If you are out at Edinburgh Airport you may be forgiven for rubbing your eyes in disbelief. There really will be Mercedes cars racing down the tarmac. But it is all for a good cause.
Aeroplanes are not the only machines taking off at the Edinburgh Airport today as some of the world’s fastest cars will be hitting the runway for ‘Race the Runway’ – a charity drag race raising funds for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow. The cars were spotted this morning at the Dakota Hotel – perhaps they need to spruce up their parking skills?
The event, which invites members of the public to pay £300 for the opportunity to race their high-performance cars on the 1,800 m auxiliary runway, is staged as a series of heats throughout the day, with the fastest models progressing to each successive round. Last year, the finalists released speeds of up to 180 mph as they competed against the clock.
As the sponsor of this exciting event, Mercedes-Benz will also be heading to Edinburgh with seven of its most powerful AMG models in tow. Among them will be the A 45 AMG, the new 360 hp GLA 45 AMG, the C 63 AMG Black Series, the SL 63 AMG Roadster, the E 63 AMG S Estate and the mighty SLS AMG Black Series.
Also tearing up the tarmac will be the iconic Silver Arrow MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 W03 Formula One car – last raced to victory by Nico Rosberg in the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix. Piloted on the day by Sky Sports Presenter Anthony Davidson, spectators will witness the full power of the magnificent V8 engine, developing up to 750 hp, as it powers the 600 kg vehicle up the runway.
“We’re delighted to be back at Race the Runway,” said Rob Halloway, Communications and Events Director Mercedes-Benz UK. “It’s great fun and a real privilege to thunder along the tarmac at take-off speeds in a car – and of course it’s all perfectly legal! But best of all this remarkable day raises awareness and funds for a terrific cause.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
