Articles by Glenn Butler

However the carmaker said they had prepared for a backlash when they recently announced a 2013 return to Australia’s premier motorsport category.Nissan driver Jim Richards famously called the Bathurst 1000 crowd “a pack of arseholes” after they booed him and co-driver Mark Skaife for winning the rain-shortened 1992 race in a Nissan GT-R.The GT-R’s twin-turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive gave it a massive advantage over the more popular rear-drive V8s, and it was subsequently ‘regulated’ out of the Australian Touring Car Championship.Nissan Motorsport co-owner Rick Kelly is aware of this dark chapter in Australian motor sport, and said the team prepared for it prior to the announcement of Nissan’s return.“We spent a lot of our time having our guns loaded in terms of fan response. But so far it hasn’t eventuated.” Instead, Rick said the fans have been overwhelmingly supportive.“The reaction has been very positive. It seems to me the whole fan-base felt the category was a little bit stagnant. They really feel re-energised.”Kelly did acknowledge that not everybody was happy to see Nissan come back to Australia’s most popular motor sport category.“So far only three of Kelly Racing’s 400-strong membership base have expressed that they will not continue when Kelly Racing becomes Nissan Motorsport”.Nissan Australia will enter an Altima sedan in the 2013 V8 Supercar series, powered by the Nissan Patrol’s V8 petrol engine.Nissan spokesman Jeff Fisher said the choice of engine was important. “We always wanted to go racing with an engine that was relevant to our market. So it was important to choose an engine that Australians can buy in a Nissan”.Even so, the link is indeed tenuous. Where the Patrol’s V8 is 5.6 litres and produces 298kW, the race car’s version will be ‘sleeved’ to 5.0 litres, and produce in the region of 450-525kW.As for the race car, it will be rear drive and have a six-speed rear-mounted transmission, whereas the production Altima is front drive and has a continuously variable transmission. Only some of the production car’s body panels will be shared with the race car.Some have likened Australia’s new motor sport formula to America’s Nascar racing, where car companies drape different bodies over essentially identical race cars.Kelly says this is not true. He also says that “the will have more Nissan DNA than our current Commodore race car has from Holden. Communicating that to the fan-base will be the challenge.”Nissan MotorSport has said it will reveal the new race car “in due course … later this year”, but would not be more specific.

Nissan says it also plans to overtake Mazda as Australia’s favourite full-line importer in the next 12 months. But wait, there’s more. Nissan expects the unknown Altima sedan to become Australia’s favourite mid-size import in 2014, vanquishing established players like the Honda Accord Euro, Mazda6, Hyundai i45 and Subaru Liberty in the process.  “Our stated goal is to be Australia’s number one full-line importer by March 2013,” Nissan’s sales chief Ian Moreillon told Carsguide, “and we are still on target to achieve this".  “With the plans we have in place, we certainly have the potential to grow our sales significantly over the next 12 months.” Moreillon said car companies that “pulled their development horns in” during the 2009 Global Financial Crisis will be at a disadvantage. “Unlike some of our rivals, we continued to spend on product development during the GFC at the expense of other areas of the business.”  So far in 2012 Nissan has sold 19,902 new cars, up nine percent on the same period last year, but still a long way behind Mazda’s 26,513. Moreillon believes a flood of new models from July this year will sweep Nissan past Mazda by this time next year.  The Leaf electric car arrives first followed by the Micra-based Almera compact sedan in August, and the next-generation Patrol large four-wheel drive near Christmas. Early next year, Nissan’s weak passenger car portfolio gets a huge lift with the Pulsar’s return after a six-year absence. The new Pulsar debuted at the Shanghai show in April last year and will replace the under-performing Tiida as Nissan’s rival to popular small cars like the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla and Holden Cruze.  Moreillon echoed outgoing CEO Dan Thompson’s statement that “Pulsar (will) be number one in its segment”. For Nissan, that could mean a twelve-fold increase in its small car sales from the Tiida’s 270 per month to more than the 3,500 per month that the Mazda3 consistently achieves.  Pulsar will be followed by the Altima mid-size sedan which will also form the basis of Nissan’s V8 Supercar racing entry. “The Altima is a critical car for Nissan both in Australia and globally,” said Moreillon. “It’s the second-best selling passenger car in America and we believe it can be the best-selling imported car in its segment in Australia.”  In a global first for Nissan, the Altima race car will debut at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide some six months ahead of the production car’s expected arrival in showrooms in November 2013. “Our participation in V8 Supercars will help us create a profile for the Altima,” Moreillon told CarsGuide at the Altima’s global reveal at the New York motor show this week.  Moreillon believes the Altima can carve 600 sales a month from the medium-car market, which would make it the best-selling import model, and second only to the locally-built Toyota Camry.

And the new warrior will have just one job to do: steal back the performance crown from the 430km/h Bugatti Veyron. And to do that it will be the most powerful, most innovative, and fastest McLaren road car ever.  "The job is to set the performance bar to new levels and stay there for as long as it takes for us to come up with the next one," McLaren design chief Frank Stephenson told CarsGuide.  But don't expect the Mega-Mac to have a bigger or more powerful engine than the quad-turbocharged V16 Veyron; Stephenson says the 21st century F1 will be an innovative and intelligent hypercar. "This car is not about more power or more performance," he says. "It's actually about how it achieves that power and performance by using an intelligent drivetrain that pushes boundaries." Stephenson describes the cars styling as looking like a concept of a concept car. "It's that different. It will shock people because its stuff that has never been seen before. I designed it and I still get goosebumps when I see it. "But none of it is there for show; it all has a functional purpose. The cars aerodynamics will achieve incredibly high levels of downforce through unusual solutions." Stephenson is no stranger to headline-making designs. His previous work includes the New Mini and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. The world will get its first Mc attack at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June or the Monaco Grand Prix in May the latter seems more likely given many of the tax haven's mega-rich residents would be McLaren's target customers for the million-dollar hypercar. The mid-engine coupe's mechanicals are still being developed and tested ahead of its 2014 production start. McLaren is said to have tweaked the 12C's twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine for 600kW and added regenerative electric motors similar to the KERS system employed by McLaren in Formula One. This certainly fit with Stephensons claims of intelligent performance. Rear-wheel drive may struggle to convert that kind of power into a 0-100km/h time to match the Veyrons 2.5sec, so McLaren may employ an all-wheel drive system. Either way, the McLaren will use a lightweight but expensive carbon fibre frame, like the F1, and like the MP4-12C performance coupe which arrives in Australia next month.

This is a game changer for Subaru. The company that built its reputation on symmetrical all-wheel drive has ditched the front driveshaft and rekindled memories of simpler times.

They’re happy to shout about the offroad and towing potential of the Holden Colorado 7, but they’re still coy on price. The bigger brother to the Captiva 7 is due early in 2013 -- but revealed this week as the Chevrolet Trailblazer concept at the Dubai Motor Show -- and the wagon has been confirmed as having a 3000kg towing capacity.That’s 500kg less than the Colorado Ute, with which it will share petrol and diesel drivetrains in both rear- and all-wheel drive models. Holden wouldn’t confirm a $40k starting price, saying only it will compete with the Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Challenger and Toyota LandCruiser Prado.Inevitably, Aussie families will cross-shop the Colorado 7 with the Ford Territory which also offers 4WD and seven seats, even though Holden doesn’t consider the ‘softer’ Ford to be a rival. The Colorado 7 was designed in Brazil and will be built in Thailand alongside the Colorado utility. Holden played no part in development for the vehicle aimed primarily at growing Middle Eastern markets, and is also not expected to modify the suspension for Australian conditions.Holden claims the Colorado 7’s seating configuration is both flexible and intuitive. The second row split folds 60/40 and the third row of seats, which folds flat when not needed, is capable of accommodating full-size adults.General Motors has taken the unusual step of replacing the ute’s leaf spring rear end with a multilink setup that it says improves on-road handling and ride quality. The Colorado’s offroad credentials are underscored by standard fitment of a low range transfer case and locking differentials on 4WD models.The Colorado 7 will fill a gaping hole in Holden’s SUV portfolio created when the Jackaroo was withdrawn from sale almost a decade ago. Though never hugely successful, the rugged, Isuzu-built Jackaroo was popular with 4WD fans as an alternative to Toyota’s LandCruiser and LandCruiser Prado heavyweights.Holden used the Trailblazer’s world debut in Dubai to confirm an Australian launch in early 2013 badged as the Colorado 7. Although officially a concept car, the Trailblazer concept is said to be “faithful to the production car”. That said, expect the concept’s chrome content to be toned down, and its chunky 20-inch offroad tyres replaced with smaller bitumen-friendly tyres.Australians will get their first look at the Australian Colorado 7, most likely in concept form, at October’s Sydney motor show. Holden believes the Colorado 7 will appeal to Australians for very different reasons than the Captiva 7.“It will have the fuel-efficiency and interior comfort of a modern family SUV with seating for up to seven,” said Holden’s John Elsworth, “along with the towing ability of a working vehicle and the off-road capability of a true 4X4. We’re confident it will have all the bases well and truly covered.”

The tiny Volkswagen Up will set many benchmarks when it gets here in late 2012, and on the surface none of them seem appealing. It will be the smallest Volkswagen sold here, the least powerful new car on the entire market, and the cheapest car from a German brand.But, with an expected price below $15,000, it will put the Volkswagen badge within reach of more buyers on a budget. And for Volkswagen, that's what the Up is all about.Say hello to the little car with big aspirations. The Volkswagen Up is smaller than a Nissan Micra yet more spacious than the bigger Mini Cooper. Its cutesy design and styling will draw attention, but it's the badge that will ultimately seal the deal.Volkswagen believes the Up will appeal primarily to two core groups; young buyers on a budget, and older buyers keen to downsize. So we can expect a sharp entry price to please the former  sub $15,000  and a lengthy list of options to keep the latter in the comfort they desire.The Up 3-door was launched this month in Europe but Australia must wait until late 2012 for its arrival Downunder. Volkswagen says that's because European demand is high; more likely it's because they're waiting for the 5-door due at the end of 2012 which will appeal more to Australians.VALUEIn Europe, the Up starts at E9850 (about $14,000) and comes in three specification levels: Take Up, Move Up and High Up. More cutesy stuff, but it's all about making the Up stand out.Only the most expensive model, the High Up (E12,450, $18,000), gets electric mirrors, air-conditioning and a radio/CD player. All Australian models surely will have a sound system and air-conditioning standard, otherwise the sub-$15k price on the starter model becomes a bad joke.And Volkswagen has confirmed that model won't be called the Up start.Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and satellite navigation are available on European models, and will probably be cost options in Australia, too.So the Up is going to struggle for outright value in a market segment dominated by bigger cars like the Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris. Admittedly only that last one matches the Up's sub-$15k proposition in a three-door. Even against Up-sized cars like the Nissan Micra, Suzuki Alto and Holden Barina Spark, the Up struggles to represent good value, given that their ranges all kick off around $12,990.It all depends on what you're prepared to pay for a Volkswagen badge, and the less-visible inherent value that brings, such as driving pleasure, reliability and resale value. But let's not forget Volkswagen's high servicing costs and the Up's thirst for more expensive premium unleaded. Those last two could be deal-breakers for buyers on a budget.TECHNOLOGYAll Up models are front-wheel drive and come with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine which requires premium unleaded to produce a meagre 44kW, or 55kW in high-tune form, mated to a five-speed manual transmission.An automated version of this transmission will arrive in 2012 which does away with the clutch and the need to change gears, but is unlikely to be as smooth as a true automatic gearbox.Cheap cars are often light-on for headline technology, and the Up's no different. You won't find radar cruise control or lane-keeping systems here, not in a car starting below $15,000. But the options list will have some smart systems, like the city emergency brake feature which hits the anchors if it senses an imminent frontal impact.The Up will also get a stop-start system that cuts the engine when the car is not moving.DESIGNVolkswagen's designers were keen to ensure the Up did not look cheap despite the cheap price, and they succeeded. The Up's design is characterful and visually appealing, though not as overtly so as the more expensive Mini Cooper and Fiat 500. The Up really turned heads during my familiarisation drive on the streets of Rome, a European city which clearly loves small cars.The Up's lines are pleasing, its stance is strong and its big grin is infectious. Five colours will be offered, though I particularly like the Up in white with matching white wheel-covers.The interior continues the clever design theme, using the exterior paint colour to add levity to what could easily have been a Spartan space given the relative dearth of equipment. Gaily-covered seats on the upmarket models also help.SAFETYElectronic stability control and anti-lock brakes will be standard on all Aussie Ups. As for airbags, well here's where Volkswagen Australia faces a significant challenge. The Up's three main rivals offer front and side airbags for front seat occupants and curtain airbags for both rows. The Volkswagen Up only has front and front-side airbags, and has not been engineered to take curtain airbags which are proven injury reducers in side impacts.As for the Up's crash test credentials, one high-placed VW source told CarsGuide the company is not happy with the as-yet unreleased results of the Up's initial testing by EuroNCAP. Word is the Up scored only four stars, the same as its major rivals, but that the standard fitment of a longer bumper (developed for countries outside Europe) would improve pedestrian safety and make the Up a five-star car.Negotiations were ongoing as we went to press.DRIVINGThis Up ain't no downer. Slide into its classy cabin and it's clear this cheerful cheapie wasn't built down to a price. The interior exudes the same quality feel as other Volkswagen cars, partly because much of the switchgear is shared with Polo and Golf.The VW Up is just 3.54m long and 1.48m tall, tiny even by tiny-car standards (the Nissan Micra is 5cm taller and 24cm longer, for example), but it's surprisingly roomy inside. Indeed, the interior was a key focus for Volkswagen's development team. It had to be spacious and classy, two characteristics not usually associated with this end of the market.There's room for adults in the front and back seats, and boot-space is decent. Volkswagen claims 281 litres, which is far beyond the Micra's 221 litres. But that's because the Up carries no spare tyre in Europe, though Volkswagen may choose to offer one locally.There's nothing wrong with the Up's driving position and all-round vision, and the seat is supportive, though some may lament the lack of in-out adjustability for the steering wheel.At idle the 55kW engine is barely audible and barely felt, which is unusual for an inherently unstable three-cylinder configuration. It does need a few revs to move off or the clutch's abrupt take-up will cause it to labour. With just 92Nm of torque on offer, the Up's performance is never scintillating. VW claims 0-100km/h in a sloth-like 13.2 seconds  but it actually feels quicker than that, and the engine can be pushed without it becoming coarse or noisy.The front-drive Up has enough punch to handle city traffic and the five-speed manual transmission is willing and smooth, though gearchanges are necessary to cope with hills and to deliver on any urgent requests for acceleration.The optional five-speed automatic, essentially a robotised version of the manual and not a super-smooth double-clutch DSG as offered on Polo and Golf, was not available to drive at launch.On the move the Up continues to distance itself from its rivals, most noticeably with its quiet cabin, and soft yet stable ride which is compliant over the bumps and delivers a relatively firm stance through corners.Light and quick steering makes the Up effortless to park and nimble in traffic.Dare I say it? The VW Up is an entertaining and engaging little car to drive. It's all very German and very Volkswagen, and that's unique in a sub-$15,000 car.Is that enough to forgo the equipment its rivals offer at the same price? And to suffer Volkswagen's high servicing costs and the premium unleaded sting in the pocket every time you fill up?For some it will be. Because, just like the Polo and Golf, the Up may cost more than its rivals, but it also delivers more of the good life.VERDICTA Volkswagen badge has never been so affordable.VOLKSWAGEN UPPrice: from $14,990 (ets)Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmResale: 68 per cent (est)Service interval: 10,000kmSafety: 4 starsEngine: 1.0-litre, 55kW, 92NmBody: 3-door hatch Weight: 929kgTransmission: 5-sp manual, front-wheel driveThirst: 4.3L/100km, 95 RON, CO2 99g/km.

... to ensure its crucial new baby earns five stars in EuroNCAP crash testing. The Volkswagen Up, which goes on sale in Europe later this month, earned four stars in initial testing by independent safety body EuroNCAP, the results of which are yet to be officially released. Volkswagen says the test result is unfair because the Up’s main rivals were tested prior to the tougher pedestrian regulations which come into force for all 2012 model year cars. To be awarded five-star safety, a 2012 model must now score 60 percent or better on pedestrian safety. Ten vehicles in the Up’s ‘supermini’ class have five stars, including the Audi A1, Citroen DS3 and Suzuki Swift which each failed to achieve a 60 percent pedestrian safety rating. Under the 2012 regulations, none of those cars would be able to claim a five-star safety rating. The Up’s issue, technical project manager Helene Vogel told Carsguide at the global launch in Rome, is to do with the combined length of the front bumper and bonnet. “The European Up’s small bumper and short bonnet means the pedestrian’s head impacts the windscreen, and not the bonnet itself. So there’s no give, no flexibility to cushion the impact. If we were to fit a bigger bumper that the Up will have for other countries, then it would be five stars. The board is discussing this.” Vogel wouldn’t comment on which countries the bumper was originally developed for, or how much global fitment of the bumper would cost Volkswagen. EuroNCAP is due to release the Up’s crash test results on October 26. Australia’s independent crash testing body (ANCAP) adopts EuroNCAP’s ratings where applicable, so the outcome will have ramifications for Australia.

Volkswagen will drop the $16,690 3-door variant of its 2010 CarsGuide Car of the Year winning car to make room for the new baby vehicle in late-2012. The Volkswagen Up, which at 3.54m long is shorter than a Mini yet more spacious inside, will take Volkswagen into the sub-$15,000 price category for the first time in decades. Like the Mini and reborn Fiat 500, the Up is as much about cuteness and visual appeal as substance, but its low price aligns against the three-door Toyota Yaris and undercuts five-door only Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Suzuki Swift. These four account for almost half of all light cars bought by Australians even though there’s a bewildering 23 players in the light car segment. All Ups will be three doors initially, powered by a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine in either 44kW or 55kW tune and rated at 4.2L/100km and 4.5L/100km respectively in Europe. Though small, the engine combines well with a five-speed manual gearbox to endow the 900kg Up with decent urban performance, as Carsguide discovered at the European launch last week on the crowded and chaotic streets of Rome. An automated version of this gearbox will follow in 2013. Despite the Up’s compact dimensions, it has more space inside for occupants and luggage than the Mini Cooper (which is almost half a metre longer). The back seat can take a full-size adult, and the luggage area is surprisingly deep — because there is no spare wheel of any kind. Volkswagen Australia is yet to confirm whether it will include a space tyre locally. Exact pricing and Australian equipment levels are still to be finalised, but CarsGuide expects air-conditioning, remote central locking, and electric windows and mirrors as an absolute minimum. A second, more expensive model may add cruise control, bluetooth connectivity and touchscreen satellite navigation, all of which is available in Europe. All Up models will come with electronic stability control, ABS brakes, front and front-side airbags. The Up three-door has not been engineered for curtain airbags in the front or back seats which have been shown to reduce injury severity in side impacts. Volkswagen has big plans for its smallest car globally. In all, five different bodystyles are mooted, including an SUV and a sporty GT, the latter with 72kW. A compressed natural gas model called the Eco Up has been confirmed for some European markets but, given Australia’s preference for LPG, is unlikely to come here. Of more chance is the e-Up due for European launch in 2013. Its 60kW electric motor is capable of speeds up to 130km/h, and its battery pack good for up to 120km. A diesel engine will not be offered despite the proven popularity of this engine type in other Volkswagen models.

Porsche's evergreen 911 coupe has a lucrative grip on the $200k performance car market, but is now coming under attack from all corners. Jaguar has publicly signalled its intentions with the C-X16 concept shown at Frankfurt, and now Mercedes-Benz's high performance arm AMG has told CarsGuide that it too wants a piece of the sports car action between $200,00 and $300,000. AMG is keen to build further on the success of the SLS Coupe, its first car developed without assistance from Mercedes-Benz since the McLaren SLR. Speaking at the launch of the SLS Roadster in the south of France, Mercedes-AMG board-member Tobias Moers told CarsGuide that AMG sees potential in a sub-SLS performance car to go head-to-head with the Porsche 911. "The SLS works well against the Porsche Turbo. But we do not reach normal 911 Coupe guys. Maybe this presents a good opportunity." Moers said the success of the SLS has given AMG the opportunity to produce a second bespoke model not based on a Mercedes-Benz passenger car, but that discussions were still at an early stage. "It's not a final decision yet, but for sure we see an opportunity there. The job we did with SLS was not too bad. So I think the story will go on." He did say AMG would not seek to mirror the 911's rear-engine setup. "Having a mid-engine or rear-engine car is not of interest to us. Front-mid engine is Mercedes-AMG DNA." Moers also confirmed that an extra-high performance Black Series version of the SLS was in the works, and said AMG briefly considered but rejected placing its second bespoke model above the $464,000 SLS Coupe. "Going above the SLS is difficult. The volume gets smaller and smaller." He also said AMG is working on a version of the new A-class revealed at Frankfurt, but wouldn't be drawn on specifics of the engine beyond conceding that "the future is turbocharged". Will it be front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive? "Wait and see."

It is surreal to be driving through the streets of Monaco, home to the insanely rich and beautiful, its roads swarming with exotic cars… and everybody’s looking at me. Okay, its the SLS Roadster that’s turning heads and dropping jaws, not a slightly jetlagged journalist from Australia.The latest drop-top from the AMG magicians at Mercedes-Benz looks like sin, sounds like a road-going thunderstorm, and will have you grinning like a child locked in an ice-cream shop.It’s pointless applying typical value equations to a $500,000 roadster, because cars like the SLS Roadster will never make financial sense. Equally there’s little point comparing it to convertible versions of the Ferrari 458 Italia, Maserati Gran Turismo or Porsche 911 Turbo. Multi-millionaires buy these cars on emotion and desire more-so than pragmatism, and in that regard the SLS is worth every penny. For the power, the sound, the styling, the exclusivity, the sheer hedonism. No car delivers the ‘theatre’ of a supercar better, and it has the performance to match.If you must crunch the numbers, the SLS Roadster has all the luxuries found on the $464,000 Coupe plus a triple-layered folding soft-top that extends or retracts in 11 seconds at speeds up to 50km/h. And that, says Benz, justifies a $40,000 premium over the SLS Coupe.The Roadster is built on the coupe’s lightweight spaceframe chassis which mounts its 6.2-litre V8 low behind the front axle. New doors and additional chassis members front and rear to restore rigidity lost by removing the hardtop roof account for the 40kg weight increase over the 1620kg Coupe.The SLS’s 420kW V8 is one of the best sounding engines on the road today, a free-breathing technical highlight in a world fast succumbing to the efficiencies offered by turbochargers. And it’s matched by a brilliant seven-speed transmission that can change gears itself, or cede total control to you, though it can be a little slow to respond in manual mode.Despite the extra weight and subtle change in roofline and drag, the Roadster matches the Coupe’s 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds and 317km/h top speed, not that anyone will reach that in Australia, and its 13.2L/100km fuel consumption figure actually betters the Coupe’s by 0.1L/100km.The roof itself is a triple-layered cloth unit which makes the cabin quieter than most soft-tops when up. It retracts in 11 seconds and can do so at speeds up to 50km/h, giving occupants front-row seats at the mechanical symphony of the decade. Mercedes-Benz says the Roadster and Coupe were designed together from the start, which is why boot space remains relatively unchanged (173litres for the Roadster, 176 for the Coupe) despite stowing a folding roof between boot and occupants.One interesting technology point introduced with the Roadster, and now available on the Coupe, is a race-style telemetry system which can record lap-times and display real-time G-forces and pedal pressure, among other things. The AMG Performance system comes pre-loaded with many of the world’s most famous race tracks so owners can record their laps for later analysis. The system, which is an extra-cost option on Coupe and Roadster, is fundamentally similar to that fitted standard to HSV models, though Benz’s execution and graphics are superior.Some convertibles based on coupes look ungainly or ill-proportioned. Not the SLS Roadster. Roof up or roof down, it looks natural, cohesive and oh so sexy. The SLS Roadster’s sleek silhouette builds on the Coupe’s head-turning road presence, looking not unlike those sleek speedboats of the 50s and 60s most often seen on the emerald waters of the mediterranean.This is not a car for shrinking violets or conservative types. This is a 1950s roadster with modern muscle and rippling road presence. The interior strikes a beautiful balance between luxury and the overt sportiness of the exterior. It’s the perfect place from which to shred a mountain pass or cruise an sea-side boulevard.Don’t hold your breath for independent crash testing of the SLS in either coupe or roadster form. No independent lab would buy one when the same money would crash test a dozen popular models. Mercedes-Benz says internal testing confirms the SLS’s five-star safety rating, so we’ll have to take their word for it.Crash avoidance plays a big part in the SLS Roadster’s armoury. It has all the major electronic assistance systems, such as ESC and Brake Assist. The windscreen header rail is stronger and there’s a fixed roll-over protection system built into the seats to protect occupants if the car flips during a crash.The SLS Roadster may cost close to half a million dollars, but it’s a surefire way to unleash the child inside you. Just sliding deep into its sports seats and thumbing the starter button gets me giggling like I did watching saturday morning cartoons before the parents got up. Every city laneway flanked by tall buildings is a chance to blip the throttle and hear that thundering, crackling engine come bouncing back into your ears. Every tunnel means dropping the roof and revving the engine so it can deafen me like the speaker stack at an AC/DC concert.In fact, you’ll seldom have the roof up — or the radio on — because the SLS’s sonorous voice is heaven to a rev-head’s ears. Screaming as it accelerates, popping and crackling like a rally car as it slows, and when the super-smart 7-speed transmission changes gears you’d swear 12-foot flames just toasted the car behind.Even better, you can do all this without exceeding the speed limit. But, should a race track be available, the SLS’s stratospheric performance will have you laughing maniacally, and not a little fearfully, as it charges the horizon like an enraged bull elephant. Make no mistake, this is not a superficial supercar, it has the ballistic ability to match its muscular looks.Perhaps the biggest trick AMG pulled with the SLS — both Coupe and Roadster — is how incredibly nimble and responsive they are. Both combine stability and poise with rapid response of a big cat on the prowl. The SLS is far more than just a boulevarde bruiser; it is a true supercar. And the ability to drop the roof takes it one adrenaline-pumping step further.