Mercedes-AMG A45 track tool with Bilstein B16 suspension
Back in Black
At the tender age of seven Dominik started karting. Together with his father, the young motorsport talent travelled from karting-track to karting-track. “It was a beautiful time that I like to remember,” Dominik recalls today. Above all, the cohesion among the teams was great at that time. For reasons of time and budget, motorsports never became more than a hobby – a hobby that eventually fell asleep.
“About five years ago I met some guys who did a lot of tracks. Then I joined them. That’s how I got back into motorsports,” says the 31-year-old enthusiastically. At this time Dominik drove a Mercedes C63 AMG.
But for the race track, another car was needed. Dominik opted for a Mercedes-AMG A45: state-of-the-art technology, four-wheel drive, 381 bhp and from zero to 100 kph in 4.2 seconds. At track days, the all-black AMG Hot Hatch is an absolute eye-catcher – and almost an exotic addition to the numerous traditionally-present Porsches and BMW M3s. But still, it is an exotic car with a concept.
“I switched from the C63 to the A45 because I wanted to do more track driving again,” says Dominik. “I was looking for something light that wouldn’t break down on the track. In addition, I wanted a car with a dual clutch transmission, so there’s not much left to choose from. I also thought the BMW M4 and M2 were cool, but I wanted something more compact. A big advantage of the A45 is that it can do a lot as standard.”
He certainly said that the look of his track tool was also important to him. “But the main thing for me is to optimise the car for the race track,” says Dominik. He also wished to further improve his own abilities in the limit range. “Of course, you try to be at the limit, just to drive as fast as possible. But speed is not the only requirement”, Dominik is convinced.
In order to elicit even better driving dynamics from a good basis, Dominik switched to semi-slicks, optimised the braking system and had a BILSTEIN B16 suspension system fitted. “Taking the BILSTEIN suspension was a tip from a driver in our trackday squad,” Dominik reveals. Because Dominik travels to each of his seven to eight trackdays a year with his own car, the setup must also remain roadworthy. “The coilover works on the road and is also a real performance gain,” says the passionate trackday driver.
Dominik also has only good things to say about the stability of his BILSTEIN suspension: “I like to drive over the curbs and have already broken a rim, but the suspension remains stable,” says the office clerk with a smile.
