If you do not like the SLK R170 because of its four-cylinder engines, the R171 with its beefier power plants will appeal to you. It is not only slightly longer and wider, it also comes with an almost 50 percent increase in torsional rigidity with the roof down. Its interior is more up market and with the SLK55 AMG it offered the first V8 in its class. Whether one likes the F1 inspired nose or not, the R171 has a lot going for it. This book can assist you finding the right one, if you are interested in the SLK R171. Updated in Nov. 2015, it comes with a comprehensive buyer's guide and explains the VIN and data card in great detail. Naturally it covers the development and history of the R171, but it also discusses the strong and weaker points of its engines plus potential problems with the vario-roof. The guide ends with a detailed list of the cars' technical specifications and the annual production history of each model. With over 25 books and e-books written about Mercedes-Benz cars, Bernd S. Koehling has proven to be an authority on the brand. Those books cover cars from the 1947 170 V to the 2012 SL R231.--Provided by publisher