[carzaddict]

just to update this thread, i just got back from the event.

The event was a LOT of fun and very well organized. You check in at the desk...then you can go check out a little waiting area they have set up with an i8 and m4 (you can even sit in them). they have some water and coffee refreshments. Then when its your time for the autocross...you go into a tent set up by Hardon Karmon with all these speakers. There will be an instructor giving you details about what to expect, what to do, what you may experience, etc etc (about 15-20 miin over all)..then its time to have fun.

You get split up into groups of ~15 people and you get taken to the area where they have the track. They had 2 separate tracks...one for the 5's and one for the 2's. They load you up 3 in a car (plus the instructor) and they take you for 1 calm lap followed by 2 fast paced laps. Then its time to switch drivers. Each driver gets 1 calm lap and 2 fast paced laps (in comfort mode).....then the instructor gets back in the drivers seat and does another 2 fast laps (in sport mode)....and each driver gets another 3 laps in sport mode. And then everyone gets out of the car and they start giving you 1 by 1 rides (they give you cameras to record the lap)...totally balls to the wall laps. It had started to rain...so everyone was sliding...it was great. The whole thing takes a little under 2 hours from the start of the demo to the very end.

Its a little harder than it seems, the track is a little tight...lots of bends...no real straight. you're tossing the car left and right. the instructors are cool...they guide you through the whole process...tell you what you're doing wrong and how to fix it.

They also have a skid pad demo...and they show you the difference between how the car will handle (328 RWD) on a soapy wet road with and without traction control. They also had an X5 demo...showing the car using hill descent control. The road course was fun...they had a selection of a bunch of cars...6's, 3's, 4's, 5's, 7's........they have the navigation pre-programmed and they let you go out on your own....the drive takes about 15-20 min (depending on how fast you go)

all in all id say it was a cool experience...definitely cant complain when its a free event...but its nice that they put this much time, effort and money into this. One of the instructors actually noted that they had statistics that show the sales response after doing events like this.....so it seems to pay off.