amb9800

Just came back from MB's C Spot Drive Party at Shea Stadium here in NY - it was pretty good. The event was a product-based promotion kinda like the E-Motion for the E-Class.

They had some nice things set up inside - nice refreshments and some snacks, etc. - of course kept in the state-of-the-art LG Internet Refridgerators (sp?) that have 15" screens, Internet and Cable TV access (it runs on a proprietary interface that runs on top of Windows - with a 20GB hard drive), automatic food inventory, and I'm not sure, but I think this is the model that can automatically see how much food is left and can accordingly order what is needed from Peapod.com.

Anyway, they also had some plasma screens set up with XBoxes, one running single player Mercedes World Racing and the others running head-to-head some other driving game.

They had a couple C-Classes setup up inside just for show.

Then when the actual event started a spokesperson introduced the C-Class and all the models and technologies, etc.

After that, everyone went outside to where everything was going to take place, and they announced the first demonstration that was going to be shown - they had a drag race with the C32 Kompressor AMG running against a BMW M3. The race was 0 MPH - 100 MPH - 0 MPH - in other words, 0 to 100 and back to 0.

When the race started, the M3 was a hair ahead of the C32 for about a second, but the C32 pulled ahead by about half a car-length, reached 100, and stopped before the M3. They had a very narrow cloth barrier set up about ten feet in front of where the C32 stopped, and the M3 went right through it.

After that, they showed the three stations where you could go - one was where they had about five or six C32s set up, driven by professional drivers. Once it was your turn and you put on the helmet, the driver drove the car very hard, and most cars reached about 90MPH on the course, which is very fast considering the short straight-distances and the long curves, and that some parts were covered in water (showing ESP on the C32). That was pretty cool.

The second station was where you could drive various models (C240 sedan, C230K sport sedan, C230K sport coupe, C320 coupe, C320 sedan, C320 sport sedan) along a curvy course starting with a slalom.

The third one was to demonstrate 4Matic as compared to the RWD models, along with ESP and ETS. You could pick from, IIRC, a C240 sedan RWD, C240 sedan 4Matic, C320 sedan RWD, C320 sedan 4Matic, and a C320 wagon 4Matic (multiples of some of those). The course had water (sprayed on periodically by a truck) and a simulated iced area.

In the middle they also had some other MB models to check out - an SLK320 Special Edition, CLK 500, ML350, G500, S600, SL500, CL (I don't recall but I think a 500), an E320, and a C320. All had large Sirius radio logos applied to the windshield.

As I was checking out the Sirius installation, I was pretty disgusted - the installation was very poor, not even matching aftermarket solutions. The antenna wires were exposed (the worst was in the ML - the wire loops down from the rear roof and around the rear trunk pillar into the CD-Changer compartment) and the glovebox in the CLK was occupied by a very non-professional-looking metallic box that appeared to be the Sirius receiver, simply plugged into the COMAND in the glovebox.

The antenna positioning for the MB Sirius was also very bad - for example, in the ML, it is to the right of MB's GPS antenna (which makes the rear top look asymmetrical), and for the other models, it is on the trunk hatch, and the antenna was very flimsy, not to mention the exposed wire running across the trunk in most of the models. The only one where is was slightly hidden was the E-Class, where you can see the wire coming from the trunk lid to the interior of the trunk but it is hidden from there.

Also the G-Class was of poorer quality than I expected - doors are very flimsy and the rear interior feels aged and not belonging in a modern MB. However on the whole it was ok.

Anyway, besides the Sirius radio and the G, everything else was pretty good. The facilities provided inside were very nice, and the events themselves were pretty cool. They must be spending a ton of money on these things, although it's probably profitable for MB in the long run.

I have some photos and movie clips that I took - I'll try to get them posted soon.

etenn

Great report Appreciate it.

midas888

thanks for the details! Very interesting stuff, I wish I could go to one of these...

DMXtremeZ

damn i missed it, where can i find a schedule? i hope theyre still in this area...


how old do you have to be to be able to drive those cars?

ano0oj

nice report, wish i couldve been there!

Rick

The next in the NY/NJ area is Friday 7/25 at Englishtown Raceway Park in Old Bridge NJ. (Exit 9 NJTP to 18 south to 516 west).

amb9800

As far as age, I think you just need a drivers license to drive the cars - didn't really check much on that. You have to be 15 or older for the 'Hot Spots' professional drive in the AMG C32 and to sit in the front seat when someone is driving the other cars.

For scheduling and reserving a spot (you need to pre-register online), go to http://www.c-spotdriveparty.com

amb9800

For the lazy, I just copied and pasted MB's general schedule (you have to click each location on the actual site for details) - here it is:

Atlanta ---- June 20 -22, 2003
Boston ---- August 1 - 3, 2003
Central New Jersey ---- July 25 - 27, 2003
Chicago ---- August 8 - 10, 2003
Dallas ---- June 13 - 15, 2003
Denver ---- August 15 - 17, 2003
Houston ---- June 6 - 8, 2003
Los Angeles ---- September 12 - 14, 2003
Miami ---- June 27 - 29, 2003
New York ---- July 18 - 20, 2003
Phoenix ---- September 19 - 21, 2003
San Diego ---- September 5 - 7, 2003
San Francisco ---- August 29 - 31, 2003
Seattle ---- August 22 - 24, 2003
Tampa ---- July 4 - 6, 2003
Washington DC ---- July 11 - 13, 2003

Rincewind

www.exocorpstudios.com/mercedes/

heres what i captured from wheni went to the cspotparty in dc

we had a surprise guest, india arie perform a concert for us near the end... 1 hr long

heh

ajayz

omg, its in atlanta right now!

ajayz

crap clicked quote instead of edit!

nevermind- im stupid, it says june, not july

fAEt

I also went to the show in DC, though I didnt get a chance to see the M3 race what time were they showing that? It was pretty neat though yall should go if you can.

vraa

15 years of age or older! SWEET!

amb9800

That's to be in the front passenger seat when someone drives and to ride in the C32 with the professional driver, not age 15 to drive by yourself

sorlo

I am going to the Boston one on Aug 2nd. Will post some pix for all your folks.

DMXtremeZ

NOOOO It says ALL attendees and guests MUST be 21 years or older! ahhhhhhhhhh

amb9800

That's to drive, not for attendees - there is no age limitation for attendees - they even had infants and toddlers who needed car seats there.

You just have to be 21 to drive the cars (I had forgotten about that in my earlier post), 15 to ride in the front seat at any time, and 15 to ride in the AMG C32 'Hot Laps.'

Plus if the limit was 21, I wouldn't have been able to attend

vraa

Aww crap, maybe if I don't shave for like a couple days I could fake it? Need an ID too.. CRAP!

x15jq

hi guys im 17 and i drove all the tracks alone. I just swithced my bracelet from the right arm to the left. I like how they covered up the ESP button with black tape so no one saw it lol, i turned it off anyways.

DMXtremeZ

is that all that determines someone thats 21+?? lol i think im gonna sign up for this weekend...anyone else gonna be going to the one in central jersey??

maneesh

Excellent report mbakshi... I can wait to go this weekend. I'm going to it this Sunday in Oldbridge, NJ. Will get some pics.

Hey Rick, are you going to be there this weekend?