SL55/63/65/R230 AMG: AMG Driving Day
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Bedfordshire , England
SL55amg , Range Rover TD6 Vogue , Lotus 340R , Saab 9-5 SE Estate
Paul,
When , where is it etc? When I bought ours from Leadleys in Mansfield , they promised me an AMG day. This could be it.......
BTW , flew to Edinburgh from Luton airport this morning , and they're raffling off an SL500 in the concourse!
David
When , where is it etc? When I bought ours from Leadleys in Mansfield , they promised me an AMG day. This could be it.......
BTW , flew to Edinburgh from Luton airport this morning , and they're raffling off an SL500 in the concourse!
David
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: London, UK
sl55 2002
Hi David
Here's an earlier thread....the number is in about the 7th message.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ht=driving+day
Paul
Here's an earlier thread....the number is in about the 7th message.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ht=driving+day
Paul
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Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 37
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From: Bedfordshire , England
SL55amg , Range Rover TD6 Vogue , Lotus 340R , Saab 9-5 SE Estate
Paul , db1 ,
Well , what was it like? Did you get some rain to make it interesting?
Any tips for when we go on the 15th?
David
Well , what was it like? Did you get some rain to make it interesting?
Any tips for when we go on the 15th?
David
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: London, UK
sl55 2002
It's a good day out....skid pan driving and controlled skids. It really focuses the day on the ESP systems. You also get a chance to do some road driving with an advanced instructor.
You'll get to see (and hear) some interesting other cars (depending on what's around on the day)...there was a Mercedes doing laps at about 180mph that had an engine that sounded like a Merlin engined Spitfire (I'm not exaggerating or joking!) and some other interesting stuff.
You CANNOT take a camera into the site!
The one bit of feedback I gave them at the end of the day was it would be good in future if they allowed people to perhaps do a couple of laps at 155....see if they take up the idea.
Have fun
Paul
You'll get to see (and hear) some interesting other cars (depending on what's around on the day)...there was a Mercedes doing laps at about 180mph that had an engine that sounded like a Merlin engined Spitfire (I'm not exaggerating or joking!) and some other interesting stuff.
You CANNOT take a camera into the site!
The one bit of feedback I gave them at the end of the day was it would be good in future if they allowed people to perhaps do a couple of laps at 155....see if they take up the idea.
Have fun
Paul
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: London, UK
sl55 2002
It's a proving ground where a number of different manufacturers test and drive their vehicles therefore site rules prohibit all cameras. (You could get a Mercedes and a Aston Martin on the track at the same time for example).
Paul
Paul
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Originally posted by pauld
It's a proving ground where a number of different manufacturers test and drive their vehicles therefore site rules prohibit all cameras. (You could get a Mercedes and a Aston Martin on the track at the same time for example).
Paul
It's a proving ground where a number of different manufacturers test and drive their vehicles therefore site rules prohibit all cameras. (You could get a Mercedes and a Aston Martin on the track at the same time for example).
Paul
Blame it on Liveseyd if you get caught
Just messin with ya.
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I thought it was an excellent day, and it gives one an appreciation of the margin of safety that Mercedes build into their cars.
Other than that I also enjoyed the excursion with Don Palmer who was one of the instructors. His car handling skills (you don't get to drive that particular course) are superb. The other instructors, or at least the ones I had, were really good, calm, and professional.
The variety of cars was also good, I got a chance to drive the E55 for the afternoon advanced driving session. I was impressed with it for a (very) fast family saloon. Other cars available for driving were SL55, S55, C32, SLK 32, C32 Estate, CLK55...I think that was it. So if you are interested in trying another AMG this is the place to do it for an extended test drive.
I certainly got a lot out of the day, but would agree with Paul it was disappointing that there was no opportunity for any high(er) speed work - even in a demo type lap to see what these cars are capable of.
Have a good time.
DB1
Other than that I also enjoyed the excursion with Don Palmer who was one of the instructors. His car handling skills (you don't get to drive that particular course) are superb. The other instructors, or at least the ones I had, were really good, calm, and professional.
The variety of cars was also good, I got a chance to drive the E55 for the afternoon advanced driving session. I was impressed with it for a (very) fast family saloon. Other cars available for driving were SL55, S55, C32, SLK 32, C32 Estate, CLK55...I think that was it. So if you are interested in trying another AMG this is the place to do it for an extended test drive.
I certainly got a lot out of the day, but would agree with Paul it was disappointing that there was no opportunity for any high(er) speed work - even in a demo type lap to see what these cars are capable of.
Have a good time.
DB1
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From: Bedfordshire , England
SL55amg , Range Rover TD6 Vogue , Lotus 340R , Saab 9-5 SE Estate
Thanks DB1 , now I'm really looking forward to the day. The wife's quite keen for me to abuse someone else's SL55 rather than her pride & joy!
Regards
David
Regards
David
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Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Bedfordshire , England
SL55amg , Range Rover TD6 Vogue , Lotus 340R , Saab 9-5 SE Estate
Well , what a good day!
First class hospitality , extremely well organised.
Police instructors on road section very interesting , road positioning , defensive driving techniques etc.
Skid practice was very good for just playing with oversteer/understeer , lift-off oversteer , throttle/brake/steering influences on skids etc. Also the only way to get a full appreciation of just how effective the electronic aids really are.
I learned a good deal about the cars , and techniques. For example , if you manual the car down thro the gears for engine braking etc , by holding the lever to the left for a second , instead of a single sequential downshift , it'll kick down 2 or 3 gears to the right one for your speed. Likewise , hold it to the right instead of the usual quick push , and it goes straight to Drive without having to push it 2 or 3 times. Anyone else like me did'nt know that?
Also , in severe understeer , best thing is to simply let go of the steering wheel. Crazy but true!!
I'd recommend anyone who gets the chance , to go. Nice book comes with too!
David
PS Wife enjoyed it too despite (or because?) being outnumbered 11:1
First class hospitality , extremely well organised.
Police instructors on road section very interesting , road positioning , defensive driving techniques etc.
Skid practice was very good for just playing with oversteer/understeer , lift-off oversteer , throttle/brake/steering influences on skids etc. Also the only way to get a full appreciation of just how effective the electronic aids really are.
I learned a good deal about the cars , and techniques. For example , if you manual the car down thro the gears for engine braking etc , by holding the lever to the left for a second , instead of a single sequential downshift , it'll kick down 2 or 3 gears to the right one for your speed. Likewise , hold it to the right instead of the usual quick push , and it goes straight to Drive without having to push it 2 or 3 times. Anyone else like me did'nt know that?
Also , in severe understeer , best thing is to simply let go of the steering wheel. Crazy but true!!
I'd recommend anyone who gets the chance , to go. Nice book comes with too!
David
PS Wife enjoyed it too despite (or because?) being outnumbered 11:1
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 37
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From: Bedfordshire , England
SL55amg , Range Rover TD6 Vogue , Lotus 340R , Saab 9-5 SE Estate
Oh yes , almost forgot , on the track were:
24hr prepared Ferrari 360 undregoing transmission testing.
Lightly disguised SLR ( sorry , does'nt do it for me at all , very "American" , Dodge Viper looking).
Lightly disguised Aston Martin.
Wicked looking WRC type Focus.
It's worth going just for a peek at the secret comings & goings!
David
24hr prepared Ferrari 360 undregoing transmission testing.
Lightly disguised SLR ( sorry , does'nt do it for me at all , very "American" , Dodge Viper looking).
Lightly disguised Aston Martin.
Wicked looking WRC type Focus.
It's worth going just for a peek at the secret comings & goings!
David
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 28,933
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Originally posted by liveseyd
Oh yes , almost forgot , on the track were:
24hr prepared Ferrari 360 undregoing transmission testing.
Lightly disguised SLR ( sorry , does'nt do it for me at all , very "American" , Dodge Viper looking).
Lightly disguised Aston Martin.
Wicked looking WRC type Focus.
It's worth going just for a peek at the secret comings & goings!
David
Oh yes , almost forgot , on the track were:
24hr prepared Ferrari 360 undregoing transmission testing.
Lightly disguised SLR ( sorry , does'nt do it for me at all , very "American" , Dodge Viper looking).
Lightly disguised Aston Martin.
Wicked looking WRC type Focus.
It's worth going just for a peek at the secret comings & goings!
David
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 37
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From: Bedfordshire , England
SL55amg , Range Rover TD6 Vogue , Lotus 340R , Saab 9-5 SE Estate
Difficult to say exactly why. Yes , very long bonnet (you say potato , I say potato..... hmmm , works when you sing it but not when you write it !) , the side exhausts , the side profile is Viper/Z3 kind of.
Sounded more of a muscle/drag car than the understated vavoom I'd expected
Sounded more of a muscle/drag car than the understated vavoom I'd expected
Out Of Control!!
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Posts: 28,933
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I hear ya! I get that a lot because of the Texas twang I have coupled with my semi-indian accent (faint though.) The rear, does it really look as if it's hanging in the air like the spy shots have depicted? I was thinking maybe the lack of rear exhausts did that type of illusion.
I get that a lot because of the Texas twang I have coupled with my semi-indian accent (faint though.) The rear, does it really look as if it's hanging in the air like the spy shots have depicted? I was thinking maybe the lack of rear exhausts did that type of illusion.
