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Did you know that all French people are rude and every Portuguese owns a corner café? Germans have no sense of humour, Americans are fat and all domestic workers steal sugar, right? None of these stigmas are true, of course, and neither is this one: Mercs are for old people.
This year’s South African Car of the Year competition had one outright winner, a few middle men and an undisputed loser. Racking up the least amount of points ever was the Mercedes-Benz SLK350, a luxury plaything that looked lost among a sea of affordability and puzzled many by even making the finals.
After a tad of insomnia and some Google-assisted self diagnosis, it turns out that I have a severe case of withdrawal symptoms. Dilated pupils, dry mouth, extended forearms with clenched fists, restlessness and thundering big block noises in my ears lead me to believe that I yearn for more sixty-three ah emm gee.
The most successful Mercedes-Benz model has long been the C-Class so it was obvious that the Stuttgart brigade would capitalise on its fame. After estate versions, they’ve produced two coupés over the years but, in my humble opinion, this third generation is the first winner.
Prepare to meet the definition of the words legend, antique and expensive. I haven’t been so excited about a test car in months and it’s been equally long since I witnessed such diverse and lively reactions to a vehicle, in this case a Mercedes-Benz G350 BlueTEC.
Seasoned readers will know what’s coming – yup, another confession. The first car I ever owned and the car I owned the longest, was a C-Class. When I despondently handed over the keys last year it had covered 233,000km and was still as tight as a drum.
Pass the caviar and that black credit card; I’m still high from driving a car so superior and luxurious that only real Beluga and serious retail therapy will cure my withdrawal symptoms. The Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG is near the top of Merc’s price list and makes damn sure you (and others) know about it.
Business tycoons, rock stars and lottery winners may want to pay attention today. Mercedes-Benz has just freshened up their flagship CL coupés and flew us to Gauteng for the launch which coincided with the brand’s (and indeed, the motor car’s) 125th anniversary.
Having recently had the pleasure of testing the big Range Rover Vogue, I am severely pleased that I don’t possess the bank balance to afford such a car. Yet. With the 2010 Range Rover Sport Supercharged taking up most of my driveway, I’m glad I don’t have to choose between the two.