S-club heaven
THE M25 London Orbital Motorway isn’t synonymous with a relaxed and enjoyable drive but, if any car can make it so, the S-class Cabriolet is that car. The sun was shining and Mrs H and I had found the controls for the massaging seats and the guided cruise control so, bar the occasional nudge on the steering wheel, both of us could simply sit back and relax as the S560 eased our way down to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
As we left the motorway for some Surrey B-roads, we took the opportunity to lower the roof: the flick of a switch turned this vast and silent coupé into a mobile sun-deck. Even better, dialling up from Eco mode to Sport+ woke the beast that had purred along half-asleep with the rest of us. Suddenly the 463bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 was snarling like a pack of huskies and the twotonne-plus mass was as nothing. The ride remained refined, the acceleration effortless yet thrilling, even the steering felt responsive – a quarter-turn will see you through most bends – and if it lacks feedback, well, hey, this is a soft-top luxury car, not a sports car.
The S560 badging brings to mind the big-block SEC of the mid-1980s, and if thus numbering a 4.0-litre is slightly disingenuous, the intent behind it is valid. This is Mercedes Benz’s big luxury car for the sunworshipper, the kind of thing it routinely offered in the era of coachbuilding and that reached its zenith with the 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet of 1969-71. But there were no S-class convertibles between then and this one, which arrived in 2014 and was revised (new engines, electronics, bits of cosmetic titivation) for 2018. Seems such an obvious car for Mercedes-Benz to offer, and it’s an absolute belter. With a few choice options as here, a £135,000 belter.
Mercedes would be looking after us during the Festival, too, and on arrival at the rendezvous point we were guided aboard a G-class to make our way into the event via a VIP off-road route – which can save two hours of queuing. The route goes via green lanes and woodland straight into the action: the company’s pavilion looks across onto the first right-hander, just a couple of hundred yards up from the startline of this glamorous hillclimb. In fact it was just as much fun staying in as going out, as we got to meet Jochen Mass and F1 reserve driver Esteban Ocon. Great weather, great action, a great day full stop.
As it came to an end, we headed back in the new AMG G63 and were shown a few party tricks: the air suspension was incredible, gliding over the terrain like a hydrofoil. With grins still etched onto our faces, we hopped back into the S560, roof-down to enjoy the last of the sun. Crowds had gathered in the nearby villages to see the variety of cars leaving Goodwood, and their heads turned with us.
The sun went down as we hit the motorway, so we raised the lid and sunk back into those amazing seats for a comfortable and effortless last leg. Even including the M25.