There is nothing better in life than......

[HiHoSilver SLK]

There is nothing better in life than....

Easing out of bed at ten to eight on a Sunday morning.
With sleep fogged eyes, see that it's not raining. Which is good.
Check that the roads are dry, Which is better than good.

Wash the face, no shaving, remember, it's Sunday.
Slip into slouchy clothes and easy shoes.
Pull on and zip up a jacket, raise the collar, pocket a fiver and pick up the car keys.
Leave the house.

Now comes the good bit.

Get into the car, insert ignition key and start her up.
Left hand; depress roof lowering switch and hold for thirty seconds.
Right hand; select and insert Led Zepplin CD, flick on to "Rock and Roll" and turn it up.
Roof down, reverse out of drive, turn up the volume further, push selector into D and depress right foot.

Empty dry road ahead, seven minutes drive to the shop.
Swing out at the junction.
Take the roundabout with verve and head south.
Get a great line on the curves, carve the bends and slingshot out the other side.
Surge up the slopes, accelerate, brake, steer in, accellerate out.
Wind flailing hair in cold air; get a lungfull of it - nobodies stinking derv fume filled filth this morning.

The last 1 mile, dead straight, feel the power and how fast is it safe to go?

Ease right down 200 metres out from the shop - that's the speed camara.
Swing into the carpark.
They've only just opened, park by the door, leave the roof down & saunter in.

Through the door and revel in the aroma of fresh baking bread.
"Good Morning, Sunday Times, two coissants, two pain-aux-chocolat please"
I feel so good that even the dozy teenager at the till looks OK.

Warm bag of breakfast and fresh newsprint on the passenger seat.
Nose out of the carpark, turn left for home.
Flick CD on to "Whole Lotta Love" a passing pang of sorrow for people in that bungalow - they get this every Sunday morning.
Overcome feelings of regret; ease up past 40 MPH at the speed camara,

Now then, the 1 mile straight again, opposite direction.
I love that very slow, very gradually applied acceleration where you, so very slowly, ease the foot down and the speed just keep gathering, you keep pressing and it keeps pushing.
Faster and fast - no, that's enough.
Swoosh past another car.
Line up for the first bend, cut the line pefectly, then swing right into the next one.
And onto the next.
Settle back as the 'burbs loom, cruise the last little bit.
Burble along nice and relaxed.

Pull onto the drive, turn down the music, hummmm goes the roof back up.

Indoors.
"Warm breakfast Darling and here's are the papers"

Took less than twenty minutes.
Earned loads of brownie points and it's a great way to start the day.
I love it.

There is nothing better in life.

Do you have a Mercedes Moment?

 

[st4]

I like going out in the car like you say on Sunday (okay its a diesel and not a convertible) but its for a lot longer, and in quiet roads in scotland :mrgreen: Winding my way up Glen Coe is a favourite, and then deciding where to go from there.

 

[True romance]

Well i've never fetched or read the sunday papers in my life.......however I have just got a SLK so after reading your post I may well start reading more on Sundays

 

[alan782]

Thats good but you should try it on a Kawasaki ZX6R at least once its grrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!

 

[HiHoSilver SLK]

Motorbikes??!
Don't you start.
The Lady of the Passenger Seat & Son are into motorbikes - and, I'm not even going to reprise the arguments here.

When it comes to 'bikes please consult Clarkson.

 

[charlfourie]

This was yesterday morning...

Wake up way before the sun is up, around 4am. Have a quick dip in the pool, nice hot shower, and put on some comfy light clothes.

Make a flask of coffee, grab the car keys, and fire her up. Gently ease into the road, and open the front windows, turn the fan down, and put on some nice relaxing jazz.

The birds will be up soon with some soft singing.

You smell the air, it's damp from the night, and fresh waiting for the new day. Drive down the crescent to the stop street, check for cars, and open her up down the road. Calmly but with pace head down the back roads, turning into the bends, and powering out. Stop off at a friend off from work that day at around 4:30, they hop in with you.

Now the drive starts... about 50min to the perfect lookout point, facing east over the ocean. Nice twisty, and scenic drive. Mountains, and damp air everywhere.

Get to the lookout, open the doors, pour the coffee... and wait for the sunrise.

Not much can beat that feeling.

 

[dave.robbo]

Not much can beat that feeling.

How about a few extra hours in bed?!?!?

 

[charlfourie]

How about a few extra hours in bed?!?!?

Not when you're single mate. hehe

 

[Seeker_UK]

Do you have a Mercedes Moment?

Something like the one you described but with a proper soundtrack

 

[Cnics]

I just struggle getting my right hand to the radio.

 

[charlfourie]

Must admit, using my right hand to work the radio will also be quite a stretch.

 

[sailorP]

Morning drives in the SLK

That post perfectly encapsulates the joy of owning a toy that you drive just for fun. (I'm not intending to boast about being able to afford a toy...I don't own another car, because I don't have to drive to work, so I don't have to have a car suitable for a business purpose or commuting). For me driving is an elective activity, associated with pleasure alone.
And what pleasure, the blend of driver and machine in harmony....driving for performance and optimum lines through corners, or just cruising and going with the flow> Even practising for the Advanced Driving Test is fun too (different line through corners, no music because you're concentrating on the commentary you're giving, and a much slower drive all round).
The music, the weather, the open top and the view all contribute to it.
We all love it, that's why we're car nuts, and that's why we post on these forums. You wouldn't catch my wife posting like this, cos to her the car is a tool, and there is no emotional stake involved.
It's my pleasure, and I don't car if everyone thinks I've had a mid-life crisis and bought myself a sports car...who cares? Long may it last.

 

[stumpy]

That post perfectly encapsulates the joy of owning a toy that you drive just for fun. (I'm not intending to boast about being able to afford a toy...I don't own another car, because I don't have to drive to work, so I don't have to have a car suitable for a business purpose or commuting). For me driving is an elective activity, associated with pleasure alone.
And what pleasure, the blend of driver and machine in harmony....driving for performance and optimum lines through corners, or just cruising and going with the flow> Even practising for the Advanced Driving Test is fun too (different line through corners, no music because you're concentrating on the commentary you're giving, and a much slower drive all round).
The music, the weather, the open top and the view all contribute to it.
We all love it, that's why we're car nuts, and that's why we post on these forums. You wouldn't catch my wife posting like this, cos to her the car is a tool, and there is no emotional stake involved.
It's my pleasure, and I don't car if everyone thinks I've had a mid-life crisis and bought myself a sports car...who cares? Long may it last.

My other half is a car nut and loves to simply go for a drive in one of the toys. She wants to go on the back of the bike too but it is not really suitable for that.

 

[HiHoSilver SLK]

Crikey Mr. Charlfourie, the warm air of South Africa sure sounds attractive.

Although I have to say, one of the most enjoyable of these early Sunday jaunts was a few weeks back in the depths of the winter when we'd had a very hard overnight frost.

I had to go as the roads were dry, rare in winter here, so I had to carpe diem, so to speak.

The temperature outside read minus four degrees which was stimulating - I actually switched on the heated seat.
But, timed to perfestion, the sun was rising as a baleful red ball, peering in through the passenger window.
The fields were white with frost and cloaked in patches of ground mist.
It was beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

When I got home and put the roof back up it was still ice-white, rimed with frost. Which I was pleased about as no-one wants a wet boot, Eh?

Sadly I won't be enjoying this drive in the balmy summer weather as the road in question leads down to West Wittering and one of the most popular beaches in England. It wouldn't be the same sharing the road with half the population of London as the blighters stream down to the sea-side.

 

[charlfourie]

Last night I took a nice long drive past Stellenbosch, and at around 11:30 I found a fellow Mercedes owner enjoying the open roads. Was a CLK Black Edition. Really something to be behold. We met up again at a 24h garage and had a chat.

Really an extraordinary car!

Was great just meeting up with someone who loves being in a car and driving for the fun of driving.

We are quite spoilt here, it's only a 20min drive to the wine lands, 20min to the beach, 20min to the mountains, 30min to the forests, so we are located very centrally.

My application is in for the South African Merc Club, so I can't wait to join them out on their weekend runs.

 

[meanie]

Back in the days when I was still at the stealer it was 190 2.3/2.5 16's.
No music,just that lovely bag o'nails under the bonnet.
Always road tested on one particular bit of road-up hill,down hill,fast sweepers,tight s bends,off camber corners & the occasional tractor!
I know I should be embarrassed,but even now I can still remember how blo#dy good it was,& to be fair,even without a service they ran so much better for 10mins of hard use!