2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class

If William Shakespeare had seen the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class, he would've rewritten "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." A roadster with any other name except Mercedes-Benz would not look as good, ride as smooth, feel as relaxed or exhilarate as much as the 2012 SLK-Class.

 

Besides that, no other car in the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class comes with the MAGIC SKY CONTROL^® panoramic roof option. This isn't an ordinary retractable roof. This one can change the tint between light and dark with a button press. And, the roof can open and close in a quiet 20 seconds, just long enough for you to take in the rhythm of the SLK-Class. Start counting the ways in which you will love the roadster and then go to Park Place Motorcars in Dallas, Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth or Park Place Motorcars Grapevine to see the SLK-Class car and count some more.

 

The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class has a brand new heart, not a tweaked one. The all-new V6 engine with a 60-degree angle provides balance and gives the turbochargers more breathing room. What the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class engine can do is a song in itself, but the short version is that it's a 3.5-liter with 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The 0 to 60 number: 5.5 seconds.

 

Smooth handling comes courtesy of the suspension and direct-steer system technology. "The SLK-Class is an easy car to drive quickly. Strong brakes, plenty of grip, tight roll control, and a supportive seat take the surprise out of unfamiliar mountain roads," writes Car and Driver in its Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class review. No matter the road conditions in Dallas or wherever the car goes, it'll handle it like a silky verse.

 

The bold new design alludes to the 2012 SLK-Class racing heritage and the iconic SLS AMG^® with its muscular grille and sculpted headlights. Wraparound LED lights adorn the front and back of the roadster. Sitting in the deep contoured seat with easy access to the cockpit, the driver can easily bond with the road while feeling the ode to escapism.

 

Standard safety equipment supporting the driver includes, among many other purposeful features, PRE-SAFE^®, ATTENTION ASSIST^® drowsiness detection system and mBrace in-vehicle communications that automatically calls for help when an airbag opens.

 

"The new interior is a welcome departure from that of the last SLK-Class. Gone is shiny-plastic, generic switchgear; in its place is what appears to be a scale model of the SLS AMG^® dashboard. The design is modern, clean, and elegant," writes Car and Driver.

 

Shakespeare would be in love with the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. He'd love writing a sonnet to capture the roadster's magic. Between the famed Mercedes-Benz star on the front and the sky above, the roadster is the star to follow. Discover poetry in motion in the form of the SLK350 at one of our three dealerships serving you: Park Place Motorcars in Dallas, Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth and Park Place Motorcars Grapevine. 

Aluminum interior trim. Crisp, modern aluminum trim on the console and doors adds to the modern style and performance feel of the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class.

 

Multifunction 3-spoke sport steering wheel: The thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel features a racing-inspired flat-bottom design. For fingertip access to some of the vehicle functions you use most often, convenient buttons on the steering wheel let you control the audio volume and selection, send and end calls on your Bluetooth-enabled phone, and scroll through the features of the multifunction display in the instrument cluster.

 

8-way power sport seats with memory: Contoured sport seats power-adjust for reach, front and rear cushion height, and recline. For long-term comfort and lower-back support, each seat offers a lumbar support that precisely adjusts in/out in and up/down. A memory system for the driver seat recalls three stored positions for the seat plus the power steering column and side mirrors.

 

Central controller: Located on the console where the driver's right hand naturally falls, this large control dial puts multiple functions at your fingertips, providing easy, convenient operation of the car's audio, communication and optional navigation systems.

 

Leather upholstery with contrasting stitching: Supple, richly grained leather is hand-fitted to all seating surfaces, as well as the door trim inserts and the armrests. Contrasting double-stitched seams add to the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class sporty style. An innovative treatment also helps the leather fend off heat and the ravages of sun exposure.

 

Brushed aluminum pedals: Brushed aluminum pedals with rubber studs offer confident footwork with high-performance style.

 

Dust and pollen filter: The SLK-Class features a standard dust and pollen filter that helps keep particles as small as 0.0002-inch from entering the cabin. In addition to full manual control of settings, the climate system offers convenient one-touch buttons for maximum cabin cooling and maximum windshield defogging.

 

Hands-free Bluetooth^® interface: Place and answer calls, and even access select phonebooks without taking your hands off the steering wheel with standard Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling. Pairing your Bluetooth^®-compatible phone with the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class is simpler than ever. Then, just leave your phone in your pocket and enjoy hands-free conversations over the audio system. Visit www.MBUSA-Mobile.com to learn more about Bluetooth^® connectivity.

 

Bluetooth^® audio streaming: Bluetooth^® audio streaming makes it even easier to enjoy your digital music player. It allows you to connect your Bluetooth^®-equipped iPod® or other MP3 player wirelessly to your vehicle's audio system for convenient, cable-free playback.

 

5.8" color-LCD screen: A crisp, clear 5.8-inch LCD screen shows audio system information at a glance, and adjusts automatically to ambient light for clear reading with the top down or at night.

 

HD Radio® receiver: Delivering remarkably clear audio that gives AM stations the crispness of FM radio, and FM stations CD-grade sound, HD Radio® also offers a larger bandwidth that can actually increase the number of stations available to you.

 

8-speaker audio system. The standard AM/FM/weatherband audio system includes eight strategically located speakers, an in-dash CD player with MP3 capability, and convenient auxiliary audio controls on the steering wheel.

 

Auxiliary audio input jack and USB port. Both an auxiliary audio input jack and USB connector allow plug-and-play enjoyment from your iPod® or other MP3 player.

 

Media Interface Plus. Expand your entertainment with this plug-and-play multimedia upgrade to the optional iPod®/MP3 Media Interface. It enables Bluetooth® audio streaming and integrates with the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class audio system, controls and display. With your iPhone® you can listen to the Pandora ®app and easily transfer your contacts to the COMAND system. Coming soon via a free software upgrade is a feature that reads your emails and text messages aloud, and allows you to respond with voice commands.

18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels: The standard 18-inch alloy wheels feature five spokes with a dynamic twist effect and a luminous silver finish. Staggered in width, the rear wheels and high-performance tires are wider than the fronts, for greater acceleration grip without sacrificing crisp steering feedback.

 

LED Daytime Running Lamps: Bright white LED Daytime Running Lamps help increase the visibility of your vehicle to oncoming traffic by illuminating front lights whenever the car is switched on. With long life and low energy consumption, the light-emitting diode (LED) lamps also add a distinctive high-tech styling touch.

 

Retractable hardtop: Transform your 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class from closed coupe to open roadster in under 20 seconds. With a single button on the console, the hardtop folds into the trunk. The rear window pivots as the top lowers to help preserve cargo space with the top stowed.

 

Heated power side mirrors with power fold-in: Side mirrors can be programmed to fold in automatically when you remote-lock the vehicle, helping save space in tight parking areas. The mirrors are also automatically heated to help disperse mist and fog from their lenses.

ATTENTION ASSIST^®: The first system of its kind, ATTENTION ASSIST^® continuously monitors different parameters of driving behavior, and can automatically alert the driver with both visual and audible warnings if it detects signs of drowsiness on long trips.

 

8-way air bag protection: The Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class sophisticated restraint system includes front air bags with dual deployment thresholds, as well as new head air bags, plus thorax side-impact air bags and knee bags for both driver and passenger.

 

NECK-PRO^® head restraints: In the case of a rear impact exceeding a preset threshold, NECK-PRO^® head restraints move forward and slightly upward, reducing the distance between the head restraints and the heads of occupants. This action helps to reduce the possibility or severity of whiplash-type neck injuries.

 

Electronic Stability Program (ESP^®): This safety breakthrough first introduced by Mercedes-Benz continually monitors your driving inputs and the vehicle's motion to help keep it going in your intended direction, especially in corners and during evasive maneuvers. If the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class detects wheelspin, severe understeer (plowing), or oversteer (fishtailing), ESP^® can brake individual wheels and reduce engine power to help bring the vehicle under control.

 

4-wheel disc brakes with ABS: Enjoy the strong, controlled stopping power of dual-circuit power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes, backed by an Antilock Braking System (ABS). ABS senses impending wheel lockup under heavy braking and pumps the front brakes individually or the rear brakes together. This intelligent system can pump the brakes as needed up to 30 times per second, to prevent lockup and preserve the driver's steering ability.

 

Brake Assist: Brake Assist senses emergency braking via the speed at which the driver presses the brake pedal and immediately applies maximum available power boost. Brake Assist can potentially reduce the overall stopping distance by eliminating the delay caused by a common human tendency not to brake hard enough, soon enough. Letting up on the brake pedal releases Brake Assist.

 

Adaptive Brakes: Adaptive Braking technology in the Mercedes-Benz integrates a suite of advances. If you lift off the accelerator quickly, Predictive Brake Priming sets the pads closer to the discs for more immediate response when you apply the brakes. In the rain, Automatic Brake Drying periodically applies the brakes just enough to sweep water build-up from the discs. During uphill starts, Hill-Start Assist helps prevent unwanted rollback. And a HOLD feature can make long red lights or stopped traffic a little easier.

 

Electronic parking brake: The convenient electronic parking brake can be set or disengaged at the touch of a button. It also automatically releases when you shift into gear and step on the accelerator. This feature also increases usable console space by eliminating the need for a conventional brake handle.

 

Rain-sensing windshield wipers: Rain-sensing windshield wipers automatically adjust intermittent wiper frequency based on the amount of rainfall.

 

Emergency Tensioning Devices (ETDs): If a collision exceeds a preset threshold, the ETDs instantly remove slack from the seat belts.

 

Advanced Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS): The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) can automatically detect a substantial loss of tire pressure in any wheel and alert the driver via a warning message in the multifunction display. The advanced TPMS can also display the numeric tire pressure for each mounted wheel.

 

Mercedes-Benz mbrace^®: From your car, online or via the mbrace Mobile Application on your iPhone®, mbrace^® helps keep you connected with nearly 20 different security, destination planning and convenience services. Combining advanced technology with 24-hour support from helpful experts, two available service packages can help you plan a trip, remember where you parked, or even handle an unexpected emergency. Every new Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class equipped with mbrace includes a complimentary 6-month trial subscription.

 

SmartKey with infrared-remote opening/closing of windows. The SmartKey remote control integrates remote door locks and trunk opener, a removable valet key, and a remote panic alarm. You may selectively unlock only the driver's door and fuel filler, or both doors plus the trunk and fuel filler. You can close all open windows from outside the vehicle, simply by holding down the "lock" button on the SmartKey remote while aiming it at the infrared sensor in the driver's door handle.

 

Antitheft alarm system with remote panic feature. The standard antitheft alarm system is armed automatically when you lock your Mercedes-Benz from the outside. It sounds the horn and flashes the exterior lights if a door, the trunk or the hood is opened without first unlocking the vehicle. You can also sound the alarm by pressing the red "panic" button on your SmartKey remote when you're within range of your Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class.

 

Night Security Illumination. The exterior lights can be programmed to turn on for a preset interval when you remote-lock your vehicle in darkness, to help light a path for you as you leave.

All-new 3.5L Direct Injection V-6: A new 302-hp 3.5-liter V-6 combines numerous advances to deliver more torque over a wider range of rpm. Its rapid-multispark ignition fires up to four times per millisecond, while new high-pressure Direct Injection microscopically tunes the fuel spray, reducing emissions, fuel consumption and noise. A lightweight diecast-alloy block, quicker and more widely variable valve timing, reduced friction, and clever "on-demand" ancillary components like the alternator further boost efficiency.

 

7-speed automatic transmission: The industry's first 7-speed automatic is smoother, more responsive and more efficient. A wide range of closely spaced gear ratios delivers the ideal response in virtually every driving situation, for relaxed cruising, quick acceleration, and thanks to two overdrive ratios, better highway fuel efficiency. Adaptive logic adjusts the shift points to match your driving style, while paddle shifters on the steering wheel let you enjoy manual-style control anytime you wish.

 

Direct-steer system: Direct-steer automatically varies the steering ratio based on how far you turn the steering wheel. It provides quicker steering and lighter effort while parking while maintaining excellent directional stability and crisp feedback at higher speeds.

 

Sport suspension: The sport suspension of the Mercedes-Benz SLK350 features firmer coil springs and shock absorbers as well as a lowered ride height, for sharper handling response and a more aggressive stance.

 

Staggered-width wheels and tires: Staggered-width 18-inch alloy wheels and high-performance tires are wider at the rear for greater launch grip, and narrower up front for crisper steering feedback.