Inside the SLC is where you want to be. The Nappa leather and Dinamica upholstery with AMG detailing, including the chunky flat-bottomed wheel and fighter-jet air-vents all ooze an exciting sporty vibe. The twin-pod console, lined in matte-aluminium is modern-day old-school: black dials, white numbers, red needles; just how I like it. The gear-lever isn’t a stalk behind the wheel, nor a lever in the extreme reaches of your elbow, it’s a CLA 45-style lever in just the right position. Mercedes have also packed in a 20-CD changer, Garmin Map-Pilot navigation, Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto; depending on our phone of choice. The only support for windows comes in the form of the door and the roof; when it’s up, anyway. The vario-roof, a glass-top with no Magic Sky Control this time, drops in more or less 20 seconds and works on the move when at a crawl. The red seat-belts are the last bit of detail you will see before all attention turns to the two pedals beckoning to your right foot.
The SLC 43 is the first of the new lot to get the ’43’ badge. No, it isn’t a 2.0-litre four with two less horses, it’s a 3.0-litre V6 – formerly (and still called, in some markets) the 450 – with 367 PS and a hefty 520 Nm of torque. That might seem like a lot, but it’s actually down 54 PS and 20 Nm on the SLK 55 we had here earlier (but also 5 PS and 10 Nm up on the V8 before that). But, then again, at Rs 77.5 lakh (ex-showroom), the 43 costs about 40 per cent less too, so that’s entirely forgivable. What Mercedes have done is positioned the SLC 43 exactly where the Porsche Boxster will feel the heat – Rs 6.5 lakh lower. The SLC 43’s output and its 1,615-kg weight translate to 227 PS/tonne, a tad more than the Boxster. Like the competition, vying for a buyer’s cash too is certainly getting harder at the top.
The 3.0-litre V6 is mated to the 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic driving the rear wheels. It runs three overdrive ratios with a 1:1 sixth – that means it can cruise or pounce depending on how much action it gets from your foot. The SLC 43 raced from standstill to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds and goes on to a governed-yet-still-illegal-everywhere-in-India 250 km/h. The reason that’s a factor is because it actually is that quick!
I’ve experienced this engine in the big GLE Coupé and it provided more than enough shove for that overgrown coupé for four. Imagine how the same sort of grunt would propel something 600-odd kg lighter. And, being lower and lighter means it’s exponentially more agile too. The AMG developed wishbone-strut combo front and multi-link damped rear suspension put down the roadster like they should: making it feel planted, yet wiggly enough to tickle your inner child and produce a grin as wide as the black strips the 255-section rear rubber leaves on the road.
The Dynamic Select drive modes are your set of keys to happiness. No, there’s no set-up of buttons, rather, just the one. Keep tapping to switch through the five modes. Looking for a more frugal ride? There’s ‘Eco’. Want it softer? Choose ‘Comfort’. Want it louder? ‘Sport’ opens up the butterflies in the sports exhaust. Want it raw? There’s ‘Sport +’. Want to avoid the buffet and go a la carte? Select ‘Individual’ and choose exactly how you want each setting. It’s all there, and it feels easy.
