Hop into your car and it’s probably second nature that your feet control your accelerator, brakes, and clutch while your hands do the steering and other bits. So what happens when you attempt to drive a car fitted with hand controls for a driver that cannot operate the pedals? Well, after a slight learning curve it turns out it isn’t that different.
V8, Twin Turbo AMG, AND NO PEDALS! E63 Bi-Turbo with HAND CONTROLS
Today’s subject car is an E63 AMG which is an interesting car in its own right, but this particular example is set up for a driver to use hand controls. That means the E63’s pedals are completely blocked off from accidental inputs with a metal plate while a clever lever system controls the accelerator and brakes. This lever resides next to the steering wheel and at first glance fits in rather well with the familiar stalks protruding from the steering column.
The owner of this E63 did not let hand controls get in the way of enjoying his love of cars. What started out as a search for a Golf R or BMW M140i hatchback quickly turned into a deep dive down the classifieds to find a proper deal on a used E63 AMG. A small fee later to set up the hand controls and the owner is now enjoying their AMG Mercedes as the perfect weekend toy. The E63 is large enough to accommodate the owner’s wheelchair in the trunk but fast enough to satisfy the owner’s enthusiasm for cars.
Passion for cars is an unstoppable force. True car enthusiasm can easily overcome obstacles to make the best out of any situation. In this particular case, a car enthusiast overcame a fear we all have, purchasing a used Mercedes-AMG product. With perseverance, you can overcome any obstacle and this example is proof that love for cars knows no bounds.
