A cool Mercedes-Benz SLK 230, seen in central Beijing in 2012, not far from where I lived at the time. The good Mercedes was in fine shape. It was painted banana yellow, a great color for the SLK.
The pretty German sports car stood out, parked on a street full of common China-made sedans and hatchbacks. It had slightly tinted windows and stood on the original sporty 7-spoke alloy wheels.
The first generation Mercedes-Benz SLK (R170) was manufactured from 1996 until 2004, with a facelift in 2000. Our banana is a pre-facelift example. The R170 was not officially sold in China, but some cars arrived via the gray market and other misty channels. Official SLK sales in China started with the second-generation (R171).
The SLK 230 Kompressor had a capable engine under the hood: a 2.3-liter supercharged four-cylinder with an output of 190 hp and 270 Nm, which was enough for 0-100 in 7.4 seconds and a top speed of 234 kilometers per hour.
The R170 Mercedes-Benz SLK is very rare in China. It wasn’t officially sold here, and convertible cars have never been popular in the country. So seeing one on the road was always a special occasion. But that was 11 years ago. I hope this pretty German sports car is still around in China today.