SLS AMG GT3 On Track
Being able to afford a Mercedes-AMG is a pretty special thing. Having one as your daily driver is just that much more special. But on the off chance that you just don't feel loved enough by your car and car company, AMG set up the AMG Driving Academy in 2007. It's a driving school strictly for AMG owners, conducted at some of the world's finest racetracks. Five different tiers of instruction are offered: Emotion, Basic, Advanced, Pro and Masters.
If you're good enough to make it to the Masters program, have the coin to purchase and race an SLS AMG GT3, and don't mind shipping it and yourself to Europe, then the AMG Driving Academy has a treat for you: The new SLS AMG GT3 Masters course.
In case you somehow missed it, the SLS AMG is the reincarnation of the gullwing, in all its glory. The first car ever produced from the ground up by AMG, it's both an homage to the past and a silver arrow aimed at the future. The SLS AMG GT3 is a racing version of the SLS AMG, prepped and ready for the FIA's GT3 competition.
Of course, you don't just walk up to a GT3 race and jump in. Extensive training is required, and that's where the AMG Driving Academy Masters program comes in. You can drive your own GT3, or the Academy will provide one for you. The program consists of four stages: Experience, Warm-Up, Training and Competition. The Experience part starts with the road version of the SLS, then moves on to a lead-and-follow session in the GT3 version, and finishes off with a professional driving hot-laps with you in the passenger seat. The Warm-Up stage familiarizes drivers with the GT3, covering braking, acceleration, overtaking on a track and other maneuvers. In Training, drivers move up to serious race prep one-on-one with a pro driver and a car with racing slicks. Once they've perfected their braking, cornering, and acceleration, they move on to the Competition phase, which includes individual and team competition.
Of course, you can't just assume that you'll move through all four stages. While anybody can do the Experience phase, moving up to the Warm-Up, Training and Competition phases means passing and completing race track training sessions. Fail them, and you don't move on.
Sound like fun? Of course it does. Prices for the Masters session start at 1,500 euros (about $2,100), which doesn't include your airfare to Germany. If that's no obstacle, check out the AMG Driving Acadamy's website for more information. Just be forewarned: If you don't want to do the program now, you will after going to the site.