General Motors' new "autotainment" facility, The Drive, a unique driving experience opened to the public in Las Vegas on April 10, 2006.
(Photo: GM/Isaac Brekken)LAS VEGAS (April 10, 2006) - Tons of dirt and a dose of speed have transformed the corner of Paradise Road and Sahara Avenue in Las Vegas as General Motors (GM) opens the doors to the city's newest attraction: "The Drive." The hands-on driving facility offers a unique "autotainment" experience - the first of its kind within the United States, says the automaker. "The Drive" will feature two professionally designed driving courses, including a high-performance loop and an off-road adventure with two trails over a dirt terrain. Located at the Sahara Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, "The Drive" is situated on 11 acres leased by GM from the hotel. GM has also teamed up with VEGAS.com to be the exclusive ticketing source for The Drive. "'This platform elevates the driving experience, without pressure to buy, to another level that has never been presented within the U.S.," says Steve Tihanyi, general director, marketing and entertainment alliances for GM. The Performance course will feature a half-mile paved route with jogs and turns complete with chicanes to enjoy both the speed and handling control of pure sports car driving thrills. The Off-Road course encompasses two adventure trails to test out HUMMER vehicles, or GM's full-size SUVs and trucks. The main trail (for HUMMERs) features a 15-foot mountain to traverse, intensely sloped banks, v-ditches, giant moguls and aggressive obstacles to climb. A secondary trail for trucks and SUVs presents slighter- sloped banks, a dirt hill, moguls and obstacles. Upon opening, the vehicle mix offered at "The Drive" will include 13 different products from six GM divisions (Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, HUMMER, Pontiac and Saab). As new products become available, the vehicle offerings at "The Drive" will be refreshed and expanded to also include Buick and Saturn vehicles.
