Inside & Out:
Right, there's no doubt about it that the gullwing doors account for a huge amount of the appeal of the SLS AMG coupé. And no matter how hard Mercedes' engineers tried, with a convertible there's no way to keep them. So is the SLS Roadster a visual disappointment? Well yes, but only slightly; this thing still has plenty of presence. It is the reason for the four stars though.
It's those doors that mask some of the frustration with the cabin too, the theatrical entrance taking your mind off the C-Class climate control and E-Class stereo. Don't forget, in the Roadster that interior will be on show more often. Still, everything is covered in real leather, metal and - in the case of our test car - carbon fibre as well. It's just not as dramatic or as exciting as some of its more exotic rivals.
Ride & Handling:
The first thing that strikes you about this car is the view out over that long bonnet, making you feel like you're sitting at the back of the car over the rear axle. It certainly feels like that on the move, where everything stems from the rear, the central pivot point seemingly right behind the driver's hips.
You'd expect a car of this size and calibre to be a bit of a brute on the move, but the light, accurate and sharp steering helps it to be anything but. Of course it's firm, and even small road imperfections are transmitted through to the driver. However, despite losing the rigidity offered by a fixed roof, this Roadster feels just as solid as the SLS coupé.
It's just as agile as well, with almost no body roll and more grip than you'd expect - unless you're accelerating hard in the wet. In fact, there's so much power being distributed between the rear wheels that it's usually best to leave the ESP systems active. However, for those that like to feel a little more involved the Sport setting acts like a half-way house allowing pleasing slip angles before intervening. And if for some reason it looks like it's all going to go wrong, you can depend on the brakes to stop you quickly and without any drama.
Engine & Transmission:
The star of the show? Well without any trick doors, the answer has to be yes. The 6.2-litre V8 does without any of today's
de rigueur forced induction, but one look at the figures (571hp and 650Nm) shows it need not pander to fashion.
Actually the figures only tell half the story - sure it's mind-bendingly fast on the open road, but if ever a car review was begging for an audio clip this is it (
Ed: check out the video at the bottom). This thing sounds, and get ready for the cliché here, absolutely biblical. Not like Noah's noisy ark, but more akin to God trying his hand at deathmetal on the karaoke machine. It starts with a deep rumble before transcending into a guttural growl further up the rev range. Lift off the throttle and there's a series of pops and bangs as extra fuel is burnt off in the hot exhaust - highly intoxicating and addictive.
If anything the gearbox is the weak link in the package, occasionally making for jerky progress at low speeds and anything other than decisive and consistent throttle inputs. There's a slight delay in swapping cogs in manual mode too, and if you wait for the shift light prompt you're likely to nudge the limiter first - which is frustrating.
So yes, some faults - but all of them minor, and when the engine is so good none of the above can really detract from the SLS Roadster experience.
Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:
Okay, this car costs a lot of money - more than my house in fact - but that doesn't mean it's not good value. That 6.2-litre V8 shoved way back in the chassis swallows much of the budget, and there's even a signed plaque atop it to tell you which AMG engineer hand built the unit.
Still, you'll need deep pockets to run it, with an official economy figure of 21.4mpg and a real-world result much lower than that. As you'd expect annual road tax is in the highest band (£460 per annum), as is insurance, and even a pair of 295/30 R20 rear tyres will be over £650 alone. It's not really any more expensive to run than its rivals though, and its relative rarity is likely to strengthen resale values.
