2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Convertible

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Convertible
(3.5L V6 7-speed Automatic)

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  Wider rear flanks and taut curves characterize the 2012 SLK350 as it pulls away.
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  The new SLK350 also cuts a striking figure with its top up.
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  The SLK350's interior is fairly plush with nice leather and tight fitments, but the center stack and surrounding dash feel a bit dated.

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Pros

New look; improved power and handling; versatile convertible hardtop; sublime engine sound.

Cons

Abrupt throttle response.

Still the Baby SL?

The cars of Mercedes-Benz have typically traded visceral thrills for a kind of velvet force, a refined solidity at triple-digit speeds. This car company's highway bruisers shrug off road imperfections even as they carry passengers in hushed isolation. Small wonder that Mercedes-Benzes are coveted by plutocrats of all persuasions.

Though it's far from grand in exterior proportions, the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 expresses the company's customary design attributes, so the baby SL feels every bit as formidable as its stablemates. Trading the blunt, racing-style grille of its SLK predecessor for a more upright smile, the 2012 SLK350 shares the same look of muscular tension as the upmarket SL and beyond-market SLS.

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Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio TDI will mark the first diesel convertible to hit USA

The words ’diesel’ and ’convertible’ aren’t uttered in the same sentence in the States. The original diesel engines were loud, stinky, and more often than not, resembled a smoke-billowing cigarette. Automakers would have had to be crazy to turn out a diesel convertible during that time. Nowadays, however, clean diesel engines are getting churned out like anti-smoking commercials and a source close to Volkswagen has confirmed that the company is bringing the first diesel convertible to the US in the form of the new Beetle Cabrio TDI.

The 2.0 TDI engine delivers a total of 138 HP and has a fuel economy of 40 mpg fuel economy in the Highway cycle, 29 mpg in City driving, and 33 mpg combined. It will be offered with either a standard 6-speed manual gearbox or an optional 6-speed dual clutch transmission.

The 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Cabrio will feature the same new design line as found in the coupe model. That new design can be seen from the front bumper and front air inlet, the straight lines of the bonnet edges, the precisely drawn line between the A-pillar and C-pillar, and the styling of the rear lights. The car also gets a lower profile, is substantially wider, the front bonnet is longer, and the front windscreen is shifted further back and has a much steeper incline.

gallery:2012 Volkswagen Beetle

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2011 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M Conversion Edition by Anderson Germany

There aren’t exactly a ton of tuning kits for the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16Msimply because there’s not much to change on the special edition to begin with. It’s cool, fast, beautiful, and, unfortunately, sold out. So what’s there to do if the itch for a Scuderia Spider 16M suddenly develops? Well, you can hop on the phone and give Anderson Germany a call, for starters. The tuning firm’s latest package allows ownership of a 16M style vehicle without the limited edition hurdle to jump over. The kit starts off with a Ferrari F430 Spider with a number of additions to not only make it 16M ready, but to allow for more horsepower as well.

The design aspect of the 16M Conversion Edition begins with a Hyper Blackpaint finish that is then combined with Scuderia Stripes in carbon steel with a yellow border. Carbon fiber elements are then put in and make up the engine grille, rear diffuser, mirrors, and covers under the hood. Other features that lend more to the 16M style include a front air dam, side skirts, a rear apron, and an adjustment of the exhaust system. The exterior is then finished off with a new set of 20" three-piece glossy black wheels with a carbon and yellow border to match the Scuderia stripes. The interior is a little less drastic with the addition of carbon black leather and Alcantara and yellow diamond Kederrand seams.

The greatest addition to the standard F430 is the extra horsepower pumping out of the 4,300 cc 90° V8 engine. With the help of a software optimization and new Renn-Kats headers and exhaust system, the 16M Conversion Edition can now run 570 HP, up from even the standard 16M’s 490 HP. The bonus 80 HP is then better handled with an adjustable suspension system.

gallery:2009 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M

 

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gallery:2011 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M Conversion Edition by (...)

 

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SOURCE:TOP GEAR

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