VW Driving Experience 2015

[tigger73]

Well 2 weeks out and there's still 50 places available for the Perth event. Unless there's a huge rush for places coming up to the event, it looks like there will be a large number of empty seats

Adelaide is down to 11 places and Brisbane still has 23 spaces but I'm sure these will sell out by the time the event runs there in September.

[Ryan_R]

1 Evo course and 3 Progression courses at Perth, seems a little unbalanced.

[tigger73]

Well a week out and there's still 41 places available for the Perth event. It doesn't look good for a sell-out and also disappointing given that it's the first time the event has been held in Perth for a few years.

Adelaide still has 8 spots free and Brisbane has 22 places available - 20 of which are on Thursday morning. Do people in Qld have some aversion to Thursday mornings????

And yes the Evolution courses for each location went first - with only 1 Evo course in Perth and Adelaide as events haven't been run in either location for since 2012.

[Dam355]

I'm looking to do it. Will not know for a few days with work - probably make my wife do it too.

[tigger73]

I'm looking to do it. Will not know for a few days with work - probably make my wife do it too.

Yes it's definitely a worthwhile event. You get to do a lot of driver training/safety simulated collision avoidance exercises that should be mandatory for all learner drivers. Plus some laps of a race track in a brand new VW. This will be my 4th time and looking forward to it as much as the last 3 times

[nat225]

And tips how to sit properly and hold the wheel properly..

[tigger73]

Well the Perth event has been - a couple of photos from the last couple of days (courtesy of VW Australia Facebook page)...









Be interested to hear from anyone who attended. Still a couple of spots left in Adelaide and Brisbane...

[tigger73]

Seems to be a bunch more spots open up for Adelaide. There was 6 spots left early in the week and now these 15.

....so if you're in Melbourne/Sydney and missed out I suggest keeping an eye out on the VWDE website for any tickets that become available/cancellations etc closer to the event.

[tigger73]

Attended the Evolution course in Adelaide today and it was wet. Not that it was such a bad thing as it made things a bit more interesting

For those that have been to previous VWDE, the event was run quite differently (=better) this year to previous years. Firstly a lot of the instructors were current V8 Supercar drivers, second the exercises that we did were quite a bit more challenging and third the laps were run without an instructor in the car giving you directions.

Today was the Evolution course which had four separate exercises:

• corner
• avoidance exercise with return to lane
• emergency brake with decision
• Scandinavian flick

The Scandinavian flick used the Scirocco with all traction control and stability control turned off. Certainly a whole lot of fun in the wet

Laps were again too short - out and back lap in both Scirocco and Golf R. You were just starting to get into it when you got dragged in. Laps were done in a group of 5 cars - lead car and tail car with instructors and middle 3 cars with participants following along keeping the same lines. Instructors would go faster if everyone was together and slow up if things got messy.

3 cars were used today - GTI PP, Golf R and Scirocco R. Progression course will also add the new Polo GTI.

[Visitant]

Attended the Evolution course in Adelaide today and it was wet. Not that it was such a bad thing as it made things a bit more interesting

I'm looking forward to the Progression course on Thursday (and hopefully the Evolution next year). I noticed that a few extra spots opened up for Thursday, and VW sent me a $100 off coupon to use for someone else - so if you're still thinking of going, PM me and I'll send you the coupon code.

[Ryan_R]

Sounds like they borrowed some ideas from the Audi day. How did the new cars compare to previous ones?

[Visitant]

VW sent me a $100 off coupon to use for someone else - so if you're still thinking of going, PM me and I'll send you the coupon code.

Just a note to let you know that the code has been claimed. Thanks for your interest!

[tigger73]

Sounds like they borrowed some ideas from the Audi day. How did the new cars compare to previous ones?

Ryan - yes I think it's the same guys just wearing VW jackets instead of Audi ones

Cars-wise it's difficult to tell because it was wet. Mk7 R is definitely a well sorted car. The Scirocco likes to go backwards with TC off and a bunch of right and left lock. Also the Scirocco is a little unsettled when hitting white lines in the wet also...

[tigger73]

Just a note to let you know that the code has been claimed. Thanks for your interest!

I have another one if anyone else wants a discount code.

Still a few spots available on Thursday in Adelaide...

[car_nut]

Cars-wise it's difficult to tell because it was wet. Mk7 R is definitely a well sorted car. The Scirocco likes to go backwards with TC off and a bunch of right and left lock. Also the Scirocco is a little unsettled when hitting white lines in the wet also...

From today's morning session I likewise found the Scirocco a load of fun in the wet, easy to put sideways in the exercise for catching understeer at turn 2. Hard to make a mistake in the Golf R. Loved driving both cars.

After a heavy downpour the track was slippery as hell for the final laps session and instructors wisely kept the pace down in the lead cars.

Only got to drive the new Polo GTI in the braking and slalom exercises. Most seemed happy with it but commented it rolled a lot in comparison with the Rs. It was only used by instructors in the laps session.

No shortage of cars to drive, only 33 odd participants and 10 fantastic instructors made for