Mercedes-Benz CLK320

Mercedes-Benz says its new CLK320 Cabriolet is the best-performing four-seat convertible the company has ever produced, and that heritage includes the likes of the $70,000 E-Class-based Cabriolet, which departed the scene after '95. We sampled a European-spec CLK320 Cabriolet during a recent trip to Southern Italy and found plenty to like in this sporty sunrunner. While formal acceleration data must wait until we get one here on home turf, expect the 3750-pound Cab's punchy 3.2-liter/215-horsepower 18-valve V-6 to carry it 0-60 mph in under 7.5 seconds.

The CLK320's top assembly is one of the longest offered on any convertible, yet its steel-braced aluminum frame proved impressively rigid. Three-layer construction, which sandwiches 20-millimeter-thick rubberized fleece fiber padding between an outer layer of polyester acrylic and an inner polyester lining, makes for impressively quiet top-up motoring. Steel cables inside the roof eliminate fabric ballooning even at near-autobahn speeds and a glass rear window ensures clear rearward vision.

Top activation requires the manual manipulation of a single, center-mounted twist latch-Mercedes felt a fully automatic system just wasn't worth the extra cost and weight. After the handle is twisted, a push of a single button raises/lowers the top in about 26 seconds. Stowing the top does, however, impact trunk space, trimming capacity from 12.4 to 8.4 cubic feet. But, once down, the removable three-piece wind deflector deftly quells cabin turbulence.

Both the CLK Coupe and Cabriolet benefit from a running change that replaces the original overly hard, flat, unsupportive seats with new, appropriately cushioned and bolstered buckets. As always, M-B engineers also addressed safety issues. When the CLK Cabriolet senses an impending tip-over (characterized by a 3.0g force in any direction or a chassis angle exceeding 57 degrees), automatic rollover bars stowed behind the rear headrests deploy in 0.35 second (these also can be manually raised). Additional rollover protection includes a welded-steel tube inside the A-pillar and windshield header.

Assembled by noted coachbuilder Karmann, the Cabriolet boasts its own unique bodywork from that reinforced A-pillar rearward. Cars heading to the U.S. also get leather upholstery, dual zone climate control, and a 200-watt seven-speaker Bose sound system. Initially, the Cabriolet will offer only V-6 power, but the new 4.3-liter/275-horse SOHC V-8 remains a future possibility.

Pricing for the new CLK320 Cabriolet will start in the upper $40,000 range.-Mac DeMere