The 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG is a car I really didn't expect to like. Honestly, I'm still not completely sold on it, for one reason -- it's saddled with a conventional automatic that's simply not up to the task, serving up lame throttle-blip-less downshifts and generally sluggish responses to driver commands. But otherwise, whoo, pig sooey! This car turned out to be a total hoot.Here's three reasons why.
3. Dialed-in handling. Wow. You know, before I drove this thing, I was thinking unpleasant thoughts about the previous-generation SLK. Remember that one? The Crossfire progenitor with the paleolithic recirculating-ball steering? Yeah, well, this one's a little different. Despite its advancing age, the current SLK chassis is stout and capable in any form, and the AMG treatment really puts the SLK55 over the top. Driven at 9/10ths through the canyons, the SLK55 is a blast -- negligible body roll, nimble yet planted feel, precise and pleasantly weighty steering. This is the most fun I've had on twisty roads in an AMG car, and that includes the C63 and the SL63.
2. Chortle-inducing V8. Before I laid into the SLK55's throttle for the first time, I was also thinking unpleasant thoughts about the engine. "It's only 5.4 liters," I muttered to no one in particular. "What is this, a swap-job from an F-150?" The C63 and SL63, of course, are armed with a considerably more robust 6.2-liter V8. But you know what? Turns out 355 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque is just fine for a diminutive roadster. Drop the hammer from rest with traction control off, and burnout-quality wheelspin is yours to cherish; wood it at speed, and the SLK55 charges forward like a short-wheelbase locomotive. The 5.4-liter mill doesn't quite have the 6.2's addictive soundtrack, but this is a wonderfully absurd amount of power for something the size of a Miata.
1. Not that we would...but you could.
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