Cold comfort, lap of luxury

The lap was provided by the Banks Peninsula, the comfort by Mercedes-Benz's E500 Cabriolet, writes DAVE MOORE.

Despite a four-degree frost, the Benz was as cosy as a story-teller's lap and as imperiously easy to drive as any car I know. The car might be in the realm of a Lotto winner's dream to most of us, so to exercise one is a chance not to be missed.

Depending on what engine you'd prefer - mine had a rumblingly elastic V8 - the Mercedes-Benz E-class cabriolet can cost you from $132,400 to $185,400 odd, and you can add further to that should you opt for specific finishes and accessories.

The lower price is the sticker given to the supercharged four cylinder version, while for $152,400 you can split the two with a 3.5-litre normally-aspirated V6.

In the icy dawn it was fortunate for me that the charcoal metallic E500 was equipped with an 'Air Scarf' which can be made to play warm air around the neck from a special vent near the top of the seat when the weather's cool. The effect is tantamount to decadent, as if God's own breath was keeping you comfortable while His voice gurgled through the exhaust.

With dash vents that keep your hands toasty, and a three- temperature setting for the heated seats, there really is no excuse for not putting the hood down on this full four-seater. The power hood is not the quickest, but it's nice to watch as it goes through its quiet origami.

Being based on the solid-roofed coupe version of the current E-class, the cabriolet has a solid base to live up to, and if you can relate how wobbly a shoe box can get when you take the lid off, you'll understand the challenges car engineers have to surmount if they're to provide a convertible with a platform as stiff and uncompromised as a coupe, without adding too much weight.

With the hood up, there's no discernible difference from the coupe.

The car transmits nary a twitch over bumps and broken surfaces, though with the hood down there's just a hint, no more than that.

At the crack of dawn, Christchurch's Summit Road usually has a necklace of brightly garbed cyclists pedalling along it at weekends. However, it appears that it was too cold for more than one or two to brave the conditions on my morning.

What it meant was that I had an uninterrupted drive around one of the country's most spectacular routes, in a car that can be used as a sedan most of the time, and as a convertible any time you like.

As such, its hefty pricetag seems a little more plausible, doing the job of two cars, and looking absolutely delicious while it does so.

One sour note is that the dark finish of 'my' cabriolet retained grime in a very untidy manner, so you'll need a willing neighbour's kid to earn pocket money from you with a high pressure hose if you like this colour.

With pale grey leather - perforated on the sitting surfaces - and the usual solid, Benz build quality, the interior is what you'd expect, though I can't for the life of me see why the Airscarf isn't standard in all cars from the company, sedans, coupes, wagons and all.

I have to say this most expensive of E-class cabriolets, with its rumbling V8 is a compelling drive, with blisteringly quick acceleration provided should you require it, but I wouldn't be too sad if I had to make do with the more economical four or six cylinder versions.

I'd keep the cold weather comforts and have the E250CGi four without a thought, though I'd probably have the boot lid badge removed so no-one can tell.

- © Fairfax NZ News