Flying in the Mercedes-Benz helicopter, for the ultimate commuter

Extensions are not just for highways, electrical cords, and hair anymore; now they’re also for luxury automotive brands. When a consumer identifies with a high-end marque, one way to deepen this connection — and enhance precious loyalty — is to provide opportunities to engage with the brand in other aspects of their life aside from road rage and commuting. Mercedes-Benz has recently attempted to do this with a new offshoot, Mercedes-Benz Style, which is charged, according to Project and Design Manager Stefano Tam, with “Creating new, non-automotive design collaborations with other manufacturers who are on the same level as Mercedes-Benz.”

Following branded ventures into goods such as eyewear, luggage and home furnishings, the latest product to wear the three-pointed star is a helicopter. Not just any chopper: the $8 million Airbus EC145 to which the German master craftspeople add multiple layers of flame-surfaced paint, carbon-fiber landing gear, and an entirely new interior.

Those of us fortunate enough to have spent time inside the luxe cocoon of the current M-B vehicular lineup will recognize many of the lovely features included in this conversion. There are the usual high-quality contrasting leather seating surfaces, bin covers, and headliner. There are the round metal ventilation outlets. There is the warm glow of ambient lighting, customizable in color and brightness (we like the pink.) There is an amazingly adjustable seating system capable of being slid fore and aft and reconfigured to make room for as many as eight passengers, or as few as two. (A sliding load wall in back allows expansion of the cargo hold to make room for luggage or motorcycles; the aviation equivalent of folding down the rear seat.) And there is plenty of wood, or at least something that closely resembles wood.

“This is the ‘standard’ upgrade,” Tam tells us as he shows us around the interior, which adds about $300,000 to $500,000 to the cost of the aircraft. "But as with our bespoke Designo service in our vehicles, customers can have pretty much whatever they want through a private consultation with a designer.”

Since the chopper’s existing branding is quite subtle — a tiny silver Mercedes Benz Style label on the flank, and another in chrome on the door sill plates — we suggest that we’d be tempted to request a custom three rotor blade, to more closely resemble the brand’s iconic three-pointed star. Tam humorlessly informs us that this is not currently available. “The exterior is dictated by aeronautic principles.”

Having learned everything we can about the bird while on the ground, our only remaining step is to strap ourselves into one of the four-point racing harnesses take this beast for a whirl. Helicopters have the great advantage of being able to take off and land pretty much anywhere, and are thus great for the “first or last mile” of a voyage: penthouse to beachfront, chalet to airport, villa to yacht. What they are not so good at is providing a smooth journey. Riding a helicopter is like constantly ascending and descending the penultimate crest of a janky wooden roller coaster — only the ride never ceases until you touch down. If we were spec’ing out our own custom M-B Style chopper, we would definitely check the option box for MAGIC JETSTREAM TURBULENCE CONTROL.

However, the views of the Monterey Peninsula from our ivory Designio leather throne were spectacular, and given the traffic that clogs the region during events like the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance — turning a five-mile jaunt into an exhaust-laden exhaustion — we can definitely see the benefit of taking the “as the crow flies” route. Perhaps next Mercedes Benz Style can design a proper trailer and hitch so we can pull this potent machine behind our G65.