Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche have all introduced new sports cars in the past couple of years — at the same time as Japanese sports cars like the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan 300ZX have been phased out. At the moment, the European sports cars are sell- ing well — Porsche is even opening up another factory in Finland to build more Boxsters. Demand for the four-cylinder BMW Z3, six- ‘-eytinder Z3 2.8, and the new Mercedes-Benz 230 SLK is also outstripping supply ‘ despite the fact that these “high-end” sports cars are quite: expensive. The cheap- est of the bunch is the four- ‘ ‘eylinder Z3 which starts at -., $40,500. | The new Mercedes-Benz SLK 230, with its super- 7 charged 2.3-litre four-cylin- der engine, goes for $55,760. The most expen- sive is the Boxster which goes for $56,600 plus some very expensive options. At these prices, it remains to be seen how long the love affair with small European two-seater sports cars will last. -- ; -While the Z3 is for tradi- tional sports car lovers and the Boxster is for closet rac- ers, the SLK is catered to the . Polo sweater crowd. Exceedingly handsome in its 7 simplicity, ingeniously- f, ‘ designed, and chock fall of safety features, the Miata- sized SLK 230 offers more . Mercedes-Benz quality per inch than any other Benz. The power-operated con: vertible hardtop itself is a “marvel of engineering. Fully # - automatic, the hardtop detaches itself from the “:windscreen header, the win- ‘dows roll down, the top ‘folds in two, the trunk opens up (hinged from the rear), and the top foids neatly into _ the runk. The trunk id ~then closes. « All this happens in about 25 seconds. Te driver does- S<9’t have to get out of the car to raise ‘or lower the top. =~ The advantage of a con- . vertible hardtop is twofold — better noise insulation and improved security, the latter particularly appealing to women. The convertible steel hardtop features a glass rear window with defroster. Even with the hardtop fold- ed into the trunk, there is iechnical o still five cubic feet of trunk space underneath it to store a few grocery bags, although access 1s awkward Ip. terms of styling, the SLK is a winner. Though short, it has an immediate presence, at least in part because of the huge Mercedes-Benz tri-star in the grille. Distinguishing styling elements include a wedge- shaped profile, short front and rear overhangs, large wraparound headlamps and B.C.A.A, - A:R.A. APPROVED CENTRE GUARANTEE” MEM AS LONG AS YOU OWN YOUR CAR DON TAYLOR. Same owner, some high tech equipped shop TALKING YELLOW PAGES e 299-900 Consultation 7l4l8iS. 985-7455 x Estimates xf tailights, big tires and wheels thar fill out the fender wells, and the twin “power domes” on the hood, reminiscent of the classic 300SL. The SLK’s interior has a handsome “retro” look with cream-faced, chrome-beveled gauges and heater controls, graphite-patterned trim on variable. : the dash and console, and two-toned leather uphol- stery. However, style over- rides substance on the instrument cowl — ir obscures a portion of the tachometer. The interior features a console shift lever, dual tem- perature controls, AM/FM cassette with six Bose speak- ers, seat heaters, pull-out cupholders, center armrest with storage bin, and but- tons for activating headlight B ES 99 - $895 fabout, sichades ShOES, ‘abou, mache | Fue eucricny sq ges washers and Traction Control. For safety, the interior has dual front airbags, dual side airbags, knee bolsters, three- point seatbeles with emer- gency tensioner retractors, and roll-over hoops behind the seats. The passenger side airbags automatically de-acti- vate when a specially- designed Mercedes-Benz child seat is installed in the passenger seat. The SLK is also designed ‘with deformable front and rear “crush” zones, and a rigid passenger cell. The SLK’s engine is a supercharged 2.5-litre four- cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder and rwin overhead camshafts. Redline is 5800 r.p.m. and the SLK will sprint to 100 km-h (62m.p.h.) in a spritely 7.5 seconds. The engine has a surpris- ing amount of low-end pull, partly because of its super- charger which forces more air into the engine to boost horsepower, and the engine’s variable intake valve timing system which works by rotat- ing the camshaft slightly to increase valve overlap and boost mid-range torque. Unlike some four cylinder engines, this one doesn’t need to be revved high to extract maximum perfor- mance. The powerplant’s Achilles heel is the noise it makes. A . combination of supercharger any only only Spark plugs intuded, inickt. 6 vans $10 eda TRANSMISSION SERVICE scuades tod 45 od STARTERS & ALTERNATORS $$$ SAVE $$$ WE REPAIR OR REBUILD Friday, June 27, 1997 — North Shore News - 39 Pe Re gra SO THE SLK features a convertible power hardtep | which automatically folds ints the trunk. Test Grive the new SLK at Mercedes-Benz Canada at 1375 Marine Dy., North Vancouver. whine, mechanical thrashing and a non-descript exhaust note are in sharp contrast to the SLK's exciting looks. Unlike the Z3 and Boxster, the SLK is not avail- able with a manua! transmis- sion. The only transmission available on the SLK is a five-speed automatic, an adaptive transmission that adapts shift points to the dri- ver's driving style. The trans- mission also has a second- gear winter starting mode to help improve traction. There’s also a traction con- trol system: which uses throt- de retardation and ABS braking to improve traction on slippery surfaces. On a twisty road, the SLK is 2 nimble and bai- anced performer with very high cornering limits. Its balanced rear-wheel-drive Jayeut, fully-independent suspension (front. wish- bone/rear multi-link), and meaty 16-inch radial tires provide lots of grip. As with the Porsche Boxster, the SLK’s rear tires are slightly . wider than the front tires (front 205/55R-16, rear 225/50R-16). Four wheel “Yr: =. disc brakes with ABS provide -- short stopping distances. - With the top down, wind buffeting at highway speeds can be reduced with an optional wind deflector which is positioned between the rear roli hoops. Driving around town, the SLK’s short 2.39 metre (94.1 in.) wheelbase makes it an easy car to drive and park. The turning circle is a tight 10.5 metres (34.7 feet). At the moment, there’s a two-vear waiting list for the SLK in Canada — not sur- prising since Mercedes-Benz has allocated less than 300 SLK’s for Canada. However, you might want to take advantage of er Mercedes-Benz’ European delivery program which allows you to pick up the car in Germany for a lower price and have it shipped back to Canada. Volvos cost less on the North Shore. WO 1235 Marine Drive, North Vancouver (604) 989-2464 Limited time nifer until June 30, 1997. Leases have a 19.200 knvyear allowance ($0.104an On exccesS). A down payment or squivalent trade of $2.655 is required, and freight and PDI, faxes, Beene and insurance are extra. The leasee will be entifted to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease for $25, 198/826, 969/531,657