When Mercedes-Benz Canada asked us if we wanted to experience 'ice driving' in Gimli, Manitoba, I have to admit, at first we were perplexed. Where is Gimli, and why is Mercedes-Benz sending us there? And secondly, what exactly would we wear to experience the #MBOwnsTheIce program?
Our experience was custom curated for us, and was a highlight reel of the full AMG Winter Sporting program. We got to try our hand at a whole fleet of different Mercedes-Benz vehicles - for the ice-tracks, I drove the C63 Sedan and the E63 S 4MATIC + Wagon. Needless to say, they both handled the ice a bit differently, but with the same amount of agility and strength that I would expect from a Mercedes-Benz.
We quickly learned that that every year, Mercedes-Benz Canada's AMG Driving Academy hosts a Winter Sporting adventure one of the consistently coldest places in Canada: Gimli, Manitoba. Also home to Crown Royal, this small summer town is transformed by Mercedes-Benz to be a winter sport driving dream.
That actual program is a four day adrenaline-packed experience which includes in-depth safety briefings and then a whole lot of ice drifting. The whole point of course is to test the capabilities of the award winning 4MATIC system that is available for every single Mercedes-Benz vehicle.
Imagine driving out to the middle of frozen over Lake Winnipeg (which was 100 cm deep of ice), to custom-made ice tracks named cheekily after world-famous race tracks, and then being told to test out the cars! We truly couldn't believe that we got to experience this type of luxury and exhilarating driving experience.
The very last car we jumped into was I think my favourite from the day, the super sexy Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4MATIC coupe. Not only was it a beautiful colour but wow the interior was stunning and of course it handled the snowy conditions like a beast!
The Program also offered a snow off-roading component, where we took gorgeous Mercedes-Benz SUVs, like the GLC 300 4MATIC, on a specially built hilly terrain track to experience with the cars' handling on off-road conditions. A much less adrenaline filled experience for sure, but a powerful reminder of how these Mercedes-Benz vehicles handle Canadian snow conditions.
Our trip to Gimli also included an absolutely epic of the now famous #MBGarageGigs, where we partied hard with two Canadian bands in a giant venue made entirely out of ice cubes with a white Mercedes-Benz G Wagon parked outside. I literally can't think of a more epic way to end this trip.
Since we were already in Manitoba, we decided to explore a bit more of Winnipeg, check that out here!
Thank you Mercedes-Benz Canada for
inviting us to see exactly how
#MBOwnsTheIce!
