Slick Mercedes SLK Available With Oil Burner

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK could give you reason to keep its trick roof up at all times, especially if you wrinkle your nose at diesel smell. Yes, the Daimler’s new roadster will be available with an oil burning option.

Automobilwoche [sub] brings us the blasphemous news that apart from three gasoline Motoren, the new Mercedes SLK will also be available with a diesel engine. That sacrilegious possibility had kept Daimler devotees up all night for years, now it becomes reality.

Mercedes-authority Car Trade India says it will be a “2.1L, 204bhp diesel engine.” In the meantime, Allcarselectric complains that Mercedes is “ignoring electric cars in its 125 Birthday Exhibition.” Can’t please them all.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Cdotson Cdotson on Jan 31, 2011

    I think you missed the more interesting aspect of this story: "2.1L, 204bhp diesel engine" Wouldn't that be among the highest specific power outputs of production diesel engines? That's right up there with the better gasoline engines. Diesels typically have a much lower specific power output due to engine speed limitations. This one is either one high-speed diesel, or the mid/high-rpm torque output is truly prodigious.

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    • Uncle Mellow Uncle Mellow on Jan 31, 2011

      The BMW 123D Coupe gets 200+BHP from its 2.0 litre turbo-diesel engine. A large proportion of BMW 6-Series Coupes are diesel powered - Jaguar are thought to be losing a lot of XK sales because the diesel version is not yet available.

  • Zznalg Zznalg on Jan 31, 2011

    Will the diesel be coming stateside?

  • Herb Herb on Jan 31, 2011

    Audi offers a diesel option for the TT, too. Peugeot with their RCZ as well. It's BMW that sticks to the gasoline engine only with their Z4.

  • Signal11 Signal11 on Jan 31, 2011

    IMO, nothing dates an American car guy than an irrational hardon against performance car diesels. That's including all the Top Gear presenters. Tell you old folks what, I'll get off yer lawn if you join the 21st century. :P :)

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