Chevrolet ‘Test Track’ Takes Disney Visitors Into Car Design

WARREN, MI – General Motors revitalizes a 30-year partnership with Walt Disney with a redesigned attraction at Disney’s entertainment center in Florida.

The “Test Track” at the Disney’s Epcot amusement park in Lake Buena Vista, FL, gives attendees of all ages the chance to design a forward-thinking Chevrolet vehicle and later test a virtual version for capability, fuel efficiency, responsiveness and power.

The designs vary but are focused on the future of Chevrolet, design executives tell reporters during a preview here at the auto maker’s technical center.

Here’s how it works: Visitors enter the Test Track and sketch a car, truck or cross/utility vehicle with cues taken from GM designs pre-built into the software. Amateur designers then add their own powertrains, everything from solar power to plug-in electric to run-of-the-mill gasoline engines, as well as such other features as gullwing doors and convertible tops.

Next, the amateur designers are placed in a virtual test setting that simulates the driving experience of their vehicle. There are trillions of combinations – “we’ve done the math,” one executive says – and some may result in high-performance cars or lemons, depending on the design.

For example, a 2-door luxury hybrid may be comfortable but skimp on gas mileage. An offroad SUV could handle rough terrain but may not be as well-suited for regular driving.

After testing, attendees can race their vehicles (against others if they wish) across changing terrain, produce a television commercial and pose for pictures with the concept.

The key is offering visitors the same experiences as actual OEM engineers and designers, a growing marketing trend among auto makers. It’s not unlike a recent Dodge Dart television ad, detailing the process of designing a car, testing its powertrain and bringing it to market.

“We’re all born with that creative spark,” says Jeff Mylenek, GM design manager-global exhibit and merchandising design.

GM’s relationship with Disney goes back to the opening of the resort in 1982, when the auto maker sponsored a “World of Motion” exhibit featuring all of its brands that ran until 1999. The Test Track replacing that attraction has undergone several makeovers since, but its most recent iteration opening in December will feature only Chevrolet-branded vehicles.

“It’s for families, and they’ve grown up with (Chevrolet),” Grace Morgan, director-auto shows and exhibits/experiential marketing says, “That’s absolutely why the partnership with Disney makes sense.”

Executives here are aware of the potential to grow brand recognition among a future generation of drivers, but insist that entertainment comes first. The auto maker has no plans to mine any data generated from the Test Track to measure consumer interest, but does expect interest in Chevrolet to increase from the millions of vacationers visiting the resort each year.

“It’s not to do a hard sell, it’s just to get their interest and imagination sparked,” Mylenek says. “It’s really heavily focused on Chevrolet in the future.”

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