I know, you're thinking, who gives a sh!t about Lexus!! :)

Well, this is different. Lexus is touring the US with their entire fleet of cars plus a handful of competitor's vehicles for each class of vehicle. If you sign up, you will get to test drive any vehicle of your choice as many times as you want on their specially setup driving course (cones). They also provide free lunch and free golf instruction from ESPN golf school.

Here are the cars I could remember:

SUV:
- Lexus LX
- Lexus GX
- Lexus RX
- Land Rover Range Rover HSE
- BMW X3
- BMW X5
- Volvo ?? cross country something
- Cadillac Escalade

Luxury Sedan:
- Lexus LS
- Lexus GS
- BMW 745IL
- BMW 530
- Mercedes S420
- Mercedes E320

Luxury Performance
- Lexus IS
- Lexus SC convertible
- Cadillac XLR convertible
- Jaguar XKR convertible
- BMW 330
- BMW 545 :buttrock
- Acura TL
- Infiniti G35
- Mercedes C240

The SUV course is by far the greatest. There is a rocky section that tips the car at 45 degree angles, a massive hill to test the hill-descent functions.

The lines are long for certain cars.. and i'm sure you can figure out that the line was longest for the 545 and XKR. The 545 was by far the best of the bunch and just flew through the slalom effortlessly. :buttrock It felt like unlimited amounts of power was available. Incidentially, I took the same course with the C240 and was not impressed. Squishy cornering, tons of body roll. I took the slalom at the end of the day one more time with the TL just for kicks and to my surprise I lost control of the car! I totally drifted around a turn and knocked out a bunch of cones. I had treated the car the exact same way I did with the 545/C240 and it just gave out w/o any warning. SCARY.

The lines for the Lexus cars go pretty quick cuz they have about 4 vehicles per model. There are only 2 competitor's cars per model so the lines go slow (almost 30mins sometimes). It doesn't help that there are some morons driving 5 MPH on the course with the 545. The best way to handle it is to go with a friend, have that friend wait in the 545 line, and go do a couple laps in the less desirable cars for kicks. They won't let you 2 sit in the car and then switch right afterwards.. they only allow you to go by himself/herself first, then your buddy can drive while you switch to the passenger seat.. to make the line progress.

Anyhow, I suppose I could ramble on and on.. but the point is, it is DEFINITELY worth checking out.

Visit this link and sign-up. They will send you an invitation number that allows you return to their website and sign-up for a location/time. Just put down any time you can find because they dont keep track of your time window. They just space people out in 1 hour increments to balance the flow of people. I saw that most people left around 4pm and it continued to 6pm.

If you are trying to get into the upcoming Orange County event, you won't have much luck. You must sign-up for this event well in advance (about a week or two in advance). So sign-up quick and have fun!

http://usalexus.programhq.com/activity/aspx/LEXTOL/Lexus.aspx

My wife and I are doing this in Seattle in August - thanks for the feedback.

I should add that my wife is going for the food (she's the cook in the family) and I'm going for the fun of thrashing (nicely of course) some cars...

Dragoon - thanks for the heads up!!!

I just signed up for Seattle, but am thinking it might be too late... ....we'll see...

Reed: do you know where this will be held?

Cheers,

Dragoon - thanks for the heads up!!!

I just signed up for Seattle, but am thinking it might be too late... ....we'll see...

Reed: do you know where this will be held?

Cheers,

Well now I KNEW you were going to go and ask that...

Yes.

It's at the Seattle Seaport, 2900 SW Florida Street, Seattle, WA 98126. I don't know this address, but guess it's just a bit south of downtown, sort of near Harbor Island, etc...?

We're going on the 25th. Thanks for the heads up!! :alright Do you get to leave the grounds on your test drives? Should be fun. :buttrock

We're going on the 25th. Thanks for the heads up!! :alright Do you get to leave the grounds on your test drives? Should be fun. :buttrock

unfortunately, no.. you only get to drive the cars along the setup cone course, which is relatively short. Each test drive probably only lasts about 5 minutes at the most if you drive it full speed like i did. There are some comical obstacles like deer hanging from an overhang. I don't know what the point of that was.. you just drive right between them. Everything is automatic including the 545.. :(

They do monitor your driving style but you're good to tear the hell outta the car in most areas. So long as you're not knocking over cones or drifting around corners like I did :nono you're in good shape.

Here's also a fun thing to try.. when you get on the SUV course and you take it up the massive hill, on the way down, don't hit the brakes at all. Kind of a scary thought considering how steep the hill is (about a full story up), but its the only way to test out the X5/Range Rover's descent management system that auto-brakes for you.

oh ya, they also give you a parting gift: a small bag w/a travel guide of some sort.

i wish i could go again.

by the way, the admins may want to consider copying this post to other forums for all to enjoy...

by the way, the admins may want to consider copying this post to other forums for all to enjoy...
Looks interesting... copying this to General Discussions. Thanks for the heads up.

- Mike D.

unfortunately, no.. you only get to drive the cars along the setup cone course, which is relatively short. Each test drive probably only lasts about 5 minutes at the most if you drive it full speed like i did.

Thanks, dragoon101. I've been to BMW's test drive out at the old Tustin Air Force Base, and they let us do a "pre-planned" route, out in the streets. Of course, no one was there "enforcing" the pre-planned route! Quite fun!!
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I was gonna test the 545i, but someone before me hit the curb on a "sweeping" turn & the car had to gon into the shop! Can't imagine how that happened?? :eyecrazy:

There is an excellent writeup with pics over on ClubLexus regarding this event, sounds like a great time!

There is an excellent writeup with pics over on ClubLexus regarding this event, sounds like a great time!

Uh-oh, a Lexus owner - who let him in???!! (j/k)

damn.. well according to someone on that forum:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=123363&perpage=15&pagenumber=2

"for those who haven't received anything, chances are you won't at all. lexus they closed down all online request and only opened to special invitation couple weeks ago"

but then again, another person posted that you can still try to wiggle in by convincing them at the door.

On thread part: recieved the invite in the mail but declined. My mom just bought a GS 300 which rides nice but the steering isn't the same.

Off thread part: Susan Komen ultimate drive @ BMW website register yet?

On thread part: recieved the invite in the mail but declined. My mom just bought a GS 300 which rides nice but the steering isn't the same.

Off thread part: Susan Komen ultimate drive @ BMW website register yet?

ya the steering was very squishy on the GS430 I drove. I dunno anything about the ultimate drive but please keep us posted!

Thanx for the heads-up. i just submitted my infor for the main event in Columbus, Ohio. I was suprised to see us on the tour...

Anyone else going to the Columbus event?

Bear

I dunno anything about the ultimate drive but please keep us posted!
Go to the BMW USA website and see if any of the dealers near you are hosting the event. Register to drive two cars for a hour each. Every mile you drive gives $1 to the Susan Komen breast cancer fund. Keep it under 100mph please. :redspot

Back to the Lexus event...

Did this over the weekend (with the wife) and I highly recommend it, too.

VERY classy deal - displays, food (the real deal), ESPN/Golf Digest teaching pros to analyze your golf swing, travel specials (sponsored by Conde Nast), made-to-order coffee drinks (big deal here), and the driving course...

The list of cars was pretty much as listed above by Dragoon. We first jumped in the 745i - nice seats, nice interior, probably the best handling vehicle of all (including the 545i, though that car was a bit quicker and felt good, too).

Also took the LS 430 and S430 through the relatively short auto-cross course, and they felt similar to each other. Notably more body roll than the 7, even the Benz on its firmest shock setting. The LS actually was pretty surprising - it's not on par with the 7, but it drives rather nicely...

Also went in the passenger seat with the wife (she drove the SC 430) but she drove in like a grandma so not much fun there...

The Cadillar XLR had perhaps the longest lines and received the most abuse! The Lexus guys asked the drivers not to squeal the tires (too much) and if you were blatant, they put a red line through your ID card. Two red lines and you created an X, and you were done. Saw one guy X'd out...

No warnings for me, except from the passenger seat (my wife)!

Worth a few hours if you can make it.

I missed out on this.... I signed up a few weeks prior to the event, but never got a response. ...just for that, I refuse to buy another Lexus! :D

Reed - did Momo go as well?

Cheers,

I missed out on this.... I signed up a few weeks prior to the event, but never got a response. ...just for that, I refuse to buy another Lexus! :D

Reed - did Momo go as well?

Cheers,

Uh, no Momo, no kids (grandparents helped out). I suppose we could have brought him, but I don't have a doggie harness for the car and he (and Lexus) might not have appreciated his playing ping pong ball in the back seat of those cars...oh, and he tends to shed a little.