The Mercedes-Benz SLC will end production later this year – without a replacement model in the works – following the release of a limited-run Final Edition model.
It marks the end of the line for the junior Mercedes roadster, which was launched at the Turin motor show in 1996 as the SLK. It ushered in a then-revolutionary folding hard-top roof and spawned two successors.
The current third-generation SLK model arrived in 2011, and was renamed SLC in 2016 as part of a naming structure reshuffle across the Mercedes-Benz range.
The Final Edition will be given its first public appearance at the Geneva motor show next month. It’s based on the top-spec AMG Line trim, but comes with the option of an exclusive paint finish called Sun Yellow that pays homage to the original SLK’s launch colour called Yellowstone.
It also gains uniquely-styled bumpers and 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. Order your SLC Final Edition in black or grey and you’ll get chrome detailing along the front, while yellow or white models have black trim instead.
The interior is finished in black and silver leather with grey stitching, grey seatbelts and carbon-fibre-look leather elements. The centre console is trimmed in silver and generously equipped, although the SLC’s ageing dash can’t support high-end equipment such as a digital gauge cluster or touchscreen infotainment.
Four engines will be available, kicking off with the 1.6-litre SLC 180, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and producing 156hp. Moving up, SLC 200 models are manual as well but feature a 2.0-litre unit with 184hp.
Next is the SLC 300 – also a 2.0-litre, but mated to a nine-speed automatic and producing 245hp – while topping the range is the 3.0-litre V6 SLC 43, which pushes out 390hp.
No replacement for the SLC is imminent, with Mercedes instead focusing its efforts on SUVs and electrification instead of niche roadsters.
Prices for the Final Edition SLC will be announced when it goes on sale next month, but expect a slight increase on the standard model’s £32,769 price tag to reflect the high levels of equipment on offer.