Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Affalterbach, Germany, Mar 13, 2009 - Driving at high speeds, improving active handling safety and enjoying unforgettable events with like-minded people - all this is what the AMG Driving Academy stands for. The new programme for the 2009/2010 season offers an even wider choice of events during which sports car enthusiasts with racing ambitions can improve their driving skills under the guidance of professional instructors. A new member of this team of experienced AMG instructors is the former DTM, ITC and FIA-GT Champion Bernd Schneider, one of Germany's most successful racing drivers.


The programme of events of the AMG Driving Academyfounded in 2007 is
divided into five different skill levels: EMOTION, BASIC, ADVANCED, PRO and MASTERS.

The choice extends from lifestyle-oriented events and race training events where the participants take their first steps towards the physical limits, right up to intensive racetrack training of a competitive nature - with varying levels of difficulty, and tailor-made to the individual needs of the participants. One new highlight in the EMOTION Tour calendar is a drive to Lake Constance and through the landscapes of Vorarlberg to Bregenz/Austria. This is followed by a performance of "Aida", the world-famous opera by Giuseppi Verdi, on the lakeside stage in Bregenz.

During the performance-oriented events in the AMG Driving Academy programme, drivers gradually learn to assess and master critical situations in complete safety - on legendary racetracks such as the North Loop of the Nürburgring or the Grand Prix circuit in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. In this way the participants automatically sharpen their reflexes and improve their active handling safety. Licensed instructors with great motorsports experience impart their extensive knowledge in a professional manner. The learning effect is therefore directly combined with driving pleasure and passion.

One special event is the AMG Winter Sporting in Arjeplog (Sweden) close to the Arctic Circle: the AMG high-performance vehicles provided are driven exclusively on expanses of ice. All the vehicles are equipped with special, spiked tyres that ensure a precisely defined level of grip. The brand-new, exclusive AMGLodge situated amidst the breathtaking scenery of Swedish Lapland is a real highlight: opened in 2009, this AMG-owned hotel on Galtis Hill near Arjeplog offers a wonderful view across the forests and lakes of the region. The luxurious rooms, first-class restaurant and large spa facility with a pool and fitness studio guarantee a very pleasant stay.

AMG MASTERS Sports Trophy with a unique first prize

Sheer excitement and vehicle control at the highest level are the order of the day for the AMG MASTERS Sports Trophy. As part of this particularly exclusive, high-class AMG competition series, the participants have the benefit of intensive, individual racetrack training combined with medical care by trained sports therapists. Together with the contestants, AMG specialists with enormous know-how configure the most suitable, personal suspension setup for each vehicle. In 2009 the three to four-day events will take place at the Sachsenring (Germany), in Zandvoort (Netherlands), in Brno (Czechia) and at the Ascari Race Resort (Spain). The 25 drivers taking part in each event will collect points for the overall ranking, with a unique first prize awaiting the eventual winner: he will have the opportunity to drive the current AMGMercedes C-Class used in the DTM series. The dates of all driver training events, plus brochures and registration forms, can be downloaded from the updated homepage:
www.mercedes-amg.com/driving-academy.

Further information is also available from the AMG Driving Academy hotline
under tel. no. +49 7144 302-575.