Gordinier Group
Gordinier Group was fortunate to once again team with BMW to help to promote their new i8 at CES in Las Vegas.
I know what you are thinking, “tough job”.
Well, the i8 might be the coolest vehicle that I have driven. From BMWBLOG:
BMW i8 uses a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a turbocharged three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and BMW eDrive technology in the form of an electric drive system.
“The 1.5-liter combustion engine develops 170 kW/231 hp and drives the rear wheels of the BMW i8, while the 96 kW/131 hp electric drive sends its power to the front wheels and allows an all-electric range of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).”
On paper, those figures seem okay, but actually driving this space-age vehicle is a different story. Shifting the vehicle into EcoPro mode combines the 1.5L., 3-cylinder turbocharged engine and electric motor systems for optimum efficiency. The combined systems make 357 HP and 420 lb. ft. of torque. With a superlight body made mostly of aluminum and carbon fiber, this powerplant will take you from 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds.
All performance and driving dynamics aside, the driving experience from the cockpit is equally impressive in the i8. I needed more time to dial in all of the electric goodies, but I have to say that my favorite gadget was the onboard camera system that uses multiple cameras around the vehicle to create a bird’s-eye view of your vehicle driving down the road in real time. All of the cars and obstacles that you pass are shown around your vehicle – unreal!
I could go on and on about this car, but you can read about it elsewhere.
Did I mention that we were also given 2015 M4 and M5 cars to drive? This was a nice way to start 2015 – life is good!
Here are a few shots of our i8 assault on Las Vegas:
While the full 2015 Camp Jeep Auto Show officially kicks off at the San Diego Auto Show on New Year’s Day, the unofficial season has already begun, with big shows in Anaheim, Miami and Orlando.
If the attendance at the Camp Jeep track at these shows is indicative of what is to come in January, we will be very busy this season.
Each of those stops (Orange County 10/3-5/14, Miami 11/7-16/14, Orlando 11/27-30/14) tallied record crowds this year and guests were as excited as ever about the current Jeep lineup. We are also beginning to hear a lot of questions and anticipation about the new Renegade, which is a very positive sign for the brand.
We are looking forward to continuing this momentum into 2015 and expect for Camp Jeep to continue to set the bar for automotive experiential events!
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne, WY
July 19-28, 2014
Colorado State Fair
Pueblo, CO
August 23 – September 2, 2014
Oklahoma State Fair
Oklahoma City, OK
September 11-21, 2014
The Ram Rodeo Test ride Series provides excellent exposure for the brand. Unlike the farm show circuit, these fairs are 10-12 days long and feature top country music acts, pro rodeo and bull riding events, carnivals, and other attractions that help to bring scads of people through the gates.
At these shows Gordinier Group/Dirt Designs has the opportunity to design and build organic off-road courses that feature, logs, rock piles, axle articulation rollers, dirt mountains, and as many other obstacles that we can pack into our footprint. While the simulated off-road courses provide an excellent medium to provide a consistent experience, we always jump at the chance to get on the heavy equipment and move some dirt around.
All 3 fairs brought us great weather and provided us a truly enormous amount of people to show off the 2014 Ram 1500 to. We really racked up the rides at these shows and were able to make a ton of positive impressions. This is easy to do when you are you are promoting the Motor Trend “Truck of the Year”, winner (for the last 2 years, thank you very much).
Wisconsin Farm Tech Days
Steven’s Point, WI
August 12-14, 2014
Farm Progress
Boone, IA
August 26-28, 2014
Husker Harvest
Kearney, NE
September 9-11, 2014
In the outdoor event world, when dealing with Mother Nature, you win some and you lose some. With 3 major farm shows on the schedule this summer, Gordinier Group pro drivers had to battle with some serious rain and storms to bring Ram trucks to the masses.
The farm show circuit began with Wisconsin Farm Tech Days, which featured excellent weather and mobs of Ram test riders. The simulated off-road properties and 2014 Ram 1500 and 2500 trucks were a huge hit with consumers who lined up to participate in our experience. Our job of showing off the features of these amazing trucks gets easier each year as they continue to get better and better – no convincing needed, thank you.
From Wisconsin, we moved on to Boone, Iowa, for Farm Progress Days. This is where the rain began. We arrived on the first show day to 6 inches of standing water on our track. Luckily, we brought some trucks to the entrance, put on our Product Specialist hats, and were still able to have a good number of positive guest interactions, despite being unable to drive. The rain continued throughout the show, causing an eventual morning cancellation on the last day.
When we finally dried off, the Gordinier Group crew made their way to Kearney, Nebraska for Husker Harvest. Once again we battled torrential downpours and weren’t able to drive. Back to our vehicle walk-arounds and Product Specialist duties. Not a bad gig, but our team are drivers and really like to be behind the wheel where we can demonstrate the features that we are explaining.
The weather didn’t cooperate this year, but our guys and gals are scrappy and still managed to get in front of a lot of Ram and potential Ram owners.
The farm shows provide an audience that is the perfect demographic for the brand and even with the wet weather, still an excellent series.