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When you crack an invite to an event at the flagship Mercedes-Benz showroom in Sandton, you must just accept, because you know there’s going to be something special going on. It turns out that the most recent event would be one of the most memorable, and downright awesome. The event was called Sandton Street Race, and it was exactly that. The powers that be at Mercedes-Benz SA managed to have the streets around the showroom cordoned off to create a makeshift street-racetrack of a little over a kilometer long. The plan was to have some of the latest AMG models show off their incredible speed and handling around the block at speeds that Metro normally arrest you for, but with zero consequences. That’s pretty damn cool, but after arriving and signing-in, I realised that it would be way better than expected. With my invite, I wasn’t just going to experience the circuit in the passenger seat, I was given the change to drive it myself. Mercedes-Benz even extended the invite to my wife, so it ended up being one of those rare occasions that she could tag along. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday morning in Sandton. Before the fun started, Co-CEO & Executive Director for MBSA, Mark Raine, and the Vice President Sales & Marketing MBSA, Alex Boavida welcomed invitees to the event and gave us a breakdown of the AMG range and the reason behind the event – basically to show off what the automaker is capable of and to create some great memories. Having Finnish ex-Formula One driver Mika Salo there as a guest driver gave even more credibility to the event, it was set to be a great day. After the presentation, I wondered around snapping some action pics, caught up with some fellow journos and photographers and killed a few cappuccinos with my wife while waiting for my turn to drive. When we got to the queue, we saw that the laps were timed and that I was leading the field. That’s just how I roll, standing in the queue I was already fastest overall. It seems someone jumped the queue, even though specific slots and cars were assigned, but hey, I was happy with my name at the top of the board for a while. I ended up piloting the 225 kW, all-wheel drive Mercedes-AMG A35, and my wife was able to join as a rear passenger. Hoofing an AMG through Sandton was absolutely epic, and I was decently quick, and could have been a lot quicker but I listened to my AMG driving instructor’s input because that’s the right thing to do. You can’t expect a stranger to trust that you know what you’re doing, and many claim to be able to be capable behind the wheel when they’re more reckless than anything else. I loved every minute of it, as did me missus. After everyone had their turn at the wheels, two of the top instructors faced off against Mika Salo and that meant egos and reputations were on the line. It was The Westons, Clint and Natalie, versus the Finn and if you know just one thing about either of the Westons, it’s that they can outdrive most people. After the little 3-way shootout, Clint finished in 3rd, Mika in 2nd and Natalie clinching top spot. That’s mad impressive! When the shootout was over, the A45 AMG Owners Club was allowed to do a few parade laps of the circuit before the event was opened up to the public. There were quite a few cars on track, and the slow parade laps started getting faster and faster, but no one was complaining and that made for some great sights and sounds. Most of the A45s that were on circuit were modified, visually and performance-wise, and some of them made very nice go-fast noises. I hung around to snap a few shots before heading home. Probably the most epic Sunday morning I’ve had in Sandton! A huge thanks goes to the entire Mercedes-Benz SA crew for including myself and my wife in this amazing event, and also a huge congrats for pulling the whole thing off. That was one properly successful event. There was such an amazing vibe that it confused my wife, she’s always associated the brand with stuffy old businessmen, but that perception has flipped 180… TAP TO SEE FULL ALBUM
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AuthorChris "Krutch" Wall from CW Media is a freelancer in the lifestyle experience. He is a unique story teller, bringing you imagery and tales of his journey into what humans are passionate about remembering through the ages... Archives
January 2024
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