coladin

So I went from Ottawa to Montreal to pick up the mayor from this little town in Italy for the upcoming Italian Week in Ottawa. I left in the midst of a disgusting heat wave in my shiny, spotless Black C63 beginning my first "trip" so to speak. It's about 180clicks or so, roughly 120 miles. Car is stiff, man. My poor father-in-law accompanied me and he was shifting around after 1/2 hour or so. I think my limit with this car is about a 3 hour drive...just cause my back is not the greatest. Car was nice, though and everyone that I passed gave a good old stare at it.

Anywho, we arrive at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal and the Grand Prix is in town. saw some Pirelli mechanics, chatted a Team Lotus guy in full gear and I have seen more than 25 GPs live. I go to get my car from the parking garage and couldn't find a spot to pick up my guests. I see a valet pickup area and directly in front of me was a Mercedes Vaneo, I think, one of those big Mercedes buses but not the Sprinter size, smaller. It was pretty much the same exact black as my car. I park behind him, pop the trunk, lock the doors, put the hazards on and went to get my guests. As I returned, I see a team Lotus rep in full gear helping an older gentleman putting the bags in my trunk! I started laughing and said quite sheepishly "I am not with the GP organizers, that's my car!". The older fellow laughed and in a thick British accent started laughing, saying : "Well, don't I look the fool! All the mechanics got into the van and I see this gorgeous C63 parked right behind and I am thinking 'how nice of 'em to give me an executive car in an AMG'...now that you're here I just realized that I work for Team Lotus and not Team McLaren!"

Pretty funny!

For those in Montreal or Ottawa, I got absolutely obliterated in that mega storm on the way home. My poor car just turned 2000 kilometers and it was getting pelted with hail, couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of me doing 30 clicks. It was incredibly humid, these cars suffer from some major heat soak. car was quite lethargic but the temps weren't very high. I washed her up today and thankfully I don't see any damage.

Hope you enjoy the story, the C63 definitely reinforced in my mind the panache that it carries!

ZephyrAMG

Loved the story!!! Yes indeed the C63 is a tank! Looks like you were the spot light of many race enthusiasts and in the right place for racing sports! Funny mistake he made...maybe he was dreaming a bit too.... Glad to know you got back safe. I bet she is clean and ready again for another trip....

Yuille36

Great story, I enjoyed it. It's like 97 degrees here in Northern Virginia, and I know that the heat index is probably 105 degrees. I can see my poor car sitting outside burning up in this heat from my office window.

Sheep

Well great story, got to go down in the books as one of the best.

Sheep

Roswell

Nice & funny story coladin!! You should've snap a kodak moment... hehehe! Dang, glad to hear your car didn't get damaged by the hail storm yesterday.

khmergod

All of last week we had 105F dry heat and heat index of like 110, it was terrible, good thing my car sleeps in the garage.

Muskoka_AMG

Nice!

Grand price is such an awesome weekend in Montreal. I've got tickets for all 3 days, and have been to the last 2 as well. Awesome weekend!

You should've just driven downtown and stayed in Montreal!

coladin

The traffic is ridiculous in Montreal. I was going to go especially this year with all the passing with 1stamg, my brother, but it didn't workout schedule -wise, but, quite frankly, I am tired of taking it up the *** there for three days straight from the rude vendors, rude bartenders whose drinks price change by the hour, the island so cramped you can't move anymore, to the overcharged hotels, etc...I have been to all but 1995 and 2004 since 1989, over twenty there. we had a much, much better time at Indianapolis, went all six times and you get treated very well there, they know that we butter their bread pretty good there.

Can't wait for June 17, 2012, the USGP is back and I'm goin' to Texas...YEE-HAW!

BAD430BENZ

i feel your pain on that . i'm here in El Paso and it's freakin' hot here but my car sits in the garage also

Jycke

We've started to have nice weather in finland as well just sub 90 degrees. Last summer was however exceptional here in finland with a max of 100 (mind you that we are waaaay up north).

Cool story

Tricanuck

Great story coladin, thanks for sharing! I'd sure like to see a GP and Texas sounds pretty good. Glad you had no hail damage, that could make a grown man cry. Just coming up to 1000k on my 63 and loving it so far. Cheers.

Nola

Cool story Bro! Was it this fellow?

1st amg

I had a good chuckle as my brother told the story(Coladin)....but like he said, the Canadian GP is a great venue and we have seen about twenty races there, so you could imagine, we could sit here and tell you story after story as we started going to this race in our late teens and continued up till last year, so lots and lots of very funny drunken moments and humiliating ones as well, oh and the beautiful Montreal women stories and how many ended up in our hotel rooms, some more willing than others. But, we discovered the US GP in Indianappolis in 2000 and went to every race there and just loved it, Montreal has become chaotic, and you are frankly raped in every way possible, such as a hotel room costing $650 per night with a minimum 3 night stay, but that room the weekend before could be had for $180.00....restaurants are rammed and they have a sitting down limit and with a "special" menu for that weekend which is double the price, the clubs are so full that you are sweating profusly with the bartenders giving you the attitude...the US GP was amazing every year, people were great, food was great, and hotels were great, in fact, in 2005 when only 6 cars raced due to the tires(michelins kept exploding) we stayed in the hotel where most teams were staying, so we met the likes of and took pictures with Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Rubens Barichello, Heiki Kovelainen, Ross Brawn, Professor Sid Walkens, etc etc. We were awe struck. SO, as my brother says, we couldnt make it this year as the very young children and a house move for myself prevented us from going, but we have already circled the calender for 2012 US Formula One Grand Prix in Texas(Austin)....maybe we could meet a bunch of the Texas MB World guys as there are a few of you!

Nola

I went to the race on MTL last year... had a great time. To me Indy was ho-hum (went 3 times, also for the 6 cars one)... go downtown and it seemed all you could see was a shriners parade. The best one I've been to is Singapore (2009) by far. What an awesome place to hold a race. Also been to Spa, Monza, Hockenheim.

coladin

No...more Stirling Moss - looking!

coladin

Have to say, it hurts a little bit not being there. I don't miss Crescent or St. Laurent Street...it's just too much humanity crammed into a little street. Last year I brought my sonb for the first time and he dreaded that aspect of it, but loved the cars, the track. I remember pre-Jacques Villeneuve you could find a spot on the grass, get a blanket, have a picnic, laugh and drink with the gang of guys, BBQ...now they have closed all open areas, literally forcing you to buy whatever they are selling. I think when I was in my teens and late twenties it was more interesting. Now? Not so much...

Going to Indy, a lot of people made the misrake of going downtown which was okay, but Broad Ripple was the place to be, full of bars, fans, weeeeeeemen, we only found it the last couple of yars but it was pretty hot!