Mercedes SLK...Continued

We haven't seen a four-cylinder engine under the tri-star for many years, but this one is something special. It is a twin- cam design, but is tuned to the Roots supercharger so it redlines at only 5800 rpm. In the U.S. it will only come with an automatic transmission, but that version is a five-speed, a type only available from Germany at present. There is a notched gate that allows you to select gears semi-manually. This feature worked well on the trip up from the 3000 foot Arizona desert floor to the observatory at the top of these peaks. This drivetrain combo supplies plenty of power, but some people have been bothered by the adaptive logic of the transmission system.

Ideally, this allows the system to conform to the style of the present driver and conditions. I have two problems -- when conditions change, it takes a while for the system to learn a new profile and then shifts may be slower than with a non-adaptive system.

Many compromises are needed to create a luxury sports car and SLK has done it well. If the engine were larger, it would be priced considerably higher. The supercharger works well, especially with the changes in conditions encountered with temperature and altitude. More difficult is managing the rigors of comfort, which affect the interior and suspension.

Most similar cars are longer, but size equals weight, and SLK is well engineered to come in around 3000 pounds. This is due to the judicious use of materials like magnesium. By keeping it shorter, there is still a distinctive difference between it and its more pricey SL brethren.

This leads to my only quibble with the handling. SLK is a delight at all speeds and all conditions -- from in-town cut and slice to some triple digit desert cruising -- but on some surfaces with side-to-side undulations, you can find yourself working to keep the vehicle straight, largely due to the short wheelbase.

The front suspension is the well-proven double wishbone, while a five link layout allows more room in the rear for top and luggage. The all-steel top will be welcome as it seals exceedingly well, and the retracting mechanism is just as refined and slick as we would expect from Mercedes.

While 60% of the trunk disappears when the top folds inside, there is still enough space for a couple small bags. A good solution would be to travel to your weekend destination with the top up, stash your bags, and enjoy the locale in the open air mode. There is a curtain to separate the top from the trunk space and there is still more trunk room than the likes of the Miata with the top folded.