A Tri Pointed Star Travelogue with Pics: Trip to the Mercedes Benz Plant Chakan, Pune - Page 5 - Team-BHP

Dippy · 21st April 2009, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

I thought the SLK 55 also went through a fender bender during the first Delhi road show

Yep it did at the Road show by a 17 year old but this was a by a professional auto mag guy. From what the guys at Mercedes told me, it was a pretty bad crash.

doomsday · 21st April 2009, 16:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

We were restricted to driving the AMGs inside the Plant premises only because just few days before our visit, an auto journo of a popular car mag crashed the CLS63 AMG pretty badly at Lonavla( trying to be over adventurous by turning off TC) so they have become quite strict now.

Nothing new, yet another auto journo trying to emulate Keiichi dorikin Tsuchiya would have been woken up to his true capabilities. I wonder when companies will start asking them to pay for the damages (or brand new cars, as the case may be).

ac 427 · 21st April 2009, 18:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

We were restricted to driving the AMGs inside the Plant premises only because just few days before our visit, an auto journo of a popular car mag crashed the CLS63 AMG pretty badly at Lonavla( trying to be over adventurous by turning off TC) so they have become quite strict now.

But we were happy since the roads inside the plant are great too as you can see in the pictures

Hey Dippy

Lovely pics, what was the visit for ? Just a random visit or You had some work with them ?

It was just call to them ' We are coming over, keep your expensive cars ready"

Am extremely curious to know, and yes about the pics too, surprising they let you take pics of the cars.

None the less it must be a great experience.

Cheers,
AC

viper9999 · 21st April 2009, 21:31

Nice pics of the tour !!

moralfibre · 22nd April 2009, 06:08

Good show Dippy and Karthik.

Quote:

Originally Posted by v1p3r

Is that JD's old M3?

No. It is AP's old M3. And I doubt that the Hamann exhausts are a part of the car. But they could be.

Rudra Sen · 22nd April 2009, 08:57

Super stuff Dippy bro! My trip to that factory is long overdue. Looks like they've roughly maintained the same layout as their previous factory.

Photographs are great. Looks like Karthik and you'll give a hard time to lot of photographers.

Dippy · 22nd April 2009, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Super stuff Dippy bro! My trip to that factory is long overdue. Looks like they've roughly maintained the same layout as their previous factory.

Photographs are great. Looks like Karthik and you'll give a hard time to lot of photographers.

Thank you Rudra. I was waiting for your reply on this thread. Really appreciate your comments on the photographs.

Sahil · 22nd April 2009, 11:50

Super report and pics, Dippy ! The photologue made me feel like I was virtualy there (I'll give some credit to my oversized LCD monitor too

)

Were you able to get an indication on when they will stop production of the current E-class?

I believe you drove back the M3 right after ripping those AMG's. How was the comparo?

If I may ask, how exactly is Hanmust associated with MBIL?

Dippy · 22nd April 2009, 11:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sahil

Super report and pics, Dippy ! The photologue made me feel like I was virtualy there (I'll give some credit to my oversized LCD monitor too

)

Were you able to get an indication on when they will stop production of the current E-class?

I believe you drove back the M3 right after ripping those AMG's. How was the comparo?

If I may ask, how exactly is Hanmust associated with MBIL?

The W212 is currently undergoing homologation as far I heard from some sources out there. About the M3 I was just passenger, My friend drove us to the plant and back. Powerful and practical at the same time. Comfy at the back too. Two cars I missed though were the S65 and C63. I was really keen to try out the C63 and see what it was all about.

Sahil, They offer factory tours for owners. You could try for a trip. Its worth the effort. An experience to have for sure.

TRANSAM · 22nd April 2009, 12:07

Wow dippy, great travelogue. A great reading and visual experience, super pics and coverage of the plant.

Sahil · 22nd April 2009, 12:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

Sahil, They they offer factory tours for owners. You could try for a trip. Its worth the effort. An experience to have for sure.

Oh they do? I better take the oppurtunity soon because my Merc is almost on it's way out, atleast getting an experience like this will make the torture it has given me all worthwhile at the end

How does one go about organising this? Would they let us drive the range, or is that just for "VIPs"

Dippy · 22nd April 2009, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sahil

Oh they do? I better take the oppurtunity soon because my Merc is almost on it's way out, atleast getting an experience like this will make the torture it has given me all worthwhile at the end

How does one go about organising this? Would they let us drive the range, or is that just for "VIPs"

I think you could contact the dealer or get in touch with them directly at Chakan. They could fix up an appoinmtment for you I guess.

Ankoor · 22nd April 2009, 12:47

Thanks for the travelogue and the pictures Dippy. They make you fall in love with the merc all over again...

PS: The AMG snaps were the show stealers!

syedhafeez · 22nd April 2009, 14:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dippy

Some more pictures from AMG Sunday which I left out earlier

Great pics of the AMG's...

vinaydas · 22nd April 2009, 17:16

Great pics. And might i say an awesome finale with the M3

im a bit curious.By the pics apart from the AMG's the C,E and S are heavily localized or maybe im wrong.
Then why is the prices of their cars sky high?

22nd April 2009, 11:50	#68 (permalink)
Sahil Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 3,069	Super report and pics, Dippy ! The photologue made me feel like I was virtualy there (I'll give some credit to my oversized LCD monitor too ) Were you able to get an indication on when they will stop production of the current E-class? I believe you drove back the M3 right after ripping those AMG's. How was the comparo? If I may ask, how exactly is Hanmust associated with MBIL? __________________ ______________ __________ ______ __

22nd April 2009, 17:16	#75 (permalink)
vinaydas BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 680 View My Garage	Great pics. And might i say an awesome finale with the M3 im a bit curious.By the pics apart from the AMG's the C,E and S are heavily localized or maybe im wrong. Then why is the prices of their cars sky high? __________________ Camry 07 Innova 08 Palio 04

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