Driving quickly on a race track puts a lot of stress on the body. Lateral g-forces inflict physical pressure, straining muscles and attempting to rearrange the order of internal organs. To cope with the anxiety of self-preservation at speed, the body quickens its heart rate, and cools the brow with sweat while trying to keep the brain from having a meltdown. Human physiology isn’t designed to travel at that kind of pace.
Sometimes, however, duty calls, and one must make personal sacrifices to do one’s job. Recognizing my station in life – to report back the finer detail points of exquisitely designed and fiercely powerful machinery – I have wilfully subjected my middle-aged body to the rigours of driving several AMG performance models on a race track, despite the hardships it causes.
And it’s because of this dedication to my craft that I did not feel guilty about driving around Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit (VIMC) in a $180,000 Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe with the seat massaging function turned up to the max to help make my job a little more tolerable.
As impressively capable as the S63 Coupe is at speed, even with its 577 horsepower bellowing into the surrounding woods, it’s not easy hustling the 2,112 kg grand touring machine favoured by NBA stars and captains of industry, to chase down the nimbler cars ahead of me.
Not easy, but wickedly fun.
For 2017, Mercedes-AMG – being treated as a separate, high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz Canada – is celebrating both its sensational family of 40 vehicular offerings, and a half-century of ferociously powerful machinery. In Canada, there’s no better way to help celebrate than by participating in the company’s AMG Performance Tour. Well, no better way short of actually buying an AMG of your own, that is.
Started in 2008, the AMG Performance Tour differs from the AMG Driving Academy in that the former is a marketing initiative designed to be more experiential and less intensive than the full-on Driving Academy. Whereas the Driving Academy is open to drivers of both Mercedes and off-brand machines who are willing to pay for the experience, the Performance Tour is paid for by dealerships wishing to impress current or potential AMG customers.
It’s a heck of a program too. After landing in Victoria, BC, participants are shuttled to the Villa Eyrie Resort perched atop the Malahat mountain. To suggest the views from this recently renovated facility are stunning is a gross understatement. AMG’s branding (and achingly cool clothing and other goodies for sale) is everywhere. The owner of the resort (the GAIN Dealer Group), who also owns the new Vancouver Island Motorsports Circuit, has an obvious passion for all things automotive with even the restaurant area adorned by classic racing photos, die-cast models, and photographs of friends’ machinery at the track.
Following breakfast, participants are shuttled the 40-or-so minutes to the track facility where they meet the driving instructors. Not only affable and welcoming, these talented hot shoes are also exceptional brand ambassadors for AMG, possessing in-depth product knowledge one doesn’t normally find at such events; no easy feat considering a dozen different models were on-hand and ready to be driven at our event.
Ranging from the gateway drug AMG models like the four-cylinder, 375 horsepower GLA 45 and CLA 45 compacts, through the brand-new mid-size E63S sedan, to the exotic-looking (and highly addictive) lime green AMG GT R, the fleet of cars could be considered intimidating to those who have never set out on a race track before. Recognizing that many of the participants are in that very position, the event’s instructors have tailored a program to bring even nervous track virgins up to speed (literally) very quickly.
Starting out with a follow-the-leader session on the track behind an instructor in one of the four-cylinder cars, it’s easy to build confidence and speed. It’s not like the CLA 45 is a slow car anyway, it’s sensationally quick and wildly fun, making fantastic, vulgar noises all the way around the track. Plus, the instructors are in the lead car, giving one-on-one instructions, pointing out the need-to-knows about this relatively new track. After a few laps, the small group pits and vehicles are swapped, ensuring everyone gets equal time in each of the machines. Cycling through compact, mid-size, and full-size cars, plus a GLE 63 AMG, we are able to log plenty of laps all before lunch time.
The VIMC is an excellent venue for the Performance Tour with fresh, modern facilities and a very compact track that prevents inexperienced drivers from getting into trouble with very serious speeds attainable only on a larger track with longer straights.
To ensure the track doesn’t get too crowded, while half the group of 16 media-folk lapped the circuit, the rest toured the off-road facilities adjacent to the track in a group of GLC 43 sport utility vehicles, proving that just because they’re asphalt-ready, doesn’t mean certain AMG models can’t hit the wilderness too. While tame compared to the capabilities of Mercedes’ own G-wagens, the little GLCs nevertheless scampered up rocky hills, bounced over big humps, and forded a sizable puddle. It’s all pretty impressive considering the road-friendly tires worn by these little rigs.
For the afternoon, in addition to more of the highly coveted track time, we’re encouraged to participate in some friendly competition on an autocross-style course set up with pylons. Piloting a new C63S Coupe, each of us do our best to post as low times as possible, without killing any cones. With a few of my peers possessing race licences and decades more track time than me, I didn’t expect to be the quickest – and I wasn’t – but it didn’t stop the smile on my face, nor the relentless teasing of one another’s driving prowess.
Despite differences in personality and behaviour, there are some common elements shared between all AMG models. First is that they’re all based on Mercedes-Benz products, which mean there’s the inherent solidity to their structure and feel, not to mention very high levels of luxury and quality materials throughout. What’s more, it is safe to say that no company makes a full line-up of cars that sounds so beastly. Regardless of cylinder count, each of the AMG models induces ear-to-ear grinning based on the raw, baritone bellow emitted from the tailpipes. This isn’t digitally created, piped-through-speakers sort of soundtrack either; this is the real deal, and my God, it is good, barking and crackling with every downshift.
For all the cacophony and brute thrust each AMG model delivers, most of us are surprised at how manageable and forgiving the cars are when pushed a bit. While forbidden to switch off the car’s ESP (stability control) systems, it never felt like the cars – or the enjoyment thereof – were being held back because of it. It helps that the instructors remind guests that the easiest way to buy a new AMG is to crash one because the ESP had been switched off.
Mercedes’ PR and product teams wouldn’t reveal the dealers’ cost of the AMG Performance Tour, but assured us that over the nearly two decades Mercedes-Benz Canada has been providing the event, it’s proven to be highly successful in convincing would-be customers to splurge on an AMG purchase. And as the number-three AMG market in the world (behind only Germany and the United States), Canadians have wholeheartedly embraced the premium performance brand.
Whether you’re debating the purchase of a new AMG model, or are fortunate enough to already own one, you might want to remain in the good books with your local dealership in the hopes that they send you out to the AMG Performance Tour. And don’t worry, even though having all that fun is a lot of work, those massaging seats really help to lighten the burden.
