MERCEDES-BENZ The SLK R171

The passion of a real enthusiast shines though the professional delivery of this very readable overview of the R171.Clearly, systematically and concisely presented but with sufficient detail and good photos. Although I'm familiar with the basics of the model line I still learned a good deal from this knowledgeable but digestible account. It's not of course supposed to be a workshop manual, but it's much more than a coffee table book.An enjoyable and beneficial read. Recommended.

This is a relatively brief tour round the R171 SLK, one of Mercedes-Benz's prettiest and most pleasurable cars. It's well done; there is sufficient detail on the various models and their derivations, and for a potential purchaser there is a great deal of useful help on faults and pre-purchase troubleshooting. The author spends rather too much time with the SLK55 AMG - which sold only a few thousands - as opposed to the bread and butter, but still enjoyable, SLK200s which now litter the forecourts of semi-upmarket car dealers, but hey, people who write books on sports cars tend to be interested in high performance versions. And Herr Koehling clearly enjoys the car, so among the geeky info you get the sense of shared enthusiasm which makes the book part of a community rather than a glorified spare parts catalogue.

As a recent 171 SLK owner (well my wife actually) and a car enthusiast I bought this hoping to get technical and specification details and wasn't disappointed. The book is written by someone who not only knows the cars but is genuinely enthusiastic about them as well and this comes out in the narrative. I would say if you own one of these cars and want to educate yourself on them this will do it. The sections cover the background and history of the production, technical aspects of the engine, chassis and suspension, the special editions are covered as well as most of the available optional extras. As with all such books some bits are too detailed and others not enough, but another reader will surely disagree as that is down to personal interest and technical background. The only comment I would make is that the book is biased more towards the American models so there could have been more information on the UK variants, but again that is just this reader's perspective. Overall highly recommended.

Highly impressed with this publication. Very well written easy to follow and informative.Plenty of interesting facts and high quality photographs.

I realy wanted a workshop typ manual . Not almost the history of the model but had a read

Not a technical manual, a review of the development history, lifecycle development, detailed information on design. A must read for anyone thinking of getting or who has a R171 SLK

Written for petrol heads only the first few pages interested me

Really enjoyed this book and found it very useful as I am about to buy an SLK 200 this week - can't wait but equally, I now know some things to look out for when making my purchase, thanks to this book.