Put Dad in the Driving Seat this Father's Day at Mercedes-Benz World

SURREY, UNITED KINGDOM – March 23, 2009: If you’re looking for something a little bit special for Dad this Father’s Day, then give him a drive to remember at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey.

In addition to a great value outing, there are a variety of exciting driving experiences on offer each and every day, from a 15 minute Passenger Experience through to the three hour AMG Advanced Experience, guaranteed to make his Father’s Day extra special.

And this year he can share it with like-minded families as Mercedes-Benz World celebrates the British Grand Prix, the biggest weekend in the calendar for patriotic Formula 1 enthusiasts.

If you’re unable to get a ticket for Silverstone, why not invite your Dad to support Lewis Hamilton, current Formula 1 champion, and Heikki Kovalainen at the Brand Experience Centre, where the entire weekend’s action will be shown on the big screen? There will be enlightening introductions and presentations on Formula 1, from the past to present day, aiming to make the weekend informative as well as exciting.

After watching the high-octane action on the screen, the whole family can watch Dad follow in the tyre tracks of Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, with one of the many driving experience packages available. The Mercedes-Benz World Handling Circuits, on which the two motor sport legends drove in 2008, will test his nerve with twisting turns, as he is either taken around the tracks by one of the specialist driving team or put in the driving seat of a Mercedes-Benz AMG or off road 4MATIC M- or GL-Class. The AMG experience is a great way for your Dad to demonstrate those much-boasted driving skills before tackling the Wet Skid Circle (the only one of its kind open to the public in the UK), and develop skills to really handle oversteer and hold a controlled powerslide.

If your Dad likes a challenge, then the Off-Road Experience is the ideal gift. Watch in amazement as your Dad successfully navigates 10 acres of rough terrain and confronts challenging steep slopes, water-crossings and axle-twisting obstacles in an M- or GL-Class model.

If you’re not content with just giving him a great experience out on the track, there are over 100 vehicles from past and present on display, a simulator ride through the production of a Mercedes-Benz, a cinema charting Mercedes-Benz ‘firsts’, plus many other areas to discover and explore, making it a perfect free day out for the whole family.

Peter O’Halloran, managing director, Mercedes-Benz World, remarked: “With Father’s Day coinciding with the British Grand Prix, many kids will be struggling to drag their Dads away from their seat in front of the TV. However, with thrills and spills both on and off the track, you’re guaranteed to have your Dad racing down to Mercedes-Benz World, making this Father’s Day one to remember.”