After the introduction of the successful 5.5-liter AMG engine on other models from Mercedes-Benz, the German car-maker squeezed the big V8 unit inside the engine bay of the SLK model.

The second generation of the SLK was introduced in 2004 at the Geneva Motor Show. Unlike other models, it was announced right from the start to be offered in an AMG version. But the car-maker didn’t go for a small, and somehow predictable, V6 unit. It went all the way to a big V8 engine.

From the outside, the SLK 55 AMG showed its muscles on the wider fenders and with a special front bumper and aerodynamically profiled apron, which was not just for show. It featured special air intakes on the center and on the sides to cool the engine and the brakes. But it didn’t feature any bulges on the hood to express its power. In the back, a lip-spoiler in body-color was installed on top of the trunk. Underneath the rear bumper, the car featured four chromed exhausts.

Inside, it was the same SLK vehicle, but with sport-bucket seats that featured ample bolstering. The new, four-buttons, steering wheel from the C-Class Sport-Coupe was installed on the car, but with a pair of paddle-shifters behind it. The instrument cluster featured the AMG V8 writing on the tachometer.

The SLK 55 AMG featured the naturally aspirated 5.4-liter engine mated to a 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox. Unlike the other 55 AMG models from the Mercedes-Benz stable, the SLK was not supercharged.