Racing School Review — AMG Driving Academy

December 16, 2020 Motorsports

AMG GT on track during an AMG Driving Academy session

Original Author: Jiang Yunong, PB Motorsports | December 16, 2020

Hello everyone, this installment of the Racing School Review series covers the AMG Driving Academy.

01 Overview

AMG provides a rich variety of vehicles for students to drive, encompassing nearly every class except the S-class. The most appealing aspect of this lineup is undoubtedly the inclusion of the AMG GT series.

Course Curriculum

The first four options are track instruction courses, while the latter two are drifting courses. Whether registering for a track or drift course, participants must first complete the preceding level to be eligible for the next, with the exception of the introductory tier.

You might wonder why the PERFORMANCE tier has three different price points, including a free option. This is due to the AMG Purchase Reward Program: purchasing or leasing a new AMG 35, 43, or 53 series vehicle grants a discounted price of $1,000. Alternatively, acquiring an AMG 45, 63, 65, or GT series vehicle lets you experience the course for free. Because of this program, PERFORMANCE courses account for nearly half of all AMG Track Days. This program is also how I obtained the opportunity to experience the AMG Driving Academy, so this article will focus on what the PERFORMANCE tier actually delivers.

02 Track Day Content

At the start of the event, students are assigned to instructors by group. There are 12 people per group, with two people sharing one car, totaling six cars per group. The schedule includes the following activities:

AMG Driving Academy track day activities

03 The Experience

Overall, the event is compact and well-organized, with the morning activities taking place in the paddock. Many students have never driven on a track before, relying mostly on their street driving experience. Street driving habits — such as slow throttle application and gradual braking — are completely unsuitable for the track. The morning exercises help everyone get accustomed to fully depressing the brakes and throttle, allowing them to understand how track handling differs from daily driving. Personally, I was deeply impressed by the Skid Pad, which gave me my first taste of drifting. The C63S has immense horsepower, making it easy to break traction with just a little throttle. The Timed Slalom competition was also highly enjoyable; our group was fortunate enough to achieve the shortest average time and won a small souvenir.

The afternoon brings the main event of the day. Students remain in their previously assigned groups, with each instructor leading three cars for the lead/follow sessions. Two people share a car, taking turns driving or riding. Each session features a different vehicle, providing the opportunity to experience the driving dynamics of various models.

An AMG GT S on track during a lead/follow session

Regrettably, each person only gets to drive about five laps per session. Because students have varying skill levels and the event is primarily experience-oriented, instructors must cater the pace to the slowest drivers. Consequently, the overall pace is relatively slow — visually estimated at only 60–70% of normal track speeds. Do not expect to truly push the limits on the track during this activity. On the positive side, you get to experience driving vehicles like the AMG GT S on a track, an opportunity rarely available under normal circumstances unless you are an owner. Furthermore, your final lap is recorded on video complete with telemetry data (throttle, braking, speed, G-forces, etc.), serving as a highly meaningful keepsake. Finally, after everyone has finished driving, students can ride shotgun for a lap with the instructor to experience the true speed of the AMG GT S. Although the instructor won't push to the absolute limits, the speed is undoubtedly much faster than the lead/follow sessions.

04 Conclusion

In summary, the AMG Driving Academy may not be as hardcore as other programs like the Barber racing school. It is primarily focused on the experience, with learning as a secondary objective — essentially a promotional event for AMG vehicles. This is not to say it is a poor program; after all, it covers many useful concepts and techniques, allowing you to experience them firsthand in different AMGs. For someone who has never been exposed to performance driving, the volume of information is absolutely substantial. However, if your goal is the ultimate elevation of your driving skills, the AMG Driving Academy might not be the best choice — at least not the entry-level PERFORMANCE tier that I attended.

Pros

Cons

Recommendation Rating: ★★★☆☆

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