Drop the top of a luxury roadster and you soon leave the recession behind. There are not many better cars than the Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 for an early morning blast up the Old Pacific Highway, on the northern fringes of Sydney. The old road between Mooney Mooney Bridge and Mount Whit is just right for a relaxed top-down sprint.
Mercedes-Benz updated its SLK range last year and said it had changed 650 parts in the process. The 350 SLK costs HK$665,000 but its styling still tempts in hard times.
A more aggressive lower front bumper and spoiler, cooling grilles and fog lights give the roadster a Mercedes McLaren flavour (although even the McLaren is not quite as sharp at the front) and show how the SLK has matured almost to the point where it could replace the SL as king of the Mercedes roadsters.
The revised SLK also has a new rear diffuser, trapezoidal exhaust pipes and darkened tail lights. There are larger exterior mirrors with LED indicators and a new range of light-alloy wheels.
There have also been interior upgrades, including a new three-spoke steering wheel and a new instrument cluster. New colours for the leather trim and different woodgrain have also been added.
There's also a new sound system with hands-free phone connectivity and iPod compatibility. Linguatronic voice control is now an option. The marque has also included its Airscarf system, a vent in each headrest that allows warm air to be blown over the necks of the car's occupants during cooler weather with the top down - and it works well.
