One follow up. When I wrote the initial post, it had been wet and icy for a couple of weeks. Now we've had some drier days (even though still cold) with more grip, I have managed to test the acceleration and handling a bit more on the country lanes around me.
In 'D' it's not bad, peppy, but changes up too early just to save fuel. In 'S' it's much more sporty, but tends to hold onto gears for a bit too long, makes it sound like you're a boy racer in a residential area. So if you wanted a fully auto mode, something in between 'D' and 'S' would be perfect. I actually found the same in the C63. 'S+' was perfect for spirited driving, but never used the higher gears so you would have to change out of it on faster roads/highway.
So I've started just using the paddles to change manually, which to be honest works a treat. The paddles are smaller than the AMG ones, and pretty much hidden behind the wheel, but actually feel nicer to shift. This mode is perfect. The engine and gearbox work really well together, and the exhaust note isn't too bad at all. So another thing that has exceeded my expectations now that I've had a chance to throw it around a bit.
Also, I'm not sure if I'm imagining it, but I'm sure the headlights turn with the curve... No I haven't read the spec/manual yet, too much to do!
