We attended the Mercedes AMG Performance Tour last week at the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit and managed to not only sample some of the firm’s latest offerings but also get up close and personal with some of its older models. Here’s are our best bits from the 2023 Mercedes AMG Performance Tour.
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Shuttled in through the familiar gates of the Kyalmia circuit, we were immediately greeted by a lineup of V8 power boxy-bodied racers from years past. Among the lineup were the 6,2-litre V8-powered W204 C63 and a 450 SLC finished in a baby blue and silver livery to name a few. Guarding the entrance to the lobby was a 2019 AMG GT and C63 adorned with the AMG Driving Academy emblems and stickers.
Related: Review: 2023 Mercedes-AMG SL43
The foyer housed a medley of Mercedes models from the recently unveiled EQS SUV showcasing the firm’s forward aspirations juxtaposed against one of the most memorable models to ever wear the TriStar badge, the venerated 1971 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL affectionately known as the Red Pig. This theme persisted throughout the day, a medley of older projects contrasted against the latest projects Mercedes has to offer.
Mark Raine took hold of a mic shortly after the masses had arrived and began delving into the past, present and future of the brand alongside a quick look into the life of Bernd Schinder. Talks shifted quickly from aspirations and recollections of days past to announcements of what was just beyond the horizon.
The curtain raiser being the four-pot powered A45 S followed by the A35 hatch, it became clear that the days of eight-cylinders had come to an end, or so they’d led us to believe. Emerging from beyond the screen was the new GT 63, which serves as a bastion of the bi-turbo V8 power plant followed by the unveiling of the latest Sl derivative in all its open-top glory.
Read our reviews of each here: Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan 4MATIC+ & 2023 Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4MATIC+
What followed was a rapid sampling of the most modern and not-so-modern offerings from Mercedes stables. Although I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the 2023 C63 S E Performance that sat square in the centre of the conference room. The track was inundated with four-cylinder four-wheelers and the occasional bellowing of tri-pointed star GT3 cars. On the opposite side of Kyalami was a makeshift Gymkhana course where one could sample the A45 S and A35 sedan back-to-back. The terrace that oversaw the gymkhana course offered an opportunity to put a boxy G63 against and silent but violent Mercedes EQE. The EQE won on nearly every run.
As a glimpse into the firm’s future and desires, the Mercedes AMG Performance Tour left one wanting much more. I even considered denying my flight back to Cape Town to spend a little more time with the cars. Until next year, Mercedes!
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