I was wondering if anyone had some insights into the AMG Driving Academy and whether it was worth it and a good time? I live in Europe so would attend their European tracks. They have multiple tracks where they conduct the events based on what you want and driving experience. They also provide all the cars which is great so you don't trash your own!

 

Everyone comes back raving. I have attended one event in the US and I think they were a little shy about letting us get closer to our potential. The pro level classes in Europe are much better.

I will say that the instructors were great.

 

To me, that's the main fault with them. If you don't use your own car, how much will you transfer what you have possibly learned?

Here in the US, there are track days where you use your own car, and they usually have instructors for newbees (also, people of similar levels of ability go on the track together). For the cost of an AMG event, you could do at least 3-6 track days (or about 26 autocrosses, which would teach you even more); that is a much more efficient use of funds, imho. Though it's your money, obviously.

 

I have attended AMG Driving Academy events at four different tracks in Europe - Nuerburgring (twice), Hockenheim, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Master Series at Ascari Race Resort in Spain. They were the most exciting events I have ever done, and I have memories from each event that will last a lifetime.

Not only were the driving experiences outstanding, meeting the group of like-minded participants from various countries around the world just added to the fun.

I have also attended two Graduate events in the U.S. at Las Vegas and California Speedway at Fontana, California. There really is no comparison between the two events. In the U.S., we were never allowed anywhere near the degree of independence that I enjoyed in Europe. We always had a "minder" in the car with us in the U.S. Plus the organizers were extremely concerned about brake rotor temperatures. In Europe, no one was even the slightest bit concerned about the brakes. In fact I was constantly being admonished to use them with even more force when approaching a turn. I guess I'm just too "old school".

To sum it up, in Europe I felt I was treated as an adult, and allowed and encouraged to drive to the absolute limits of my ability. There, I was given the respect that I would have enough sense no to drive over my head and kill myself, even though that could be a distinct possibility, given the very high speeds and some of the surroundings. In the U.S., it felt as though the organizers took the same sort of attitude that one would have if they were giving the cars to a bunch of high school kids on testosterone overload. Let 'em drive faster than they normally would on the highway, but don't let them go too far. This may have changed in the last couple of years, but from what I see in the descriptions of the activities at the U.S. events, it still seems very restricted by comparison. I questioned whether I got my money's worth at both of the U.S. events and decided that it really was questionable. I never gave the cost of the European events a second thought.

The European AMG Driving Academy events are something I will always remember!