Drive in the Alps: Mercedes-Benz SLC 200

When you travel to the alps for some ultimate driving pleasure one does not simply turn up in a diesel Renault Scénic. What the magnificent twisty roads of the largest mountain range in Europe deserve is not a boring and uninspiring family runabout. To conquer the Alps you need a car with less practicality and more excitement. Preferably a car with two seats and no roof, aka a roadster.
Enter the new Mercedes-Benz SLC.

Mercedes-Benz SLC 200 in iridium silver

The SLC is not a new type of roadster from Mercedes it is just the new re-branded name of the now 20 year old SLK. The original SLK was a huge success with over 300 000 units sold. This is partly down to the (then) groundbreaking metal folding roof which added stability and safety to the roadster. Fast forward 20 years and recipe is still the same, only now called the SLC. The recipe is very like the outgoing SLK in fact, as the SLC is only a facelift. The SLC gets only one new engine which goes to the top range AMG 43. Otherwise the SLC has to manage with the old engines from the SLK.

Or is it diamond silver, I'm not sure

This one had the 2.0 litre four cylinder turbo with and output of 184 horsepower through the rear wheels. Gone are the days of the Kompressor badge, which in my view has taken away some of the charm of the SLK/SLC. This new more efficient turbo unit is highly versatile. It revs happily up to 7000 rpm and the six speed manual this car had slotted nicely in to a higher gear ready for the engine to climb to 7000 again. In more docile driving the engine pulled surprisingly well from low revs. This is thanks to the peak torque of 300 newton meters coming in at a low 1200 rpm. With this versatility you're always in the right gear be it at the autobahn or 2000 meters high in the Swiss Alps. The SLC 200 is also available with the new 9-speed automatic. But who really wants an automatic in a roadster, really. Even though at low revs the engine sounded sometimes like a V6, it lacked character. It was versatile yes, but not trouser tingling or filled with eager like a puppy chasing leaves. In short it felt like a German machine, satisfied with any task you commanded it to do. Nothing more, nothing less.

If compered with the SLK, identical.

The AIRSCARF has three different power settings

The interior hasn't changed at all in the SLC. It's almost identical to the 2012 SLK. The interior is just as the engine very functional but boring. The seats are tight enough to keep you in during hard cornering but comfortable enough so that the trip over the mountains doesn't feel like you've done it on an ox. This also reflects on the quality of the ride. I was never tired after sitting in the car for 6 hours straight. I'm guessing the AMG Line sport suspension is harder but I don't think it will be an issue, that's how well sorted the car is. Also adding to the comfort was that this car was fitted with the optional AIRSCARF (yes it is actually marketed in all caps). It is a heating system with vents in the headrest that blow warm around the neck area. This is especially handy when you drive your SLC up in the mountains with the top down and suddenly notice that there's snow around your car.
 

The SLC 200 is a pleasant drive. It drives well, the engine is resourceful and it does feel at home on tight mountain roads. The steering is light and quick and it managed 225 km/h on the autobahn. It made the journey over the Alps a great experience, but even so the car never left me wanting more. Maybe I'd appreciate the SLC 200 more if I did the journey in a Renault Scénic diesel.

A hot hatchback for the ages

After the muscle car post I need to write about my favourite kind of of car. And as a normal citizen of Europe my favourite kind of car is small and understated but fast and fun. I'm obviously talking about the hot hatchback. I have covered this topic before (surprisingly) with the Fiesta ST and various GTI's.

Volkswagen Golf R32 in the correct deep blue pearl colour.

Imagine my excitement when I saw a magnificent VW Golf R32 mark IV roll up behind me. Basically the R32 is a harder and faster GTI that was released in 2003. Instead of a four cylinder turbo it has one of my all time favourite engines the 3.2 litre 24 valve VR6. In the mark IV Golf it produces 240 HP which drives all the four wheels. If the engine is all you want then I should inform you that it is also found in the Audi TT. As are the same suspension components and the DSG double-clutch gearbox. So basically the R32 is a more practical Audi sports car.

May I turn your attention to those magnificent wheels.

While we are comparing it to the first Audi TT it is more handsome as well. Even though it looks very much as the basic mark IV Golf there are some features that separates it from the common road dwelling Golf. A new front bumper, skirts and rear bumper have a classically discreet Volkswagen look. But perhaps the biggest giveaway are the two modest exhausts that release the magnificent VR6 growl. The R32 that I spotted didn't really represent the modesty of a Volkswagen. The blacked out lights, wide tires and low ride height gave it a really dominant presence. Completing the makeover is the black VW badge. Even though the transformation is quite substantial one can see it has been done with style and money. I cannot help but like it.

I'm glad that it still has the stock exhaust, classy tuning indeed.

As I've mentioned many times this is one of my favourite hot hatches. A sensible German hatchback that has ripped off its buttoned up white collar shirt and put on a pair of boxing gloves and said "Come on then, let's see what you've got".

A familiar shape but still more special than most realise.

PS: The more eagle eyed of you have probably noticed a small Oettinger badge on the grille. According to the Oettinger tuning company's website they don't tune the VR6 engine which means that the tuning must have been done to the underside of the car, maybe the suspension.

A sportscar for the light hearted

At the 2013 Geneva motor show Alfa Romeo revealed its small and lightweight sports car called the 4C. This then had to carry the torch of the famous Spider and GTV. Now it has finally arrived in the showrooms up here in the north.

Alfa Romeo 4C in Madreperla White

The car immediately caught the eyes and minds of the motoring world with its striking looks. The curvy and smooth lines combined with the aggressive stinger bee sort of glare is quite characteristic of the Alfa Romeo design department (Centro Stile Alfa Romeo). The 4C is mid-engined but if there would be no glass cover I don't think anyone would notice. It doesn't suffer from the short nose syndrome as other mid-engined cars.

For a small car it is extremely wide, over 2 meters wide in fact.

Why no ordinary road dweller will notice the mid mounted engine is because it is tiny. The engine is only a 1.75 litre unit lifted from the company's Giulietta hatchback. With a turbo and some other bits and bobs the power output becomes 240 HP. And in true sports car fashion all of this goes to the rear wheels. This isn't that impressive until you realize that the chassis is almost entirely made out of carbon fibre and the entire car of other composite materials and aluminium. This means the car weighs only 895 kg. With this weight - or lack of it - the 240 horsepower is sufficient enough. This sports car is build like most of the super cars build today, and the performance numbers reflect that as well. Officially the snorty 4-cylinder achieves 100 kph in 4.5 seconds but road testers have done the 0-100 sprint in 4.2 seconds. The 4C will keep on going to an impressive 260 kph.

I'm only small, but I'll bite your head off if you're not careful.

Super car numbers and super car materials in a small compact Italian sports car that also is beautiful to behold comes at a high price of over 50 000€ in Italy. Here in the north the added taxes will push the price to an eye watering 90 000€. The question now is, do you have the heart, soul and riches to own one? Because I now you want to.

Not making it easy

Last post was about the Ferrari 458 Speciale. This will be about another Italian super car manufacturer who does the same thing that Ferrari but only on a whole 'nother level.

Lamborghini takes a different approach when making a car than Ferrari does. The approach is more stylish and over the top than precise and analytical. So that had to change when Audi took over Lambo. But I think they never lost the art of extravagant presentation. The common opinion is that Lamborghinis have become more boring and more, well, German. There are versions of standard Lamborghinis that seem like there were less German watchful eyes over the Italians. I'm not talking about the "one offs" like the Sesto Elemento or the Veneno. I mean the tweaked versions of standard Lambos that make them more, lets say, exclusive.

But with the Gallardo it has gone a bit far I have to admit. There are probably a dozen of "special edition" Lamborghinis.  There's the Tricolore, Balboni, Super Trofeo and many others. To me they just seem like filler episodes to a TV show when the writers are working on a new story line.
But there's one that is like the 458 Speciale i wrote about earlier, it's called the Performante. What it is is a Gallardo Superleggera but with the roof taken off and replaced with fabric. It has the same slightly tuned engine as the Superleggera, 562 hp (10 more than the standard V10).
I have long thought about what my favourite car is and the Gallardo Superleggera comes very close to my beloved R8. The Performante may be the car to take the crown away from the R8.

So Lambo is not making it easy,  no no. They have tens of different versions of the same car to confuse everyone. And one of them has even got me questioning my choices.

Those stripes are very ungerman. 

Even though the policeman isn't impressed, I am for sure!

This is the hard top Performante, better known as the Superleggera. 

I'm lazy today

I don't have any topic in mind to write about so I'm going to share with you my best car photos. I have taken all these photos myself. I welcome you to the abundance of cars. More picture will be added. Maybe in a I'm lazy today part 2 post

Audi R8

Lotus Esprit V8

Dodge Challenger Convertible

Saab 9-3 Convertible

Porsche 911 Turbo