IN THIS FEATURE 'Drive It Like You Stole It' High-fashion high-flyer Roadster SRT-6 driven

There's a good chassis feel from the back end - better than I remember from the old SLK by some way. You know how hard it's working. But the front wheels are still only distantly related to your brain. Oh, the helm is accurate enough once on lock, but transmits no feel. It's an improvement on, but basically typical of, the old-style Merc recirculating-ball steering boxes. Anyway, you'll be going like mad to upset the SRT-6. It has masses of grip at both ends, even when the going gets bumpy. Body control and high-frequency damping are very nicely judged. And through it all, the ride never gets worse than firm.

I drove the roadster variant, which is only slightly heavier then the coupe. Roof down it's a sweet-looking cruiser, and roof up there's an increase in body rigidity that might be handy when the road is really washboarded. It's decently quiet roof-up but when the top is folded it gets a bit windy beyond 80-odd mph as there's no wind-blocker. But then those things do look a bit dopey. In the cabin, the Chrysler bits - trim, instruments, upper dash - are fine, but the Merc bits - console, heater controls and vents - look and feel very old now. Tall people might find it a bit snug in here too, but the hood doesn't restrict your vision as much as much as it does in an Audi TT.

Big alloys and wide rubber give huge grip through bends

Chrysler UK hasn't yet had firm confirmation of a right-handed version, but if it does we should see the car early next year. The company knows it'll have to keep the price well below £40,000 if it isn't to rub up against autoboxed versions of the new SLK350 and Porsche Boxster S. They're slightly slower, but better cars all-round. Still, as a cruiser with bags of overtaking power and charismatic style, the SRT-6 would make sense. It just isn't quite a sports car.