Having a ball in the snow with the T-Roc R – during the R Experience Ice in Sweden, drivers drift across snow and ice on frozen Lake Arvidsjaursjön. Their challenge: to pilot the powerful Volkswagen T-Roc R on glaze in the bitter cold of a region located just south of the Arctic Circle.
The program literally puts these drivers on black ice in Arvidsjaur, Sweden. It was all by design: the task of perfecting drifting and vehicle control on difficult terrain. Each year, Volkswagen R joins with Volkswagen Driving Experience and extends an invitation to visit the far north. Once there, you quickly realize in the vast expanses of snow stretching out before you that this is something much more than your normal type of safety training for drivers. The “stars on ice”: the T-Roc R together with its 300 HP (221 kW) and the Passat R-Line Edition, the two models that take on the course in the heart of Lapland.
In addition to the introductory and helpful words of the instructors, the spikes on the tires will be the drivers’ biggest helpers on the frozen lake. You would never be able to handle the icy surface without these types of tires.Speaking of vehicle control: The drivers slowly gain a feel for the vehicles during their first ventures onto the courses. As they complete curve after curve, their initial hesitation gradually fades, giving way to growing trust and confidence in their own driving skills. With the help of the Haldex clutch, the 4Motion drive system of the T-Roc R distributes the power of the performance crossover evenly to all four wheels. The vehicle’s power and the drivers’ increasing ability to handle the slick elements beneath them result in better and better drifts and lots and lots of fun behind the wheel.
With the help of GPS, plows carve a number of courses into the snow on Lake Arvidsjaursjön each year. Every section has its own special features, and the degree of difficulty increases from course to course. Slalom, braking practices, mastering of oversteering and understeering and handling courses await the drivers. Everything is designed to enable the participating drivers to pull off a perfect drift on ice. Safety, though, is always the top priority. Anyone who happens to slide past the wide run-off area usually ends up making a relatively “soft” landing in the snow. Afterward, a Driving Experience instructor will drive up in a Touareg and use a tow rope to pull the driver’s vehicle out of the snowbank.
“Our R Experience Ice is a real adventure in the far north,” says Peter Jost, Head of Sales and Marketing for Volkswagen R. “It is a challenge for all drivers that is both really instructive and a whole lot of fun. It takes some skill and control to drift on ice. But our instructors provide the drivers with excellent preparation before they take on the challenge.”
For experienced drivers on icy grounds, the R Experience Ice provides an even bigger challenge: the pro level. The Pro Experience is designed for racecar drivers who want to fine-tune their handling abilities. A range of courses and special stages bring the rally feeling to life on the ice. A race against the clock is added to the battle against the elements. One special highlight for the pros: a rally-style drive at night in which a course with pace notes that the drivers have written themselves is taken on at a range of speeds.
You will find more information about booking and prices on the website of the Volkswagen Driving Experience: https://www.volkswagen-driving-experience.de/de/trainings/winter-trainings.html
Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com
