things go, Mercedes will be pulling the same teaser image nonsense that we have seen time and time again (Lamborghini Sesto Elemento ring a bell?). The first teaser for the future sports car reveals a glass roof for the SLK which Merc says can be adjusted thanks to a new system called "Magic Sky Control" seen here on a pre-production SLK R 172 prototype.
The transparency of this panorama roof is controlled by electrically-governed particles that can shift to adjust how much light is filtered into the car. The technology is said to help keep away UV and infrared rays and can reduce the 1,000 watts per square meter into a measly 50-200 watts. Impressive, but you can’t get it for free. The price for this technology is an extra 2,000 euro ($2,700 at the current exchange rates) on top of the base price for the car.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes SLK is still scampering about with its bland black camouflage, so we’ll have to wait for more teasers to appear to get better details for the next generation sports car.
The next Mercedes SLK AMG has been caught testing for the first time. The future model is codenamed R172 and will be inspired by the F800 Concept unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show. The car will feature a large, trapezoidal front grille similar to the one from the SLS AMG supercar, a rear spoiler also similar to the one from the SLS ,and a new side vent. There are also larger wheels and brakes, a more aggressive air intake on the front spoiler, and quad-exhaust tips.
The car will replace the current SLK55 and will most likely be powered by the same V8 engine found in the C63 AMG that delivers a total of 457bhp.
However, before the AMG version, we will see the standard SLK Roadster go on sale in April 2011. It will be offered with a diesel engine and a four-cylinder 2.1 twin-turbo engine producing 204 hp and 500 Nm.
