CLE 53 Cabriolet

Between Palau and Porto Pollo the road runs at the water's edge, with the La Maddalena archipelago changing colour at every bend — exactly the kind of route that would lose half its meaning under a closed roof. The CLE 53 Cabriolet was made for moments like these: the scent of myrtle and helichrysum drifting into the cabin, the low evening light raking across the bay of Cannigione, the slow run home to Baja Sardinia.

Unlike most open-tops, this one carries four people — genuinely. Two friends or the children in the back, luggage on board, and a day by the sea becomes a shared experience. It is one of the reasons it sits among the flagship models of our convertible rental in Sardinia; if you are still undecided, our guide to the perfect convertibles for the Sardinian coast weighs up the alternatives.

The 3.0-litre straight-six is AMG's most elegant voice: a full, silken timbre that never turns aggressive, backed by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that fills every hesitation of the turbo with an instant electric shove. The 449 hp arrive with a fluid build, and the nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT stitches the gears together without a single jolt — perfect for the unhurried rhythm of coastal driving.

When the road empties, a twist of the selector into Sport+ changes the CLE's character: a sharper throttle, a more present exhaust, and 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive putting everything to the ground without drama. The 4.4-second 0–100 km/h figure tells only part of the story; the real pleasure is the ease with which this cabriolet moves between glamour and substance in the same day.

This is the CLE 53 Cabriolet's defining trait: it is the open-top AMG conceived for those who do not travel alone. The fabric roof opens in seconds, even on the move at low speed, while AIRCAP calms the turbulence in the cabin and AIRSCARF wraps your neck in warm air — so you drive roof-down even on May evenings or in late September, when the coast falls quiet and the roads empty out.

For an aperitif in the piazzetta or dinner at the old harbour, delivery in Porto Cervo remains our guests' most frequent request. From there, every direction is the right one: the loop of bays towards Capriccioli, the scenic road to Cala di Volpe, or north towards Santa Teresa Gallura with the mistral at your back.