Need speed? Try the AMG Driving Experience

By William Herrera August 06,2013

Have you ever lived vicariously through your favourite Formula 1 driver? Have you ever imitated Sebastien Loeb on EDSA? How about Ken Block while fighting over the last parking slot during a weekend mall sale? Maybe parallel parking ala Russ Swift?

Well, dream no more. Now you can now try your hand at one of the best driving programs in the world: The AMG Driving Experience!

The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi hosts the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix annually, but during the rest of the year they turn this world class circuit into a classroom—a classroom for petrolheads. So, whether you are an aspiring race car driver or just a regular Juan Dela Cruz who wants to conquer your inner speed demons, you can get behind the wheel of a CLS 63 AMG with an AMG V8 biturbo engine, pumping out 557 hp and a maximum torque of 800 Newton meters or an E63 AMG, also with 557 hp and 720 Nm of torque, or maybe even the iconic “Gullwing” SLS AMG with its AMG 6.3 V8, ripping the tarmac with a zero to 100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds. Just imagine all that power at your disposal while racing around a proper Formula 1 track—it will be awesome!

The Abu Dhabi circuit is the closest track for us Filipinos wanting to avail of the AMG driving experience. Known for its sweeping corners, tight hairpins and long straights, the full Formula 1 track of the Yas Marina Circuit has a length of 5.55 Kms. and with 21 turns it will provide enough excitement of driving flat out in a proper sportscar. This is the one of the few places where speeding is legal, and even encouraged.

The AMG Dynamic experience is one of the many products on offer. This course allows you to roar down the track, do power slides, or even run a wet slalom course. A technical briefing from professional racing instructors will precede your on-track experience, and, after a one-on-one session with your instructor; you will be let loose on the track. This guarantees you lap after lap of unadulterated driving pleasure, the only way a Mercedes AMG is supposed to be driven.

For those less confident of their driving abilities, there is the Mercedes AMG program wherein you can do hot laps or “taxi rides” with professional drivers around the track as they put the AMG through its paces. You can even take a friend along for the ride of a lifetime (or just to have someone to hold the camera while you scream your head off).  With two SL63 AMG Formula 1 safety cars, used at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix back in 2009, this could well be the ride of your life!

Participants don’t even have own a Mercedes-Benz to attend any of the courses. All you need is the desire to drive flat out, but be warned, you might just end up buying a unit afterwards.

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