It's seven o'clock, and I've just opened the drapes to let in the morning sunshine. A new day has begun in Vegas, if you consider that a day in this city begins and ends at some point, which I'm actually not sure. By the way I'm here on, uh, business.
If you're a loyal customer at Mercedes-Benz--you've bought several AMG vehicles in the last few years, for example--you could get more than just an adrenaline-pumping road rocket. This week, hand-picked clients got the opportunity to head down to Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch just outside of Las Vegas for some fun on a racetrack with a virtually-complete AMG model line-up.
That's right, the spankin' new, 563-horsepower SLS AMG is part of that group, and the two copies that graced the Canadian auto show circuit this year, a silver one and a red one, were broken-in and willing to be whipped around the circuit.
By the way, if you believe you're a good Mercedes customer and you haven't been invited, don't call your local Mercedes dealer and give them hell for not being part of the event. I'm pretty sure your turn will come, as there was a limited amount of people who could go. One Canadian customer owns every single AMG model in the current line-up, which gives you an idea of how good they are for Mercedes-Benz (and how filthy rich they are, too).
A few journalists also got invited for a one-day track session--it felt like winning a lottery--and enjoyed every moment of it. We were also accompanied by 14 dealership sales reps, but more on that later.
It's my first trip to Las Vegas, and since we had a few hours to spare after our plane landed, I went out for a walk on the strip. I can't believe how people just stop being the mature responsible adults that I assume they usually are; gambling, prostitution, boozing on the street and other stuff I can't imagine that happens behind closed doors. Built in the middle of a desert, Vegas really does deserve its nickname of Sin City. Ok, back to business.
The next morning, after a one-hour bus ride, we arrive at Spring Mountain and quickly get down to the serious stuff. The Performance Tour includes a bit of theory, as highly-skilled and friendly instructors explain the benefits of a perfect seating position as well as vision and steering exercises.
Print