SLC 180

STORY

The SLC name was revived in 2016 for the facelifted third-generation R172 roadster, previously sold as the SLK, aligning the compact two-seater with Mercedes' updated nomenclature (the C denoting C-Class dimensions). It retained the signature Vario-Roof folding steel hardtop that had defined the SLK since 1996, but gained revised styling with LED lighting, a new nine-speed automatic on upper models, and updated interiors. The range spanned the four-cylinder SLC 180 and 200 through the six-cylinder SLC 300 to the flagship AMG SLC 43, whose 3.0-litre biturbo V6 replaced the earlier V8 SLK 55 AMG. Compact, comfortable and boulevard-oriented rather than track-focused, it competed with the BMW Z4 and Audi TT. Production ended in 2020 with a commemorative Final Edition, closing out a 24-year SLK/SLC roadster lineage that Mercedes has not directly replaced.