Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2011

Winners of the C-Class Agility Challenge were just some of the 400 participants who went through the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience event held last week.

OneShift Editorial Team

12 Aug 2011

Led by accomplished race car driver Peter Hackett and his team of professional drivers, the annual Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience which is in its 8th year, was held at the Changi Exhibition Centre from 28 July till 7 August.

Safety and performance have always been integral to the Mercedes-Benz philosophy. However, the emphasis on these two qualities does not end with the progress in technology. Mercedes-Benz believes it extends further; to the drivers behind the wheels of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz is the world’s leading marque when it comes to safety and our efforts to make cars safer also includes making the person behind the wheel, a safer driver.

Participants will be able to experience and acquire the art of driving safely in a wide range of Mercede-Benz cars including the newly launched CLS, SLK and the C-Class Coupe'. Due to its popularity, all 400 slots were fully taken up.

First Gear

Younger drivers, aged 18 to 21, can experience a thorough immersion in road safety by getting behind the wheel as part of our customised First Gear program.

C-Class Agility Challenge

In conjunction with the debut of the new generation C-Class, Mercedes-Benz launched an online game called the Agility Challenge. Leveraging online media, potential customers can qualify for the real-world August driving challenge by completing a simple course online.

They will take the selected drivers through exhilarating driving scenarios, equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge required to handle the vehicle under critical driving situations. Most importantly, they will experience first-hand the true capabilities of the C-Class according to Mercedes-Benz.

To qualify for a spot on the day in August, participants needed to join a simple 3-stage online qualifier. Reminiscent of a game, but easy to master, the qualification challenge introduced customers to the car’s new agility features. These include Active Lane Keeping Assist, DISTRONIC Plus, and 3-Stage ESP.

Selected participants will then be able to participate in the real-life C-Class Challenge which is another sub-program of the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience.

The real life C-Class Agility Challenge, which I had the opportunity to experience myself, comprised of three different exercises – Drag Racing, ESP skid tyres and Figure 8 as well as the Dynamic Handling Course.

During the Drag Racing exercise, participants had the opportunity to race a range of models against another participant in another car side-by-side. The exercise not only raised the participants adrenaline levels and show off their competitive edge but also allows them to experience for themselves the different performance levels and differences between certain Mercedes models. The exercise for example, showed that a C250 is significantly quicker off the line than a C180 even though both models are basically powered by the same 1796cc CGI engine while a 7G-Tronic gearbox can also improve performance when compared to say, an E200’s five-speed auto.

The ESP skid tyres and Figure 8 exercise was undoubtedly the most fun. In this exercise, C-Class coupe models were fitted with special skid tyres which somehow manage to simulate low grip surfaces like gravel or even ice. It was certainly loads of fun as we tried to grapple with the car as the tyres gave it a tendency to initially understeer and as soon as the understeer stopped, the car will suddenly want to swap ends as the nose starts to point too much into the inside of the corner. The exercise was really a big test of one’s car control and the participants will learn to appreciate the C-Class Coupe’s well balanced nature when it is driven on ‘normal’ tyres as well as the benefits of its ESP system.

The last exercise was on the Dynamic Handling Course where participants can go all-out to appreciate the C-Class’s high levels of dynamism and well-balanced chassis, and to set the fastest time on the course for a chance to win a prize.

Before the programme ended, chief instructor Peter Hackett took the participants for rides around the handling course in the thunderous C63 AMG. It was certainly a thrilling ride for most of the participants as Peter showed off the C63’s handling prowess and performance as he made the car dance on the throttle on the course on each run.