Yokohama Tire Corporation Opens Ride And Drive Event To Consumers

Experiential ride and drive training programs offered by the Yokohama Tire Corporation have been an annual event for dealers, but now the company is thinking about opening up these events to the general public.

Recently, the California-based tire manufacturer invited a group of local car club enthusiasts to one of its special ride and drive events in San Diego, California, and it was such a hit, Yokohama wants to share the experience with even more drivers.

“Yokohama has always believed in the importance of interacting with enthusiasts face-to-face,” said Theresa Palang, Yokohama manager of public relations and digital marketing, “and that’s why we wanted to give consumers a chance to try our tires and learn what they can do. We reached out to enthusiast forums online and received a very positive response. Having the consumers experience our ride and drive firsthand is a great way to get feedback from the public.”

Letting consumers actually test drive the tires in a controlled environment rather than just read about them, the participants at the San Diego ride and drive event got to take Yokohama’s ADVAN Neova AD08 tires out for a spin. These sweet tires were attached to 2010 Ford Mustangs that offered 305-horsepower to get drivers through various slalom courses. Drivers were timed on laps, and winners walked away with Yokohama gear and exclusive pre-opening night tickets for the 2011 LA Auto Show in November.

Since its first consumer ride and drive event was such a success, watch for more coming in the near future. You can keep up to date on upcoming events by visiting Yokohama’s website or Facebook page.