The roots of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class were innocent enough. Two decades ago, the petite roadster debuted with a neato folding hardtop and naif Euro headlights, only to quickly become the whipping boy of manly convertibles everywhere. Things didn't get much better from there. "It's still a hairdresser's car," said an unnamed (and now underemployed) Mercedes PR flack of the then-SLK upon the debut of the second-gen car, roundly dismissing its meaner mug and SLR-inspired nose.
Despite multiple updates and another generation since, the roadster has continued to be dogged by a softie stigma. With the SLC, Benz is out to eradicate that perception once and for all. But will its revised surname, burlier looks, and enhanced sportiness finally be enough to leave the old car's rep behind for good? We set out to find the answer to that question in the craggy hills of Southern France, where we sampled the entry-level SLC300 and (semi-)hopped-up Mercedes-AMG SLC43. |
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