AMG Hill Climb: Looking back at the year gone by

It all started with the simple idea of celebrating the completion of half a century of one of the world’s most iconic brands – Mercedes-AMG. Given that India is blessed with abject lack of racetracks around our vast country, we debated long and hard at the evo India office as to what could be an appropriate form of celebration of a brand whose identity was based on pure performance. Eventually, we hit upon the idea of conducting hill climbs around the country.

After all, with the Himalayas to the north, the Sahyadri (Western ghats), the Deccan plateau, the Aravallis and the Eastern ghats at our disposal there would be no dearth of good, fast roads that would allow us to exploit the potential of the wonderful Mercedes-AMG line up in India. Since then, one hill climb after another has come and gone but with more coming up, we have no intention of stopping this fabulous celebration of The Thrill of Driving with Mercedes-AMG on the AMG Hill Climb series. But with the year having drawn to an end and a new year having started, it’s impossible to not look back at the year gone by and some of the most memorable moments we have had on this AMG Hill Climb series.

Being Indian means all talk of hills and mountains come to a dead stop with the word Himalayas. Taller and more formidable than the Alps in Europe or the Andes in South America, it is but natural that we consider the Himalayas the last word in hills and mountains. Small surprise then that one of the very first hill climbs of this series was done from Dehradun to Rishikesh via the village of Thano in the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43. Anand described the 80km stretch as a rip off of the exalted Isle of Man TT course. Clearly, the company of a fabulous  sportscar on a superb road suited Anand for he came back with a grin pasted on his face that could put Donkey in Shrek to shame. “It allows the playfulness to keep things interesting on a tricky road, without overwhelming you and so you can be enthusiastic on the throttle,” he wrote. Words that I would recall when I took another Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 to explore the wonderful road that leads to Aamby Valley in our backyard on a foggy Friday morning. I didn’t come back grinning like a jackass because it didn’t go with my carefully cultivated image of a mature (hope, the wifey doesn’t see this) man but boy oh boy I was dancing a jig inside. Was I a raving lunatic too? No, it’s just that the Mercedes-AMG SLC 43 on a good fast hill climb can bring out the youth – and occasionally the child – in you.

Then again, which one of us would forget our little jaunt with the Mercedes-AMG G 63? It had been raining for three consecutive weeks and Pune weather couldn’t get drearier. It was like all the gods of all the mythologies had decided to take a shower. All at the same time! And then smack out of nowhere, bright rays broke through thick clouds one lucky morning. Lucky, because we had the Mercedes-AMG G 63 Crazy Colours Edition on the same day. Not wasting one sunny moment, we hopped in and went off to explore another hill climb near the Bhorghat. Tarmac shredding performance, a delightful soundtrack to match but with the peace of mind that only an SUV can bring, is how I remember the experience. Up and down and back up we went, and then, finally when we had had enough, we pulled over on a grassy knoll by an immense lake and took in the beauty of the landscape. The capability of a genuine off-roader combined with the soul of a sportscar, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 is special.

Nor would one easily forget Anand’s drive around the wonderfully smooth Chorla ghat near Belgaum. It is without doubt one of the most interesting roads you will find in the western region. One made more special by the fact that the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupé that Anand was piloting seemed like a perfect fit on those magnificently misty twists and turns that make up Chorla. On that drive, he had discovered the secret of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupé and realised what it was about this SUV-coupé that so tugs at the heartstrings. Its ability to hum up its own orchestra full of rumbles and pops from the twin exhausts and the singular ability to dance to its own tunes is what’s so special about this vehicle. Even when he took the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S to nearby Tamhini he ended up having a blast. Hell, he even put it in writing that if he had a car like this and a road like the Tamhini for a playground, he would need a raise to foot the fuel bills! In his story he wrote, “Tamhini is beautiful, and the road itself is fast, flowing and mixes in some sharp corners. It’s one of those roads that will get you in to rhythm quickly, and if you have a car that’s as loud and fun as this AMG C 63 S is, you are in for a treat.” Having driven there several times, I can’t help but agree.

It would be stating the obvious that we love our hill climbs and can’t wait for the next one as soon as we’re done with one. But there’s another aspect that these multiple hill climbs conducted over the course of the year have revealed. That is the versatility of the Mercedes-AMG range in India. From a true blue drop top sportscar to a mammoth SUV with the soul of a sportscar to a family sedan on steroids, there is at least one option for every enthusiast. I can’t think of a single other manufacturer who offers such a variety of fast cars in the country. As for us? We wait now for the next car with which to attack our next hill as the AMG Hill Climb series drives into 2018.