In the metal, the Coupe's profile is hunched and aggressive - to an extent that photos fail to adequately communicate. Where the SLK roadster is pretty, the CLK is belligerent. Finding one filling your rear view mirror, you automatically move over. And you automatically recognise it for what it is; a car in its own right. Arguably, you have to go back to a car like the 300SLR to find an affordable Mercedes coupe or cabriolet model of which that was really true. The E-Class coupes and cabriolets that the CLK replaces were after all, like their predecessors, merely two-door versions of the old E-Class saloon. Not so here. Though the CLK shares the 'four eyes' headlamp arrangement of the E-Class range, in most other respects, it's actually quite different. In fact, Mercedes has used a variety of ingredients to make this car what it is. A floorpan from the C-class; the better suspension, brakes and gearbox developed as part of the SLK programme; and a variety of engines used across both C and E-class ranges. All of which makes it quite appropriate that the CLK lies neatly between these two model line-ups, in terms of both size and price. In dimensional terms, you'll find it 25cms shorter than an E-class saloon and 8cms longer than a C-class. Clever features include Brake Assist, a system that automatically boosts the pedal pressure in an emergency stop, and 'ASR', a traction control system linked both to the throttle and the brakes. When folded, the Cabriolet's three-layered hood stows completely away beneath a body-coloured compartment cover which features twin airdomes supposed to evoke 'classic race car styling'. The roof is simple to operate; a central rotary handle on the windscreen frame is all that's needed to release or lock the soft top and the rest of the work is performed by an electro-hydraulic servodrive activated by a pull/push switch next to the gear lever.