What is it about a convertible that makes you want to drive to another suburb to do the weekly shopping?
The wind in your hair, the African sun on your face, the blue skies above. My week with the upgraded Mercedes-Benz CLK 350 convertible (which replaces the CLK 320) would have been a near-perfect driving experience had it not been for that subspecies of male drivers and passengers who see the convertible as an opportunity to support the idea that there is indeed biological proof of the missing link.
Do those whistling men, practically hanging out of those car windows, frothing at the mouth like rabid dogs, actually believe they have the slightest chance of endearing themselves to anyone with such behaviour?
I have no doubt that they were perving at the car, but they were just so entirely unbecoming that I didn’t feel like giving them the pleasure of checking out the CLK.
Of course, the fact that I was test driving the new V6 3,5 litre derivative with 200kW of power and 280Nm of torque meant that I could put my right foot down and be out of sight before the salivating cretins had enough time to put their tongues back in to their mouths.
The CLK has undergone a slight facelift with a redesigned front, been given a new suspension package and new wheels and the phenomenal CLK 55 AMG coupé (the formula one safety car) is now available as a cabriolet.
The CLK has always been an extremely appealing car for the simple fact that Mercedes-Benz didn’t opt for merely chopping the roof off a C-Class and presenting it as the cabriolet version of that model. Instead, the CLK, while taking its design cues from the C-Class, was designed with an entirely different aesthetic and the look has always worked brilliantly, even more so now with the facelift and bigger takkies.
The car adds an air of exclusivity to open-air motoring and offers a very high specification level, which includes an impressive Harmon Kardon sound system.
Changes across the CLK range include the fabulous seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic gearbox, a direct control package, Neck-pro whiplash protection, a new grille and new interior trim.
The direct control package, which features across the range, includes a 6% more direct steering ratio and an improved electronic stability programme (ESP), which all makes for improved handling and an exceptionally comfortable ride.
The CLK 55 AMG gets a more powerful braking system, the chassis has been modified and it benefits from a 7% increase in direct steering.
The soft roof on the CLK 350 folds away in about 20 seconds without the hassle of hooks and other release mechanisms. It’s as simple as turning the car on and pushing a button to open and close. And I discovered that opening and closing the roof was possible while trundling along at 5kph in afternoon traffic. The roofs on other cabriolets and coupé cabriolets sometimes require the car to be stationary with the handbrake pulled up before the roof can be opened or closed.
A nice feature is that there is no centre pillar behind the door, so the car has quite a clean appearance when all the windows are open.
There is a great deal of interior space and four adults fitted in to the CLK 350 quite comfortably. And getting in to the rear seats wasn’t very difficult as the front seats, which are electronically operated, easily slide forward.
The CLK 350 is claimed to accelerate from 0-100kph in 6,4 seconds and has an electronically governed top speed of 250kph. When you flick that switch from comfort to sport mode, it’s easy to believe these figures. Of course, the more you flick that switch and plant your right foot in to the floor, the less likely you are to get the claimed fuel consumption of 10 litres/100km.
The suspension is soft and makes for a very relaxed, comfortable ride.
The car handled itself admirably at all times and I was most thankful for the emergency brake assist (BAS) programme when I encountered a tow-truck driving up the wrong side of the road sans flashing lights and sirens. Thankfully, I wasn’t driving very fast, so jumping on the brakes while swerving ensured that I didn’t crash in to the vacant- looking vulture. Exactly why are these people allowed to tear around at illegal speeds to get to accident scenes faster than police and emergency medical vehicles when most of them don’t offer any life-saving skills and are only there to fight over who gets to clear away the crumpled wrecks?
Anyway, back to the exquisite CLK 350 which has leather upholstery, a large LCD screen primarily for the navigation system and an instrument cluster which is set quite deep in to the dashboard.
Standard safety features include anti-lock braking, ESP, anti-skid control, BAS and six airbags.
Standard with bi-xenon lights is the newly developed cornering light function which activates the right or left fog lamps when parking or driving through tight bends up to 40kph.
Optional extras include everything from a TV tuner to my favourite keyless-go function.
At R577 000, the CLK 350 cabriolet is a very pricey convertible, but one has to consider the specification level, the build and ride quality, and the technology that goes in to this car before dismissing the price tag as unreasonably high.