Off the Beaten Track

What better way to make the most of a crisp autumn day than by taking an impromptu road trip?

It's mid-morning when I jump in my Mercedes-Benz C 300 Coupe. I have no fixed destination in mind other than Auckland's wild west coast. It seems a shame not to put  the car's sportiness to the test on the rugged, bush-lined roads to Titirangi, Karekare and Huia.

Instinctively, I find myself tracing the letters P-I-H-A on to the Coupe’s intuitive control pad — the onboard navigation system is now locked and loaded for my favourite beach.

But there’s a way to go yet. As the city traffic slows to a standstill, I feel the need to slick on some bright red lipstick. Heads turn at the lights, but it’s not me they’re sizing up. I don’t blame them either. I’m behind the wheel of one sexy two-door — with its stylish cranberry-red interior, elegant, ergonomic controls and skylight opened to the sunny weather, all I’m missing is a Hollywood headscarf to keep my wind-swept hair in check.

I breeze off the north-western at Henderson, the residential, tree-lined roads easing me into a relaxed frame of mind — where I’m headed, there shouldn’t be much traffic at all.

By now I’ve become accustomed to the Coupe’s stylish features; the handy wing mirrors that light up if another car is in the next lane, the Google-Glasses-like “virtual image projection” that keeps my direction and speed in my line of sight, the rock’n’roll sound system that I’m now synced to with Bluetooth. With my Spotify up and running, it’s not long before David Bowie is booming out of the speakers.

As the roads grow narrower and increasingly snaky, I’m reminded why this is such a superior sports car — the Coupe handles each bend so effortlessly, I feel like Greg Murphy.

A tiny flick of a dial into sports mode traction control and I can feel the entire car grip the asphalt like a spider running up a wall. With just the gentlest push of the pedal, it’s as though the full force of its 4-cylinder, direct-injection turbocharged horsepower has  sprung to life beneath my feet. It’s an exhilarating feeling as the wheels glide deftly around each tight corner,  and I thread my way through a corridor of ferns, palm trees and rimu.

Suddenly the road opens out and I’m aware that I’m virtually alone. For the first time, I dim the music to really appreciate the big cat purr of the 7G-Tronic Plus transmission. Accelerating in the C 300 is like taking off in a 737 — I instinctively find myself leaning into the turns. As I pass the turn-off leading to Karekare to my left, I catch a glimpse of roaring whitewash pounding the coast. Then, there’s nothing ahead of me but the ocean.

The drive into Piha has to be one of the most impressive in New Zealand. Sheer cliffs make way to dazzling sea, as native bush and toi toi flank the road all the way to the beach. I pull up just shy of Lion Rock and look out to the hazy surf, before getting out to stretch my legs on the glistening black sand.

I can’t help but take a flirty glance back at my ride as I kick off my shoes, roll up my pants and breathe in the salty air. Walking through the shallows, it’s hard to believe that less than an hour ago I was winding my way through thick Auckland traffic; now there’s not a soul in my way, just miles of sand and foaming water. This is freedom. And it’s making me hungry.

After a  five-minute blat up the hill to the Piha Café, I have lunch overlooking that evocative coastal view. I’m interrupted from my reverie by a couple of customers making besotted comments about the “gorgeous Merc” in the carpark. Next thing I’m back on that narrow road, climbing in seconds to the lofty lookout point before heading back towards the city.

But it wouldn’t be a real road trip without a little spontaneity, of course. At the decision point between West Coast Road and Scenic Drive, I make a last-minute diversion towards Titirangi, the C 300 peeling effortlessly through the winding roads.

Just when it seems the bush won’t ever end, it opens out into Titirangi township, the perfect excuse to pull over for a break.

After a wander around the world-class Te Uru art gallery, and a coffee at the Deco café next door, it’s back into city mode, this time moving from sports mode into ‘comfort’.

As I hit the motorway into the city — the coastal road in my rear view — a quick flick and I’m in distronic cruise control. The car is able to tell me exactly how far I’m travelling from the car in front, while keeping me at a constant speed. Even parking’s a breeze, my usual handbrake  manoeuvre down my steep, winding driveway no trouble at all, thanks to the car’s sophisticated imaging function, which not only paves the way ahead, but beeps if it deems me a little too close  to the sides. It’s been a glorious day on the road: exhilarating, freeing, and a wonderful reminder that we’re just a few minutes from world-class beauty if we  dare to venture out of the city. In utmost style.

For more information, contact an authorised Mercedes-Benz dealership today or visit www.mercedes-benz.co.nz/coupe

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