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Mercedes' glam-slam winner

SINGAPORE — There are two kinds of people in the world. The first looks at the Mercedes-Benz SLC and sees only a car with a foldable roof that turns the top of your head into a toilet for birds.

SINGAPORE — There are two kinds of people in the world. The first looks at the Mercedes-Benz SLC and sees only a car with a foldable roof that turns the top of your head into a toilet for birds.

The second recognises that few things in the world are as glamorous as a Mercedes roadster.

Newly available here in 1.6-litre (SLC 180) and 2-litre (SLC 200) form, the little two-seater is a heavily revised update of the old SLK.

It has the diamond-studded grille that adorns Mercedes’ more fashionable models, and a revamped interior with a bigger infotainment screen, and new features like Apple CarPlay.

The change in name from SLK to SLC is part of Mercedes’ ongoing overhaul of its naming system, as it manages an expanding product portfolio. By the end of the decade, it plans to have three dozen models in its lineup.

But while new crossover cars and luxury coupes are being added willy-nilly to the Mercedes family, it is nice to know that the world’s oldest car maker still has room in its plans for a baby sportscar like the SLC.

Here are five reasons why this car has true star power:

 

IT’S A PIONEER

 

The roadster format was revived by Mazda and its MX-5 in 1989, but with the first SLK (great grandfather to this SLC), Mercedes offered something different: A folding roof made of metal, instead of cloth.

Finding the space for a foldable hard top can sometimes lead to awkward lines and weird proportions, but the SLC somehow avoids all that. It has classic sportscar proportions, with a long bonnet and a pert tail.

Other cars have folding hard tops now, but few are as fetching as this Mercedes-Benz.

 

IT’S DECENTLY FAST

 

Turbocharged engines and Mercedes’ latest nine-speed transmission give the SLC some proper get-up-and-go. The SLC 200 we drove, in particular, picks up speed with real vim, enough to put a grin on your face.

Admittedly though, when it is in Eco and Comfort driving modes, the SLC 200 plods along like an old person’s car, but selecting Sport mode really makes it come alive.

 

TOPLESS = FUN

 

Driving with no roof overhead heightens the sensation of speed, so travelling at 80kmh in the SLC feels more fun than going twice as fast in a limousine. Obviously, that assumes you like the wind in your hair or the sun on your face.

Indeed, the SLC 200 is only a middling car in terms of its handling. Through corners it is not particularly agile or grippy. But the fact that it is still a hoot to drive is largely down to how immersive it feels to drive a roadster. Nothing short of a motorcycle provides you with as much sensory bombardment.

 

IT’S REFINED

 

The SLC’s folding hard-top means it offers the best of both worlds: An open-top roadster and a coupe. With the roof overhead, the Mercedes is soothingly quiet inside, and its body never suffers from the shudders and shakes that sometimes afflict convertible cars.

Even with the roof down, the SLC offers remarkable comfort. A clever pivoting wind deflector keeps your hair tidy, and the seats are plump and supportive.

Its entertainment system has been updated with sharper graphics, too, but it eschews the complicated touchpad controls of the newer Mercedes models, leaving you to focus on just driving and enjoying the experience.

 

IT’S IMPRACTICAL

 

This might sound like criticism, but two-seater roadsters are supposed to be impractical. The SLC 200’s cabin does have space for parking coupons, your smartphone and so on, but your weekend’s groceries will have to withstand the heat of being transported in the boot.

On the plus side, no one will ask you to help them move house, and you will never be volunteered to pick up your mother-in-law from the airport.

If nothing else, basic motoring Mathematics says that the numbers of seats in a vehicle is inversely proportional to the amount of fun it offers — which would you rather drive, a Formula One car or a bus?

By that measure alone, the SLC 200 is as jolly as they come.

 

Mercedes-Benz SLC 200

Engine: 1,991cc, turbo in-line 4, 184hp, 300Nm

Performance: 237kmh, 0-100kmh: 6.9s, 6.1L/100km, 143g/km CO2

Price: S$283,888 with COE

Available: Now

 

PROS: Looks glamorous and offers plenty of refinement

CONS: The handling is so-so, and the roof gobbles up boot space

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