To celebrate the spirit of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, we asked some of our favorite creative innovators to tell us about their ultimate road trip. Their itineraries are collected here in “A Cut Above.”
-The Travelers: Douglas Sonders and Nicholas Cambata
-Doug and Nicholas are the founding partners of 8112 Studios, a video and photography production company. They have turned their passion for high-performance autos into a professional specialty. Check them out on Instagram at @8112studios and @douglassonders.
-Two days into our road trip, I glanced at the temperature reading—113 degrees! Could that be true? Cruising inside a new Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, neither of us had realized how hot the desert sun was outside. We were gliding up a shimmering sand bank at the Kelso Dunes, deep in the Mojave about three hours from anything. Now, you might be asking yourself why anyone would choose to brave the oppressive heat and unforgiving environment?
-For us, the desert is an inspiring place—whether we’re scouting locations or just enjoying the drive. Our work frequently takes us between Vegas from L.A., and we have found some roads and destinations in between that make the trip worthwhile.
-BEVERLY HILLS AND HOLLYWOOD
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Nicholas Cambata: Usually when staying at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, my home away from home as I like to call it, the sheer number of exotic cars that populate the entrance overshadow any other vehicles pulling up—but not the GLE Coupe.
-Douglas Sonders: At first I was unresolved about how I would feel about a Mercedes-Benz sports-utility coupe. It’s a lot more aggressive and progressive design than I’m used to seeing on a Benz—but in person, it’s quite gorgeous.
-NC: My first impression with the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe was that it was simply the best looking vehicle in its class—the sort of SUV-Sports-Coupe crossover that so many auto manufacturers are going for these days.
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DS: If you’re in L.A. looking for traces of the old golden age of Hollywood, drive all the way down Sunset Boulevard until you get to the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Celebs have been dining here for 100 years, and it hasn’t lost its charm. When Nick and I were kids, we used to come and gawk at the famous faces sitting just a few feet away. The Polo Lounge is the type of place where service is old school and the food is top notch. (My favorite: the tuna tartare.)
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NC: For a real insider Hollywood experience, step inside the RED camera store. You can just walk in and see the most advanced cameras in the business. We direct and shoot all our work with RED Cameras—so this is the mecca for our film universe. RED prides themselves on incredible design and pushing the boundaries of what is technologically feasible.
-LAKE ARROWHEAD
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DS: Once we left Los Angeles, we were finally able to stretch the GLE Coupe’s legs a little bit and see how it felt around the twisting and winding roads. We weren’t going to stop till we cleared the city limits and reached an elevation of more than a mile up. Our dinner destination was Bin 189 at Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. This historic wooden lodge was originally built in 1923 and has been the location of various movie shoots in years past, involving stars such as Natalie Wood, Bob Hope. and Bing Crosby.
-NC: I’ve had the fortune to drive a lot of cars, from race cars on a track to vintage luxury grand tourers, but the GLE Coupe can’t be pegged into one category. I completely forgot that I was driving a large four-wheel-drive vehicle. I probably pushed it a little bit, but the fun factor was worth every corner of the mountain road up to the lake.
-BIG BEAR LAKE
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NC: Big Bear Lake, about 45 miles from Lake Arrowhead and still within the San Bernardino National Forest, has absolutely stunning views and some roads that are really fun to drive. We decided to take trail 2N17, which loops around the northern side of the lake. It’s known as a beautiful and challenging drive, featuring numerous elevation changes and winding curves. I pushed the car hard around each bend and felt how it responded to the sand and dirt. It didn’t break a sweat.
-DS: I would expect the GLE Coupe to be more of a capable luxury cruiser geared towards the likes of Sunset Boulevard, but I have to admit, this vehicle could fly through the curvy dirt and gravel roads without wavering.
-MOJAVE DESERT AND THE KELSO DUNES
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DS: From Big Bear, we set off for the Mojave National Preserve, ultimately heading for the Kelso Dune Field, 45 square miles of drifting sand and stark, beautiful landscapes. Out in the dunes, one park police officer actually stopped us to ask if the car was available yet.
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ROUTE 66
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NC: Route 66—which stretches all the way from Los Angeles to Chicago—makes me feel nostalgic. Even though I never got a chance to drive on it during its heyday, I always imagine how things were before the large wide interstates dominated our landscape. And it’s home to the best random road stops and bizarre landmarks of any road you could take.
-The GLE Coupe really got a chance to show itself off during our jaunt on the old highway. The lane assistance literally steered the car back into the lane when I went off track. It felt like the car had a mind of its own.
-LAS VEGAS
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NC: People have strong opinions on Las Vegas, I know. Personally, I’ve been coming to the city for well over a decade, and I’ve seen it grow immensely since the early 2000s. This time, as we entered the city, we had to jump out and grab a shot of the GLE Coupe with all the lights and energy of Vegas going on around it. Pulling into the entrance for the City Center complex, the car looked just as at home there as it had on the gravel roads around Big Bear.
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NC: The restaurant scene in Las Vegas has just exploded. Sure, you can still find a $5 buffet in some of the old hotels, but I love to explore the new spots that keep popping up.
-DS: One of our favorite places for dinner is a restaurant fittingly called Bazaar Meat by José Andrés. The Japanese Wagyu steak is delicious, but the most surprising dish was actually an appetizer: foie gras cotton candy.
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NC: The funny thing about Las Vegas is that all the hotels, casinos and resorts are designed to keep you inside, doing what they want you to do. But with the GLE Coupe at our beck and call, we decided to drive up the strip one more time.
-By this point, I was fully at home with the vehicle. For a sports-car fan, the exhaust note (when in Sport mode) was a beautiful thing to hear. With the Intelligent Drive systems, like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, and lane-departure warnings, I really did feel safe in the car, and isn’t that what cars are supposed to do? Thrill you and protect you?
-DS: I’ll admit that I may have visited the Mercedes website more than once to price out a GLE Coupe for myself. It’s a blast to drive, plenty of power, great handling, the right amount of space for my camera gear and luggage. And it has the kind of style that would make a great impression when you pull up to a first client meeting.
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Car and Driver has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to bring you “A Cut Above,” a travel series inspired by the all-new GLE Coupe exploring great drives, high-end gear, and must-visit destinations.
-This story originally appeared on esquire.com.
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