So, 2019 is the year. You’ve saved. Studied the specs, maybe even put the Houston Auto Show to work, taking the new models you’ve zeroed in on for test spins. Before you pull the trigger or limit your search to cars already in stock, did you know that purchasing that dream car can be interactive? (And, no, we’re not talking about filling out all that paperwork you must trudge through before they hand you your new car keys.) Ome automakers know they have a cadre of loyal customers passionate about the vehicles and the brand and want to be engaged.
BMW and Mercedes-Benz, for instance, have programs that let you take delivery of your car in Europe, receive a familiarization briefing on the vehicle, and then take a guided tour of an assembly plant. You can also explore the manufacturer’s museum. Then away you go on your spiffy new ride, free to tour cities or the countryside. The European delivery programs include insurance and other niceties. At the end of your adventure, you drop your U.S.-spec car off at one of the automaker’s facilities, and it’s shipped stateside while you jet home or take in some more sightseeing.
Here’s the kicker: the European delivery programs offer a discount of up to 7 percent, depending on make and model, off the vehicle’s base MSRP.
BMW: tinyurl.com/europeanBMW
Mercedes-Benz: tinyurl.com/eurobenz
Porsche: tinyurl.com/europorsche
Cadillac
Those who buy or lease a new 2019 Cadillac ATS-V or CTS-V can attend the two-day Cadillac V-Performance Academy. The instruction and driving sessions are at Spring Motor Resort and Country Club in Pahrump, Nevada, about 55 miles from Las Vegas. Tuition, accommodations, meals, and ground transportation to and from McCarran International Airport are covered. One adult guest is welcome to observe.
www.cadillac.com/v-series/v-performance-driver-training/performance-academy
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet introduced the Corvette in 1953, making it America’s longest-reigning sports car. When ordering a Corvette, buyers can select the $990 option to pick up their Vette at the National Corvette Museum (NCM), which, like the Corvette assembly plant, is in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
If you go for museum delivery, your car will have a personalized plaque on the console bearing the NCM logo. The museum will contact you to schedule your delivery and let you know which documents you must bring. The buyer and up to three guests also receive a VIP tour of the Corvette museum, including their new Corvette on display.
corvettemuseum.org
Dodge SRT
Dodge’s SRT and the Bondurant Racing School have created a one-day learn-and-drive program called the Dodge SRT Experience. The training is free to anyone who buys or leases a Durango SRT, Charger SRT Hellcat, Challenger SRT 392, Challenger SRT Hellcat, or the 797-horsepower Hellcat Redeye. If you’re a Hellcat fan but don’t own an SRT, you can still take the SRT Experience at the Chandler, Arizona track, but it will run you $999. Students use the program’s SRT cars, learn to react in emergencies, avoid accidents, participate in skid control exercises, auto crossing, and run lead/follow laps on the track. They can also ride along in the passenger seat while a Bondurant Racing School instructor puts down some hot laps.
Porsche
Customers who order a new Porsche don’t have to cross the Atlantic to score a memorable delivery experience. There’s a no-cost option to pick up your shiny new car at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta or suburban Los Angeles. Going that route gets the buyer a vehicle orientation, track session, dining, and participation in learning modules designed to ensure Porsche owners get the most out of their performance machines. Timing can be critical; patience is advised. More than 250,000 drivers have participated in Porsche Experience Center programs. www.porschedriving.com/porsche-experience-center-atlanta/brand-experiences/vehicle-deliveries
