A never before combination of the Mercedes-Benz SLK sports and the Mercedes G Class Wagon resulting in a roadstopper.

"I have made enough money. Now I want to see the world, says Mr Jim Rogers. Mr Rogers co-founded the New York-based Quantum Fund, made enough money and retired at 45 in 1987. He has his own TV and radio programmes and is on CNN and CNBC as a financial and economic commentator. Between 1990 and 1992 he clocked one lakh kms on a motorcycle crossing six continents. Now he is attempting to cover 120 countries in 1,095 days. Accompanying Mr Rogers (58) is Ms Paige Parker, who was director of business development in a New York-based marketing agency. The twosome launched their odyssey from Iceland on Jan 1, 1999. They got married enroute, in England.

For the last two years, the couple have been touring the world. A videographer and a webmaster follow them in a Mercedes G Wagon, video filming the journey and updating the websites www.paigeparker.com and www.jimrogers.com. The American couple have travelled 1,40,000 kms, through 85 countries, for two years, in the bright yellow Mercedes with a yellow color trailer.

They are in India and had a stopover at the Mercedes Benz India Ltd. plant at Chikhali.

Car trouble? "The vehicle has performed better than we have," they say. The Mercedes service network around the world has come to their rescue, whenever they needed, which is few and far in between.

Tyre major, Bridgestone, has taken care of four tyre changes. The trailer made in California, has been a problem.

They have driven through Europe, Central Asia, China, the African continent, Saudi Arabia and now India. The couple are looking to cover 60,000 kms and 25 countries before their journey's end in New York on December 31, 2001.

They have survived blizzards in Iceland, wars through the Congo, had a narrow escape with a bomb blast in Moscow, had a run-in with the mafia in Serbia, learnt about `speed money' in Pakistan and are still figuring out Indian roads. Drivers in Pakistan are the worst in the whole world, says Mr Rogers. But Indian roads - "You need to do some work on them," says Mr Rogers.

They are three weeks old in India. " We washed our sins at the Kumbh mela", the couple say. They've been to Khajuraho, Ranthambhor, Delhi and Jaipur and plan to go to Goa, Bangalore, Orissa, Kolkatta and Myanmar is their next stop over. At the end of the tour, Mr Rogers plans to give away his new Merc creation to a museum. "I will never be able to drive this in the streets of New York," he laughs.