THE gods were certainly looking down on me with favour when it was time to try out Mercedes' mighty two-seater, the SL 350 AMG Sport.

For once I was behind the wheel of a stunning convertible with weather that screamed roof-down driving.

The car epitomises sports car driving at its finest. It's jaw-droppingly good looking, is packed to the rafters with luxurious refinements and state-of-the-art technology and the performance is blisteringly fast.

In fact, it would be fair to say that it is one of the best all-round two-seater packages on the market today - even if it does cost more than my first house with an £88,000 price-tag.

But there's no denying the striking appeal of the SL 350 that is likely to stop onlookers in their tracks thanks to its 19-inch alloys, muscular AMG styling features, sweeping light clusters with LED daytime running lights, green tinted glass windows and sporty twin tailpipes that release a roar reminiscent of the Serengeti.

The interior is equally impressive. Mercedes has incorporated the very finest materials to create a sophisticated, elegant and very feature-rich cabin environment with all the techno treats you could dream of.

For instance, the electrically adjustable seats have memory settings and offer a massage function. There is neck-level heating from the headrest to make open-top driving more comfortable.

The 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with DAB radio delivers pitch perfect sound quality and other features include Bluetooth connectivity, luxury automatic climate control, heated or cooled seats and an easy-to-use sat nav system.

Most of the car's functions are controlled by a central controller dial which is very simple to operate and means you can concentrate on the road ahead rather than searching for fiddly buttons.

And when it comes to the car's performance, it's certainly not for the faint-hearted. The acceleration is incredibly fast - 0-62mph takes just 5.9 seconds and the top speed is an electronically limited 155mph.

But it's the manner in which the SL 350 achieves such impressive performance stats that really impresses. The car seems to glide across the Tarmac absorbing all the bumps and dips along the way.

There is an Eco mode to help conserve fuel or for the more adventurous Comfort and Sport driving modes.

The seven-speed automatic gearbox is beautifully smooth and there are steering wheel-mounted paddles if you fancy taking control of gear changes manually.

The road holding is sublime and even the tightest of bends can be attacked with confidence. And when the sun puts in an appearance, the roof is lowered and folded away in a matter of seconds.

The only real downside is the small boot capacity of 504 litres with the roof closed which is reduced to 364 with the roof open.

But that's a very small inconvenience in an otherwise faultless model.

And as one would expect, the SL 350 AMG Sport boasts a comprehensive range of top notch safety features, including active blind spot assist, active lane-keeping assist, Distronic Plus to keep a safe distance from the car in front, attention assist which monitors the driver for tiredness, numerous airbags, a roll-over bar with crash sensor and plenty more besides.

All in all, the SL 350 is a beautiful blend of power, driving dynamics, luxury and technology all rolled into one very neat package.