New York. It’s a still, hazy morning on the Montauk Highway. The MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 (combined fuel consumption: 6.5 – 6.2/100 km according to EU, CO2 149 – 142 g/km) glides along the Atlantic on the straight road with its smooth-running 2-litre 4-cylinder engine with 131 kW/178 hp ticking over. It’s hard to make out in the golden sunlight: Is that Robert de Niro’s sprawling beach villa over there now or the silhouette of Beyoncé’s estate? But far from it. What we see peeking out between the dunes, with an unobstructed view over the shimmering ocean, the size of a classic detached house, is a mundane garage to the associated sophisticated estate. The luxurious villas of New York’s high society are strung along the entire coast like a string of pearls, but you definitely can’t see them from here.
Since the 19th century, the Hamptons have been the preferred place for stressed and wealthy city dwellers to enjoy a little privacy and exclusive relaxation. They are located at the eastern end of the Long Island peninsula, which begins at the foothills of the New York boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The picturesque countryside around South and East Hampton offers enough distance from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis at a distance of about 160 km.
The necessary luggage for the tour from East Hampton to the Montauk Lighthouse can easily be accommodated in the 450-litre luggage compartment of the MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4, which can be expanded at any time to up to 1390 litres by folding down the rear seat backrest.
Right at the first stop, the sparkling sea at the seemingly endless white sandy beach of Main Beach invites us to take a break. In the small restaurants along the promenade, beach guests can unwind with fresh seafood and cool drinks – that’s the true Hamptons look and feel.
The hinterland of the Hamptons also offers fascinating views and vistas.A popular destination are the green vineyards of the Wölffer Estate, which has been one of the top wineries on the US East Coast for more than 30 years. The fertile soil on the old farmland of the Hamptons and the fresh breeze from the Atlantic help create particularly elegant wines here.
The winding roads from the winery towards Montauk Point State Park are simply made for sporty and comfortable driving fun in the MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4. Again and again, the densely overgrown forest provides impressive views of the Atlantic. When the road suddenly becomes only a narrow path, the car’s off-road qualities are called for. With 16.5 centimetres of ground clearance and the intelligent all-wheel drive system, the MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 masters rough terrain and washed-out roads with ease, as here at Oyster Pond. And the shortcut rewards us with a deserted viewpoint of the coast and the impressive Montauk Point Lighthouse.
