Under the bonnet is where the bassist and the rest of the band reside. The 5,461-cc naturally aspirated, direct-injection V8 engine starts with a subdued rumble before settling into a rather gentle burble. Look at the tacho and the needle is hovering around the 1,000-RPM mark with the redline at 7,000. That seems fair, but let’s get on to the other numbers. A considerable 421 PS is what the big V8 makes, and it comes in at 6,800 RPM, less than a blink away from the redline considering the rate at which that engine picks up speed. The torque, 540 Nm of it, peaking at 4,500 RPM, is also a rather substantial figure to consider. The previous SLK 55 made 60 PS and 30 Nm less, in comparison, from the same displacement. That’s quite an improvement, wouldn’t you agree?
The transmission is a beefed-up AMG SpeedShift Plus seven-speed automatic driving the fat rear wheels. Speaking of which, the SLK 55 wears special AMG 10-spoke 18” alloys wrapped in 235/40 rubber up front, with wider 255/35 ones at the rear. Another detail is the AMG exhaust pipe setup, with two twin-pipes at each side, each bearing the AMG mark. All right, enough of the details, this is an AMG, and Mr Aufrecht and Mr Melcher of Großaspach would want it to be driven, and driven in a way it should be.
We decided that this time we’d hit the road while the sun bid adieu. So, as the afternoon began signing off, we headed out to the highway to see what this big-hearted AMG could really do. Get in the car, and you immediately notice the ink-blue roof. The Magic Sky Control, as Mercedes put it, allows the opacity to be controlled electronically (borrowed from the now defunct Maybach range, we believe). You can have a darkened glass roof when the sun is harsh or a clear glass when you’d want it to be. I, of course, preferred no roof at all and, 17 seconds later, lo and behold, the Vario Roof was just that!
The sound of the big V8 is something to be savoured for sure. There aren’t too many left these days. Downsizing and turbochargers have led to all major manufacturers lobbing off cylinders and decreasing displacement. Even the Americans, with their ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’ theory, have not only begun using forced injection, over the past few years even electricity is getting involved in the whole process. Never mind, this engine allows you to say that to yourself in your mind. It calms you with the fact that direct injection, Eco start/stop and cylinder deactivation are good enough, for now.
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