AMG Driving Course: spending the day among sports cars

Driving courses are always a good plan for spending the day. Many of them provide insight and practice for situations that can arise on the road, and it is essential to have a solid foundation, both theoretical and practical, to face all kinds of unexpected events.

If you add to this the partnership between Mercedes AMG and Michelin as the official tyre of the course, the evening becomes much more interesting. The tyre brand sponsors different courses and driving schools in its drive to improve safety not only through tyre manufacturing but also through training, which is fundamental for any good driver.

The instructors of the RACE at the Jarama Circuit offer an Mercedes AMG driving course with which we can get a first feel for the AMG range of the manufacturer and also improve our driving in the wet, in adverse situations, and above all, have fun on the track with the AMG range (all of them fitted with Michelin tyres, most of them Pilot Sport 3).

As a curiosity, AMG builds its own engines, and on those engines the signature of the person who assembled the engine appears. It is an almost artisanal process, and every single AMG engine that is built is signed.

Preparing for the first contact with the AMG sports cars

We began the morning with a short briefing in which they told us some basic notions about driving, taking corners and, in general, orienting ourselves towards safer driving. At that moment we waited nervously for the time to come to take one of the different models of the AMG range waiting for us outside, on the circuit.

To begin the course, we did not head straight onto the asphalt with the sports cars. Instead, we practised on three sections of the Jarama Circuit, and we also carried out three parallel activities with Mercedes models to warm up for the circuit.

Among the three parallel exercises, two of them are extremely interesting for vehicle control, since they are carried out on wet surfaces. The first consists of a constant turn on wet ground where, with considerable skill and good throttle modulation, we keep a Class C 250 CDI Estate sideways. Shortly afterwards we switch on the electronic aids and check how the ESP and traction control prevent us from sliding, keeping the car under control at all times.

The second exercise is a slalom with cones that we performed with a Mercedes CLS, quite demanding because of the narrow course and the enormous dimensions of the CLS. The third activity was an emergency stop, trying to pass the speed radar at the highest possible speed and stopping the car without going past a set point. Finally we did a mini circuit mixing dry grip areas with wet asphalt, in this case at the wheel of a Class C 6.3 AMG Coupé with 525 CV.

Testing the circuit aboard the Mercedes AMG

In parallel with these activities, we made three first contacts with the Jarama circuit, divided into three sections, at the wheel of the SLK 55 AMG, the CLS 63 AMG and the Class E 63 AMG in my case. The aim was to familiarise ourselves with the layout and with the AMG cars so as to finally complete the entire track.

From the range on offer it was hard to choose one that we liked more than another, because from the small SLK 55 AMG with just 422 CV up to the CLS 63 AMG, all of them had more than enough power and sporting performance. I did most of my laps in the CLS 63 AMG, and the truth is that the luxurious interior contrasted with the sporty exterior: a dashboard covered in leather, with quality present in every corner, mixed with outstanding performance for a model that measures nearly five metres in length.

An intermediate option was the C 63 AMG Coupé, with its powerful engine exceeding 500 CV and, at the same time, smaller dimensions, yet again with cornering ability and performance worthy of the AMG badge.

Final highlight with the Mercedes SLS AMG Cabrio of 570 CV

To finish the course we had a couple of laps of the Jarama Circuit aboard the “gullwing” but without wings, the convertible version. Just seeing it is spectacular, but when we climbed inside (a task that is not exactly comfortable) and took the wheel of the SLS AMG, we wished time would stand still so we could keep enjoying it.

To the powerful 6.3-litre V8 engine with 570 CV you must add a chassis that is simply ideal for those seeking stability and sportiness, while the powerful braking system stops it as if it were a city car.

One of the instructors said we were not allowed to turn on the radio (so we could hear their instructions over the walkie-talkies), since the sound of the engine was already the radio. In the case of the SLS AMG this was even more pronounced (although I would not have minded trying the Bang & Olufsen sound system it was fitted with).

This driving course is aimed both at customers of the brand and at potential customers who want to learn first-hand how the Mercedes AMG range performs. The experience is highly recommended, and you will be able to see for yourself the performance of the Mercedes AMG cars.

Photos | Diego G. Moreira