Starstruck 2017: Images from the Pune-Satara-Koynanagar leg

Every year, team OVERDRIVE and Mercedes-Benz set off on a journey to some of the remotest corners in India for a stargazing experience unlike any other. Starstruck has always been regarded as the ultimate way to get understand the mysteries behind those twinkling objects in the sky, and the highlight has always been the luxurious fleet of Mercedes-Benz SUVs that have ferried us to wherever we've desired. The three-pointed star, as it's known, is the benchmark of comfortable, effortless journeys where the passengers are seated in the lap of luxury and the best in safety. So far, we've always headed to the rarified atmosphere in and around Leh in Jammu Kashmir. This year however, we decided to explore the skies, closer to base. We split the event, this year, into three legs- Delhi to Alwar, Pune to Koynanagar near Satara and Mangalore to Chikmagalur

The photos here are from the drive from Pune-Koynanagar near Satara, in Rajasthan.

What better pace to begin the drive, than the Mercedes-Benz India factory in Chakan, near Pune

The participants, many of who are huge Mercedes-Benz fans, were elated to get a chance to step inside the factory

The day began with a quick briefing inside the Centre of Excellence at the Mercedes-Benz factory

Shumi, Editior in Chief, OVERDRIVE addresses the participants and briefs them about the journey ahead

The Pune-Satara highway is wide and open, giving us a chance to stretch the legs of our Mercedes-Benz SUVs

The mighty Mertcedes-AMG G63 was the apt vehicle to lead the convoy

The Mercedes-Benz Intelligent LED headlamps are super bright , making short work of negotiating a crowded tunnel

Once we got off the highway, the two lane highway that leads to the Forest Escapes Holiday Homes was a treat to drive on. Fast, flowing and scenic, the drive turned out be a great experience

We got a traditional Maharashtrian Tutari style welcome at the Forest Escapes Holiday homes

After lunch we got into our luxurious Mercedes-Benz SUVs for a tour of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

The terrain was quite challenging but the superb, Mercedes-Benz 4Matic system took care of everyting. The comfortable ride quality of our Mercs also endured that we were isolated from the rough terrain

A traditional Marathi dance troupe introduced us to the rich, Marathi culture

After a sumptuous dinner we drove up to a plateau and set our telescope for a night of stargazing

A little bonfire helped us keep warm on that windy night. Some of us also cozied up in the SUVs, with the heater on

On the way back to Pune, we drove past these gigantic, windmills. There were thousands of these, spread far and wide and it was a mesmerising sight, for sure