So when the invite from Mercedes-Benz came to attend its AMG Driving Experience and sample the C 63 S E Performance, we jumped at it given we would arrive in Singapore half-a-day before it kicked-off at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia... and fresh from the 911 Carrera GTS drive.
Sadly, it wasn’t on the cards for our session, but still, we managed to rotate through an eclectic selection of Mercedes-Benz and AMG models, so at least all was not lost.
See also: Read our exclusive first drive review of the 992.2 911 Carrera GTS t-hybrid
With the performance levels of many modern sporting machines, some might say it's no longer responsible to attempt to unlock their full prowess on public roads.
To put this in perspective, the C 63 S E Performance musters a mighty 680hp/1020Nm, which proved a handful to tame in the wet during our ride-along with Chief Instructor Peter Hackett!
(Pictured below is Peter Hackett, GT racer and Mercedes-Benz Chief Driving Instructor for the region)
See also: A day at the Porsche Experience Centre Hockenheimring
This is also why brands are beginning to engage their customers and prospects on the race-circuit.
Such closed environments are the best “safe spaces” to learn about the cars' limits, especially with the basic warm-up exercises to get one used to accelerating and braking hard.
Most importantly, with a mix of driving abilities in the groups, the instructors always prioritised safety over speed, which kept it a safe environment for everyone involved.
There was a smorgasbord of models to sample and selection was random within each model category, so I ended up mostly in cars I'd driven before, albeit on the roads... so experiencing their performance on the track was quite a revelation, especially around the wet circuit.
See also: Singapore gets its own Porsche Experience Centre in 2027
The CLA 45 S 4Matic+ that we thoroughly enjoyed on the streets really came into its own on the sodden circuit. Apart from its rowdy acceleration, it also proved to be a frisky live-wire of a car, with a playful personality enabled by the 4Matic+ variable all-wheel drivetrain as we were let loose on half-track runs of the Sepang Circuit.
“The Sepang Drive Experience is a stellar example of how we engage with our customers beyond showroom walls. These events allow our customers to experience not only the latest in our safety and driving innovation, but in this instance, our approach to performance and sustainability in the electric era. We are delighted by the strong customer participation and look forward to even more at future physical events – on or off the track,” said Mr. Darren Ng, Head of Customer Excitement, Mercedes-Benz Singapore.
