Autoblog

GM to offer consumer test drives at NAIAS, other auto shows?

Chris Shunk — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST

General Motors feels it has a lineup stuffed with vastly improved products and it wants to get as many customers behind the wheel of a new Chevy, Cadillac, GMC or Buick to prove its point. Anyone can head over to the local dealership for a test drive, but the General is reportedly looking for even more ways to get you to evaluate a new GM product, including test drives right at your local auto show.

The Detroit News reports that GM is working with officials from COBO and the city of Detroit to set up a driving route so that consumers can test the automaker's products on-site. Vehicles likely be featured include new products such as the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, Chevy Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX. The test drive area at COBO is reportedly part of GM's totally revamped 85,000 sq ft exhibit space, which includes more interactive displays and plenty of areas to show off new technology like direct injection and the Voltec system. Obviously, the General needed to make some major changes, since it won't need displays for Pontiac, Saab and Saturn in 2010.

Customer test drives were piloted at the New England Auto Show earlier this year, where Cadillac reportedly put over 1,400 people behind the wheel. GM is also looking to set up drives at several other major shows, including Chicago in February, but the biggest push will take place in major metropolitan areas on the east and west coasts, where GM product consideration is weakest.

Auto show test drives make perfect sense, considering that millions of showgoers attend these events every year. People who pay $12 to look at cars in a crammed and crowded convention center are likely the exact same people to get excited about new products. Why not give them seat time and let the word-of-mouth flow?

[Source: The Detroit News]

GM to offer consumer test drives at NAIAS, other auto shows? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Drive: Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Porsche, First Drives, Specialty

Click the image above for a hi-res gallery of the Porsche Boxster RS 60

Our colleague Chris Tutor recently took the Porsche Boxster RS 60 Spyder for a few quick turns around Barber Motorsports. A tad more powerful than the Boxster S, and filled with red leather, he discovered it was plenty of car on the closed circuit. We recently had a chance to get the special edition RS 60 off the track and onto the back roads of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and got to see what the car could do on twisting country lanes - and unexpectedly, in the rain. The likewise unexpected result: damn near perfection. Follow the jump to find out how,and check out the gallery of hi-res and sometimes very damp images below.

Gallery: Second Drive: Porsche Boxster RS 60

Gallery: First Drive: Porsche Boxster RS 60

Continue reading Second Drive: Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder

Second Drive: Porsche Boxster RS60 Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Saturn dealers to offer Camry, Accord drives to Aura shoppers

Alex Nunez — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Saturn

The reinvigorated Saturn is one of the best things GM's got going right now. May 2007 sales were up 68% over the previous year (what a difference appealing product makes), and overall, it's up 30% YTD versus 2006.

Now comes word from Bloomberg News that starting tomorrow, June 11, all but 5 of the 430 Saturn dealers in the US will offer prospective Aura shoppers comparison test drives in the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. According to Saturn's Lisa Hutchinson, its participating dealers are buying the imports that'll be used for the program, which runs through July 31. GM's showing a lot of confidence in its new products -- remember, Chevy dealers will have Camrys on the floor to compare to the new Malibu when it arrives, too. This is all good, and it could probably be even better. Follow the jump for a bit of editorializing.

[Source: Bloomberg News]

Gallery: 2007 Saturn Aura XR - In the Autoblog Garage

Gallery: 2007 Saturn Aura Geen Line

Continue reading Saturn dealers to offer Camry, Accord drives to Aura shoppers

Saturn dealers to offer Camry, Accord drives to Aura shoppers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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