VW's Freedriving Tour offers thrills for everyone
August 25, 2012
By: Anthony Murdoch
What's in a name? Well, if there is the word "free" in it, then chances are either the "free" thing in question is nothing more than a real smart marketing gimmick or it actually is something free. In the case of Volkswagen Canada's Freedriving Tour 2012, my thoughts are that it actually is a bit of both, although it truly is a free event which was open to the public from August 24 to 26 in Calgary. Yet, from a marketing standpoint, this has to be one of the smartest things I have ever come across, with the only real cost to the consumer being simply the time (and gas) spent on getting to the event.
In the parking lot of the Cross Iron Mills mall, which is located just north of the city, VW set up shop with an excellent display of both product as well as a short small test track where anyone could come and drive up to three of its new models, testing both acceleration, handling, braking and overall vehicle feel.
On hand to test out were the 2012 GTI, GLI, Beetle, Passat and Passat TDI, and the Tiguan. After a brief tour of current models, which included a look at one of the first VW's ever sold in Canada on display, a 1952 Type 1 sedan, (or Beetle), guests made their way to the test track, where one was free to choose which three cars they felt like having a go in.
Each car was manned by a co-driver, all of whom were trained by professional racing driver Claude Poirier. Personally, I took the wheel of the Beetle, Passat TDI, and the Jetta GLI. For the average person, the short track gives one the chance to put the car through its paces, and really does help one get a feel for what it is capable of. Although you never really get the car up to speed, you are able to have more fun than you would on the road (at least legally), and I have to say that having been to many press driving events, which are similar in their set-up to this public event, VW really did a good job of giving both new and old customers alike the chance to put their new products to the test.
Having gone from Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and then to Calgary beforehand, the event finishes off the 2012 season in Vancouver, running September 7 to 9, at Pitt Meadows - British Columbia Driving Center.
Registration for the event is recommended, and can be don so online at www.vw.ca.
By: Anthony Murdoch
What's in a name? Well, if there is the word "free" in it, then chances are either the "free" thing in question is nothing more than a real smart marketing gimmick or it actually is something free. In the case of Volkswagen Canada's Freedriving Tour 2012, my thoughts are that it actually is a bit of both, although it truly is a free event which was open to the public from August 24 to 26 in Calgary. Yet, from a marketing standpoint, this has to be one of the smartest things I have ever come across, with the only real cost to the consumer being simply the time (and gas) spent on getting to the event.
In the parking lot of the Cross Iron Mills mall, which is located just north of the city, VW set up shop with an excellent display of both product as well as a short small test track where anyone could come and drive up to three of its new models, testing both acceleration, handling, braking and overall vehicle feel.
On hand to test out were the 2012 GTI, GLI, Beetle, Passat and Passat TDI, and the Tiguan. After a brief tour of current models, which included a look at one of the first VW's ever sold in Canada on display, a 1952 Type 1 sedan, (or Beetle), guests made their way to the test track, where one was free to choose which three cars they felt like having a go in.
Each car was manned by a co-driver, all of whom were trained by professional racing driver Claude Poirier. Personally, I took the wheel of the Beetle, Passat TDI, and the Jetta GLI. For the average person, the short track gives one the chance to put the car through its paces, and really does help one get a feel for what it is capable of. Although you never really get the car up to speed, you are able to have more fun than you would on the road (at least legally), and I have to say that having been to many press driving events, which are similar in their set-up to this public event, VW really did a good job of giving both new and old customers alike the chance to put their new products to the test.
Having gone from Halifax, Montreal, Toronto and then to Calgary beforehand, the event finishes off the 2012 season in Vancouver, running September 7 to 9, at Pitt Meadows - British Columbia Driving Center.
Registration for the event is recommended, and can be don so online at www.vw.ca.
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