AMG performance tour Rockingham 24th Sept

[acej]

Just received an invite to attend the AMG driving academy track training day at Rockingham. They indicated that this is on track coaching and training with the academy instructors (1st time in uk) and only a couple of customers from each area will be invited and they will be teamed up for the event.

Anybody else get the invite? Anybody in Essex/east London?

 

[flango]

I was part of the BMW driving academy in 2003 and Instructed there for a number of years with VIP clients and invitees. For demonstrating a high performance car its a terrible circuit but its really good fun. Its a 1.5 mile 7 degree oval so get up to speed at 155 mph engage cruise and thats as exciting as it gets, lap record is just over 24 seconds which is about 215 mph.

Seriously though they usually use the centre of the circuit as well to simulate road conditions and its a good day out at which you can learn a lot. Theres a lot happening with the AMG driving academy at the moment so watch this space as i think if I am not mistaken the UK will have a permanent facility very shortly

 

[acej]

I was part of the BMW driving academy in 2003 and Instructed there for a number of years with VIP clients and invitees. For demonstrating a high performance car its a terrible circuit but its really good fun. Its a 1.5 mile 7 degree oval so get up to speed at 155 mph engage cruise and thats as exciting as it gets, lap record is just over 24 seconds which is about 215 mph.

Seriously though they usually use the centre of the circuit as well to simulate road conditions and its a good day out at which you can learn a lot. Theres a lot happening with the AMG driving academy at the moment so watch this space as i think if I am not mistaken the UK will have a permanent facility very shortly

Sounds good. I think they have the inside of track set out in a number of different configs now. Hoping to go to Ascari with them next year but but this was a bit of a bonus and I am really looking forward to it.

I am sure there must be a couple of other forum members on this invite?

 

[flango]

Sounds good. I think they have the inside of track set out in a number of different configs now. Hoping to go to Ascari with them next year but but this was a bit of a bonus and I am really looking forward to it.

I am sure there must be a couple of other forum members on this invite?

Yep hope you enjoy, the boys from the AMG Academy are top flight instructors who will push you and the car to its limits, if that is where you want to go

 

[acej]

Yep hope you enjoy, the boys from the AMG Academy are top flight instructors who will push you and the car to its limits, if that is where you want to go

Go on then ;-) I will let you know how I get on.

 

[AnimMerc]

Just received an invite to attend the AMG driving academy track training day at Rockingham. They indicated that this is on track coaching and training with the academy instructors (1st time in uk) and only a couple of customers from each area will be invited and they will be teamed up for the event.

Anybody else get the invite? Anybody in Essex/east London?

I also got an invite but doubtful I will be able to attend as working and it's first come first served and my procrastinating wont help.

I haven't even got an AMG I had a E55 a couple of years back. Do you think I could take my Sprinter around?

 

[acej]

I also got an invite but doubtful I will be able to attend as working and it's first come first served and my procrastinating wont help.

I haven't even got an AMG I had a E55 a couple of years back. Do you think I could take my Sprinter around?

Perhaps if you ask them they will bring a sprinter to make you feel at home and save ruining yours.

Looks like quite a special event you should try and swing it it would be a shame to miss out.

 

[AnimMerc]

Perhaps if you ask them they will bring a sprinter to make you feel at home and save ruining yours.

Looks like quite a special event you should try and swing it it would be a shame to miss out.

I would love to go but need to work and I am a single dad so have to pick my daughter up from school as well

I hope you enjoy it though

 

[StevoA]

Had a great morning @ Rockingham with the AMG Performance Team. What did you think ?

 

[acej]

Agreed a good morning. Car line up was as follows. Lots of C63's estate, saloon and coupe (no 507) 2x E63 one of which was an e63s estate (looked great in black) 2X SL63 (a tool and the drive of the day but then I am biased) 2X SLK 55 1x ML63 1xS65 (used by instructors) 1xA45 1XCL63 Activities Breakfast and safety talk followed by the history of amg presentation. Slalom. The 1st activity was a timed slalom course in the c63's (three runs) with a stop box. 5 sec penalty for knocked over cone or not stopping in the box. Times varied between 21.8 ish i think (stevoa I think you got that time?) to 23.5 sec. I managed a 22.1. The c63's handled the course well although I lost time at the turn each run (to much power on exit from the last cone.) Good fun. The Drag race. two cars in a straight line drag race with a breaking box that you need to land in. 1st run I had the CL63 two up vs the E63S. Not really a fair match up but i managed to get of the line 1st but breaked way to early triggered by the E breaking next to me. I would say a draw. I was expecting to be blown away!! Then three runs in the SL63 and to my disappointment we were not allowed to the use race start! I had a go in two different SL's and as proven by my own they felt very different in power delivery with the non pp version seeming to have more grunt strange! The out of the box bhp and torque seems to feel very different in the three I have driven. Having done the last run in the CL the SL felt so much quicker and the breaking point was so much later as you would expect at 1/2 tonne lighter. One clean win on the drag and breaking, one won on the best of a poor effort of breaking and one lost as I over shot the box! The handling track. Short course conned with some tight turns followed by a slalom and small last drag section. This was good fun. 1st car up an probably the least equipped for the task the ML63. I was impressed with the stability of this ship, my wife has an ML 350 and the suspension and rigidity of the 63 surpassed my expectations. great body control good grunt but seemed to struggle getting the power down when exiting the tight corners. Very impressed and if I would be tempted to get a debadged one for the wife but I am sure she would end up putting diesel in it! 2nd car up the A45. !st drive of one of these and I was i pressed with the cabin layout and feel. It felt much more hot hatch albeit with a splattering of high quality touches than standard AMG fair but I liked the look and feel. The A45 is a 4x4 when driven hard and having not driven anything of this size or not rw drive for a long time I was mightily impressed with the tight handling and initial squirt out of the corner. The a45 makes a great sound too more rally car than normal amg ,a good package for the task in hand, I was impressed. 3rd Car SLK55. I had never driven one of these before and as with the 45 this test should of been made for this car and no surprises it was. I like the cabin feel but if you were north of 6 foot I think you may struggle with room. What a riot much more fun than the A45, nimble and just the right amount of poke for the handling track and I would imagine the roads. It seemed to go on rails until you gave it an extra dab of throttle to bring the back out which was easily caught by the electronics (we were under instruction nt to turn these off) but fun anyways. After three runs this car made me smile and is in a different league to the A45 and given the cost I and if you dont need four seats go for a year old SLK not a new 45 it much better. 4th car E63. Great car, hugh grunt not as fun on this track as the slk with traction control on. The large lap. The final on track event (accept for the hot lap) was a moderate pace procession around the international short circuit which was lead out by one of the DTM drivers in a S65. This was the least fun of the three events as you didn't really get to open the cars up passed 60%. The mo was as follows one warm up lap, two fast and then a call down. A45 1st. Having said that this was a sweet handling car on the short track it felt very under powered on the larger track and in the company of the bigger amgs and it really lacked feel around the bends and I am not sure if I would know where the limit was until I had gone past. I like this car on the short track but all the good things it demonstrated at slower speeds didn't materialise on a fast lap. I think this car would never be for me as I like the power of it bigger brother and the feel you get close to the limit in a rw drive. ML63 was next and all the traits I mentioned above apply here too. Good grunt great high speed stability but as you would expect a bit wallowy out of the bends. I do like these cars and having this much grunt and sound track out of a 4x4 just doesn't seem right or does it ;-) Last run was back in the SLK and the enjoyment factor as it stuck to the turns continued to impress but it did feel a bit slow compared to my SL. Great package though and this car has really grown on me. After a hot lap with a btcc driver in a c63 we went back for lunch and had a talk by the AMG director of design and I headed of home with the roof down and a big smile. My thanks to lancaster for the invite and a great morning out. Finally verdict on the cars. Most fun on the day SLK, most grunt the SL, must unsuited to me the a45, the car I would buy, the one I have which is a relief the SL, the final though how can I persuade my wife the ML63 is the way forward!

 

[AnimMerc]

.. the final though how can I persuade my wife the ML63 is the way forward!

Don't tell her just get an exact same colour same spec ML63 and tell her you have added a quad exhaust. By time she realises she wont want the ML350 anymore.

 

[acej]

Don't tell her just get an exact same colour same spec ML63 and tell her you have added a quad exhaust. By time she realises she wont want the ML350 anymore.

i did think of that but She would put diesel in though :-(

 

[AnimMerc]

i did think of that but She would put diesel in though :-(

Oh well I am afraid I have no other suggestions and it may well be wishful thinking on your part.

 

[steviemac69]

Rockingham AMG Event

I was also at the Rockingham event (afternoon session). I am 3 weeks into the AMG fold, so this was a great intro to the brand, fantastic day.

Too many highlights for me to recount, just the one low light - Embarrassing situation on the drag race, floored the SL63 to smoke my opponent only to find myself still in Park - in the one model I should know!

If you get a chance in the future, highly recommend.

 

[Jack Wood]

Sounds like good fun. I take it these are like Porsche "try the range" type days? Free invite from your dealer?
Jack

 

[steviemac69]

Hi Jack,

Yep, my invite came through the dealer. The event is run by the AMG marketing team.

I just now need to work out how to remain a 'person of interest' so I can get another invite.

 

[StevoA]

A45 was a little disappointing. Spoke to Acej at the time and agreed the limit could well be found just before the ditch you end up in.

Fastest round the slalom in the morning, so pleased with that. Only negative was not being able to really go for it with one of the DTM guys in the passenger seat.

Other than that, I think I will be moving from the Dark Side sooner rather than later.

 

[StevoA]

Mine came through the dealer route as a prospective customer. Had a CLK 320 Cabrio for nearly 9 years but felt Merc lost there way for a while, but we'll and truly back on track now.

 

[StevoA]

Beats being in the office.

Still undecided whether to go for the soon to be replaced C or new E, or wait for the New C63 drop top that Darren tells me is on its way in the not too distant future.

Think a return from the Dark Side is on the cards though.

 

[steviemac69]

Hi StevoA,

I have just gone to my first AMG (had an E320 CDI several cars back) and I am very pleased with the service and the car. I had been in a Jag XKR convertible (the latest 5L supercharged model) which I thought was all the car I would ever want. Moving the the AMG is another league.

Mercedes contribution and 0% apr on lease plans definitely helped the decision process.