Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Affalterbach – Enjoying sporty driving with coaching by experts and experiencing unforgettable events with fellow driving enthusiasts - that’s what the AMG Driving Academy stands for. The new calendar of events features a wide array of offerings, where serious sports car lovers can improve their driving skills in line with their individual needs and further boost their active driving safety.

Founded by Mercedes-AMG in 2007, the AMG Driving Academy comprises five different programs: Emotion, Basic, Advanced, Pro, and Master. The selection ranges from lifestyle-oriented events to initial steps on the edge areas of test and race tracks, open to participants only, to intensive car racing training with a competitive feel - with varying degrees of difficulty tailored to the needs and wishes of the individual participants.
On legendary race tracks like the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife loop and the Grand Prix course at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, AMG drivers gradually and safely become familiar with driving on the edge areas. This approach allows each participant to automatically improve his or her active driving safety skills. Licensed instructors with extensive auto racing experience convey their wealth of knowledge in a highly professional manner, which immediately combines learning with driving enjoyment and passion.

Data recording for precise analysis and rapid progress

The latest training methods ensure that participants not only quickly grasp the fundamentals of driving dynamics but also safely gain an understanding of the limits of driver and vehicle - with a healthy dose of adrenaline and fascination, of course. Data recording, which has proven its value in professional auto racing, captures not only driving times for certain track stretches and full circuits, but also values for longitudinal and transverse acceleration. This makes it possible to rapidly and accurately analyze the progress of each participant.

An overview of all the AMG Driving Academy events:

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Emotion: Participants in these lifestyle-oriented offerings drive on interesting routes and enjoy exclusive events at special locations within the AMG network.
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Basic: Safe and confident reaction behind the wheel is the focus of this training program, in which professional instructors provide participants with the skills needed for their first forays on track edge areas.
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Advanced: With supervision by professional instructors and an individually tailored training approach, this program concentrates on increasing participants’ driving skills.
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Pro: Instructors with auto racing experience help participants to tap into their personal potential - including extensive data recording for individual analysis.
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Masters: This program’s intensive, targeted race-track training includes individual coaching and evaluation of participants. AMG specialists contribute their comprehensive expertise to the development of a chassis set-up tuned to the individual participant.

AMG Masters “Sports Trophy” with one-time main prize

Racing pulses and fast circuit times are the hallmarks of the AMG Masters “Sports Trophy.” Participants in this very exclusive, high-class AMG competition series benefit from intensive race track training customized to take into account their individual abilities and wishes, combined with a sports-medicine examination. In addition, AMG specialists use their impressive know-how to provide a customized chassis setup for the participant vehicle. The events, which last three or four days, take place at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Eurospeedway Lausitz, and at the Ascari Race Resort (Spain). A total of 25 drivers collect points at the three events, for the overall evaluation. The winner will be honored with a unique top prize: a chance to drive the latest AMG DTM C-Class.

Icy driving pleasure in Sweden’s Lappland region

A very special feature is the AMG Winter Sporting in Arjeplog (Sweden), not far from the Arctic Circle: the AMG high-performance cars that have been provided are driven only on an enclosed ice track. All of the vehicles are equipped with special spiked tires that guarantee a precisely defined degree of traction. An extensive supporting program with lots of local atmosphere rounds off the four-day events in Lappland - including a ride in the AMG ice taxi, a customized AMG vehicle featuring special studded tires used on FIA World Rally cars.
Depending on the type of event, the participants drive their own AMG models or AMG high-performance vehicles provided by the AMG Driving Academy. Cars also are available to rent, for example the new C 63 AMG, the CLS 63 AMG with the performance package, or the SLK 55 AMG Black Series. And, needless to say, all AMG events include unsurpassed hospitality, including culinary specialties and lodging in fine hotels.
A detailed calendar for the 2008 summer season and the AMG Winter-Sporting2009, as well as further information, is available on the Internet, at www.mercedes-amg.com, or by calling the AMG Driving Academy hotline at +49 7144 302-575.