MERCEDES-AMG CLE

We slap on our fast Merc L-plate and get some expert track training

- KRIS CULMER

MILEAGE 3561 WHY WE'RE RUNNING IT To generate a progress report on the evolution of the old-school Merc coupé.

Driving your first AMG is not something that anyone should take lightly. I mean, just look at the bulldog stance and menacing glare of the CLE 53 and tell me you wouldn't be at least a tad nervous.

So I was thankful to be given not only the key to this car but also an invitation to Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey for an AMG driving experience and driver training day.

Situated on the historic race track at Brooklands, it's an impressive emporium - and all the more so when I visited because it was hosting a classic car auction.

Well, unless there was some bizarre German licensing deal for pink Ford Edsels I never knew about.

There's a wide range of experiences on offer here, ranging from brief passenger rides to full driving days; in anything from EVs to off-roaders to super-saloons; and costing from £45 to £695. There are even sessions for kids.