The one with...The M152 engine

The fastest, most outlandish SLK ever made

This is the new Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, the R172 model, and this is it. The most powerful and the most outlandish of the SLK range. Did I said "powerful and outlandish"? Oh no. What I meant was this was the "baby" of the Mercedes-AMG range because this has the new 5.5L V8 engine which looks like the new M157 engine, the kind of engine Forza boffins didn't want to feature because of their "LESS CURRENT, LESS FUTURE, MORE PAST MEMORIES" scheme, but what they done here is thrown away two turbochargers in favor for Variable Cylinder Management, which is the same technology you'd expect from the Honda Inspire. What this engine was is dubbed the M152, a newly developed Mercedes-AMG engine that...I really never liked.

The M152 engine is a bit too shady for this car...

Let's remember that this one was based on the current-generation R172 SLK-Class, the latest model that comes with a...Magic Sky Control roof that can be shaded from light to dark at the touch of the button. This is more of a hassle-free idea than sliding something for the sunroof visibility. Nice job though. Anyway, let's not talk about the whole MAGIC SKY CONTROL thingamajig, shall we? Let's concentrate with the biggies...

AMG Handling Package nowhere near as good...

This new M152 engine, which is related to the M157 engine, trades turbo with the new AMG Cylinder Management that allows this engine to shut off four of the eighth cylinders under partial load, which lowers fuel consumption considerably. This similar technology was also used in the 750-hp V8 engines used in Formula 1 because efficiency plays a major role in motorsports, One example is when during Safety Car laps or for pit stops two or four of the eight cylinders are off. With such technology, this new SLK55 AMG promises about 33.6MPG and 195g/km of Carbon Dioxide emissions.

Um...we're not in a mood to drive it here, aren't we?

Another thing that drives me up the wall about this new M152 engine is aside from the AMG Cylinder Management, it comes with the fuel-saving ECO-Start/Stop system that stops the engine when I stopped and then starts again when my foot is on the gas pedal. Kooky, isn't it? Not only that, if I see the "ECO" word in the main menu, the Controlled Efficiency stop/start function is active. How come something so sporty gets so compromising? Anyway enough about the whole ECO peripherals and about how it goes...

The new SLK55 AMG generates 415HP of power, it can go 0-60 in 4.6 seconds and top speed electronically limited to 155MPH. This maybe the baby in the lineup but judging by its terms, it's more powerful than the old R171 SLK55 AMG, the one that Jeremy Clarkson got shot more by the Irish Guards. He he he....

As for the handling, you may wanna watch out for this because it can be quite twitchy at first even though it has the...AMG Performance Package, a package that make you feel uncomfortable if you were on the streets of London by day. It's also feels uncomfortable if you take it for track day purposes. Even though it can be usable on the road & track, this AMG Performance Package feels like my arms got an aching feeling every time I turn the steering wheel violently. I felt like I was a dog in a leash and no matter how hard I move, the leash just keeps pulling me back. I'm guessing about it's as sharp...as a jungle bolo those men trying to kill me. Sharp as a bolo, tough as an arnis.

This car is as sharp as a bolo...

Things I like about the new SLK55 is the noise of this new engine, still has the MAGIC SKY ROOF, the same SLS AMG-inspired interior that I get from the standard model, and it's as sharp as a jungle bolo. Things I don't like, AMG Handling Package made it even worse for me, costs more than the BMW Z4 sDrive35iS, not good enough in today's economy, behaves the same as the old model, and badly, who would rather need a 5.5L Natural Aspiration engine on the Mercedes-AMG lineup?

Even though it is an all new model, it failed to impress me in terms of performance. In fact, for an alternative...I would rather look for something that is more expensive than this, does the similar noise as this, and satisfied me a lot. I would rather go for the Jaguar XKR-S...

We would rather choose the one on the right...

The Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG R172 is part of the Forza Motorsport 4 July Car Pack, available now for 560MSP. Willing to try out the one with the M152 engine?