MIKESTOPFORTH

…is only sometimes through his stomach. The way to this man’s heart, at least, is through a 6,27 litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine under the hood of one of the scariest ‘passenger vehicles’ on the road today.

You know I’m an Audi fan – let’s state this up front, and having just invested in a shiny new A4 I’m more enamoured with the brand than ever – it’s an amazing car. But really when it comes down to it there is little between the big three German luxury sedan manufacturers – especially in the class that includes the BMW 3-series, Audi A4 and of course the Mercedes-Benz C-class.

So when Dell South Africa (who continue to surprise me with their generosity and openness – a very funky bunch of people) invited me to a ‘day at the track’ with Mercedes-Benz Dynamic Driving, I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity because I normally favour four rings over three pointed stars :)

And so I found myself at Zwartkops racetrack yesterday, being introduced to the C63 AMG (hear what Jeremy Clarkson has to say about this monster on YouTube) in the form of a dynamic driving session, high speed oval track spin and of course the mandatory skid pan orientation (in one of the biggest rain storms I’ve ever experienced – quite apt…)

It was an experience drenched in a cocktail of testosterone and adrenaline. But that wasn’t the best part. The best part was that all that excitement and craziness was balanced with the fine instruction of none other than Clint Wesson, of South African motor racing fame, whose enthusiasm and skill made the entire experience not only informative but valuable.

A huge thanks must go to Bronwyn and Sonelia at Dell for inviting me (and babysitting me) and to Hema and Destiny for organising such a super event. Now if only Dell laptops could run OSX…

If you’re interested some pics from the event are at my flickr account.

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