GM slams brakes on Auto Show In Motion

Joel Arellano — Thu, 04 May 2006 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Trends, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, GM

In an interview with General Motors the Chicago Tribune reports that the automaker has temporarily suspended its Auto Show In Motion program. The popular event where consumers can test-drive GM vehicles without pressure from sales folks has been halted this year due to The Drive, which opened in Las Vegas, Nevada last month. According to a GM representative, the automaker will evaluate The Drive at year's end and decide to either continue the "autotainment" with presumably a renewed Auto Show In Motion, or with other promotions.

Jim Mateja of the Tribune, though, sees cost playing a big role in the Auto Show's stoppage. Though GM does not provide official figures on how much either program costs, he calculates The Drive is easily topping two million. The amount must be significant enough, he writes, since an attendee, usually a "GM avoider", is three times as likely to buy a GM vehicle after participating in Auto Show.

And GM is not the only automaker cutting on such test drives: Ford has halted similar programs while DaimlerChrysler, whose Chrysler division made money last year, has drastically cut its test drives.

(NOTE: The article was available for free viewing at the time of this writing. May require free registration to access.]

[Source: Chicago Tribune]

GM slams brakes on Auto Show In Motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 May 2006 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM set to open Las Vegas "autotainment" park

Stuart Waterman — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, GM

"The Drive," GM's outdoor "autotainment" driving experience is set to open in Las Vegas at the Sahara Hotel & Casino April 10, and GM wants you to start planning it into your next trip to Sin City.

The Drive includes two separate driving courses on the 11-acre site, a high-performance loop (pictured above) and an off-road adventure. According to Steve Tihanyi, GM's director of marketing and entertainment alliances (!), "'The Drive' represents a significant marketing opportunity for General Motors, allowing us to showcase our products in a unique fashion that will provide a fun-filled time for the millions of people who live in or visit Las Vegas."

A $10 ticket gets you a ride in your choice of the Chevy Corvette coupe and convertible, Pontiac GTO, Cadillac CTS-V, Pontiac Solstice roadster, Cadillac STS-V, Saab 9-3 convertible, and Chevy SSR on the performance track, or the HUMMER H2, HUMMER H2 SUT, mid-size HUMMER H3, 2007 Cadillac Escalade, 2006 Chevy Silverado Diesel and the 2007 Chevy Tahoe on one of the two dirt tracks.

If you're planning a trip to Vegas, you can get tickets to The Drive online at VEGAS.com or LasVegas.com.

[Source: GM]

GM set to open Las Vegas "autotainment" park originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Apr 2006 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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