Das Auto

My wonderful wife Shauna had a surprise waiting for me when I got home from my KVR cycling adventure (I'll have to blog about my Kettle Valley Railway tour later). On her way home from dropping me off in Abbotsford last Saturday morning (so I could continue up to Penticton with Jeff), she heard about a performance driving event hosted by Volkswagen that was to happen the following weekend (today).

I know, I know, this post will devolve into a shameless manufacturer's plug for Volkswagen, but I'm a car junkie. I might as well admit it. I've tried to quit; really I have! I sold my last toy about 13 years ago in order to amass a greater down payment for a house. That was successful, but I still can't shake my fondness for VW. I lean towards old air cooled Beetles, but how could I possibly pass up the chance to drive a brand new New Beetle (the chopped style; the one that looks kinda like the Audi coupe) and a new 2.0 GTi?

The event was held in Pitt Meadows on a coned track next to the airport. Of course they guide the groups of enthusiasts through the pop-up tent filled with new cars (and one old-style Beetle: a fully restored '52 Split!) before they'll let anyone behind the wheel. Gotta build the anticipation.
 

After the tent tour, and after another hour in line, I finally got to hop in the driver's seat of a New (chopped) Beetle. I haven't driven a New Beetle since we rented one to drive as our wedding car in Winnipeg 12 years ago, in lieu of renting a limo. How's that for Fahrvergnügen? What I remember most about that experience was the heated seats. It was, after all, Winnipeg in March!

On the advice of a guy in line behind me I drove the Beetle first to get a feel for the track. I've never driven on a track before so I wanted to save my potentially fastest lap for the GTI. I slipped behind the wheel, greeted the VW personnel co-pilot and prepared for a grinning experience. Once "Drop it into 'S'" was explained to me by my co-pilot (it's "Sport Mode" in the transmission selection) we were off. And I mean "Off!".

I know many people wouldn't give you a thank-you for a car with merely 200 hp these days, but to me it seemed fast! Our Mazda 3 has 167 hp and is certainly adequately fast. There were no occasions during our summer trips of the last 2 years (Vancouver to Winnipeg and Vancouver to central California) when I wished for more power. All the mountain passes were climbed with ease, even with 2 people and the car fully packed with luggage.

That said, when I stomped on the accelerator pedal of this automatically shifted Beetle (our Mazda 3 is a 6-speed manual), it really set me back in my seat. I wouldn't be telling Volkswagen to back off on the power any time soon.

My second drive did indeed go smoother after the Beetle practice lap. Strangely enough the GTI felt faster even though I was told both cars shared the same chassis design and engine power. Both were a blast to drive.

The first stretch is straight line acceleration followed by rapid braking. Those brakes really made it seem as though the earth had tossed out an anchor, snagging the undercarriage. A short slalom followed, then a skid pad, ending with a longer slalom. Some lead-foots were causing some serious tire squealing, while others over-stepped the course by plowing into orange cones. I'm proud to say I was firmly in the middle. My laps weren't scorching, but I didn't topple any cones.

As I told Shauna, "This is better than Disneyland!"

I overhead a couple of guys in line talking about other similar events sponsored by other marques. It seems one can sign up for these events about 4 times a year. I'll have to keep my ears open. I think there's a BMW out there needing a hot lap or two (by me of course!).

Coincidentally, two of my favourite colours are blue and red.