So there I am, pootling along at the NSL ish on a quiet A road which I know well, when out of nowhere am overtaken by a C63. Now the driver really was giving it the beans, because I am no sluggard and use my mirrors, but for a split second thought it was a low flying Tornado such was the noise. Being a country lad they are a bit of a rare sight, especially driven like that, but what an amazing sound.
Oh Lord, won't you buy me, a Mercedes Benz.
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>> won't you buy me, a Mercedes Benz.
I fantasise about those real ripsnorting Mercs too sometimes. There are a couple of good Audi models alonng the same lines.
Most unusual to see let alone hear one driven in anger. Indeed the only one I can remember seeing shot out of a parker almost across the road from my gaff in the Grove and damn nearly killed me, a few years ago now. I had to run to get out of its way, then it was gone. Felt like killing the driver I must say. If it had been now I might not have been quick enough.
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My neighbour has recently bought a Merc SLS. I sounds glorious when he starts it up in his garage in the mornings.
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Death on our roads/ Too many horses = horse muck = slippery = rwd= crash..
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>>I fantasise about those real ripsnorting Mercs too sometimes
One ere in your price range Sire:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-MERCEDES-BENZ-C-CLASS-C63-AMG-4DR-AUTO-F1-6-3-V8-HUGE-SPEC-/281090234314
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That might well be the very car that shot past me as I was only 5 miles from where it is currently located.
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Yes, I did notice it was 'up your way' :)
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Could I fit a towbar? Probably not.
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I think I mentioned my encounter with one on a deserted A55 one night, I was making progress on the bike, probably in excess of around 90 mph in near perfect condition, when one of these drew up alongside me and then took off like the proverbial scalded cat...there's no way that the GS could have reeled him in...not worth even trying.
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Son attended a driving day at Mercedes World the other month (paid by his employer) and it included track time in a C63 Black during which they were encouraged to push the cars.
He wants to go back and do it again
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>> Now the
>> driver really was giving it the beans, because I am no sluggard and use my
>> mirrors, but for a split second thought it was a low flying Tornado such was
>> the noise.
>> Oh Lord, won't you buy me, a Mercedes Benz.
>>
Sounds like it won't be long before that Merc driver meets his maker, driving like that.
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So long as he drives like that in clear, dry road conditions, with very little traffic (almost none) it shouldn't be a problem. Especially if you know the road.
In the wet, or when mimsers around, he/she had better drive with a much lighter right foot.
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Item in local free paper last week
Driver dies in accident, ....... man was pronounced dead at the scene on the ....forget the road names but country lanes .... Accident happened between 21.25 on ............ and 05.30 on .............. The BMW 330 hit a tree.
Looks like he overcooked it and was not found until 0530 on the following day
Don't remember all the details, it was dry and warm this week.
Country lanes are killers because you can die of some fixable injury before you are found, never mind before you get to hospital. Although knowing that area the trees are sizable and a 330 would hardly mark them.
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C63 doesn't do a great deal for me, nor any cars that show off their manhood extensions so obviously, exhausts frills and badging a bit too car accessory shop/adolescent boy racer for me, i prefer the anonymity of earlier AMG Mercs which are almost indistinguishable from basic models except to the enthusiast or badge junkies, image seems to be more important to the modern wannabe celebrity.
I have a couple of biker mates (had, one is dead now not related to biking) who happened to be hooning it along the A14 at around the 140 mark on a quiet day, they came up behind a CL who proceeded to leave them behind and disappeared completely from view....their attitude to it, ''well impressed top bloke''.
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>> C63 doesn't do a great deal for me, nor any cars that show off their manhood extensions so obviously, exhausts frills and badging a bit too car accessory shop/adolescent boy racer for me, i prefer the anonymity of earlier AMG Mercs which are almost indistinguishable from basic models
+1.
Many AMG63 owner do come over as needing to reply to certain junk emails....
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I too have my moments of fancying one of these, but I agree with GB and ST on the value of discretion. Top of the discreet list for me is the E63 estate, which is hard to distinguish from the Sport version of the airport taxi E. It even has the same size tyres, suggesting that either the 200hp car has too much rubber or the 500hp one has too little.
Never driven anything with close to that much power, though, and no idea where on the 40-everywhere roads of Berkshire and Oxfordshire I could exercise it properly. Perhaps the trick would be to get one to try for a couple of days first; if it was silver, most of my friends and family wouldn't even notice.
But no, LL, you can't have a tow bar - at least on that one - because the AMG cars are treated as distinct models and haven't been type-approved for one. So I'll be sticking with the taxi for taking the bikes on holiday.
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Last weekend I too went to Mercedes Benz World near Weybridge (inside the old Brooklands track and next to the Brooklands museum). Had bought my 13 year old daughter an hours 'off-road' course on a special track they have there as a b/day present.
My 13 yr old in charge of a 350ML! Did well to be honest as a great instructor (with dual controls (well, a brake pedal!)).
Afterwards one of the staff there said we ought to have a 'Hot Lap' where one of their specialist drivers takes you out in one of the AMG's. £15 each seemed reasonable, albeit for only 10mins, but WOW!!! Best 10 minutes I have had for years!
First went sideways a few times on the special skid pan with a very nice chap in nice airconed E class luxury, at which point we went to the straight for a 0-60-0 run. Wowsers. The acceleration is aggressive and the braking phenomenal. Did the run again, but this time accelerating towards a cone and doing a 'child just stepped out in the road' brake and swerve. At the point I was sat in the back swearing that there was no way we could brake in time the driver continued to accelerate. And still continued. Needless to say the cone survived and somehow we got to the other side of it rather gobsmacked that you could leave the braking and manouevering that late.
Then onto the 2.7km (I think) track and the guy was giving it the beans. The experience of such a comfortable saloon car being thrown around like a toy was phenomenal, and the grip and power, traction and cornering capabilities stupefying. There were other cars on the track (same AMG 6.3's) and they were all chasing each other's tail. Fun!!!!!!
I am no MB fan, and this did not actually change my view as I am sure a suitably 'hot' car from any manufacturer would have done something similar, but it was staggering as to what these high performance cars can do (again - any make) which would be impossible / suicidal to do on the UK roads - in fact any roads. But to feel it, smell it and be thrown around inside it was breathtaking and brings TopGear track antics you see on TV to life in a way I had not considered before.
To own one would be a nightmare of all that pent-up potential always inaccessible unless you genuinely wanted your last moments on earth to be behind a wheel, traveling at monumental speed into a tree / river / hill, etc.
You have to book the 'Hot Laps' when you get there (maybe also by phone in advance?), but we just asked at the desk and had our drive an hour later on a sunny Saturday (last weekend). You can of course also book in advance to take out cars yourself as another poster here has mentioned.
No cost to visit the site, and for the MB fans out there the place is a must-see, for everyone else, that 10 minutes is the cheapest true motoring fun I have had possibly ever, and I still have the grin on my face now.......
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Round here in winter, MB drivers either fit winter tyres or leave the car at home in the garage (or in a ditch, stuck in snow or wrapped round a tree). My next door neighbour leaves his at home - the one time he took it out he kerbed it very badly - new wheels - due to ice.
Last edited by: madf on Wed 4 Sep 13 at 14:55
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Janis Joplin was a drug addled manic depressive. You may question her judgement,.
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>> drug addled
Southern Comfort is a drug, albeit a coarse one. That was her main tipple, the one that did her in. Not suggesting she never used anything else of course.
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>> >> drug addled
>>
>> Southern Comfort is a drug, albeit a coarse one. That was her main tipple, the
>> one that did her in. Not suggesting she never used anything else of course.
She died of a heroin overdose AC.
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Wot. Like Joan of Arc?
Too much kindling.
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Mmmmm. Doubtless, doubtless. That's not ideal for the liver either.
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Last weekend I too went to Mercedes Benz World...
Excellent, vivid account, SFD - and, sadly, a perfect illustration of how little purpose these machines serve in the real world.
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Thanks Will. You have got to go!!
A rather poignant thing to take a look at if you do is inside the big Tesco car park about 1/2 a mile from MB World which you will possible pass on your way in / out.
If you drive into the Tesco car park, take a look to your left and that is part of the banked Brooklands track, sadly now cut through leaving this small piece.
Amazing motoring heritage on your left where you can picture the old Bentley 'Blowers' tanking along, alongside modern unpleasant car-park for huge modern out of town Tesco. :(
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Janis Joplin was right - Armel Coussine
