Mercedes India yesterday announced what is perhaps the most extensive Driving Experience program of any luxury or premium brand in India. Called the ‘Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive Program”, the program offers six diverse options to appeal to all kinds of enthusiasts and customers.
The most innovative and unique amongst them is the ‘Young Driver Program’ aimed at promoting Motorsports in India, especially amongst the youth, by giving them a chance to be trained by some of the best experts in the motorsports business.
In what is perhaps a first of a kind initiative amongst automotive manufacturers, Mercedes announced that in association with the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Mercedes would invite applications from young drivers all over the country to participate in this program.
Open only to youth between the age of 15 to 25 years, 12 of these applicants will be chosen for a two-day training session at the Buddh International F1 Circuit, where based on their skills and performance, 3 amongst them will be chosen by the instructors from Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. These 3 young drivers will then be taken to Germany for their Advanced, Pro and SLS AMG GT3 Masters training programs.
Since the biggest prohibition for most Indian youngsters to take up motorsports has been the huge costs associated with it, it is very important to note that all expenses for these programs will be borne by Mercedes India.
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Eberhard Kern, MD & CEO of Mercedes India said: “Mercedes-Benz has been a performance brand and committed to performance driving since the beginning of motorsports. Being a performance brand our engagements are not limited to race drivers alone but encompass motoring enthusiasts as well. In India, the ‘Mercedes-Benz Performance Drive’ will address people across interest levels and skill sets through multitude of engagement opportunities and further the spirit of motoring and performance driving.”
The other programs available are Star Off-Road Experience, where customers and non-customers both can avail of a chance to drive and enjoy the best SUV’s from the Mercedes stable at India’s first dedicated off-road track located at the Mercedes Factory in Chakan.
Another initiative aimed at appealing to Mercedes clientele is the Track Day Experience, where Mercedes will invite its customers and corporate honchos to race each other in high-performance AMG cars at the Buddh F1 circuit.
The International Driving Experience offers customers the options to drive in conditions that are hard to find in India, such as the Snow Driving Program and even a 47-day world tour in the G-Class, which involves driving from Poland to India over a distance of 17,000 kilometres.
The existing driving programs such as the AMG Driving Academy and Star Drive Experience will also continue to run along side the other programs.
To obtain more information on the various programs, visit: www.mercedesbenzperformancedrive.in
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