There are a number of different packages available, but we got to test the entry-level program – called Performance – which is open to everyone, regardless of experience.
A display in winter gear
The philosophy behind the AMG Experience – regardless of which of their ten different types of programs it applies to – is to show new and existing customers what the brand’s cars can do in various environments.
In the case of the AMG Experience on Ice, it’s driving on a frozen lake for the whole penny where plowed tracks form the practice area. The “worst” that can happen is thus that you drive into a snow bank.
On the agenda was driving a Mercedes-AMG A 45 Sthe new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E-Performance, and the old treat Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-Door.
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Clothes after weather. (Photo: Mercedes) Lustering
The instructors are all racing drivers who have been tasked with guiding the participants through a series of exercises in a safe manner. The exercises vary in difficulty but allow everyone – regardless of experience – to test their limits.
The arrival day’s agenda consists of transport to the hotel in Arjeplog followed by a security briefing at Mercedes’ facility at Lake Galtisjaur.
The instructors emphasize the importance of safety time and time again and explain that you may be forced to cancel your participation if you do not do as you are told.
They also explain that the snowbanks are quite hard and if you damage a car, you may be forced to pay for the party as well. That said, each exercise allows you to drive at the car’s limit, provided you can handle it yourself.
All cars are also equipped with substantial ice studs.
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Marcus (in red) got to attend an event with lots of customers. (Photo: Mercedes) Cool in droves
The lake that Mercedes-AMG subscribes to is divided into 13 tracks named after various famous racing tracks in the world – including Laguna Seca, Estoril, Nürburgring, Mexico City, and so on.
I started my drive in the Mercedes-AMG C 63 on a course consisting of a slalom followed by a series of wide corners to give each driver the opportunity to warm up properly. It also gave the instructors the opportunity to assess everyone’s competence.
You are usually two and two in the cars – although you can drive yourself for an extra charge – and it is up to each couple to take turns.
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The drive began behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG C 63. (Photo: Mercedes) Electrification on the menu
The new AMG C 63 has gone from housing a V8 under the hood to a four-cylinder piece with an electric motor. The plug-in hybrid thus has the world’s most powerful production-produced four-cylinder engine – with a whopping 476 horsepower – but is also assisted by an electric motor, which results in a total of 680 horsepower and 1,020 newton meters.
The drive takes place on all four wheels – and the electric drive is there for the sake of performance, not to make the C 63 an environmentally friendly car. Having said that, the combination means that cars of that type may continue to exist.
In Race mode, the small battery is charged at breakneck speed, which is why you always have access to all the power. Each lap on the track is accompanied by instructions that stream into the car via a walkie-talkie. To get the most out of the cars, you are encouraged to turn off all assistance systems.
Electrification means lightning-fast response, as long as the drivetrain is up to temperature. In slow motion when the gearbox is cold, it can occasionally jerk. When skidding, the C 63 is incredibly accommodating and it’s quick to learn how to handle the car to really dance through the curves.
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C 63 is fun to slide. (Photo: Mercedes) The art of mashing a pedal
I had the opportunity to drive on the slalom course for almost an hour, which was enormously good for one’s skills behind the wheel. Then it was time for a car change – next up was the small performance hatchback A 45 S.
We would have the opportunity to test the car on a wide, plowed track with a series of hairpin bends. All with the aim of playing rally driver and taking advantage of the car’s four-wheel drive system.
Regardless of previous experience, there is nothing in the program that limits one’s ability to drive the car at the driver’s limits. Exercises are there so that everyone can benefit from them, a receipt for a well-thought-out program.
The A 45 is enormously accommodating thanks to the four-wheel drive, the ice studs, and the lightning-fast gearbox. All contribute to feeling a bit like a rally driver when you accelerate over the ice.
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The AMG A 45 has an incredibly playful side. (Photo: Mercedes) Full throttle all day
The next day offered four parts, all of which were just under an hour and a half long, spread over the morning and afternoon. The exercises basically consisted of sledding on different tracks, but with varying degrees of difficulty.
On one of the more technical courses I was given the opportunity to push in the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 which belongs to the old school AMG cars. The huge V8 engine contributes to a substantial weight, while at the same time you find a robust feel in all the controls.
The long wheelbase makes it quite happy to skid, but if you enter a curve too quickly, it is difficult to save the situation.
The soundstage is really nice and in terms of feel it’s hard to beat with the V8 engine. That said, the AMG GT 63 is offered as a plug-in hybrid and V8, in the form of the AMG GT 63 SE Performance, which undeniably combines the best of both worlds.
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The AMG GT 63 is like a sledgehammer on ice. (Photo: Mercedes) When you want to develop behind the wheel
AMG Experience on Ice focuses more on dynamic driving than, for example, many other similar programs offered by competitors.
AMG’s focus is on testing the cars to the limit, while other players usually focus on offering more safety-oriented driving.
In terms of the amount of driving, the level is extreme and some of the participants almost found it to be too much. I didn’t think so and regardless of level, you get something out of driving.
Learning how a car feels at the limit is hugely developmental for one’s driving skills and the AMG Experience on Ice provides space for everyone – regardless of skill level – to get something out of the experience.
If you want to develop as a driver, any ice driving event is recommended. (Photo: Marcus Berggren)