Mercedes SLK 55 AMG
The SLK 55 AMG is one of the most raucous small sports cars there is. And the alternately burbling and booming exhaust note is choreographed by the 5.5-litre, V8 AMG engine under the hood. This naturally aspirated V8 engine is currently being used only in the SLK 55 AMG and it has been tuned to deliver a ?torquey? performance.
For a compact roadster, the car gets a sizeable 421 hp of peak power at 6,800 rpm from the 5,461cc engine and a peak torque of 540 Nm at 4,500 rpm. The impressive numbers translate into an impressive performance on-road, especially on the straights. The car?s top speed is set at 250 kmph and it manages the 0-100 kmph sprint in just 4.6 seconds.
The engine?s raw performance is better reined in by the AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7G-TRONIC transmission. The gearbox?s ability to learn your driving style and shift instantaneously based on driver inputs is a big plus. The gearbox?s performance-oriented tuning becomes more evident while test driving the SLK 55 AMG in and around Delhi?s roads and some of the highways outside the capital, where a mix of slow driving and quick sprints is inevitable.
To be sure to reflect the new responsible luxury image that every car maker now wants, the SLK 55 AMG?s engine fuel-saving efficiency features like direct injection, cylinder deactivation, variable valve timing and a start/stop function. The AMG 7G-TRONIC transmission is offered with three drive modes ? controlled efficiency, sports and manual. The modes are focused to ensure that they live up to their promise, with the sports and manual being the most fun to drive in.