Salon Privé - now offering pre-booked as well as ‘on-the-day’ test drives and passenger ridesModels available: Lamborghini Huracán, Morgan EV3, Bentley Bentayga and BMW i8 amongst othersFull list of manufacturers participating in test drive programme to be announced
Salon Privé has become the only event to offer test drives on the public road through its new ‘see it, test it, drive it’ programme. The experience is launched in partnership with hand-picked, luxury automotive manufacturers and is exclusively available to Salon Privé guests from the 1st to 3rd September.
The new ‘see it, test it, drive it’ experience allows Salon Privé’s guests to get behind the wheel of some of the world’s most luxurious and prestigious cars from world-renowned manufacturers. These include; Abarth, Bentley, BMW, Lamborghini, Lexus, Morgan, Overfinch and Tesla.
Joining the supercar-themed line-up of test drive models is the exotic Lamborghini Huracán, and both the LP 580-2 and drop-top equivalent, the LP610-4 Spyder, will be on hand to offer guests a thrill on the road. Also confirmed from Italy is the brand new Abarth 124 Spider, the compact two-seater roadster that has just hit showrooms. Abarth will also be bringing two of its recently facelifted 595 hatchbacks in 595 C Turismo cabrio and 595 Competizione guise.
Meanwhile, BMWi division’s game-changing plug-in supercar, the BMW i8, will also be on hand and lines up beside Morgan’s all-electric EV3 three-wheeler and the much-discussed luxury Tesla Model S.
Bentley’s all-new Bentayga SUV has also been confirmed to join the programme’s test drive line-up. The Bentayga, which already has a waiting list of over a year, has a starting price of £160,000 and is the luxury British brand’s debut into the SUV market. Described as the fastest, most powerful, most luxurious SUV in the world, Salon Privé’s guests will have the opportunity to experience the vehicle for themselves during the three-day event.
“Putting customers behind the wheel at a prestigious event like Salon Privé is an amazing opportunity for guests to experience a Bentley first hand,” said Head of Business at Bentley Birmingham, Mark Hudson. “The fact that we’ve also been able to include the World’s most luxurious production off-roader, the Bentayga, into the test-drive line-up with other Bentley models means the response, so far, has been incredible.”
Celebrating another luxury SUV marque, Overfinch will also taking part in the ‘see it, test it, drive it’ experience, offering its 5.0-litre Autobiography model for guest test drives. The supercharged V8-powered off-roader has a performance-inspired carbon fibre body styling package and inside houses a luxury leather interior.
For manufacturers and supporting dealerships, the driving experience allows their sales experts to explore the virtues of each car in an informal setting with genuinely interested customers. Pre-qualification is completed through the high ticket price of £295, which includes full hospitality on the day, as well as pre-approved test drive requests. This ensures guests and manufacturer partners are best-suited before the drive.
Discussing the ‘see it, test it, buy it’ programme, event co-founder David Bagley said: “Salon Privé strives to combine all elements of the lifestyle that owning and buying some of the most important luxury cars offers. It makes sense that we put our guests in the driving seat during the event, especially when you consider the location at Blenheim Palace and the manufacturers’ cars on display."
He continued: “You won’t find this engagement with luxury brands anywhere else. So far the take-up for test drives has been amazing, as a large percentage of guests already confirmed for the event have reserved cars to drive. I am sure that this initiative will deliver sales leads for our manufacturer partners, and our guests will enjoy the experience.”
