So, went to the AMG "Performance Drive" event at Alameda Point (aka Alameda NAS) today. Once I found it, it was a really nice, well-run event. Driving instructors ride along with you, all were experienced autocrossers/road racers and had good input, etc., and made everybody feel welcome -- especially when you consider the number of knuckleheads that they probably see on a weekly basis.

Some random observations:

- Then autocross course was good, plenty of high-speed bits to really get a feel for how these cars accelerate, turn in and brake. When you consider how large, how heavy and how luxurious these vehicles are, the dynamics are flat-out phenomenal.

- Power from all of the AMG motors is just SICK. So much performance, they would be practically unusable on public roads - if I owned any of these cars, my gasoline bill would be astronomical, the loud pedal is so addictive. The twin-tubo motor in the CLS would be just the thing for crushing passing maneuvers on the freeway, though! (590 ft-lbs!)

- The sound that the normally aspirated motors make is really sweet. Wicked good throttle response, I would say even better than the M3 v8.

- Continental Tire (as many of you know, part owned by MBZ) had a somewhat hidden tent where they had tire guys putting new skins on the cars as they got worn. And that was often. God knows how many tires they went through today, but 500-plus hp + rear wheel drive = shredded tires. You would need to have an extra tire+brake pad budget if you owned one of these.

- My driving impressions, by model:

--> C63 sedan: with the performance pack (518hp, I think) this car is SO fast, shifts quick, is really easy to place and stops hard. Relatively neutral and just tidy and easy to hustle around the cones. I can see myself driving (and parking) this little sucker in San Francisco, and simply destroying on the backroads. This is a freaking c-class sedan with the power of an 80's-era Trans-Am car. 220 volts running through a 110 outlet!

--> E63 sedan: just a bigger, more comfy version of the C. Acceleration not quite as strong as the C, but damn quick. Good turn-in, and steering feel. Definitely could be driven every day.

--> CLS63, with Turbo v8: The pig of the bunch at the autocross. Felt tallest and heaviest of everything driven, plus turbo kick in the midrange made it the least fun to boot around. Understeeeeeeeeer. With seat time, you could manage the torque surge and use it to satisfying effect on the highway, but that would also mean hitting 120 everytime you blew past a sh#tbox! I over-drove this one, but even so -- given this car's dramatic styling, it was a disappointment, and not the one I would drop my coin on (if I had this kinda coin right now).

--> SL63: This was the revelation of the day. I expected it to feel sloppy, slow and plow-y like the CLS, but this thing turns in well, rotates NICELY mid-corner, and allows you to pour on the power smoothly. Must be a combo of the long wheelbase and big meats in the back. Verrrry satisfying to point through the cones and perhaps it is a sign of my advancing age, but it was smooth, comfy and fast. You would never think that a car with this much of a boulevardier image would be so stout, but it was. Makes me think that a guy could do some real damage with a nice used SL and some aftermarket suspension tuning, and have some change back from a $100K bill.

Last thought -- there's no way in h*ll you would drive these cars this way if any of them were yours. Nobody, unless they are making NBA-level paychecks, is going to smoke the tires and fry the brakes like everyone was doing out there today. Pretty cool that Mercedes is willing to turn people loose, and the cars never seemed to miss a beat.

I say, if you get an invite to this -- definitely take the time to go. If anybody else went, would love to hear your impressions too -- I might just be high on horsepower and (post-event) drinks, but I don't think so. As a marketing event, it excelled - I am pretty hooked on AMG!

Happy Sunday!

~ Bill

 

I was there, it took awhile for me to find it. The instructions given in the email was wrong. I thought they had cancelled the event due to the anticipated rainy weather.

Weather turned out nice and it was so much fun. I agree with your comments. It was a good experience. I abused those cars so bad, but hey it's not mine and I don't have to pay for the brakes/tires.

I had a female "instructor" in the SL63, she was "teaching" me how to drive and turn. Not a sexist, but I don't need a female telling me when to step on the gas and when to step on the brakes.

I'm an experienced race track driver, I know what an apex is and what shuffle steering is. I think I scared her with my speed and calculated driving skills.