The Driving Academy will be worth it, although I haven't been, as with any learning experience, chances are you'll know your vehicle that much better and really discover how far it can be pushed.
Thanks for the comments and advice. So glad to see an active forum already. Have owned Audis and Porsches. The GLA seems to attract enthusiasts too which is great. I plan on doing the Laguna Seca academy this year. Cheers!
Looking further into this, seems like purchasing an AMG gets you a free/complimentary day for the Basic Training or credit to the Advance or Pro Training.
There is a 12 month time frame but it cost $1800 and it will be free for me so I might just do the 5 hour drive to do this thing!
If you purchased a new Mercedes-AMG model in the last twelve (12) months, a complimentary seat at any of the Basic Training programs has been reserved for you.
The complimentary program applies to the Basic Training or a credit of $1,795 can be put towards Advanced or Pro training, if prerequisites are met. The complimentary program is non-transferable, and is valid for one year after the purchaser takes ownership of a new AMG vehicle. All AMG vehicles used throughout the program are provided by AMG Driving Academy.
If there is a track near you, I don't know why you would even pass up the opportunity to toss around a bunch of AMG cars at the track at no cost.
Not to mention reading these from the FAQ > :
What cars will I be able to drive at AMG Driving Academy?
Regardless of the program level, you’ll have the opportunity to drive several cars in the current Mercedes- AMG line-up including:
Wow I did not know about this AMG Academy. I'm picking up my GLA 45 AMG in Europe in less than a month and I live at a driving distance from Laguna Seca so I will definitely register at least for the free basic program. I see the dates are in October and November.
Please post your experience with the European delivery, it's one thing I really need to do sometime in my lifetime. I just never ever order my vehicles and usually go by what's on the lot (luckily I find one I like w/ what I need on the lots) plus I am pretty inpatient but one of these days I got to try and deal with the wait and do it.
I did the free day at Laguna Seca. Lots of different AMG cars including SLS. Lots of track time. Also had skid pad, drag race, slalom, and autocross contest. Was a great perk and well worth the drive out.
Slalom test are the best, especially for a vehicle like this as it helps to define a natural weak point, body roll, and to see how bad or good it does in that area.
It's something I think more people should try out with the GLA.
Sadly I don't think the GLA45 is part of the car line-up they have so I won't be able to test the limit of my car in October (when I plan to sign-up) but the CLA45 should be available for the slalom course if I read the other reports.
There is one tomorrow iirc, I remember checking when this thread first popped up and there was an opening for the end of this month but I didn't know we get a free one yet so I didn't sign up.
When I was at Laguna Seca recently, CLA45 was used specifically for auto-cross.
Slalom and drag race were run together with the same cars. I think first car used was C63, second was definitely an E. I was not crazy about the E-series, but perhaps it was just the back-to-back.
It was wet when I was there and, as the only AWD, the CLA45 was an interesting comparison. Less horsepower but significantly better grip. SLS was for track only and you had to be very careful accelerating out of the turns.
I've signed up for the one-day basic academy at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin for December 12th. Hope to see other GLA 45 AMG owners in the group even though it appears the GLA will not be in the vehicle lineup.
By the way, about the academy, I think techs are allowed to go through it or something similar.
So if you guys want someones opinion of it, asking a tech might be worth the effort.
I just recently attended the Academy in Melbourne Australia, courtesy of the dealership. I found it quite rewarding. Most important thing is that you are taken through all the safety features the vehicle has how they function in emergency situations. It was not about speed but more about learning how to respond to an emergency situation. I was able to exercise high speed emergency stops from 100ks, emergency stops and avoidance and skid control. Its the sort of opportunity that allows you to push a vehicle quite hard without it being your own. Best part is that my GLA has exactly the same safety goodies the cars I drove had. I as able to push those cars to the edge and understand how an MB vehicle will behave without "thrashing" my own to the limit.
I would recommend it. Most drivers don't do track days let alone can afford the time and cost. We tend to drive around in traffic and don't get to really know what our cars are cable of doing until we thrown into an emergency situation. At least I know what is supposed to happen if i plant my foot into the brake. Awesome survival tech.
I'm on the waiting list for Oct 19 at Laguna Seca.
Anyone else going?
Seems like only the Lime Rock Parks track in Connecticut have an opening for the year but I don't really want to travel there since I am already in California.
Just signed on a GLA45 this afternoon, pick it up on Monday. I've raced a bit at Lime Rock, so not overly interested in doing the Academy thing there, though the Pro version might be interesting. Anyhoo, if you want to experience high performance driving, I cant speak to the AMG program per se, but LRP is certainly a great venue to do it on. Its short, only 6 corners with laps that are in the sub to low one minute range. Great place to learn as its easy to memorize as its a short track (but quite high speed) so you get a lot of extra looks at each corner compared to longer tracks. Easy at 7/10s, scary as **** at 10/10s. Truly one of the most beautiful valleys in the Northeast particularly in the fall. I'm sure you'd have a lot of fun there.
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