[Rehaan]

It’s a cold morning at the Buddh International Circuit, and there’s 2130 odd horsepower of gleaming AMG muscle lined up in front of me. Three C63s, one E63, one SL65 and the mighty SLS. And oh yeah, there’s two C250s as well – in case you’re into that kind of stuff.

I’m here to drive the C63 AMG on India’s formula one circuit (woohooo). I’ll give her some stick on behalf of Team-BHPians everywhere. How am I here? How can you get here? Well, let me give you those details before I start to narrate my personal experience.


Mercedes has launched their AMG Performance Driving Academy at the Buddh International circuit in Noida. This is the third Performance Driving Academy they have opened outside of Germany, (after USA and China). The academy and the course offered isn’t as much about the experience of driving a performance car, as it is about getting tailor made advice for improving your driving style - from experienced instructors.


Course details :

• Kick-off in March 2012

• Priced at Rs. 75,000/- for the one day course

• Existing Mercedes-Benz customers get first preference and a special price of Rs. 50,000/-

• The price includes food, insurance cover, and the car

• You'll be driving C63 AMGs and perhaps the E63 AMG. Cars will be manned in pairs

• This is not a “track-day”. Its a combination of theory and on-track training. You're paying for the teaching and the information you get, in addition to time on track

• The trainers are German instructors with over a decade of racing experience (although the long-term goal is to find and train Indian instructors)

• Currently, only the BASIC-Training course is available In India

• Not for racing drivers (there are advanced courses available for them, but not yet in India)

• A max of 8 participants per group. 2 groups per weekend. 4 weekends a year

• Special tailor made courses (eg. for corporates) can be scheduled by appointment

• Register at any Merc dealership or on the website. Dealers got a taste of it too, so they can give the customers additional first-hand info.

Course content :

• Theory session
• Slalom (understanding weight transfer)
• Lane changing and collision avoidance (ABS & steering inputs)
• Braking (optimum braking performance)
• Oversteer and understeer (cause & resolution)
• Debriefing session

Though i have asked, the exact amount of seat-time a participant will get hasn't been specified as yet.


The red monster. 6.2 liters. 457 horsepower @ 6800 rpm. 600 Nm of torque @ 5000 rpm


360 mm discs with 6-piston calipers on the front. Your chariot awaits


Not quite the pits. Its an amazing feeling to have the entire circuit shared between just a handful of us


The C63 and E63 pull into the pitlane


Ready for take-off: the SLS will lead the pack around the circuit


Clearly its the favourite of the cameras too


Wait till you hear the meaty exhausts (in the video) - their growl isn't what you'd expect from a Merc!


4.4 seconds to 100 km/h under that hood. 7200 rpm redline.


An SL 63 that came to watch the action


Carbon fiber down there

[Rehaan]

So where were we in my little story?



I’m standing here on the Buddh circuit. Well, in the pit-lane, but that’s always a good place to start. The scale of the place is immense. Its my first time here, and I’m glad that I’ll be doing the driving rather than just watching. We’re ushered in to a garage area and given a quick slideshow presentation on general safety, and what we’ll be going through in the day :

1) 2 hot-laps with Bernd Maylander (F1 safety car driver since 2000!)
2) Slalom session (C250 and C63 back to back comparo)
3) Follow-the-leader (2 laps around Buddh!)

NOTE: This is just a condensed sampler of what participants would go through in the full-day course.

We are instructed to keep the ESP ON :(. It’s a bit sad, since in a way the car will be doing a lot for us, reducing the possible learning curve greatly. Not sure if this will be the case for academy participants too. Since we’re talking about ESP – the AMGs have 3 settings. ON, OFF and SPORT. Sport allows a greater drift-angle before it steps in. Off is for crazy people and professionals. Suggested only for use on closed circuits.


The grandstand roof looming above the pit-lane



HOT LAPS WITH MAYLANDER :

We waited in line as Maylander took 2 people at a time around the track. I’ve heard interviews where he has talked about driving the SLS safety car during F1 races, and how he has to really push it – but never takes it close to the limit, since a safety car spin-out would be disastrous (and embarrassing). Well, it sure did NOT seem like he was following the same philosophy today! After the first two laps, his C63 pulled in to the pit-lane with brakes and tyres smoking. The passengers tumbled out. “Sideways on EVERY corner!” they said with glee.

Bernd mentioned that the track was very slippery since it hasn't really been used since the last F1 race. The good part of this was the low tyre wear on the usually tyre hungry AMGs, as well as an exciting sideways experience for the passengers. It was also funny to hear him talk slightly dismissively about the “slower” C63 (well, naturally he was comparing to the SLS ).

Wheel-spin in the pit lane, and he shoots off again, leaving a trail of rubber behind. I could hear the AMG exhaust barking all the way to the far bends of the circuit. Down-shifting and spitting thunder.

I waited in line patiently, but unfortunately we ran out of time for this part of the event. I didn’t get to ride along with Bernd – but to be honest, I was quite keen to get myself behind the wheel, so I moved on to the next item in the schedule.


Bernd meant business. Passengers had to wear helmets when riding along, but not when driving themselves!


The white C63 "circuit taxi"


Bernd having a chat with some of us



SLALOM

We piled into 2 C63s and 2 C250’s and drove half way around the circuit to corner # C10. For this corner, the track splits into an inner and outer track. The inner corner is for motorbikes – but that’s the course everyone was running the cars on, as the outer corner had been coned off for our use during the slalom.

The slalom course consisted of 5 direction changes, a hard braking zone, and an obstacle avoidance (while braking). Everything was laid out using cones, with the lying down cones pointing in the direction you are supposed to turn.

Our instructor Norman said that its all about smoothness. "The guy who is the smoothest and probably looks the slowest will get the fastest time".

I got in the C250 for my first run of the course. I thought it would be good to experience the stock car before the AMG. The car did okay – the direction changes weren’t sharp, there was noticeable body roll, and the throttle response was average. Braking performance at the end of the slalom was good, with the ABS kicking in and letting me steer around the obstacle at the end of the brake zone. “Brake harder! Brake harder” said a voice over the walkie talkie. I guess I should have been more brutal on the B-pedal.

Next up, the gleaming red C63 AMG. The interiors itself were so much more to my tastes, a sporty textured steering wheel, flattened out slightly at the top and bottom. Metal pedals, and sporty touches of brushed aluminum across the interior. Revved her up, and boy does she make a racket! You’d never guess that this is a Mercedes talking. It has a definite muscle car tone to it. A German take on the big gurgling V8. I’ve spent about a week with a previous gen E55 AMG earlier, and it sounded nothing like this. Well, perhaps only a fraction of this. I guess AMG has further tweaked the sound for this generation of cars. (The E63 sounds sweet too). Another difference was that the size of the C63 made it seem a lot more manageable and confidence inspiring compared to the bigger E55.

Slam the gas, and I’m off the line with a chirp of wheel-spin. Touch the brakes, and turn in for the first set of cones. Immediately the difference between this and the C250 is clear. Its so much more eager to turn in, so much tighter, the throttle can be used to control the car (even in these short distances and slower speeds) and the brakes have a firm bite to them. Well, the throttle can do good and evil. Powered out of a corner a bit too hard, went a bit sideways and Norman came in over the walkie talkie “Ooh! Almost lost it there…easy on the throttle”. Acceleration, sound, handling - its hard to believe they are “the same car”.

Come up to the braking zone, and I drop the anchor quite forcefully this time. Tyres squeal, ABS kicks in, and every millimeter of those big discs is used. The C63 comes to a halt even before I reach the “obstacle” I’m supposed swerve to avoid! “Good braking!” says Norman.


In this video :
1) Bernd in the pits with smoking brakes (hard to see in the vid) and then launching
2) Bernd launching again (in the pit-lane)
3) The C63 coming around the last corner onto the main straight (you can hear it approaching)
4) The nasty growl and spit of the AMG V8. Turn your sound up!
5) A typical slalom run by one of the other participants (not me)

Mercedes C63 AMG driven by Bernd Mayländer on Buddh Circuit - YouTube

The slalom cars lined up


C250s at the back of the line


The cockpit of the C63


Studies show that 90% of drivers don't brake hard enough in panic situations. Brake-Assist (BAS) and ABS help.

[Rehaan]

FOLLOW THE LEADER

5.14 kms and 16 corners. Welcome to Buddh.

I’d be driving right behind Reinhold Ranger in his SLS for 2 laps. The aim was to follow his line through the course. There were two cars behind me as well. Each car had a walkie-talkie in it. A convoy of AMGs, listening in on Reinhold’s instructions and learning the racing line in his tracks.

A few things we had been told earlier in the day came to mind :
1) “Look ahead". Don’t focus on the corner you’re currently tackling, look ahead to the next one and plan your exit. After all, its how you link your corners together that makes you faster on a circuit.
2) Hit the brakes hard. Just STAND on them, all the way to the floor and then stay there. Let ABS take care of the rest. (The binary nature of this was a bit surprising to me!)
3) Once you place your hands on the steering, there will be no need to move or shuffle them throughout the entire track


The SLS turns out of the parking area and onto the pit-lane. I follow, and so do the 2 cars behind me. Reinhold makes good use of the walkie talkies as we pull onto the track. He tells us about where each corner’s braking point is, where we should be when exiting the corner, and even checks on us in his rear-view mirror. Yep, once again I was told to go easier on the gas when exiting corners – but hey, I wanted to make the most of this. After all, we did have ESP fully ON to keep us in check.

Every corner on the track had a cone carefully placed at the turn in point, as well as at the apex. This was hugely helpful in figuring out the right line. (In fact, if you’re ever doing a non-pro track-day – I’d suggest doing this). The long 180* C10 even had two apex points (shown in the video below).

Buddh is a great track. Its got an interesting mix of corners, and some very cool elevation changes. Approach corner C3 and you can’t see it at all! You need to be braking based on what you know of the circuit. If you don’t have the advantage of knowing the circuit well, the only indication of an upcoming turn is the sudden appearance of curbing on the left-hand-side of the track. Tire marks get darker, and suddenly you see the corner on the right. Luckily its up-hill!

After that comes the super-long back straight. Reinhold was keeping speeds in check. We were only touching about 220 km/h on the first lap. On the second lap, half-way down the straight he stretched his right foot a bit, and the SLS pulled away from my C63 effortlessly – even though I had the pedal on the floor! This time we went a bit faster, around 230 km/h, but I wasn’t really checking. The shift into 7th gear was surprisingly jerky, perhaps its not designed to shift up at WOT.

I love corners. Here comes another one. I’m giving myself some room behind Reinhold so that I can come in a bit faster. Brake hard, turn in smooth, oops I’m going too fast (like I didn’t know!), opposite lock a bit, slide. BIG SMILE. Though the ESP light has come on. Yikes. Its not just flashing, its making itself prominent for a few seconds. The light goes off, but I feel like the car has sobered up a bit, almost like its in limp mode. I’m not sure why – is this by design after a major ESP intervention? Anyway, a short while later, the beast under the hood is back, and everything in the world seems right again.

Flowing corners, fresh red and white curbing, virgin tarmac and an AMG monster. This is awesome. Two laps of awesome.

The SLS’s right indicator comes on. Time to pull into the pit-lane.

After a short break, I got two more laps - now I’m not feeling so bad about missing the ride with Bernd eh?. This time I am the last C63 in the convoy. I'm behind the E63, and it is interesting to see the differences between the C-class and E-class on the track. For one, the E seems to have a little more body roll (its bigger and wider). Also, the E63 is having some issues with the traction control! In-fact someone I know spun out while driving the E63, and “traction control failure” was displayed on the dash! On one hand it shows that these electronic are prone to issues, but on the other hand it shows just how much they help out – especially when pushing a 450+ BHP rear-wheel-drive car around a circuit.

Some lucky people rode along in the SLS. Opening the door sucks if you're tall, and closing it sucks if you're short!


The SLS pulling away effortlessly on the straight


Flat and composed, it darted into corners. Also note the cone marking the late apex!


The huge empty stands make this picture look like its straight out of a video game!


Elevation changes mid-corner make things exciting


Sport+ is the setting of choice (RS = Race Start launch mode)



Reinhold Ranger driving the SLS for 2 laps :
- The aim is to show the correct racing line around the circuit
- Cones mark the entry point, apex, and (sometimes) exit of each corner
- The playback speed has been increased to 140% to make things a little more interesting
- Note the track-map, which also shows the elevation changes and car's current position

Mercedes SLS AMG : Racing Line at Buddh Circuit - YouTube

[GTO]

First, let me tell you how LUCKY you are man! Driving an AMG on the Buddh Circuit, no less. Now let me wipe the drool off my keyboard before continuing

Second, I think 50K (for existing Merc owners) is dirt cheap for such an experience. Most Merc owners have surplus disposable income, and they are big on "experience". Owning a luxury brand is all about the experience, and I expect a good number of owners to sign up. Plus, 50K is about the cost of a 2nd service

This is a smart marketing decision. Builds the brand, makes owners (existing & potential) feel special and hey, could get some money bags to buy 'em AMGs too.

Fabulous report, great cars and a very special place. Thanks for sharing.

[cityvic]

Drool Pictures and must be One Heck of an Experience Rehaan.
You are really lucky.


I know a few already who have applied for the AMG Driving Academy.Lets see when their turns come.

Driving a AMG on a Formula 1 track must be brilliant fun.

Mercedes is surely doing alot to get Potential Customers.Star Drive,Star Expedition and now the AMG Driving Academy.

[Neil.Bhujbal]

Awesome snaps and i am sure it must be a breath taking experience driving these beauties on track.

Now i know why the C-63 AMG alloys went to delhi. Actually a C-63 AMG came roaring to our workshop from pune plant just few days before Auto Expo.
We took it up on third floor, put it up on stands removed the alloys & couriered them to Delhi. First i thought they were being sent for expo but now i know.

You just got to hear the roar of this C-63 in a closed workshop,even the SLS they just bring a smile on your face.

[naveenroy]

Oh! This is indeed a really, really droolworthy thread! Dreams do come true, eh? And the empty stands must have been ominous.

[ku69rd]

Awesome videos & photos briefing on your experience Rehaan...Also noticed that there was a SL in the garage. How was the performance when compared to C & E 63?

[black12rr]

Originally Posted by GTO

Most Merc owners have surplus disposable income, and they are big on "experience". Owning a luxury brand is all about the experience, and I expect a good number of owners to sign up. Plus, 50K is about the cost of a 2nd service

Why target only Merc customers , there a many who are genuinely interested in buying the brand ,but were just standing on the tipping point . This course if presented at even more affordable cost ( may be 25 K ) ,will convert many and ignite the passion to own a three stars down the years .

Even 2 wheel junkies would love to have a go at a more realistic price tag .

None the less , pics are great . Blackish blue sls is great.

PS:Its the non Merc fellas they need to target to taste the brand.

[mayankjha1806]

I am speechless.

Red hot AMG, and SLS on a super fast circult, well, leaves me nothing else to say, just dream that one day i get to drive it .

The pictures and narration are spot on, especially the picture of Red AMG. Thank you for such a wonderful treat Rehaan.

[arvi86]

Wow! All I can say is that one word here. Roaring AMGs in the fast flowing Buddh International Circuit would be one hell of a combination for driving enthusiasts. You are lucky Rehann and you have made sure that all of us are atleast half-lucky by posting the pictures and videos. The blue SLS and red C63 are stunning, to say the least. The roar of those AMGs are addictive and sheer music to our ears.

It just brought back and refreshed my memories of driving the G55 AMG 3 months back. The roars and the growls have returned to haunt me.

[amitwlele]

Lucky you Rehaan. Thanks for sharing.

I am sure that this is going to have a long waiting list of participants considering only 4 weekends in a year and only 16 people per weekend.

Buddh i guess would have to keep having such events to keep the cash registers ringing to maintain the track and get the return on investment.

[condor]

Originally Posted by GTO

First, let me tell you how LUCKY you are man! Driving an AMG on the Buddh Circuit, no less.

+1.
Wasnt GTO first - remember his thread sometime back ? And now Rehaan, but this time on the Buddh.

View from Batmobile ?

[_raVan_]

Great thread Rehaan! Lucky lucky you! Whats your lap record?

I have only used GT4 for such experiences, though virtually

[parsh]

Waw what a Lucky Lucky man. Thanks for providing us lesser souls the wonderful experience of the whole thing. Rs 50k seems quite a meagre amount for such a lifetime experience and that too wooing the existing and prospective Merc customers. I still cant help drooling over those beauties and power horses.