Mercedes Benz SLK 2011/2012

 

When the SLK first came out in 1996, I wasn't really a fan back then but when they released the next model I damn near lost my mind and luckily they've been able to keep me captured as an avid fan of this beautiful vehicle. This year sees the new model of the Merc SLK coming to roost and boy does it look good. Not only that but they've added a new feature called the "Magic Sky Control Roof" which blows conventional convertibles out the water. More details and pics after the jump:

 

 

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK is still more than a few months from its world debut, but Mercedes is so amped about the "Magic Sky Control" roof, it's already dumping the details on its photochromic folding hardtop.

Like those lenses your nerdy physics professor used to wear, the glass in the Magic Sky Control roof is able to change its shade depending on the amount of light desired to pass through. Unlike those photogrey lenses, however, Mercedes' system relies on electricity to vary to opaciy of the glass, enabling full clear or completely blacked-out behavior at the touch of a button.

The benefit? Mercedes says in full clear mode, the occupants can enjoy the benefits of top-down cruising without opening the cabin to cold air in winter. Conversely, the summer sun won't beat into the car, making it unbearably hot, because it can be made near-opaque. Sounds simple enough.

Turns out it's not that simple at all, however. Using the principles of a plate condenser, the particles inside the glass align themselves to allow light through when voltage is applied. Turn off the electricity, and the panel goes dark. The glass also filters out UV and infrared radiation, making it safer to cruise in the sunlight than in a traditional convertible.

Now you see the interior

Now you don't

But how effective is the Magic in the Sky Control roof? Testing in Death Valley showed energy intensity levels from the sun at 1,000 to 1,000 Watts per square meter with no protection. With the roof in transparent mode, it cut that to just 200 Watts per square meter. And with the glass blacked out, just 40 to 50 Watts per square meter leaked through. That's pretty effective.

The Magic Sky Control roof option will be available as an option for "less than 2000 euros," which we imagine will translate to something in the R20 000 range.

And just to top things off, here's a video you need to see because it makes the car look all the more better.




To be honest the coming SLK looks like a baby SLS, what it boils down to is if you find that your life didn't go according to plan and as opposed to being that multi-millionaire you thought you were gonna be and you end up with a little less cheese, you might want to consider this as an affordable alternative to the SLS ...without the gull wings of course!

BCM

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