Audi launches Driving Experience program Down Under

Audi Australia has kicked off its five-tier Audi Driving Experience at the Phillip Island Circuit in Victoria this week. The programme, and its 40-strong $6.8 million fleet, will be extended to the general public for the first time, having previously been available via the Audi dealer network on an ‘invitation only’ basis.

Set to compete with similar courses offered by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, the Audi Driving Experience is headed up by former Porsche Advanced Driver Training instructor and Top Gear Australia presenter Steve Pizzati, who says he is proud to head-up Audi’s first such example of the course to be run outside of Germany.

“I’m very fortunate that the people directly above me are really passionate about doing this,” Pizatti said. “Ultimately Audi make cars and this should be the backbone of what they do.

Pizatti told motoring.com.au that securing the necessary instructors for the ambitious program was a considerable undertaking, poaching the cream of the crop from similar programs offered by rival manufacturers.

“Up until now the best driver training program has been Porsche’s,” admitted Pizzati. “They have the best instructors [who] along with some guys from BMW and Mercedes we’ve poached. I’m fortunate this has come at the right time and we were able to get these guys.”

Pizzati’s 11 man crew include a who’s who of Australian motorsport talent including the likes of Ian Dyk, Dean Canto, Luke Youlden, Scott Jacob and Mark Adderton, to name a few. All Audi Driving Experience instructors benefit from a “train the trainer” course conducted by Audi AG in Seefeld, Austria.

Audi has a proud history of driver training which, in Germany, extends back to 1980. In Australia, similar offerings have been available since 1997. Some 15,000 participants have attended ADE courses in the past 15 years, Audi saying there is a growing interest from would-be owners who desire contact with the brand prior to making a purchase.

The latest iteration of the program, the only one of its kind to be offered outside of Germany, improves on the tried and tested formula offering a range of progressive courses relevant to a driver’s skill set.

These start with defensive driving techniques and build through motorkhana and racetrack exercises to eventually culminate with the adrenalin-fuelled Audi Race Experience. Audi also tailors courses to under-25s and hosts ladies-only days for women wanting to brush-up on their skills away from a “chest beating male dominated environment”, as Audi puts it.

The Audi Advanced Driving Experience ($750) is the group’s introductory level program that teaches participants to deal with situations they may encounter on the road. Using a range of Audi vehicles, the course aims to teach basic car control, understeer and oversteer identification, high-speed braking and obstacle avoidance techniques. It also adds the fundamentals of sound driving practice, fuel efficient driving, accident avoidance and education on electronic driver aids.

Building on those skills, the Audi Performance Driving Experience ($1190) takes participants to the next level. Using S and RS models, the course introduces motorsport basics as well as some motorkhana and racetrack exercises. While for “true driving enthusiasts”, the Audi Sportscar Experience ($2990) introduces particpiants to what Audi says are the “specific skills required for high-performance racetrack driving”. This mid-tier program offers participants one-on-one coaching in RS 5 and R8 models exclusively.

For motorsport fans, the Audi Race Experience ($5990) is described as the “pinnacle” of the program and is aimed at those wishing to move into motorsport as a hobby. The day begins in Audi TT RS and R8 V10 models before moving to the Audi R8 LMS GT3 racecar for expert tuition. The package also includes dietry and nutrition advice to drivers preparing for racetrack events.

Finally, drivers wishing to experience what Audi says is the “ultimate demonstration of the benefits of quattro” can travel to the Southern Hemispehere Proving Ground in Wanaka, New Zealand for the Audi Ice Experience ($5700). The two-day program challenges participants to test their skills on icy, low-grip surfaces.

Audi Events and Sponsorship manager Christof Hildebrandt said the programme is fitting of the brand’s prestige image, and one that suits the brand’s ambitions in Australia.

“We have the target to become the number one premium brand in Australia, and we believe that a leading drive experience program is one of the key success drivers to achieve that target,” explained Hildebrandt. “Therefore, we put all our effort and passion in to developing this program with an exciting range of cars and one of the best driving instructor teams in Australia.”

The Audi Driving Experience is offered at a range of race tracks across Australia including Phillip Island and Sandown in Victoria, Mallala in South Australia, Barbagallo in West Australia, Eastern Creek in New South Wales and Mount Cotton in Queensland. Audi Ice Experience courses are held at the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground in Wanaka, New Zealand.

For more information visit: www.audi.com.au/driving

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