Review of the new Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Black Series

The sound is the first thing that yanks you to attention. With the possible exception of Toyota's Prius, there is no other vehicle that sounds less like a car than the Mercedes SLK55 AMG Black Series. It's almost as if you're in some sort of weird world where alternate soundtracks are overlaid onto what you're seeing. Instead of making usual car-like sounds, this little Mercedes seems to have been endowed with the voice of a Spitfire instead.

Stand next to a track and watch one fly past and it's as if you're about to be strafed. When it disappears into the distance, the strange disconnect between what you're hearing and what you're seeing prompts your brain to expect the car to do a wingover and disappear into the cloud base. It's on track that this Black Series has been designed to excel and it's undergone some rather radical surgery in order to do so.

The standard SLK55 AMG is hardly under-endowed in the power department, churning out 360bhp, but thanks to revised valve timing and improved engine breathing, this Black Series manages a heady 400bhp. The suspension has been tinkered with too, with special AMG springs and dampers adjustable for rebound and compression, the ride height can be raised or lowered by 5mm. By far the most fundamental change to this car is the ditching of the one feature that has come to define the SLK - its folding hard top roof.

Instead of the weighty Vario roof, this Black Series model features a fixed carbon fibre roof panel, saving 45kg in the process. It's also 45kg of weight saved right from the top of the car, lowering the vehicle's centre of gravity quite markedly. Thanks to this, the power/weight ratio improves from 234 hp/tonne to 268 hp/tonne.

Built by Fischer of Austria - more famous for building Franz Klammer's skis - this roof features a visible weave both inside and out, the interior finish complements this with carbon door trims. The front wings have swelled to accommodate lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels. No longer fabricated of steel, these wing sections are now reinforced plastic stiffened by carbon fibre composite inserts. The overall effect is to give the SLK Black Series a far more aggressive and purposeful look and feel. Six pot front callipers clamping onto 360mm composite front discs show that this Mercedes isn't all about headlining power figures and flashy cosmetics.

"Punch in all gears is, as you'd expect, of the sledgehammer variety"

Think of the Black Series as Mercedes' answer to BMW's CSL lightweight editions. Where the standard AMG models broadly equate to BMW M cars, these Black models are another step removed, lighter, more aggressive and more focused. Naturally the chassis has been modified to match the increased performance capability of this special series SLK 55 AMG. Racetrack-optimised, AMG height-adjustable torsion suspension, including adjustable dampers, permits even more impressive cornering ability. Smart 19 inch ultra-light AMG forged alloy wheels with 235/35 ZR 19 (front) and 265/30 ZR 19 (rear) Pirelli P Zero Nero tyres replace the 18 inch items of the standard car. Greater body rigidity is provided by a brace across the engine bay, and for those looking for even sportier handling, there's a limited slip differential available, at extra cost.

There are still some residual Mercedes features that may well deter the true trackday fiend. The first is that the ESP stability control system can't be fully disengaged. While this is a justifiable fixture for road use, track drivers occasionally like to feel the car moving beneath them and often enjoy a spot of tail-out action - especially with 400bhp, a taut rear-wheel-drive chassis and plenty of run-off before they hit anything solid at their disposal.

Secondly, this model isn't offered with a manual gearbox, so those of you who have perfected their heel and toe form may be disappointed. The 7G-Tronic seven-speed auto box is one of the finest gearboxes in the world for road use but on track it's possible to bamboozle it if you manually override the software to simulate a typically aggressive attack mode. The software has been updated with Speedshift settings offering a punchier shift mode but the SLK Black doesn't offer quite the same brutality as BMW's fastest SMG setting. The aluminium steering wheel-mounted paddles make you feel like Lewis Hamilton though.

The Black Series is also offered with three additional AMG extra cost packages for even greater exclusivity. First is an AMG Leather package includes leather seats, dash, centre console, centre armrest, door panels and doorbags, and anti-roll bars. Secondlt, there's an AMG Interior Carbon Fibre package includes carbon fibre instrument cluster covers, steering wheel multi-function button covers, gearshift lever and door sill panels. Or an AMG Exterior Carbon Fibre package, which has carbon fibre front grille inserts, external mirror covers and rear boot spoiler trim.

The basic statistics on this model are compelling. Here is a car that weighs less than a stock Impreza STi yet which packs that big wallop and serves up 520Nm of torque. Against the clock it doesn't disappoint, bludgeoning its way through 60mph in 4.5 seconds and running on to a top speed of 173mph. There is a significant price to pay for the privilege though. BMW was rightly taken to task when it priced the M3 CSL some £16,000 above the standard £42,000 car but Mercedes has followed suit, pitching the Black Series at around £63,000, roughly £11,000 dearer than the stock SLK 55 AMG.

That's a lot of money but it has to be said that the changes wrought to this car are comparatively wider in scope than the upgrades BMW made. That said, this baby Mercedes is now priced against some serious trackday machinery and it's hard to see it holding its own against vehicles like the Noble M15 and the Porsche 911 GT3, against the clock at least. As such, the SLK55 AMG Black Series is a tough car to recommend. As a track car it doesn't match up to the very best in its price bracket but as a road car the standard - and far cheaper - car is unarguably a better bet.

This goes some way to explaining why AMG's sales targets are decidedly modest, the company banking on selling no more than 100 worldwide. It will therefore have exclusivity on its side and, if not judged to the hundredth percentile, is doubtless a very capable and enjoyable vehicle. The engineers at AMG recognise that there is potential left untapped in this model and hint that an even more focused version could be in the offing. That could be quite a car but for those who can't wait and want something a little different to the usual Nurburgring paddock suspects, this SLK has something to be said for it.

The deep fitting bucket seats, suede trimmed steering wheel, swathes of carbon fibre and copious AMG branding give the interior of this car a genuine sense of occasion. It never feels like anything less than its asking price which for the privileged few will be recommendation enough. Perhaps it's because it sounds more like you've bought an aircraft. Yes, that could well be it.

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