What's Wrong With This Picture: Coupe Claustrophobia Cured? Edition

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: January 14th, 2011

what s wrong with this picture coupe claustrophobia cured edition

One of my favorite features of my beloved Z3 M Coupe is that it offers a snug, driver-oriented coupe cabin without the hemmed-in claustrophobia of most sporting two-doors. But not everyone (or, more precisely, almost no one) is willing to put up with a honking hatchback on their sportscar in order to add an airy ambiance to its cabin. Which is where Mercedes’ new SLK comes in. Not only does it offer a retractable hardtop, which sends it from confined coupe to open-air roadster in minutes, but it even offers a glass roof for maximum top-up natural lighting. And that’s not all: the 2012 SLK, which skipped NAIAS to debut at Mercedes’ 125 year anniversary gala, even offers a “magic roof” option, which electromagnetically darkens the glass roof at the touch of a button. Necessary? Not exactly. But it does help break the perception that sporty coupes must make their owners feel like bunker-dwellers.

#3WTP #Design #Gizmology #NewCars

Edward Niedermeyer

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2 of 19 comments

Daviel on Jan 14, 2011

Yeah it's a chick car.

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Joeaverage on Jan 17, 2011

As a daily driver of a convertible - I think the retractable hardtop would be nice if I spent a sizable amount of my time on the interstate. It would be quieter and safer in a rollover. That said I'm not drawn to spend the extra cash or put up with the limited trunk that it comes with. Consequently I'll just keep driving my noisy 13 year old VW.

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