MERCEDESAMG CLE 53

With some late-winter sun forecast, we had to find a way to go topless

- MARK TISSHAW

Convertibles are an increasingly rare breed in new car showrooms. The era of a convertible version of almost everything (Nissan Micra, Peugeot 206, Vauxhall Astra...) is thankfully long behind us, giving the drop-tops that remain more of a special feel and sense of occasion that this breed of car deserves. And proper soft-tops at that, as the retractable hard top thankfully seems to have largely been consigned to history too.

Even premium car makers like Mercedes have cut their convertible ranges. There's only the CLE Cabriolet and SL Roadster if you want a soft-top Merc, and given the supercar brief of the latter, if you want a more traditional Mercedes convertible, the CLE is all there is.