1999 Mercedes-Benz Clk Cabriolet...Continued

I had some doubts about the 3.2-liter, all-aluminum single overhead cam, 3-valve V6 engine. Few purist companies have chosen this layout despite its packaging advantages, and this is the first time MB has deviated from the straight six. To be even more contrary, they use the 90 degree layout usually reserved for V8s. Usually this results in imbalance and vibration, but engineers have used balance shafts to produce smooth power equal to any V8. It allows the short, sloped aerodynamic hood, and amazingly, can also fit in the cramped engine bay of the SLK. When mated to a electronic adaptive 5-speed automatic transmission with selector gates, the power was always where I wanted it to be.

As a last attempt to show that I can be objective and critical in this review, I will mention that I was surprised that Benz did not mount the shoulder belts in their seats, as they pioneered on the SL-Class. They mentioned cost, but now we have Ford and GM pickups, Buick Park Avenue and Chrysler convertibles with that arrangement, so it cannot be too difficult to engineer. They have provided us with a sensor that turns on the wipers when rain hits the windshield, but frequently I found that it didn't wipe as often as I would like for optimum vision. MB engineers claim to have determined the 'optimum' rate but I like to control the sensitivity level or the interval rate of intermittent wipers.

The sporty coupe market is decidedly weak. Until the recent Teutonic invasion, sports cars were almost on the endangered species list. Coupes were not much better, as buyers often looked for more room and freedom from child seat/airbag conflicts. Despite the strength of BMW 3 Series, Saab 900s and Chevy Monte Carlos, other coupes have been dropping sales like last year's trendy Christmas toy. Even the time-honored Thunderbird and Cougar coupes are history.

To complete the CLK family, the CLK320 coupe has an MSRP of $40,600; the CLK430 super coupe, which is powered by a 275-horsepower V8 and includes an AMG-designed Sport Package, has an MSRP of $47,900.