11/06/2008 22:18. The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class has faded from fickle fashion a little in recent years: the footballers and their wives have preferred to splash their cash on flash Aston Martins, Bentleys, Maseratis, Lamborghinis and Ferraris, not to mention huge SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne and the near default-option Range Rover Sport .

This two-seat roadster is no less an ultimate aspiration than it has been in the past, however; it remains the blue-chip luxury sports car, bought by top-ranking professionals, more conservative City types and senior merchant bankers, or so we're told.

Often, it's an everyday road car for those who have a vintage Bugatti or similar in the garage, or a second car in an S-Class saloon-owning partnership. As indeed you'd expect - with... // Channel 4 News