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Calo drifts AMG into record book

PRECISION DRIVER: When you see a supercar going particularly sideways on Top Gear, it usually features Mauro Calo behind the wheel.
PRECISION DRIVER: When you see a supercar going particularly sideways on Top Gear, it usually features Mauro Calo behind the wheel.
Thanks, in no small part, to elaborately choreographed driving sequences by the likes of Top Gear (and Ken Block), drifting has come to feature rather prominently as the most desirable dynamic driving feature when petrolheads discuss the merits of any contemporary performance car.

Who's the greatest drifter of all, though? You might nominate Ken Block or Rhys Millen. Perhaps one of the original Japanese sideways masters? You’d be wrong.

RELATIVELY UNKNOWN HOOLIGAN

Officially, the world record for the longest bout of sideways, tyre-smoking oversteer malarkey belongs to Mauro Calo and Mercedes-Benz.

Mauro who?

Indeed, Calo is not a renowned motorsport personality but his precision and stunt driving expertise have enabled this Briton to  be cast regularly in a supporting role when Top Gear requires somebody to make its action driving sequences look a little more, well, sideways…

When not on precision driving duties for Top Gear or Mercedes' display team, Calo tutors clients at the German brand’s dynamic driving facility at Weybridge, southern England.

AND THE FIGURES?

What are his record statistics? Well, Calo managed to drift a showroom-stock C63 AMG for nearly eight laps around the narrow handling circuit at Mercedes-Benz world, located within the historic Brooklands motorsport facility - that's 2.308km. Considering most hooligans are proud of drifting around a single roundabout, Calo's achievement is staggering.

Calo’s record-breaking C63 AMG was equipped with Mercedes' optional performance pack which boosts the 6.2-litre V8 358kW, thereby ensuring a surfeit of power to break traction and keep those rear wheels spinning.

What does this latest automotive driving record mean? Well, if you’re after the ultimate executive drift-mobile, it would appear AMG is the brand of choice…

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