MERCEDES-BENZ S500 CABRIOLET 9G-TRONIC

Is there a bigger automotive indulgence than a superluxurious convertible? No, not when it's this good

R2 333 388

F5,23 sec 335 kw/700 N.m 250 km/h OLLOWING any road test of a vehicle, scoring sheets are distributed among the 10-member strong CAR editorial team that factor in a range of criteria, from ride and comfort to packaging, performance, dynamics and fuel ef ciency, to ultimately arrive at that score out of 100 points you see atop the speci cations box. On these sheets, too, is a section where road testers can comment on the vehicle in question following a format of what’s good about the car, and likewise what’s bad. Most cars have a longer positivesthan-negatives list; the feedback on some vehicles errs to the opposite. 10,2 L/100 km 212 g/km

In the case of the MercedesBenz S500 Cabriolet, however, very few criticisms made their way onto its feedback sheets.

We’ll discuss what they are further along in this test, but rst some context: Benz last built a large, four-seater luxury convertible in 1971, the W111, and these have become sought-after classics; a 280 SE 3.5 recently fetched US$429 000 (about R5,7 million at the exchange rate in late-january) at an RM Auctions event. In the interim, the SL took up the mantle of luxury convertible in the Mercedes-benz stable until the new S-class Cabriolet was unveiled last year.

Functioning as the entry point to a three-model strong range, the S500 tested here features Mercedes-benz’s 4,7-litre twinturbopetrol engine coupled with its latest 9G-tronic transmission, feeding 335 kw and 700 N.m (available from 1 800 to 4 000 r/min) to the 275-wide rear tyres. The S500 costs a smidgeon more than R2,3 million and the Cabriolet range crests at the Mercedes-amg S65 going for a cool R3,5 million.

The S500’s price may look