Key Facts
Model tested: Mercedes-AMG SLC 43
Pricing: SLC from £30,495; SLC 43 from £46,360; car as tested £56,765
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol
Transmission: nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic, rear-wheel drive
Body style: two-seat roadster
CO2 emissions: 178g/km (VED Band I, £355 first 12 months, £230 annually thereafter, if registered before April 1, 2017; £800 first 12 months, £450 per annum next five years, then £140 per annum after that, if registered after April 1, 2017)
Combined economy: 36.2mpg
Top speed: 155mph (limited)
0-62mph: 4.7 seconds
Power: 367hp at 5,500- 6,000rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 2,000- to 4,200rpm
Our view:
This isn't going to be a lengthy review of the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43, an artist previously known as the SLK, because we drove this car not long ago on the
international launch and nothing much has changed; so if you want to find out what we think of the SLC's looks, interior, pricing and general place in the market, have a look through our First Drive for full details.
However, what we wanted to ascertain is whether the 43 proved to be a useable, enjoyable performance roadster back here in the UK, specifically because there were two things that stood out about the SLC during that international event: one, it was astonishingly loud, even by Mercedes-AMG's notable standards; and two, the ride was ultra-firm and uncompromising, even on smoother French tarmac. So will it work as a performance car in the UK, or does the roadster become a loud, uncomfortably anachronism instead?
With regards the noise, we were big fans of the exhaust histrionics and the menacing growl of the M276 3.0-litre V6 engine first time around, but there's no doubting our UK example was a lot quieter; we have no idea why this might be, save for Mercedes slyly tinkering with the exhaust valves on the launch cars to up the decibel levels. This reduction in volume is not necessarily a bad thing, of course, as it improves the refinement of the SLC - making it feel much more like the shrunken SL its badging inevitably leads you into expecting of it - and yet by the same token it does take away some of the drama of the 43's performance. If there's a blessing to this decrease in noise, it's that the engine now has more of a voice to compete with the exhausts, so it's not all about pops and crackles and bellows from the back of the SLC 43, the soundtrack being more about discerning the fact the Mercedes is one of the last compact roadsters to use a six-cylinder engine. Difficult one to call, this: on the one hand, we like the added refinement for the UK version and the SLC still sounds brilliant, but we miss some of the bombast of the overseas SLC 43 we drove as well. Call it a score draw.
However, good news on the ride - and, indeed, the overall driving experience of the SLC 43. The normal course of affairs when driving a car on silky, foreign tarmac is that you can praise its springs and dampers to high heaven, only to get the vehicle back to the UK and find it rides like a pig on less appealing road surfaces. Thankfully, the Mercedes-AMG has gone the other way. Bizarrely, it was more comfortable over here than it was in France, the UK car better able to soak up lumps, big potholes and those endless transverse expansion joint ridges on our motorways, blessing the Merc with a far more luxurious ride than you might think, given you sit practically on top of the SLC's back axle. Put it this way, we covered more than 500 miles in the 43, spending the best part of 13 hours behind its fat, Alcantara-clad, flat-bottomed, three-spoke steering wheel, and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of that time in the car. And with more supple damping, it's not just the ride that improves but the whole cohesiveness of the driving experience, as the SLC 43 was better able to deploy its prodigious 367hp/520Nm on all manner of roads without feeling at any point unruly. That's a win for the UK car, then.
So, overall, we'd say the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 has improved compared to our first European sampling of it, but you'll notice we've given it the same four-star mark. Why? Well, we're all too aware that the SLC is far from flawless. Its structure feels less rigid than rival open-top vehicles, like the third-gen Audi TT and Porsche's 718 Boxster, while - with just a few options and choice packages from the list, like £2,095 Comand Online, £1,695 Driving Assistance Package, £1,030 Memory Package and the £645 Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound (pick this, as it's a must-have accessory) - the price of our test SLC rocketed from a reasonable £46,000 to a frighteningly goliath £56,765. That's a huge heap of cash for something that's based on ageing architecture and which isn't the class leader.
But we still love the SLC 43, mainly because of that big displacement engine - now almost alone as a six-cylinder unit in this roadster class, save for Jaguar's F-Type. That bestows a lot of character on the Mercedes-AMG, which allows you in some small way to overlook its foibles. And, during our week with it, the 43 met all three of its ancestors for a separate feature, meaning it was up against the super-rare SLK 32 AMG original and the two barmy '55' V8 SLK AMGs of yore. Yet it managed to hold its head up in this elite crowd, both in terms of its performance and desirability. Add in the fact it managed to give back 27.1mpg economy overall, in a week where it was driven pretty hard for a lot of the time, and you can see there's plenty of merit in opting for the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43, one of the last truly charismatic roadsters still out there on sale.
Alternatives:
Audi TT RS Roadster: the more potent 400hp TT is the AMG's ostensible rival, but we reckon you get a sweeter drive and almost as much epic performance from the far better-resolved 310hp TTS instead.
Jaguar F-Type V6 Convertible: pretty as a picture and better to drive than the SLC 43, the Jag is nevertheless more expensive in base trim and has some serious packaging issues as a Convertible.
Porsche 718 Boxster S: it might now be powered by four-cylinder engines, but the Boxster S is still the roadster to beat. However, Porsche's S model starts from £50,695...
