The AMG Driving Academy “Pro Level” is available this year at Road Atlanta (June 28-30, 2010). And, they added the SLS AMG to the list.

FULL PRESS RELEASE FROM MBUSA, MONTVALE, NJ:

Following its inaugural year in the U.S., Mercedes-AMG is presenting a new season for driving enthusiasts who want to sharpen their advanced driving skills at the AMG Driving Academy. Among the list of enhancements is the addition of a Pro Level for 2010. Under the guidance of top professional instructors, the AMG Driving Academy offers the opportunity to personally experience the excitement of motorsports and the track capabilities of Mercedes-AMG vehicles including the all new 563 hp SLS AMG, capable of 0-60 mph in less than four seconds.

Originally founded by Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach, Germany in 2007, the AMG Driving Academy launched in the U.S. in 2009. More than six-hundred driving enthusiasts participated in the advanced driver program last year, and participants now have the opportunity to attend an advanced three-day Pro Level program at one of the top circuits in the U.S., Road Atlanta. Program participants have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of several AMG models including the E63 AMG, SL63 AMG, C63 AMG, SLK55 AMG and SLS AMG. Continue reading » »

We have a large collection of AMG Mercedes-Benz videos for you – constantly updated and enjoyed by AMG enthusiasts throughout the world.

Click on the image or the link above for the video page. We’ll add more as we come across them. You can comment on the videos and add your own if you like.

NOTE: Videos are rather large files so the page takes a little while to load – its worth the wait.

Join a group of AMG enthusiasts at the Andretti Speed Lab – Roswell, GA. All AMG Mercedes-Benz vehicles are welcome to attend.

Saturday, November 10th
Third Annual AMG Enthusiast Meet and Car Show at Andretti Speed Lab in Roswell, GA. This event is produced by AMG Enthusiasts and supported by the MBUSA AMG Private Lounge. It is time to polish up those AMG’s and bring them out to meet up with your fellow enthusiasts as we add the first ever AMG Car show to the agenda this year.

• 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Registration
• 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM Car Show 
• 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Dinner, Q&A Session and Awards

Attending are representatives from Mercedes-Benz USA’s AMG Team as well as the AMG Private Lounge – both product management and technical support plus several AMG vehicles on display from Mercedes-Benz USA.

Be sure to bring your driving shoes as Andretti’s indoor karting track will be open all day – award for the best lap time cut by an AMG driver.

Awards presented for the following categories:

• Best In Show
• Longest Distance Traveled
• Most Miles on your AMG
• Oldest “Running” AMG
• Baldest Tires
• Best Karting Time
• Most Modified AMG

Registration is free and will open in the next week. A small fee will be charged for those wanting to attend the dinner.

Post a reply if you are interested and/or send an email to Atlanta AMG Meet. 

- Info Provided by the Atlanta AMG Enthusiasts

OK, we once again scoured the web and found the following AMG Mercedes-Benz related news for your perusal. 

AMG Market | Weekly Update for AMG Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts 

1978 Mercedes 350 SLC AMG LeMans Car: Is this car for real and currently for sale? According to the folks at "Bring a Trailer" it is! AMG only built two of these cars and one is owned by Mercedes-AMG.

 
1978 Mercedes 350 SLC AMG LeMans Car
August 4, 2007: Bringatrailer.com claims they were contacted by the seller in Germany who has informed them that this car is still available. The owner will have the car at the Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring and the car will be available immediately after the event.

Visit "For Wheels" for a nice post on the C-Class Estate (C63 AMG Estate):

Mercedes-Benz W204 C-Class Wagon

Looking much like a scaled down version of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, these are some images of the upcoming C-Class Estate, set to debut at the Frankfurt International Motorshow 2007.

MBUSA and DaimlerChrysler Global Media both provide several press releases. Here's a summary of the current news:

DaimlerChrysler Closes Transaction on Transfer of Majority Interest in Chrysler to Cerberus
Stuttgart, Aug 3, 2007 – DaimlerChrysler completed the closing for the transfer of a majority interest in the Chrysler Group and for the related financial services business in NAFTA to a subsidiary of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P., a private-equity company based in New York.
[AMG Market note: Extraordinary shareholders' meeting to decide on change of name on October 4, 2007.]

Mercedes-Benz Reports 18,586 New Vehicle Sales for July
MONTVALE, N.J. – Aug 1, 2007 – Mercedes-Benz USA reported sales of 18,586 new vehicles for July, bringing the company’s year-to-date total to 136,826 units, a 0.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year and marking the best year-to-date sales volume in its history.

With significant boosts in sales for both the S-Class and CL-Class (12.9 percent and 561.5 percent increases respectively), highlights for July sales include a 12 percent increase in sales of Mercedes-Benz high-end vehicles (S-, SL-, and CL-Classes) as a group.  SUVs also showed growth, with the company’s highly acclaimed M-Class model line’s 23 percent increase (3,015 vs. 2,446 units) for the month. 

Drew Slaven Appointed General Manager, Marketing Services for MBUSA
MONTVALE, N.J. – July 26, 2007 – Mercedes-Benz USA announced the appointment of Drew Slaven to the new position of general manager, marketing services for MBUSA, effective immediately. << MORE >>

AMG Market Note: If you know of a company that would like to promote their products and services on our AMG Mercedes-Benz websites, blogs and newsletter, please let us know or have them contact us. Given the popularity of our AMG blogs are now consistently in the top Google search results for AMG Mercedes-Benz, we are adding a limited number of new sponsors.

Besides the autobahn, where can you drive a variety of AMGs to the limit without getting arrested? How about at the California Speedway or Lime Rock Park? Mercedes-Benz offers an event for AMG enthusiasts branded "The AMG Challenge." For a couple of grand you can experience the power of AMG on the track and learn professional skills to tame the track.

If you own an AMG you should have rec'd an invite from Mercedes-Benz, but if you didn't you can contact them by phone (see the end of this post). Also, you may forward an invitation to a friend by having them register at www.mbusa.com/amgchallenge using the code AMG999. If the events are sold out, they will be placed on a waiting list.

Here's the description of the event provided by Mercedes-Benz and the dates/locations: 

Your day at the AMG Challenge will give you an adrenaline rush…unlike any other. You'll learn high-performance driving skills from racing greats including Le Mans and World Challenge champions. You'll experience the twists and turns of a first-class race track driving a range of Mercedes-Benz AMG vehicles including the E55, C55, CLK55, CL55, SLK55 and the S55. And you'll power through esses with the SL55 AMG and thunder down the high-speed stretches with the all new CLS55 AMG.

It will be a full day packed with excitement including:

• On-track driving clinics
• Timed competition on an autocross track
• Performance driving exercises highlighting car positioning, steering method, throttle control, racing line theory and much more
• Open lapping on the main track
• Hot laps with top-name professional drivers
• At the conclusion of the event, there will be a celebratory champagne toast including a certificate, trophy and awards presentation

It all adds up to an unforgettable experience that you won’t want to miss. The event admission fee is $1,195. If you haven’t registered yet, sign up now. These limited spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis only.

AMG Challenge Dates 

UPDATE (April 2007): The dates and locations for the AMG Challenge have changed!

Click image to view large pic.

May 11 or 12
[May 10 added to dates]
California Speedway – Fontana, CA
AMG Challenge Graduate date, May 13

July 31 or Aug. 1
[NO LONGER OFFERED AT THIS TRACK AS OF APRIL 2007]
Lime Rock Park – Lakeville, CT
AMG Challenge Graduate, Aug. 2

Aug. 18 or 19
[NO LONGER OFFERED AT THIS TRACK AS OF APRIL 2007]
Autobahn Country Club – Joliet, IL

Sept. 18 & 19 [TRACK AND DATES ADDED]
Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, PA

Oct. 5 or 6
[DATES CHANGED TO OCT. 11 & 12]
Homestead Miami Speedway – Homestead, FL
AMG Challenge Graduate, Oct. 7

Additional Resources
AMG Market | Mercedes-Benz Enthusiasts

Visit one of the following links or call the phone number provided below if you want more info:

• AMG Challenge Overview Page (enter the guest code AMG999 to access the info)
• Phone for more info: 201-802-7891 or 201-802-7892 (9:00AM-6:00PM EST)

Other Resources

• Video of 2003 AMG Challenge on the AMG Market Video Page
• Brief video of 2006 AMG Challenge on photobucket
• Collection of photos from 2003 AMG Challenge at Lime Rock, CT

Editors Note: Sorry, you can't drive you own car – vehicles are provided.