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Straight away, as we get back on the road, the SLK feels less, well, feelsome than the Porsche. Which is remarkable, as in contrast to the Boxster, AMG still uses hydraulics in its power steering system. Nevertheless, moving the wheel brings less resistance and less information, less communication with the road surface than in the Porsche. The wheels are turning, but I notice it through the movement of the car, not through tactile feedback in my hands. Either AMG has more work to do, or Porsche’s done really well.
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That’s disappointing, but the engine isn’t. A flex of the right foot, a slight bit of pondering from the seven speed auto gearbox, and I’m making a serious beeline towards the horizon, my organs investigating the rear of my rib cage. These days, 416bhp doesn’t sound much, but it’s more than 100bhp up on the Boxster and it comes with a great soundtrack, a guttural churning akin to a World War II fighter plane. Evocative? Oh yes
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Once up to speed however, with cruise control enabled, I’m surprised to find that the road noise is higher than in the Boxster, despite the metal roof. It’s not obnoxiously loud, but shows what a great job Porsche has done.
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As we leave civilisation behind and head into the mountains, I begin sweeping the SLK through some fast, long bends, linked together with barely a need to brake. But doing so is a little disconcerting. The suspension – tweaked by AMG over the standard SLK but not as fancy as the Boxster – is softer than I expect, which has been most pleasant on the cruise out of the city, but means there’s more body roll through the bends than I want, a perceptible shift in weight as the car changes direction. Combined with the numb steering, I’m less than confident pushing the nose into the corners, hesitant to overdo it as I don’t know what the response will be. As it turns out, there’s a decent amount of front end grip, but it takes me some time to get over my initial nerves at turning the wheel and not being able to tell what will happen. I find myself shuffling cautiously through the bends and then planting the throttle, relying on the engine and horsepower to blast my way along.
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It’s such a different story when I switch back to the Boxster. The intoxicating rush of acceleration that the Merc provides is absent– the presence of the 911 in the Porsche line up means the Boxster or Cayman is never going to get the same kind of grunt – but the way the Porsche hustles is so much more confidence inspiring. Even at high speeds it’ll go exactly where it’s aimed. There are very few cars more stable and precise than the Boxster. It really is pinpoint sharp and even with the slightly number steering, it’s possible to place the nose on a dime at will. I leave James behind through the bends, although I can hear the AMG bass kick in as he hauls me in on the longer straights.
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I’ve got Sport Plus enabled now, which as well as stiffening up the suspension also sharpens the throttle and quickens the gear changes. I knock the gear lever towards me and start flicking the paddles to change through the double clutch PDK’s ratios, and there’s more brutality in response. My head’s a-rockin’ with every tug of the right shifter, the response almost instantaneous. It’s a fabulous gearbox and adds a bit of excitement to the proceedings, which complements the clinical efficiency of the car very nicely.
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Into the tighter roads towards Hatta, the differences between the two cars really start to show through. Rising and falling and twisting through fifty shades of brown rock, the Boxster is just superb. Remarkably, despite the need for ever more safety equipment and increased size, the Boxster is 30kg lighter than the old model, tipping the scales at just 1350kg. This makes it lithe and nimble through these tight turns, so confident at the front and composed at the back – thanks to the optional Porsche Torque Vectoring package and its rear differential – that progress is scintillating. There’s bags of grip and not quite enough power to provoke oversteer on demand – you really need to throw the car into bends to get the tail moving. The brakes are excellent with bags of feel. But if you really want to go thrashing, carbon ceramic stoppers are available as an option. If there’s a criticism to be had here, it’s that it’s almost too composed – I feel like I could bat down here with one hand on the wheel and a coffee in the other. A little shuffle in stance, a wiggle here and there would add a touch more adrenalin, but that’s being the pickiest of nits.
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At the top of the mountain, we swap once more. And once more, I’m left with a feeling of slight unease in the SLK, as it rocks slightly from side to side and fails to inspire confidence from its front. Once again I push tentatively and discover that the grip is hiding its light under a bushel – you just have to trust that it’ll hold when you pitch it in, and placing it accurately is much more difficult. Will the nose get to the apex, or will it understeer? Will the weight transfer break traction at the back? Will I have to catch it when it starts to slide? If so, how much? Hustling the Merc is a nervy experience where such questions outweigh reward.
