The SLC 43 rockets off the line and, in true AMG fashion, sounds absolutely rabid on its way to triple digit speeds. The gearbox doesn’t feel anything like the GLE – of course it doesn’t! This one is tuned for maximum fun and only deals with the two wheels at the back. Funnily, it accelerated quicker than the SLK 55 did, even going through the gears quicker. Keep your foot in control and get on the gas progressively and the results are rewarding. A sonorous wail picks up and gains clarity and volume, heading up to 6,000 revs. Glorious! It’s an absolutely intoxicating melody from hard-working pistons reciprocating with a frequency so aurally brilliant, it’s kind of hard to believe there’s just six of them.
Getting to the twisty bits lets you enjoy throwing the little roadster from one corner to the next. The ride in ‘Sport+’ is quite stiff, yet the dampers seemed to have been put through a rigourous workout. The SLC held its line well and inspired confidence. Traffic playing spoilsport is a given. But, after switching to ‘Eco’, it gave me time to look around.
There’s actually enough space; around me in the cabin. It doesn’t feel claustrophobic or too snug by any means. The red contrast stitching on what are essentially an assortment of black surfaces looks striking and quite suggestive. The 9G-Tronic makes playing with the paddles a lot of fun, but for the most part, I was either in third or fourth, trying to balance speed and noise.
The brakes are excellent, too. My memory of the SLK still is of being the best braking car I’ve driven. This one has steel rotors, not carbon-ceramic ones, but they do a fantastic job; 80 km/h to naught in 2.18 seconds over 23 metres isn’t half bad. I actually stop and get out of the car to take it in. Well, made more sense to do that rather than idle behind a lorry faced with a dilemma. While the lorry driver began the journey of making up his mind. I beheld the new topless two-door from the starry side of Stuttgart. “It looks so much like an SL”, I told myself. Then I reminded myself that the SL 400 has the same red-tie motor too. The proportions are indeed very curvy and feminine. The SLK had that reputation. With those haunches, I’m happy to report the SLC follows in those treads just as well.
If you thought a roadster compromised on boot volume, you’d be absolutely right. However, the SLC has room enough for a couple of weekend bags and not just for a classic painting; even with the roof tucked in. The load area isn’t much, but it does swallow more than I’d imagined.
Back to the road, lorry far behind. I was smiling silly about how good that steering-wheel felt to hold, and how the weighting was just perfect. I don’t remember being this happy about a car’s steering feel for a while now. It brings a smile, it does. The whole package, in fact, engine, transmission, steering, grip and handling characteristics seem precise and calibrated. Even the fuel efficiency is a reasonable 8.5 km/l in the city and 12 on the highway. Although, if you’re in ‘Sport+’ often, with the needle flirting with the red zone, you’re going to be looking at around seven.
All said and done, everything feels like it has been thought about in production. It somehow feels like a machine meant to make enjoying driving a part of the package. You can’t have an intangible feature ticked on the options list. Yes, it looks spectacular, and it excites the senses to a great extent. But, it isn’t all there when you consider how emotive some choices are. It’s a car that you will enjoy driving day in and day out. But, it’s not a car where you wake up in the middle of the night and drive to a hill-top to catch some summer breeze at twilight. It’s great, yes. One of the greatest? Not quite. Not today. It’s harder at the top. Definitely.
