Back in '02 when the R230 SL was launched I remember reading an article with an interview with the designer (a brit - not steve mattin) that said something to the effect of "too bad this lovely design will only be with us for seven years before a new SL arrives". Which makes sense given that's the typical lifespan for a particular model generation of almost every car (German at least). As for the CLK, the one thing they really need to do is bring the brace way the hell down, it's way too expensive as it is, espeiclally with the CLS occupying much of the same space.

Mercedes engineers will never get any rest if they're planning on doing a SL/CLK/E all in the same 12 month span like they did last time around. Yikes. I'd like to see the SL close out the decade with one more facelift around 2008-9.

M

The new new CLK's codename is C207

edit: And will be based on the C class W204 platform