GM to open theme park in Vegas "Autotainment: The Drive"
01-24-06, 05:38 PM
#1
Speaks French in Russian
Thread Starter
GM to open theme park in Vegas "Autotainment: The Drive"
General Motors Unleashes 'Autotainment' on Las Vegas Scene
http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index...04266673&EDATE
GM to Open Unprecedented 'The Drive' Facility Offering Performance & Off-Road
Driving Experiences in Spring of 2006; GM also Becomes a Marketing &
Advertising Partner of the Las Vegas Monorail Company
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- With tons of dirt and a dose of speed,
the corner of Paradise Road and Sahara Avenue will be transformed in spring of
2006 when General Motors opens the doors of "The Drive," a unique hands-on
driving experience that will be the first of its kind within the United
States.
Featuring two professionally-designed driving courses -- including a high
performance loop and an off-road adventure over a dirt terrain -- The Drive
will provide a unique "autotainment" experience adjacent to the Las Vegas
Strip. The land to be utilized for the facility will be leased by General
Motors from the Sahara Hotel & Casino. For the duration of the project, GM
will also be a marketing and advertising partner of the Las Vegas Monorail
Company including having the only brand presence at the monorail station at
the Sahara Hotel & Casino -- currently the most northern point of the Las
Vegas Monorail system.
"The Drive provides a unique platform for General Motors to showcase its
vehicles in an unprecedented way," said Steve Tihanyi, general director,
marketing and entertainment alliances for General Motors. "With two fun-
filled courses, consumers will be able to enjoy one-of-a-kind driving
experiences in a variety of our products without any pressure to buy."
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. Vehicle choices to be unleashed on the
Performance course will include: the legendary Chevy Corvette; the Pontiac
GTO; the 400-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V; the Pontiac Solstice, a roadster
exhibiting thrilling Pontiac performance; the luxurious and powerful Cadillac
STS-V; and the impressive Saab 9-3 convertible.
"Guests of the Sahara Hotel & Casino and fans of NASCAR will now have the
opportunity to actually feel the thrill of putting the pedal to the metal just
steps from our hotel and casino," said John F. Morocco, director of operations
for the Sahara Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. "The partnership with General Motors
offers our guests a new thrilling attraction unlike any other near The Strip."
Keys to the rugged yet refined HUMMER H2 and mid-size HUMMER H3 will be
available to consumers looking to navigate the adventurous off-road course
encompassing a tunnel, hill climb, v-ditch and sloped banks, moguls and
obstacles. The off-road trail is available to test out the Chevy Silverado
Diesel, and once available, the redesigned 2007 models of the Chevy Tahoe, GMC
Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade and Chevy Suburban. Select large SUVs will be
E85 fuel compatible as well.
"This commitment from GM and the Sahara shows that the monorail is more
than transit system, it is rapidly becoming an icon level attraction of the
most-visited city in the world," said Curtis Myles III, president and CEO of
the Las Vegas Monorail Company. "While The Drive at the Sahara monorail
station exemplifies the experiential marketing environment of the monorail's
advertising program, we also believe the project will create incremental
ridership and revenue. We're proud to welcome General Motors to Las Vegas and
we're looking forward to building a long-lasting marketing partnership with
them and the Sahara on this incredible journey."
With the addition of General Motors, the monorail expands its high-profile
advertiser portfolio to six along with Sprint/Nextel, Hansen's Beverage
Company, Paramount Parks, BankWest of Nevada, and the Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority.
The Drive, which will encompass 11 acres at the corner of Sahara Avenue
and Paradise Road, will be open for a minimum six-month period. The Drive
will utilize a variety of local vendors for the build phase, and will hire
approximately 100 locals to help with operations once the project opens.
The Drive hours of operation (once open) are preliminarily set to be
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week, including holidays. The Drive is
accessible from the GM Monorail station at the Sahara Hotel & Casino, and
parking is available at the hotel's self parking structure or valet.
Pricing and ticket locations for the driving experiences at The Drive will
be announced at a later date. Drivers must be age 18 or over, and present a
valid driver's license. Professional drivers (as passengers) will accompany
each driver to help them get the most out of their driving experience. For
the safety of all guests, on-site breathalyzer tests will be part of the
mandatory registration process before guests can enjoy The Drive experience.
For those wanting to watch, The Drive will feature special viewing
locations to capture pictures and witness drivers navigating the courses
offered.
Driving Experiences in Spring of 2006; GM also Becomes a Marketing &
Advertising Partner of the Las Vegas Monorail Company
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- With tons of dirt and a dose of speed,
the corner of Paradise Road and Sahara Avenue will be transformed in spring of
2006 when General Motors opens the doors of "The Drive," a unique hands-on
driving experience that will be the first of its kind within the United
States.
Featuring two professionally-designed driving courses -- including a high
performance loop and an off-road adventure over a dirt terrain -- The Drive
will provide a unique "autotainment" experience adjacent to the Las Vegas
Strip. The land to be utilized for the facility will be leased by General
Motors from the Sahara Hotel & Casino. For the duration of the project, GM
will also be a marketing and advertising partner of the Las Vegas Monorail
Company including having the only brand presence at the monorail station at
the Sahara Hotel & Casino -- currently the most northern point of the Las
Vegas Monorail system.
"The Drive provides a unique platform for General Motors to showcase its
vehicles in an unprecedented way," said Steve Tihanyi, general director,
marketing and entertainment alliances for General Motors. "With two fun-
filled courses, consumers will be able to enjoy one-of-a-kind driving
experiences in a variety of our products without any pressure to buy."
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. Vehicle choices to be unleashed on the
Performance course will include: the legendary Chevy Corvette; the Pontiac
GTO; the 400-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V; the Pontiac Solstice, a roadster
exhibiting thrilling Pontiac performance; the luxurious and powerful Cadillac
STS-V; and the impressive Saab 9-3 convertible.
"Guests of the Sahara Hotel & Casino and fans of NASCAR will now have the
opportunity to actually feel the thrill of putting the pedal to the metal just
steps from our hotel and casino," said John F. Morocco, director of operations
for the Sahara Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. "The partnership with General Motors
offers our guests a new thrilling attraction unlike any other near The Strip."
Keys to the rugged yet refined HUMMER H2 and mid-size HUMMER H3 will be
available to consumers looking to navigate the adventurous off-road course
encompassing a tunnel, hill climb, v-ditch and sloped banks, moguls and
obstacles. The off-road trail is available to test out the Chevy Silverado
Diesel, and once available, the redesigned 2007 models of the Chevy Tahoe, GMC
Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade and Chevy Suburban. Select large SUVs will be
E85 fuel compatible as well.
"This commitment from GM and the Sahara shows that the monorail is more
than transit system, it is rapidly becoming an icon level attraction of the
most-visited city in the world," said Curtis Myles III, president and CEO of
the Las Vegas Monorail Company. "While The Drive at the Sahara monorail
station exemplifies the experiential marketing environment of the monorail's
advertising program, we also believe the project will create incremental
ridership and revenue. We're proud to welcome General Motors to Las Vegas and
we're looking forward to building a long-lasting marketing partnership with
them and the Sahara on this incredible journey."
With the addition of General Motors, the monorail expands its high-profile
advertiser portfolio to six along with Sprint/Nextel, Hansen's Beverage
Company, Paramount Parks, BankWest of Nevada, and the Las Vegas Convention and
Visitors Authority.
The Drive, which will encompass 11 acres at the corner of Sahara Avenue
and Paradise Road, will be open for a minimum six-month period. The Drive
will utilize a variety of local vendors for the build phase, and will hire
approximately 100 locals to help with operations once the project opens.
The Drive hours of operation (once open) are preliminarily set to be
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week, including holidays. The Drive is
accessible from the GM Monorail station at the Sahara Hotel & Casino, and
parking is available at the hotel's self parking structure or valet.
Pricing and ticket locations for the driving experiences at The Drive will
be announced at a later date. Drivers must be age 18 or over, and present a
valid driver's license. Professional drivers (as passengers) will accompany
each driver to help them get the most out of their driving experience. For
the safety of all guests, on-site breathalyzer tests will be part of the
mandatory registration process before guests can enjoy The Drive experience.
For those wanting to watch, The Drive will feature special viewing
locations to capture pictures and witness drivers navigating the courses
offered.
01-24-06, 05:57 PM
#4
Originally Posted by Stage3
I think GM should focus on getting out of the red rather than opening some useless "Autotainment" Theme park showing cars that OBVIOUSLY people dont wan't to buy. 
01-24-06, 06:10 PM
#5
Originally Posted by sha4000
the vehicles that were named seemed to be the more popular vehicles in their line-up so it might be worth while
And I'm pretty sure that this is going to make it an easier pill to swallow for the 30,000 people that they put of out work becuase they are losing so much money...
God forbid GM files for bankruptcy, because we all know what's going to happen... They are going to call on the federal government for some subsidies to get them out.
When you are strapped for cash, you don't make expenditures that you don't need to make. Like you said, those cars are already popular ... which means their target market has been saturated. Why try to sell the same car to a guy that already owns one????
01-26-06, 06:09 AM
#7
Super Moderator
GM announces plan to open a hands-on driving experience on the Strip
See Vegas in a Corvette, if you're sober
Susan R. Pollack / The Detroit News
Before visitors sample Las Vegas' newest attraction, they'll have to take a Breathalyzer test. And that obviously means staying sober, at least for a time, in Sin City.
General Motors is betting folks will give it a try.
In its latest marketing ploy, the giant automaker announced plans to open a hands-on driving experience this spring on an 11-acre tract at the north end of the Strip behind the Sahara Hotel & Casino.
The idea of the two-track driving course is to entice some of the city's millions of tourists from the gaming tables, slot machines and celebrity shows long enough to slip behind the wheels of Corvettes, Cadillacs and Hummers "without any pressure to buy," says Steve Tihanyi, general director of marketing and entertainment alliances for GM.
Named "The Drive," the attraction will feature two courses: a high-performance paved loop and an off-road adventure trail with a tunnel, hill climb and obstacles. Accompanying each "test driver" will be a professional driver, riding shotgun in the passenger seat, to enhance -- and, no doubt, safeguard -- the experience.
Besides showing off GM vehicles, "The Drive" is designed to boost the expensive -- and underperforming -- Las Vegas Monorail system.
As part of the estimated $6 million deal, GM becomes a marketing and advertising partner of the monorail company.
"The Drive" is guaranteed to run at least six months (and likely through 2006, says GM publicist Christi Conti). The general hope is that it will become a permanent tourist attraction, although in a different form.
Las Vegas tourism boosters are thrilled with the project, scheduled to open in March or April. "There's nothing like it anywhere in the world, except maybe Autopia at Disneyland and that's not the same as driving a Hummer through a tunnel or a Corvette around a track," says Bryan Allison, marketing director of the travel-promoting Web site Vegas.com.
To make way for "The Drive," the Sahara's classic neon sign was removed Wednesday from the casino's parking lot, loaded on a giant truck and moved to a storage facility. Hummers escorted the caravan.
Admission to both tracks of "The Drive" will be $10 to $15 a person. The attraction is open to visitors 18 and up who have a valid driver's license and can prove they're sober.
Susan R. Pollack / The Detroit News
Before visitors sample Las Vegas' newest attraction, they'll have to take a Breathalyzer test. And that obviously means staying sober, at least for a time, in Sin City.
General Motors is betting folks will give it a try.
In its latest marketing ploy, the giant automaker announced plans to open a hands-on driving experience this spring on an 11-acre tract at the north end of the Strip behind the Sahara Hotel & Casino.
The idea of the two-track driving course is to entice some of the city's millions of tourists from the gaming tables, slot machines and celebrity shows long enough to slip behind the wheels of Corvettes, Cadillacs and Hummers "without any pressure to buy," says Steve Tihanyi, general director of marketing and entertainment alliances for GM.
Named "The Drive," the attraction will feature two courses: a high-performance paved loop and an off-road adventure trail with a tunnel, hill climb and obstacles. Accompanying each "test driver" will be a professional driver, riding shotgun in the passenger seat, to enhance -- and, no doubt, safeguard -- the experience.
Besides showing off GM vehicles, "The Drive" is designed to boost the expensive -- and underperforming -- Las Vegas Monorail system.
As part of the estimated $6 million deal, GM becomes a marketing and advertising partner of the monorail company.
"The Drive" is guaranteed to run at least six months (and likely through 2006, says GM publicist Christi Conti). The general hope is that it will become a permanent tourist attraction, although in a different form.
Las Vegas tourism boosters are thrilled with the project, scheduled to open in March or April. "There's nothing like it anywhere in the world, except maybe Autopia at Disneyland and that's not the same as driving a Hummer through a tunnel or a Corvette around a track," says Bryan Allison, marketing director of the travel-promoting Web site Vegas.com.
To make way for "The Drive," the Sahara's classic neon sign was removed Wednesday from the casino's parking lot, loaded on a giant truck and moved to a storage facility. Hummers escorted the caravan.
Admission to both tracks of "The Drive" will be $10 to $15 a person. The attraction is open to visitors 18 and up who have a valid driver's license and can prove they're sober.
Trending Topics
01-26-06, 06:17 AM
#8
Roger & Me?
Did Ford not try something like this in Flint, Michigan? I remember it in the Michael Moore movie.
In the latest bad news for the Big 3:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/earns_gm;...kxBHNlYwN0bQ--
GM Loses $4.8 Billion in Fourth Quarter
By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writer 11 minutes ago
DETROIT - General Motors Corp., which is planning big job cuts and plant closings as it fights to avoid bankruptcy, said Thursday it lost $4.8 billion in the fourth quarter and $8.6 billion in all of 2005, dragged down by losses in its North American division.
The loss amounts to $8.45 per share for the quarter and $15.13 per share for the year.
GM's fourth-quarter loss compares to a loss of $99 million, or 18 cents per share, in the October-December period of 2004. It was the automaker's fifth straight quarterly loss.
Revenue was $51.2 billion for the quarter, down slightly from $51.4 billion a year ago. Full-year revenue was $192.6 billion, down slightly from $193.5 billion in 2004.
Shares of the world's largest automaker fell $1.03, or more than 4 percent, to $22.82 in pre-market trading after the news.
Excluding special items, GM said it lost $1.2 billion, or $2.09 per share, in the latest quarter, compared to adjusted earnings of $726 million, or $1.28 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2004.
Special items included one-time restructuring costs of $1.3 billion in North America and a $2.3 billion charge associated with benefits at Delphi Corp., GM's former parts division, which filed for bankruptcy last fall. GM said it expects to spend between $3.6 billion and $12 billion on benefits that were promised to Delphi workers.
Excluding items for the entire year, the company reported a loss of $3.4 billion, or $5.99 per share, compared with an adjusted 2004 profit of $3.6 billion, or $6.37 per share.
Wall Street analysts were expecting a loss of 16 cents per share on revenue of $41.7 billion in the fourth quarter, according to a survey by Thomson Financial. Analysts forecast a loss of $4.19 per share on revenues of $158 billion for the year.
GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said 2005 "was one of the most difficult years in GM's history."
"It was a year in which two significant fundamental weaknesses in our North American operations were fully exposed — our huge legacy cost burden and our inability to adjust structural costs in line with falling revenue," Wagoner said.
Wagoner said the company is moving forward with its turnaround plans, including a restructuring that will cut 30,000 jobs and shutter 12 facilities by 2008 and a plan to cut structural costs by $4 billion this year, largely through a health-care agreement with the
United Auto Workers and manufacturing improvements.
GM sold 9.2 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, the second-largest volume in the company's history. The automaker also set sales records in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and sales also were up a modest 1.3 percent in Europe. But North American losses overwhelmed those gains, and GM's worldwide market share was down slightly, to 14.2 percent from 14.4 percent in 2004.
GM got a boost Wednesday when billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian said in a federal filing that he reacquired 12 million shares of GM stock he sold in December. Kerkorian spent more than $250 million to boost his stake, which now stands at nearly 10 percent.
GM's results come three days after Ford Motor Co. announced a profit of $2 billion for 2005. But Ford also struggled in its home market, losing $1.6 billion in North America for the year.
GM Loses $4.8 Billion in Fourth Quarter
By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writer 11 minutes ago
DETROIT - General Motors Corp., which is planning big job cuts and plant closings as it fights to avoid bankruptcy, said Thursday it lost $4.8 billion in the fourth quarter and $8.6 billion in all of 2005, dragged down by losses in its North American division.
The loss amounts to $8.45 per share for the quarter and $15.13 per share for the year.
GM's fourth-quarter loss compares to a loss of $99 million, or 18 cents per share, in the October-December period of 2004. It was the automaker's fifth straight quarterly loss.
Revenue was $51.2 billion for the quarter, down slightly from $51.4 billion a year ago. Full-year revenue was $192.6 billion, down slightly from $193.5 billion in 2004.
Shares of the world's largest automaker fell $1.03, or more than 4 percent, to $22.82 in pre-market trading after the news.
Excluding special items, GM said it lost $1.2 billion, or $2.09 per share, in the latest quarter, compared to adjusted earnings of $726 million, or $1.28 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2004.
Special items included one-time restructuring costs of $1.3 billion in North America and a $2.3 billion charge associated with benefits at Delphi Corp., GM's former parts division, which filed for bankruptcy last fall. GM said it expects to spend between $3.6 billion and $12 billion on benefits that were promised to Delphi workers.
Excluding items for the entire year, the company reported a loss of $3.4 billion, or $5.99 per share, compared with an adjusted 2004 profit of $3.6 billion, or $6.37 per share.
Wall Street analysts were expecting a loss of 16 cents per share on revenue of $41.7 billion in the fourth quarter, according to a survey by Thomson Financial. Analysts forecast a loss of $4.19 per share on revenues of $158 billion for the year.
GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said 2005 "was one of the most difficult years in GM's history."
"It was a year in which two significant fundamental weaknesses in our North American operations were fully exposed — our huge legacy cost burden and our inability to adjust structural costs in line with falling revenue," Wagoner said.
Wagoner said the company is moving forward with its turnaround plans, including a restructuring that will cut 30,000 jobs and shutter 12 facilities by 2008 and a plan to cut structural costs by $4 billion this year, largely through a health-care agreement with the
United Auto Workers and manufacturing improvements.
GM sold 9.2 million vehicles worldwide in 2005, the second-largest volume in the company's history. The automaker also set sales records in Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, and sales also were up a modest 1.3 percent in Europe. But North American losses overwhelmed those gains, and GM's worldwide market share was down slightly, to 14.2 percent from 14.4 percent in 2004.
GM got a boost Wednesday when billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian said in a federal filing that he reacquired 12 million shares of GM stock he sold in December. Kerkorian spent more than $250 million to boost his stake, which now stands at nearly 10 percent.
GM's results come three days after Ford Motor Co. announced a profit of $2 billion for 2005. But Ford also struggled in its home market, losing $1.6 billion in North America for the year.
01-26-06, 08:37 AM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
This sounds like its basically the GM Autoshow in Motion... minus all the competitors cars... being parked at a permanent location. It's actually pretty fun to go thrash the GTO and Corvette around a test track. Then again, those were free events... if tickets are reasonable here, i'd go.
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