Mercedes-Benz SL Open (02 - 12) review

The Mercedes SL is one of the most desirable and pretty cars in the world. Roof up, it's a handsome two-seater coupe. Pop the electric roof down and you can bask in sunshine and admiring looks.

There's almost no shimmy or shake from the body when the roof is dropped, even on bumpy roads, and the optional active body control eliminates body roll in corners without adversely affecting the ride quality.

There's a 3.7-litre V6 as the entry point, but most buyers choose the V8 SL500. For more pace the SL55 AMG has also proved a huge hit, while the SL65 AMG and SL600 have identical performance delivered in very different ways - the SL600 is all discreet swiftness, while the SL65 is almost insanely, in-your-face rapid.