Beginning a relationship is all about knowing which buttons to press. Which button will speed things up and which will slow them down. Which gives optimal control and which gives the firmest possible hands-on experience. Which will take her top down – and put it back up again pronto if it looks like stormy weather.
So it goes with the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 compact roadster, a streamlined filly of a car that will inspire appraisals certain to send the placard-wielders foaming all over the politically correct bit. Sorry, militants, but there is something indubitably feminine about the SLC 43: it’s curvaceous, graceful and has legs long enough to outrun and embarrass most ardent pursuers on the motorway.
The SLC line is a rebranding of the SLK, but the differences, in the 43 at least, go deeper than a facelift and a more honed, sporty appearance than of old, particularly in the diamond radiator grille and reconfigured front bumper, which incorporates enlarged ducts for engine cooling.
Much of the roadster’s technology has been imported from Mercedes’ lauded C Class, with the range-topping SLC 43 and some of its junior partners featuring 9G-Tronic nine-speed transmission as standard.
But still, when exploring the options, which may be switched with the car moving, you might put together your own combination of functions under the “individual” programme. “Eco” keeps fuel consumption to the minimum; “comfort” softens the suspension and makes the ride a little more bouncy sofa; “sport” and “sport plus” toughen it up and mean gear changes are made at increased revs.