OK, OK I'm SLK obsessed at the moment. Excuuuussse me. But somewhere in the search for an S2000 replacement and buying process for the SLK55, it occurred to me that the little German convertible was a lot like the little Japanese convertible. Only better in some ways. And worse in two big ways.

S2000 (2008 AP2V3)

• Length = 162.2 in
• Width = 68.9 in
• Height = 50.0 in
• Wheelbase = 94.5 in
• Front Track = 57.9 in
• Rear Track = 59.4 in
• Turning Circle = 35.4 ft
• Curb Weight = 2,864 lbs

SLK55 AMG

• Length = 160.7 in.....1.5 in shorter
• Width = 70.6 in.....1.8 in wider
• Height = 50.0 in.....same
• Wheelbase = 95.7 in.....1.2 in longer
• Front Track = 60.0 in.....2.1 in wider
• Rear Track = 61.0 in.....1.6 in wider
• Turning Circle = 34.5 ft.....0.9 ft tighter
• Curb Weight = 3,420 lbs.....556 lbs heavier

The two cars are amazingly close in size in every dimension except weight. The cockpits feel subjectively similar in room and seating position. The seats have a similar feel. The S2000 has that great 8,000 rpm snarl. The SLK55 has that V8 rumble-n-rasp.

So is the SLK55 a V8 S2000 from the factory? Yeah, pretty much.

• Steering? CHECK
• Power On Oversteer? CHECK
• Trailing Throttle Oversteer? CHECK
• Predictable Grip? CHECK
• Compression Braking? CHECK
• Powerful Brakes? CHECK in Spades

But Better

• Bi-Xenon headlamps
• Satellite Radio
• Nav
• Seat memory
• Power Tilt-n-Telescope Steering Wheel
• 6 Disc CD Changer
• Digital Dual Zone Climate Control
• Power Hard Top
• Auto Dimming Mirrors
• Heated Headlight Washers
• Harman Kardon Audio
• Bluetooth Phone Integration
• Air Scarf Neck Warmers
• Steering Wheel Controls
• Driver Info Center
• Trip Computer
• V8 Torque And Power
• 7 Speed Transmission

And worse. Some people will never get past the fact that the SLK55 is not available with a manual transmission. And the SLK feels even heavier than the 556 lb difference would suggest. It feels like a really substantial car.

But putting the clutch aside for a moment, I can't help thinking that if Honda ever made a V8 powered S2000 and offered a bunch more content, it would be pretty much like an SLK55. Certainly more so than a Vette. Or any other car I can think of.

So, if you want to experience a V8 powered S2000 but don't have a LS2 conversion handy, go drive an SLK55. You might be surprised how familiar and how different this car is compared to the S2000.

 

One of the biggest selling points for myself and many S2000 owners is the lightness. Once you take that away, you take half the car away.

 

Yeah, you definitely feel the added mass. It's not subtle at all.

 

The high revving engine, precision transmission, and tight construction were bigging selling for the S2000 to me.

 

Does the Merc have a slushbox?

 

Can't agree with you, at all.

Much lower redline
Way more weight
Folding hard top instead of rag top
Way uglier (subjective)
No manual transmission (granted, you already pointed that out, but it's critical)\
Actual body proportions are quite different - the nose is shorter and the "classic roadster" look isn't there

The essence of the S2000 attraction is agility, light weight and lots of revs. The SLK has none of those things. It's merely a two-seater convertible and that's about all that's similar aside from some dimensions. A Z4M has more in common with the S2000 in that it at least has the long nose and shorter back end along with a high-revving engine and "only" 400 lbs heavier instead of 550, while being offered with a manual transmission.

 

^boom

 

Lower redline yes (6,700) but again, not an S2000 but what an S2000 would be with a V8 stuffed in. Like LS2 conversions but from the factory.

Not way more weight if Honda had stuffed in a V8 2 1/2 times the size of the 2.2L in an AP2.

The folding hardtop has caused me to question just how whiz bang the S2000 chassis design really was. Mercedes stuffed a 5.5L V8, a folding hardtop, and countless more luxury and convenience features along with some sound insulation into a chassis about the same size as the S2000 and only gained 556 lbs. I guess I would have expected more weight gain based on the brand and all the stuff. So in retrospect, honda didn't really push the envelope of lightness with the S2000 any more than.....Mercedes?????

Well beauty is subjective but.....Ya gotta be kidding me. At least for me the S2000 was never a beauty as far as looks go. Like all Honda products, it was conservative, inoffensive, even bland. But that did allow it to wear very well over a 10 year production run. Simple is good. The SLK (my year) had the nose grafted from the SLR McClaren which I love, a much broader spectrum of paint colors, much nicer wheels (16 spoke), quad exhaust, six piston calipers on display gripping drilled and slotted rotors and an overall more muscular appearance. For me it also looks way better with the top up than the S2000. But there is no winning an argument about looks. To each their own on that score.

No getting around the 7G-Tronic but don't knock it until you've tried the AMG massaged version with its full manual mode. However I will grant you the Aisin box in the S2000 is the best I've ever experienced, bar none. I don't think it can get better than that. On a side note, I'm finding it really hard to get used to steering wheel paddles after a lifetime of driving sticks. I keep reach for the shift lever which is OK on this car because you car shift either way. Tap tap the levers or slap the stick left / right.

Z4M? Now you're talking ugly. Yeah the SLK55 doesn't exactly have the penis proportions of the S2000, Z4, or Vette. But look closely and your ass is still riding nearly on top of the rear axle and the hood is long (but not so low). There's only so much deviation you can accomplish with any RWD roadster.

Again my point is not that the SLK55 is an S2000 but what the S2000 might have been with a factory V8. Not that Honda would ever put a V8 in anything.

 

The s2k has a timeless look. I get people coming up to me asking if my03 is a brand new model. Mercedes always have and always will look aged in about 3-5 years.

 

7-speed slushbox is not "better" for most of us...