IT’S all subjective of course, but to me a car with a matt black finish just doesn’t work. It looks as if it’s been sent from the factory in its undercoat.
And enthusiastic as I was before the Mercedes SL 350 arrived, when I saw it, it really – if you’ll pardon the pun – took the shine off it.
To be fair my reaction to the Night Edition version of this super car was not shared by everyone. Opinions seemed to be evenly divided.
Some friends thought it made a statement by daring to be different while others, like me, just thought the car had escaped from the paint shop after the gloss had run out.
And like a lot of things today daring to be different is expensive. It’s a case of less is more, as this paint job will cost you an extra £3,636.
It doesn’t stop there. You can’t use car shampoo that contains wax, you can’t take the car into an automatic car wash – and you can’t have the pleasure of polishing it on your drive on Sunday afternoons when the neighbours are around.
The other worrying thing is safety. I have never known a car “blend into the road” like this one, making it more difficult on dull, overcast days for motorists at junctions to notice it. So much so that I left the headlights permanently switched on while driving it.
Colour apart, however. the SL350 is a car you can’t fail to enjoy.
With its low stance, super long bonnet and side vents which remind you of earlier classic versions of the SL it’s a superb luxury sports car.
When you sit in it everything just feels right as the car seems to wrap around you. The dashboard morphs beautifully into the centre console which in turn wraps around the driver and front seat passenger.
The Night Edition features black Nappa leather seats with silver saddle stitching. The same covering is used on the dashboard, making it one of the most impressive interiors of any sports car.
The 3.5-litre V6 kicks out some 315bhp and so offers plenty of punch, although the acceleration didn’t feel as lively as I would have expected. The engine is mated to a super smooth seven-speed automatic gearbox but you can also use it manually with the paddles behind the steering wheel.
The beauty of the SL, however, is that it looks just as impressive with the roof up or down, and it takes just seconds to go from one to the other.
Standard equipment includes a wind deflector and with it in place the SL is one of the best there is for being able to enjoy open top motoring without ending up with a Ken Dodd hairstyle.
You sit low in the car and are well protected by side windows too so any breeze barely catches the top of your head.
But just in case you do get chilly the headrests contain the famous Mercedes-Benz “headscarf” – small fans in the head restraints which pump warm air out onto the back of the occupants neck, so you can even take the roof down in winter.
There are two tiny seats in the rear and they do come with seatbelts and so can be used for children. Beneath these seats are two useful storage boxes and smaller items can be contained in opening door compartments.
The SL also comes with a sensibly sized boot so there is no problem when it comes to holiday luggage or golf clubs.
As long as you have the key in your pocket the doors can be locked and unlocked just by touching them and a button in the top of the gear shift starts and stops the engine.
On the open road there is little to touch this car for elegance and it’s pretty sharp when it comes to handling too, as you would expect from a car with SL on the badge.
In fact the SL350’s got everything going for it - but not for me when it's in matt black.
FAST FACTS
Mercedes-Benz SL350 Night Edition
Price: £70,405
Mechanical: 315bhp, 3,498cc, 6cyl petrol engine driving the rear wheels via 7-speed automatic gearbox
Max speed: 155mph
0-62mph: 6.2 seconds
Combined mpg: 29.1
Insurance group: 20
CO2 emissions: 226g/km
BIK rating: 30%
Warranty: 3yrs/ unlimited mileage