Even the base SL350 is a lovely thing. With 272bhp from its 3.5-litre V6 it has a 0-62 time of 6.6 seconds. With 517bhp, the 5.5-litre V8 engine in the SL600 accelerates from zero to 62mph in 4.6 seconds. But it's not the one with the headlines. At the top of the range is the 65 AMG and its V12 biturbo engine. With 612bhp, it accelerates this tin-top roadster from zero to 62mph in just 4.2 seconds, yet despite these huge figures this Mercedes SL is as easy to drive as its smaller sisters.

The SL rides and handles superbly for such a big car, ironing out all the superfluous information. It won't provide the dynamic transparency of a light, little car, but this is the one you're most likely to drive to the south of France in one go and still get out of with a smile.

There's that metal convertible roof to think of here because a perfectly respectable 235-litre boot gets eaten by the lid when it's folded down. Inside it's first-class accommodation for two, though drivers over six feet may struggle slightly with the low windscreen header rail. Much better to drop the top, just pack a toothbrush and forget the rest.

Despite Jeremy Clarkson's protestations to the contrary (he owned one of the very first SL55 AMGs), the SL feels like it's likely to outlast even Jeremy's career. The roof performs a kind of electrical origami-ballet to stow itself neatly into the boot space and does so quickly and without fuss. Panel gaps are pin-sharp and the materials and plastics are all pretty good. There's also an overriding sense of good old-fashioned heft to the SL. But (and it's a big but) it still finished 132nd in TG's 2006 survey.

A tough body and enough airbags to warrant an appearance on Page 3 means the SL gets a maximum five-star safety rating from EuroNCAP. As well as decent body-deformation and crash structures, the SL also features a pop-up rollover hoop that slams into place the millisecond it senses the car might be about to roll. Traction/stability control are standard.

An SL is anything but a budget prospect right from the outset. Group 20 insurance and the toughest taxation possible mean that getting into this big Merc might be a bit of a stretch - BUT they are incredibly satisfying pieces of engineering. The SL has become something of a legend already - carrying on from a line of cars that already had a huge reputation - no problems here.

Any car struggles to justify a £100k+ pricetag, no matter its performance, so the SL is best sampled with the 3.5-litre V8 and 'SL350' on the bootlid. It's not cheap at £64,000, but provides as much performance as you're ever likely to need without requiring a new set of tyres every 4,000 miles - as drivers of the SL600 are likely to. Still, de-restricted, a 200mph roadster you can use everyday is hard to find so if you've got £150,000 to spare, buy the AMG anyway.

Its reputation for being the best big roadster on the market is well deserved - the Mercedes SL is an urban legend already. Drive it to work, go on holiday with it, look good behind the wheel in it or simply cruise down the autobahn at 200mph. The SL does it all.