[Stratos]

I have driven a car on an icy public road before. Although it would slip and slide every so often, it all made for a very casual, non-dramatic and sane experience. But what if you change this scenario to something else. What if you replace the icy public road with a man-made ice track and a standard car with powerful 507 bhp AMG Mercedes? Yes, that would be totally insane. I was about to experience precisely this insanity at the Winter Sporting event organized by the AMG Driving Academy.

This was the first time that the AMG Winter Sporting event was held in Austria. On 18th February, we arrived in 'Sankt Michael im Lungau', which is a small town located approximately 118 kms south of the city of Salzburg. For this particular event, participants only from India and Russia were invited.



The evening started with a presentation on the AMG Driving Academy (more on that in the last post) and a basic safety briefing.


Drivers were randomly divided into three groups; Red, Blue and Yellow. I was part of the Red Team. There were three driving instructors for the event. The Red Team's driving instructor was Hannes Danzinger.

Here is a look at his awesome career.


The three different cars we would be driving were the A45 AMG, CLA45 AMG and the mighty C63 AMG 'Edition 507'.


The venue for this event was the Lungauring test track which is located in the Lungau region, 1050 metres above sea level. Several manufacturers of the world use this facility to carry out winter testing for upcoming vehicles and also events similar to this one aimed at enthusiasts.

The track comprises of:

• 1.5 kilometre long circuit
• 500 metre long Vehicle Dynamics Test Area
• Two circular tracks for drifting which can be combined into one
• Test centre with support for developing vehicles.

The entire driving surface of the Lungauring is prepared artificially by spraying almost 100,000 litres of water over dirt and mud. This water freezes as night temperatures drop below freezing point, thus creating the icy surface for the track. Both sides of this icy track are covered with thick layers of snow. This ensures that the car does not encounter any major damage if it runs off the track, since it gets arrested in this deep and thick snowbank.

Each different car was tested on a different part of the track. Here is how the track was approximately divided:

• The A45 AMG was driven on the part of track very similar to a rally stage comprising of fast corners.
• The CLA45 AMG was driven on a fast slalom wherein the drivers went through a series of cone gates.
• The C63 AMG was primarily tested only on the circular drift tracks, but as a rare opportunity our group was allowed to drive it around the entire 1.5 km circuit as well.

Here is how it all looked on the map.


The next morning, we were driven to a garage in these Mercedes vans. Pretty boring compared to what I was about to see

[Stratos]

As soon as we took a left turn into the garage, we were greeted with this stunning parking lot.



After everyone had finished photographing the parking lot, the groups assembled with their respective instructors. My imagination of starting the day with the A45 AMG was completely shattered (in a good way) when Dannes informed the Red Team to sit in the C63 AMG first. We were supposed to drive it on the road leading up to the test track. Without doubt there was excitement, but also there was the fear of driving a 507 bhp, rear-wheel drive car on icy public roads of Austria.

Dannes briefing us on the various controls of the C63 AMG.


After a 5 minute drive from the garage, we get the first look of the track.


The C63 AMGs were fitted with this video recording device to record the driver's actions and reactions. Surely, it recorded some of my jaw-dropped moments!


Front tyres were studded with 1.1 mm long spikes. Total spikes per tyre = 280.


The C63s and the A45s were fitted with this protection panel on their bumpers. Although the snow banks are soft, entering them too fast can damage the front end.


All set to drive the, "Drift Machine", as the chaps at AMG like to call it.


All cars were fitted with walkie-talkies using which our instructors would communicate with us. The instructors would sit in one of the C63s at the corner of the track and keep an eye while we drift around the circular ice ring.

Dannes, watching us from his grey C63 AMG.

[Stratos]

Circle Drift - Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG 'Edition 507'



This particular C63 AMG is a special edition called the 'Edition 507'. While the standard C63 AMG churns out 451 bhp, this one, as its name suggests, produces 507 bhp. The increase in power is a result of this engine using forged pistons from the 6.3L V8 engine that powers the SLS, lighter crankshaft and connecting rods. All these changes has made the engine almost 3 kgs lighter. The 'Edition 507' also gets an improved chassis and better composite brakes. The 'Edition 507' shares its bonnet design with the C63 'Black Series'.



Naturally, the C63 AMG was the most fun to drive car of the lot, especially on a surface that provides negligible grip. Tap the throttle a little hard and the C63 starts wagging its tail. As you keep pressing the accelerator even more, the car starts to sound angry with the exhaust producing a grunt of the highest pitch. When you have a car which transfers 507 bhp through its rear wheels, it is easy to start a drift. To continue and complete that drift is a different game altogether. Once the drift is initiated, it is best to keep the accelerator pedal pressed accompanied by constant counter-steer and opposite lock. I found this to be the best way to survive a drift and finish it nicely. One wrong move and you will be facing the way you came from. Only the first and the second gear were used to do this circle drift exercise.

To strike a balance on the throttle was the most difficult part. Give it a little less throttle and you would bore yourself and others to death. Give it a little more, chances are that you will spin and run out of fame. It took me several rounds of the track to get the hang of it and almost every one from our team was spinning. One negative point of the C63 on such a track was its low ground clearance. Our instructor had taught us to keep as close to inside corner of the track as possible. While trying to do so, the C63s front overhang would over the snow resting on the corner, thus resulting in a spin-out or the front of the car getting stuck. As a result several drivers got stuck in the central snow bank located inside the track.

The circle drift was one of the most exciting parts of the entire event. Once you learn to control this car, there is no looking back. Keep her in the limits and you shall enjoy drifting with glory. I could see a good amount of improvement in my performance by the afternoon.

At a time, two out of the four cars would go out on the track behind one another. The instructors would notify us when it was time for a driver change, since each car had two participants.







Shot from the passenger seat of our car, this was the minimum safe distance we had to keep between both cars.


The rule was that when a participant is stuck, everyone on that part of the track comes out to help him.


First attempt is to push the car out.


If a push does not help, use a shovel to the remove snow stuck under the car and try pushing her again.


Still stuck eh?


The ultimate solution! Call the rescue vehicle. Definitely, the unsung hero of the day


Tow hooks are attached to the front and back of all cars. Helps in quick rescue. Literally in two minutes.


The only time I spun (the C63 AMG) and got stuck. Just needed a push.


Our instructor, Dannes, showing us how to drift like an expert.

[Stratos]

Slalom - Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG

After snow bashing in the C63 AMG, we were made to drive the CLA45 AMG on a simple slalom course. The CLA45 AMG is powered by a 2.0L, 4-cylinder engine that produces up to 360 bhp. Unlike the C63, the CLA45 uses the 4Matic (All-Wheel Drive) technology. Normally, the CLA45 acts as a front wheel drive car, but if the system detects lack of traction, it instantly transfers up to 50 percent of the total torque to the rear using an electronic differential, thus turning the car into AWD.

The CLA45 was the car I least enjoyed driving that day. Since the AWD instantly becomes active even on hard cornering, lift-off oversteer was the only way to make this car move sideways. And it is not as easy as it sounds. There was tremendous amount of understeer which was probably amplified due to the slippery surface of the track. On certain sections of the course, the car just went straight into the snow bank with the steering having absolutely no effect on its direction. In terms of acceleration from standstill though, it felt like a little rocket. Reported 0-100 km/hr timing is a mere 4.2 seconds, which is quite good for a sedan powered by a 2.0L inline-four. The loud exhaust note at higher rpms sounded almost similar to one you would hear from a much bigger engine.

Quick fact: If the name C63 indicates that the car is powered by a 6.3L engine, shouldn't the A45 and the CLA45 have a 4.5L engine under their hood? No! The "45" in the name was used to commemorate the 45th anniversary of AMG.

This particular slalom course was simple and straight-forward. Although the cone gates were wide enough for an Actros truck to pass through, massive understeer of the CLA45 would lead to some of these cones flying high in the air. Still, not much drama in this part of the exercise.



There were times when the CLA45 nicely went sideways, but it was not a common sight.


The continuous rain turned the ice into slush.








Pillar-less doors look very classy.


The view of the the track surroundings was stunning.

[Stratos]

Fast Corner Course - Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG

The A45 AMG and the CLA45 AMG are almost identical under the skin. The only difference apart from their body styles is that the A45 is 30 kgs lighter than its big brother. Considering the fact that they both churn out the same output figures, the A45 felt much more sharp and agile. Of course, there is prominent understeer, but it is easier and quicker to transform it into lift-off oversteer in the A45. The CLA45 felt lethargic in doing the same. The fast corner course felt almost identical to a rally stage. The A45 had no issues rocketing through the entire course without any hassle. Minor lift-off and it would happily slide around a corner, ready to tackle the next one. The car was so easy to drift that I was looking more through the driver and passenger windows to see where we were going. At the event everyone was talking about the fun they had in the C63 AMG, but I must confess that I had almost the same amount of fun on the track in this little monster, just as I had in the C63.





To me, the A45 AMG (or even the standard A-Class for that matter) looks good from all angles. It has come a long way from its boring previous generation tall-boy design.


Due to the nippy nature of this car, several drivers became over-enthusiastic. This lead to various A45s crashing into the snow banks.


By this time, the rain had stopped. It was snowing now.


Even I started pushing the car more and more. But while taking a corner too fast, the understeer punched me in my face. As a result, our A45 got stuck in ice so thick that neither the driver nor the passenger door would open


Pushing the car out was out of question, so we called the saviour.


After a not so long A45 event, Dannes allowed us to take the C63 and the A45 around the entire 1.5 km track. By then it had started snowing heavily. Multiple cars entered the circuit at appropriate time intervals. This meant that at a time there would be 4-5 cars on the track. I did six laps in total. Sadly, on each lap of mine, someone would spin. This meant getting out of the car and helping them out. It was disappointing as I drove really well on each of those laps, but could not complete a single one. Since the event is bound by time constraints, we were off to the next part.

Later, heavy snow started affecting visibility.




A C63 stuck in the snow on one of my laps.

[Stratos]

The Final Competition - Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG

The last part of this Winter Sporting event was the competition. We were made to drive the CLA45 AMG on a track which was combination of a slalom, circle drift and the last part was to park the car sideways in the parking box marked with cones.

The judging point of this competition was Style. It did not matter how quick you went around the track. What mattered was how you did it. More power-sliding and drifting = More points. Although the drivers were timed, it was only supposed to be taken into consideration if there was a tie of points between two drivers. Everyone was given two practice runs. I had a great run but lost points due to an optimistic parking slide which knocked off a few cones. Rally driver Hari Singh won the competition.

This is how the competition course looked on the map.


CLA45s ready for action.


A Mercedes-Benz Viano with a lap timing device and output display.


Dannes flags-off one of the participants. The weather was so bad that apart from AMG's in-house photographer, I was one of the only participants standing in the snow fall taking pictures of the event


The entire course was now full of thick snow and slush.


Look at the visibility in the background, or the lack of it.


Hari Singh receiving the prize.


Each participant gets a course completion certificate.


Our Red Team got the 'Best Team' award for overall performance. Thus, each of us got a huge chocolate. It was shaped as a 1:18 scale model of the SLS.


No Mercedes-Benz event is ever complete without the presence of a G-Class. This one is a Lungauring Safety Car.


We drove back to garage in the evening where it all started in the morning. It was now full of snow.


Summary:
For any automotive enthusiast, this event is like a dream come true. One gets to drive some great cars on an icy, slippery track situated in a very picturesque location. The instructors provide some excellent input on the correct techniques involved in driving and drifting a car on ice. It makes you a better driver, trust me. The faith that the snow banks will stop you from crashing into something else helps you push the car even more and bring the best out of your driving abilities. Your improvement in driving and drifting on ice is easily visible as the event progresses throughout the day. The pictures above won't do any justice to the event. It needs to be physically experienced. Once you do, you will be talking about it for a very long time.

Hats off to the instructors for being patient with each and every participant, be it a beginner or an expert.

- Mercedes-Benz invited Team-BHP to the event and took care of all the travel expenses.

- Thanks to Aditya Bengali for clicking my pictures.

[Stratos]

About the AMG Driving Academy

The idea behind the AMG Driving Academy is to give automobile enthusiasts an opportunity to drive powerful AMGs on various tracks around the world where they can test and improve their driving skills. The participants start from the Basic course and can climb their personal performance ladder by moving to the Advanced, Pro and Masters level. The Masters level is only available on the race track and not as a winter event, since it involves driving the SLS AMG GT3.

The AMG Driving Academy is currently present in the countries marked on the map.


The Winter Sporting BASIC:

• Cost of participation per person - EUR 1,590 for participation with a vehicle provided.
  
• This price includes: Theoretical and practical driving training (German/English), 1 x overnight stay in a hotel of superior category, meals throughout the entire event, the Driver’s Dinner and provision of AMG vehicles fitted for two.

The Winter Sporting ADVANCED:

• Cost of participation per person - EUR 3,750 with AMG vehicles provided.
  
• This price includes: Theoretical and practical driving training (German/English), 3 x overnight stays in the AMG Lodge, full board throughout the entire event, and provision of AMG vehicles fitted for two. Also included are direct flights (economy class) from Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt-Hahn, or Hanover to Arjeplog.

The Winter Sporting PRO:

• Cost of participation per person - EUR 5,450 with AMG vehicles provided.
  
• This price includes: Theoretical and practical driving training (German/English), 4 x overnight stay in the AMG Lodge, full board throughout the entire event, and provision of AMG vehicles fitted for one.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the International Scene. Thanks for sharing!

[rahul4321]

Sigh.... I am incredibly jealous of you!! Driving on ice is like a dream for me. Factor in an AMG or a standard BMW and i'd trade that drive for a date with Megan Fox!! Incredible photos, incredible writing style, and an incredible drive too!!

Next time Team-Bhp gets an invite, can I go?

[informmaha]

Driving an AMG is like a dream for many including me and drifiting in snow adds more spice to that.. Great photographs and really liked the way the whole event was narrated.. perfect TBHP way..

Is this the first kind of event that TBHP got invite for? In the map it shows that similar event is available for India as well, but tried opening the website, it was not opening. If you had come to know about the cost involved in India, it would be great since many would be interested in that.

Are there any similar events organized by anyone other manufacturer other than Merc?

Hope to see more events like these in the future.

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by informmaha

If you had come to know about the cost involved in India, it would be great since many would be interested in that.

For the AMG Driving Academy in India, the prices are:

Basic Training
Participation Fee
Rs. 75000/- per person/per session (Non Mercedes-Benz owners)
Rs. 50000/- per person/per session (Mercedes-Benz owners)

Advanced Training
Participation Fee
Rs. 100000/- per person/per session (for all)

Unlike some of the events abroad, the prices above do not include travel and accommodation.

Are there any similar events organized by anyone other manufacturer other than Merc?

I think Audi, BMW, Mitsubishi, Porsche also all have such events.

[Top-Gear]

My keyboard's all wet with drool. You lived the dream of so many of us enthusiasts!

Was pleasantly surprised to note that the map also shows India as having an AMG training centre! Any information about that?

Thanks for the thread. LOVED IT!!!!

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by Top-Gear

Was pleasantly surprised to note that the map also shows India as having an AMG training centre! Any information about that?

The AMG Driving Academy has been hosting BASIC level events at the Buddh International Circuit for a while now. It was launched here in March 2012. However, the ADVANCED level is a recent addition.

[Jaggu]

Lucky lucky you! This is just so awesome, just to drive those beauties is like awesome, doing it on an icy purpose built track?!!! Automotive Nirvana!!! and my friend you just experienced it. Thanks for sharing, super duper report.

[Sudan_NFS]

It's cool to drift in snow/icy because it doesn't take much effort to drift. I love drifting with my Accord when the roads are covered in less than inch of snow or an empty parking lot. Cool to find that this is open for all. Nicely written article.