Audi Driving Experience
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2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 811
From: South Florida
Audi Driving Experience
Just received an invitation to sign up for the Audi Driving Experience at Homestead Speedway in late September. They claim they will " put me in the driver's seat" of an R8, and a S5. Sounds like big fun, especially the R8!
SoCal Crew Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,819
From: L.A.
ya. i was scheduled to take the new b8's and the Mk II TT last november around california speedway...
but it fell on my birthday weekend ;[ . so i gave the invite to another AF'er.
getting smashed > audi driving experience
but it fell on my birthday weekend ;[ . so i gave the invite to another AF'er.
getting smashed > audi driving experience
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 6,678
From: Colchester, VT
I JUST got back from the Audi Experience.
The free 2hr option sets you as a 'test driver' for the new A4, pitting it against 3 other cars in the market segment. All were AWD. Drove a BMW 3 series, Lexus IS250, MB C300 (I think thats what it was), and the '09 A4.
Overall the A4 takes it, but their requirements of AWD already put it ahead in most every department, and their excuse for not offering the next model up is that it costs too much, $7K more than the Audi, but the IS250 is about $7K LESS, but whatever, Audi is gonna make sure they can't get shown up at their own event.
It was an awesome time. Spent about 15 minutes getting the sales pitch, and then spent the next 45 minutes taking turns with my brother driving all the cars around an autoX course.
Can you say 'all wheel drift'?
Now how about 'times four'?
We flogged those cars, putting them right to the limits of adhesion, and in my brothers case on one particularly hot lap, past the limits. Fired it thru a chicane at 70+ with a sweeping left following, and ending shortly after with the stop box. Was on the brake kinda hard during the sweeper to get the speed down, then back on it again up to the stop box. Probably the biggest drift I'd seen that day around that last turn.
Then we thru on helmets, and took the cars out on the big track (this was at Pocono International Speedway, btw). We used half the track and the infield (have vid of my bro driving I may put online), got the cars up around 100mph around the banked turns. It was follow the leader, and it seemed like there were always slower groups ahead of us that we'd catch up to, so I actually had more fun on the auto-x runs.
You were welcome to track the rest of the Audi lineup, barring S-line cars, if you were interested, but we skipped that, since it was only more of the big track follow the leader stuff that we didnt have as much fun with.
Badge (and sweet lanyard) for the day is worth $500 off a new Audi if I were to purchase one, and they handed out free Audi Driving Experience hats at the end of the session.
Oh, and I did poke around in an R8. That thing fits me like a glove, and I MUST HAVE that gated shifter. Pure sex.
Unfortunately, no drive/ride time in it. The instruction/chance for an R8 ride goes with the paid half day program.
Have pics, I'll upload shortly.
The free 2hr option sets you as a 'test driver' for the new A4, pitting it against 3 other cars in the market segment. All were AWD. Drove a BMW 3 series, Lexus IS250, MB C300 (I think thats what it was), and the '09 A4.
Overall the A4 takes it, but their requirements of AWD already put it ahead in most every department, and their excuse for not offering the next model up is that it costs too much, $7K more than the Audi, but the IS250 is about $7K LESS, but whatever, Audi is gonna make sure they can't get shown up at their own event.
It was an awesome time. Spent about 15 minutes getting the sales pitch, and then spent the next 45 minutes taking turns with my brother driving all the cars around an autoX course.
Can you say 'all wheel drift'?
Now how about 'times four'?
We flogged those cars, putting them right to the limits of adhesion, and in my brothers case on one particularly hot lap, past the limits. Fired it thru a chicane at 70+ with a sweeping left following, and ending shortly after with the stop box. Was on the brake kinda hard during the sweeper to get the speed down, then back on it again up to the stop box. Probably the biggest drift I'd seen that day around that last turn.
Then we thru on helmets, and took the cars out on the big track (this was at Pocono International Speedway, btw). We used half the track and the infield (have vid of my bro driving I may put online), got the cars up around 100mph around the banked turns. It was follow the leader, and it seemed like there were always slower groups ahead of us that we'd catch up to, so I actually had more fun on the auto-x runs.
You were welcome to track the rest of the Audi lineup, barring S-line cars, if you were interested, but we skipped that, since it was only more of the big track follow the leader stuff that we didnt have as much fun with.
Badge (and sweet lanyard) for the day is worth $500 off a new Audi if I were to purchase one, and they handed out free Audi Driving Experience hats at the end of the session.
Oh, and I did poke around in an R8. That thing fits me like a glove, and I MUST HAVE that gated shifter. Pure sex.
Unfortunately, no drive/ride time in it. The instruction/chance for an R8 ride goes with the paid half day program.
Have pics, I'll upload shortly.
Last edited by achTTung; Aug 19, 2008 at 08:58 PM.
