Arguably the most diverse offering of pleasure rides, we took Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s Dream Cars Collection to The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat for an unforgettable drive.
Rolling on the momentum of yet another sales record-breaking year, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia recently presented its Dream Cars Collection 2017, billed as the most exciting and extensive range of luxury wheels in the country.
“The Dream Cars are the brand shapers of Mercedes-Benz cars. They combine power and performance, as well as the most expressive and desirable designs in the market today,” said Mercedes-Benz Malaysia vice president (sales and marketing – passenger cars) Mark Raine.
Mercedes-Benz C 300 Cabriolet.
These include the C-Class coupe and cabriolet (three variants in each line-up with prices ranging from RM308,888 to RM443,888), as well as the SLC 200 and SLC 300 roadsters priced at RM398,888 and RM468,888 respectively.
They are all powered by 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engines in different states of tune, with power outputs ranging from 184hp to 245hp, and torque from 300Nm to 370Nm.
Of course, the crème de la crème here are the Mercedes-AMG wheels with fire in their hearts, namely the C 63 S Coupe (priced at RM795,888 for Edition 1), the GT S (priced at RM1,125,888) and the S 63 Coupe (priced at RM1,493,888).
Both the C 63 S coupe and GT S are powered by a AMG 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine rated at 510hp, tuned by the AMG in-house development from Affalterbach.
Mercedes-AMG C 63 S coupe.
Selected members of the media were fortunate enough to sample some of the delights the Dream Cars Collection 2017 had to offer, in a day-long drive from Desa ParkCity, Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh organised by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
The trip to Ipoh started with a 200km and three-hour drive on a twisty and uphill route to Cameron Highlands Resort for lunch.
CarSifu and another writer were paired up in the C 63 S Coupe, which purred like a gentle kitten in the rain-soaked and heavily congested morning traffic around Damansara Damai, before rumbling eagerly to show off its racing DNA once we switched to the S+ drive mode on the North–South Expressway.
We made the most of the incredibly powerful 510hp/700Nm AMG 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, mated to an AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed automatic gearbox.
Barrelling down the motorway in this masterpiece of Teutonic engineering was a highly exhilarating experience.
We were ensconced in an interior crafted with high-quality materials and meticulous workmanship, including AMG performance seats and an instrument panel trimmed with black Artico man-made leather.
While the C 63 S Coupe has the driving performance of a racing stallion, it also offers interior luxury fit for first-class travel.
Mercedes-AMG GT S.
After Tapah, we switched to a C 300 cabriolet for the uphill drive on twisty roads to Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands.
The C 300 Cabriolet is the most powerful of the C-Class convertible range here, with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine delivering 245hp and 370Nm of torque, mated to a silky smooth 9G-Tronic automatic transmission.
The soft top can be opened and closed in 20 seconds, and at speeds of up to 50kph, and we took advantage of this to enjoy the cool breeze on the roads of Cameron Highlands.
However, soon enough, we were forced to close the top due to the exhaust fumes from the lorries that we were trailing.
Still, this allowed us to better enjoy the high audio quality afforded by the car’s Frontbass system, which gives a listening experience almost on par with a concert hall – especially with the Burmester sound system.
Mercedes-Benz C 250 Coupe.
After lunch, we took the C 200 and C 250 coupes for a quick 20km spin, to savour the tranquil atmosphere and picturesque highland scenery in Cameron Highlands.
Both the coupes certainly stood out on the road, with their athletic and sporty designs.
Later, after an afternoon tea break, we took the GT S sports car for the downhill run to Simpang Pulai and two-hour drive to The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Ipoh.
This was our favourite set of wheels in the Dream Cars Collection 2017, with its combination of aluminium space frame, powerful V8 biturbo engine, seven-speed dual clutch transmission, locking differential, sports suspension with aluminium double-wishbone suspension and a low kerb weight of 1,570kg delivering racetrack performance.
Fitted with grippy Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres sized 265/35 R19 (front) and 295/30 R20 (rear), the GT S tackled road curves and turns like a lizard stuck in glue.
The high-quality, leather-clad interior was comfortable enough for our co-driver to take a late afternoon nap as we rumbled swiftly along curvy roads, albeit slowing down regularly due to farm produce-laden lorries clogging some stretches.
Make no mistake, though, the GT S is a noisy and adrenaline-inducing beast, with a distinctive bassy exhaust note, and our co-driver remarked, “It’s like being at an F1 race!”.
Mercedes-AMG S 63 Coupe.
After an overnight stay in Ipoh, we had the RM1.5mil S 63 Coupe for a quick run around Ipoh.
The S 63 coupe is the most muscular of the Dream Cars Collection 2017, with 585hp and 900Nm of torque from a 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 engine mated to a AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed sports automatic transmission.
Among the highlights here are an AMG sports suspension based on Magic Body Control with curve tilting function, which provides outstanding driving dynamics and high road comfort.
Magic Body Control compensates body roll and pitching when moving off, cornering or braking.
The curve tilting function reduces the lateral forces experienced and enhances driving pleasure, especially on winding roads.
There is also the innovative Road Surface Scan, which uses a multifunction camera located behind the windscreen, to scan the road surface ahead.
Images and on-board data are used to adjust the damping at each wheel in advance, to suit uneven surfaces ahead.
Mercedes-Benz SLC 300.
After lunch at the Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah stall (also called Nasi Ganja) at Yong Suan coffeeshop, we departed for Kuala Lumpur in the SLC 200 sports luxury roadster.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged SLC 200 with 184hp and 300Nm of torque, provided a comfortable experience on the 200km drive back to Kuala Lumpur.
We did not use the vario-roof which can be opened when the car is on the move, up to a speed of 40kph, due to wet weather.
The Dream Cars may cost a pretty penny, but they were all worth it.
Keyword: Mercedes-Benz Malaysia: Dream Cars Collection 2017