Chris Harris commits spare tirecide.
When you equip the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG with the available Performance Package, the car sends some 480 horsepower to the rear wheels. Even when those rear wheels are shod with sticky, 255 millimeter-wide tires, traction is a potential challenge. Leaving the electro-nannies on is a good idea for street driving, and it’s probably in order for less-than-experienced drivers on the track, too.
What if you replaced those rear tires with 125 millimeter temporary spare tires? In fact, what if you replaced all four wheels and tires with temporary spares, then let an experienced motojournalist like Evo’s Chris Harris loose on a racetrack? The combination would either be a recipe for big fun, or a recipe for disaster, depending upon your perspective.
We won’t spoil the outcome, but we’ll tell you that you’ll want to watch the video below. We’ll also tell you that we’re phoning junkyards to stir up three other temporary spares for our own rides.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
