E55 Estate Fan

I am planning to go to Mercedes Benz World at Brooklands, near Weybridge in Surrey sometime this coming week, probably this Friday 6th of July.

Website:

http://www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cont...rooklands.html


Fellow UK board members Mr Nu & Richard have really whetted my appetite, not only is it a brilliant place to visit for free, but there will be access to the SLR everyday from the 2nd of July until the 6th of July only. Also the chance for one lucky person every day that week to win a free ride in the SLR around the track there. .

Is anybody else free sometime this week to go? It would be great to meet up, I've got a fairly clear diary this week, so depending on other people's commitments let's try to get a date organised now Mr Nu? DNJ? dhaesler? Richard?

Chris

Mr Nu

Hi Chris

Re. Friday, sounds like a great plan as I was planning to pop down this week as well and Friday would most likely be the easiest managed day for me... I'll double check the diary once in the office Monday morning, but cant see it causing a major issue, so pencil me in for Friday now.

Like you said, it'd be great to meet in person and see an SLR, AMG E55 estate, AMG E36 and any other UK AMG's we can entice along in the metal.

On a side note – DNJ, great to hear from another Brit here and hats off to you with your choice of car... a truly superb vehicle indeed.

Nath

palmer3914

would love too but im afraid im up to my eye's at moment preparing my track car for the saturday....

E55 Estate Fan

Palmer, what track car have you got please?
Chris

E55 Estate Fan

Looks like we may have 3 forum members going so far, Mr Nu (E36 AMG), Richard (SL55 AMG) & myself (E55 AMG Estate). We plan to arrive there at 10.30am & have a mini AMG festival. Anyone else?

Can't wait to see & hear the SLR going round the track. Also looking forward to the AMG experience, a chance to drive an AMG model of your choice around the track, for a small fee.

Chris

Mr Nu

Hi Chris

Hope you're well and not to busy! Just a quick one, we may be joined on Friday by another forum member – Roger Paton – in his AMG C43 Estate, which will be great. Looks like we'll have quite a unique set of AMG's attending, looking forward to it! Let's just hope the weather is fair to us!

Be great to see more UK owners!

Best

Nath

E55 Estate Fan

Hi Nath

Great news. More the merrier.

A C43 AMG Estate?! Bet you can't wait to see it; I know how much you love those rare beauties.

Expecting to receive all 4 of my new Goodyear F1 tyres arrive tomorrow. Just got to find a decent tyre fitter now, who won't damage the the recently refurbished alloys.

Chris

E55 Estate Fan

Waynec1980 is going to try & make it too, in either his C43 AMG or E55 AMG.
Weather forecast, dare I say it, looks ok too

Mr Nu

Great news regarding Wayne, I spoke with him the other night online and invited him and he said he'd try and make it. Be great to see one of his collection there!

Chris, on a side note you know if it rains now you'll get the blame!

Nath

E55 Estate Fan

yes I know, but if it rains, it will make the wet skid pan even more fun!

Andy7oaks

I've always fancied visiting and seeing this thread I will try and make it too. I have a hospital appointment for 8am but as you can probably guess from my name where I come from I should be able to get down there mid morning depending on how the southern section of the M25 is.

I have a C43 silver saloon with reg S43 _ _ _ so you should spot me. I walk with a limp as well due to some adventures on a motorbike when younger so I can't run away if you introduce yourself.

I have some secret Ferrari blueprints if anyone wishes to swap ? ( joke )

Regards
Andy

E55 Estate Fan

Great news Andy7oaks

Look forward to seeing you & your C43 tomorrow at 10.30am in the car park

I'll be the good looking fella with the silver E55 AMG Estate reg WSU....

Think that makes 6 forum members. Come on, one more & we'll be the Magnificent Seven

Regards

Chris

E55 Estate Fan

Well, we did it! It was great fun & the weather was fine.

Nath (E36) was so keen to get there, he arrived before they even opened at 9.30am! Richard (SL55) & I arrived at a more civilised 10.30am

We waited for half an hour in case anyone else arrived. We made good use of our time, talking AMGs of course, & playing with the SL55's fancy electric panoramic sunroof. Very fast & slick!

We then went into the MB dealership. This building is a huge, glass plated building, feeling very light & airy, ideal for displaying works of art! The building & grounds occupy 16 square kilometres, whatever that is in English/imperial, it's bloody large!! The building looks fantastic, not bad for a dealership! There's a restaurant on the top floor, a cafe, a kids creche, a workshop, so you can bring your car in to be serviced, whilst you go off & play! The workshop was needless, to say immaculate, despite being busy.

There are 4 floors stuffed full of cars, with AMGs at the top, where else would they be?! All the cars can be easily moved up & down by means of a huge lift hidden behind the scenes apparently.

We spent a couple of hours perusing all these toys. There is no sales pressure at all. It is very relaxed, you are aware of being watched, but discreetly from a distance & you are allowed to roam freely over all the cars.

We eventually ended up in the merchandise store, where a T - shirt will cost you £20! The AMG book Reaching for the Stars was £55!! (makes your imported book from the USA, Nath, a bargain!). We didn't spend long in there!!!

Lunch was served at our reserved (good idea Richard) table in the Gullwing restaurant on the top floor of the building overlooking the handling circuit. Food & service was excellent, the company & conversation too

After lunch we stumbled upon one of the only 2 SLR presentations taking place that day. Very interesting talk was given highlighting the technical brilliance of the car designed by Gordon Murray of MacLaren F1 fame. The 2 petrol tanks hold a total of 97 litres, which if travelling at 208mph would be empty in just 19 minutes . The car looks fantastic in the flesh & so it should do at £350k. After the talk we were taken downstairs, where another SLR was available for us to sit in etc. This car was started up & sounded majestic & menacing at the same time! A true Grand Tourer, with usefully practical boot too. Whenever the car needs servicing it must be returned only to MacLaren, in Woking, England. Alternatively, assuming you have very deep pockets in the first place, to be able to buy the car, MacLaren can always fly service technicians out to you; now that's what I call service

Shortly after that at 2.30pm we were joined by another forum member Roger Paton (C43) & his wife Margaret. Margaret, bless her was not really interested in cars & was quite happy to read a book in the car. However, she did join us in the end & actually entered the prize draw at the last minute, along with us, to be driven around the circuit & skid pan in the SLR.

The building now was filling up with people all hoping to be the lucky winner. Suddenly the crowd groaned & dispersed, I looked up at a large plasma screen, which at 3pm had announced the winner of the SLR ride as...............Margaret Paton!

Gobsmacked at winning she graciously gave her prize , to the utter amazement of all around us to her husband Roger.

Roger was then whisked away like the VIP he is, to the car & we watched in awe as the car zoomed around the track, at speeds of up to 110mph, according to Roger later on. The car made it all look so utterly effortless, complete composure at all times, but what a wonderful deep yet still refined bellow from the exhaust.

Superb end to a wonderful day. My thanks to Roger, Nath, Richard & Margaret of course for coming along.

I'll try & post a few photos taken on my mobile/cell phone. Nath took some too, & no doubt will post his up shortly too.

Regards

Chris

E55 Estate Fan

Here are some photos of Roger Paton being given a ride in a SLR around the handling circuit & also the skid pan:

Last photo shows Roger finalising the spec of his SLR order .
Note wife no longer with him!!

E55 Estate Fan

PS Saw that Maybach today at MB World, sure won't win any beauty contests

As one of my friends with a delightful & succinct command of the English language would say it's 'fugly'

No wonder no one's buying them, about time they pulled the plug on it.

Perhaps we should have a poll on it?

Mr Nu

Following on from Chris's posts, please see the start of a few more picture uploads. First batch show our little collection of Affalterbach's finest.

Future posts will include the SLR showcase that we were all privy to and finally Mr Roger Paton's (C43 Estate owner and member of this forum) epic trip out in the infamous SLR round the test track!

All in all a fabulous day out with great company, great cars and a truly amazing location!

Nath

Mr Nu

SLR Presentation Pic Set 1

Regards

Nath

Mr Nu

SLR Presentation Pic Set 2

Regards Nath

Mr Nu

Chris putting on a brave face as he works out how he can justify his next Mercedes purchase to his better half!

Nath

Mr Nu

Roger's SLR Experience: Set 1

It has to be said that Roger owes a great deal to the kindness of his lovely wife, as she actually won the ride in the SLR and kindly gave it to him... lets just see how much this experience will cost him in the long run, as I swear I heard a mention of a holiday in New York, as he raced around the test track!

Mr Nu

Roger's SLR Experience: Set 2