AMG Driving Academy lets Mercedes-AMG owners take the A 45 S, C 63 S, E 63 S and GT R to the limit - legally

So, you own a Mercedes-AMG, but you haven’t really experienced it, have you? After all, you can only do so much (legally) with a performance car on public roads. Enter the AMG Driving Academy.

Imagine taking a Mercedes-AMG to the limit on some of the best racetracks in Australia and (pandemic-permitting) overseas, without having to drive your own example.

That’s essentially what the AMG Driving Academy is. An opportunity for Mercedes-AMG owners to drive a fleet of other Mercedes-AMGs on race tracks, and we’re not just talking about lapping, either.

Read More About Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

2021 Mercedes-AMG GT pricing and specs detailed: Audi R8, Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 rival scores new entry-level Night Edition grade Mercedes-AMG sales running hot in Australia following A35, A45 S, GLC43, CLA35 and CLA45 S launches 2022 Mercedes-AMG C63 hybrid confirmed! Four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive coming in new plug-in BMW M3 and Audi RS4 rival

How do we know? Well, we attended the inaugural AMG Driving Academy event of 2021. In fact, it was the first one since 2019, with COVID-19 preventing the planned 2020 series from going ahead.

In 2021, two single-day versions of the AMG Driving Academy are available, with AMG Performance-Training serving as the entry level, while AMG Advanced-Training is the top tier.

The AMG Driving Academy is an opportunity for owners to drive a fleet of other Mercedes-AMGs on race tracks.

AMG Performance-Training costs participants $2600, although some Mercedes-AMG owners may be able to fold it into the sales negotiation process.

The same is true of AMG Advanced-Training, although it costs participants an even higher $3000, and we’ll explain why in a moment. Either way, dealers are the way in here.

There were a few drag races over the quarter mile.

It’s worth noting each participant can bring a single spectator for an extra $100, with either version. They also enjoy a catered lunch and an ‘experience lap’ with one of the instructors, each with extensive racing experience.

Speaking of which, the 2021 series is led by Mercedes-Benz Australia’s chief driving instructor, Peter Hackett, who’s spent more than 25 years racing professionally, including winning the 2017 CAMS Australian Endurance Championship.

Whereas other similar events are run in a ‘lead-follow’ format, he prefers AMG Driving Academy to be run one-on-one, with each participant getting an instructor in the passenger seat for any given activity.

Peter Hackett is Mercedes-Benz Australia’s chief driving instructor.

As a result, about 40 participants and 40 instructors attend each AMG Driving Academy event, so participants quickly lose count of how many instructors they’ve been paired with over the course of a day.

So, what do you get for your money? Well, AMG Performance-Training gives participants access to more than 30 A 45 S small hatchbacks, C 63 S mid-size sedans, E 63 S large sedans, and GT R coupes.

This multi-million dollar line-up covers the non-SUV Mercedes-AMG range, giving participants the opportunity to drive models they don’t own. After all, there aren’t too many GT Rs kicking around…

Participants get access to more than 30 A 45s, C 63s, E 63s, and GT Rs.

At Victoria’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, the morning sees participants complete a variety of activities, including a few drag races over a quarter mile, using an all-wheel drive E 63 S and a rear-wheel drive GT R, no less.

This allows participants to not only sample Mercedes-AMG’s version of launch control, 'Race Start', but also the E63 S and GT R’s built-in timers.

Then there’s the slalom, which sees participants zig-zag an A 45 S throughout a set of cones, with each run done using one of the four levels of ESP Sport: 'Basic', 'Advanced', 'Pro' and, 'Master.'

Drivers got the chance to zig-zag an A 45 S throughout a set of cones.

Doing so enables participants to realise the differences between the key settings, which progressively allow more slip angle as they quickly weave at speed.

The A 45 S makes another appearance on the skid pan, where participants get the chance to engage 'Drift Mode' and go, well, drifting on a very wet surface.

It’s certainly unusual to see an all-wheel drive sideways, but with 50 per cent of drive able to be sent to one of the rear wheels, it’s possible with higher-than-usual throttle applications – and some steering skills.

Participants got the chance to engage 'Drift Mode' on the skid pan.

Participants also get the opportunity to practice emergency braking and swerving at the same time in a – you guessed it – A 45 S.

The activity sees participants accelerate to about 90km/h before having to slam on the brakes and steer to either the left or right to avoid a set of cones in the middle, as dictated by a gantry with alternating green lights, triggered at the very last second.

The rear-wheel drive C 63 S then makes its debut in another drifting activity, with this one involving a tight, wet corner on track.

It wasn't hard to kick the rear out of the C 63 S.

Needless to say, participants don’t have to have a heavy right foot to get the rear end rotated, but they do have to be strategic, hands included.

Once all of that is said and done, and the catered lunch has been consumed, it’s on to the afternoon and lapping, at which point the fun really starts, no matter the location.

The initial sessions are speed limited to 150km/h, but the subsequent ones are raised to 200km/h and then unlimited, so participants can ease their way into it while getting familiar with the Mercedes-AMGs they’re driving.

First laps of Phillip Island are speed-limited to 150km/h.

And when it comes to AMG Advanced-Training, participants again get to steer the A 45 S, C 63 S, E 63 S and GT R, but the morning and afternoon are spent lapping, albeit with a couple of key differences.

This time around, Mercedes-AMG’s 'Track Pace' telemetry is used, with the data enabling instructors to help participants improve their track positioning, braking and acceleration when they head to the garages in between sessions.

Sitting in front of a television, participants get the chance to compare their best lap to that of an instructor via video and graph, ultimately showing the differences between amateur and professional drivers.

The AMG Driving Academy will return in 2022.

It’s worth noting the morning also includes advanced braking and cornering exercises, which obviously help with the lapping. Needless to say, it’s a more comprehensive program.

In terms of dates and locations for 2021, AMG Performance-Training ran on May 19 and 20 at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, while it will return on October 28 at NSW’s Sydney Motorsport Park.

AMG Advanced-Training followed immediately afterwards, on May 21 at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and will hit Sydney Motorsport Park on October 29, the only remaining date/location that hadn’t sold out at the time of writing.

Instructors help participants improve their track positioning.

Having been around since 2008, the AMG Driving Academy will return in 2022, although dates and locations won’t be announced until December, so stay tuned.

Other previous locations included South Australia’s The Bend Motorsport Park and NSW’s Mount Panorama, but time will tell if they’re used again.

Similarly, there’s no news on when the AMG Driving Academy’s international events will return, with regular overseas travel currently off the cards for obvious reasons.

Advanced braking and cornering exercises helped with the lapping.

That said, thanks to the trans-Tasman bubble, New Zealand is likely to be the first cab off the rank, with Queenstown’s Snow Farm a previous location for a unique experience.

Either way, there’s plenty of Mercedes-AMG owners lining up for the AMG Driving Academy. The three-pointed star's high-performance AMG models accounted for 20 per cent of Mercedes-Benz Australia’s sales in 2020, and a staggering 28 per cent in the first four months of 2021.

So, if you’re an existing, or soon-to-be Mercedes-AMG owner, be sure to get in quick when the chance presents itself.