This coffee is terrible. GTO stands for quality products, not this crap.
Let's get something better!
'Calculating route.'
This elongated Mercedes S400 Hybrid is the right car for the job.
It has a 280 PS 3.5 V6. It's electric motor adds to a total of over 300 PS.
It's economical and should get 800 km of mileage. That will lower in Germany.
Still, we should be able to make it with just one refueling stop.
This helps a lot during the long drive: Traffic Jam Assist.
The car drives on its own up to 40 kph. I can just relax and read the paper.
Some people will grab their phone, even though that's forbidden.
But you could. When you exceed 40 kph, you get a signal. Amazing!
4 hours in and we still feel fresh. 170/180 kph is a nice cruising speed.
Above that, it lacks power to accelerate. It's harder to gain speed again.
The chassis is amazingly comfortable. Even in Sport.
It's tranquil and the temperature is nice, too. Outside, it's 29 degrees C.
In here, it's 23 without any puffing. It too makes this car great for the journey.
Seven more hours to go!
6 hours and 700 km in, and all is still well. Even the air inside is still nice.
I do feel my right buttock, because of the heavy throttle pedal.
But there are many solutions. Such as the many, many seat settings.
Here are the massage features. They even mix with the heating.
Great for when it's cold outside. Now, let's go for the mobilizing massage.
Refreshening! Although I do feel like getting some coffee.
After 8 hours and 900 km, things are a bit different now.
The weather's bad, there's slow traffic and construction work.
We even got notified of a closed-off tunnel. The detour cost us 40 minutes.
So, we have to wait even longer for coffee.
10 hours and 1065 km in. We passed Austria, which took too long.
Now we're in Italy, past the Brenner Pass. Let's talk about the drivetrain.
The V6 can switch itself off while the battery recharges.
That power can be used to conserve fuel. You would waste fuel in a non-hybrid.
Consumption is now rated at 1:10, despite the Autobahn. Impressive for a car this big.
Finally, almost there. I can see the shop!
Now then, coffee.
Thank you!
We scored 1254 km, using 10.4 litres for each 100 km. That's nice!
But, we regularly do long drives at AutoWeek. In less luxurious cars.
Now for the real challenge: after the coffee and spaghetti, back home.
We should be there around 9 AM. Let's see if I can manage all night!
Well, it's 21:15 now. Let's see how long it takes to get home.
'Start directions?'
Yes.
'Starting directions to itinerary.'
Another 2 hours in. 981 km left. We approach the Italian-Austrian border.
We have to drive a bit slower because of the climbing Italian highway.
This red interior lighting is very relaxing. Nice on the eyes at night.
The Xenon headlights are great and adapt themselves. They add to the comfort.
Another update at 1:30. We just passed Kessel and have 780 km remaining.
Austria was heavy. Lots of rain on the mountain highways. No visibility.
After that, fatigue suddenly struck, due to intense concentration while driving.
Into Germany, we encountered thick fog. Which didn't help after all that.
I got another Attention Assist warning, so time for a break. Just for coffee.
Also, in the fog you really notice the headlight system at work.
When you overtake a car, the system adapts the lighting to spare the other.
You see the projections like lasers in the night. Very nice.
Now, we should get going again. If I can't keep up, my cameraman will drive.
He has been sleeping in the Business Class-style chair. Cheers, Eric!
It's 2:59, just before Stuttgart. I feel fitter than just now, without touching the Red Bull.
The fog still hinders our speed. Fuel consumption has improved, to less than 1:10.
We'll see about that once we get home. For now, it seems I can drive there.
Good morning! It's 5:01. We're speeding along as I'm waking from no sleep.
I'm fine. I just need to eat something whenever I get drowsy.
I do feel my arm from leaning. Not tired though. Just 391 km left. Let's finish this.
A note about the car: like more hybrids, the engine shakes up the car when it kicks in.
You don't expect that 'refinement' in an S Class. More cars suffer from this error.
It's mostly noticeable at high speeds.
Good morning. It's 7 AM. We're back in the Netherlands.
Both the car and myself are past running on fumes. I'm done at 2324 km.
After 23 hours of driving. A personal best. I'll leave it at that.
I'm moving to the rear. You can take over, Eric.
It's 8:26 AM. 24 hours after we left. We drove around 2425 km.
I'm really cranky. Not because of the car. I love this S Class.
You expect the ride to be comfortable, but it's still amazing.
And the many gadgets. It's just the best equipped car out there.
This was the best car for this journey. Just great.