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Automotive Industry

Whistle While You Work - General Motors test track at Epcot Center - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, Feb, 2000 by Gerry Kobe

GM's latest Test Track in Florida turns the rigors of a test engineer into a five-minute, white-knuckle thrill ride.

If durability engineers hope to evoke any sympathy about how "difficult" their job is, they better pray their audience hasn't been to GM's newest Test Track. Day in and day out, carloads of riders take this five-and-one-half-minute ride into the realm of vehicle testing, and they leave wanting a career change.

For visitors to Epcot Center (part of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida), the Test Track is a lighthearted look inside the test engineer's little-known world. And while that has measurable PR value in planting the GM "seed" in the public's head, the automaker is getting unexpected positive feedback in a number of ways.

"We don't try to make this a pitch for GM cars," says John Maciarz, resident director of Test Track. "People come here to have a good time, not to be sold a car. At best, we give them the option to see some of our products on display after they have exited the ride and most people take the time to look."

As an unanticipated benefit, Maciarz notes that because there are six to seven million guests going through the display area annually, the cars themselves can be used for durability feedback on certain vehicle systems.

"Think of how many times these doors get slammed, switches get operated, heels are dug into carpets and people get in and out of these seats," Maciarz says. "We usually replace the display cars every month. We've done some calculations and have equated a six week stay on the display floor to be equivalent of six years of actual service."

Another benefit of the product display is getting the "branding" message of the divisions across. Multimedia presentations and auto show caliber reveals depict everything from the subtle elegance of Cadillac to the pounding excitement of Pontiac. Visitors watch the "show" then turn around and look at the actual vehicles with the brand image fresh in their minds.

Whether or not Test Track will ultimately lift GM's image to the general public remains to be seen, but it surely won't hurt it. Meanwhile, people have already started equating riding in a "GM" vehicle with having a good time. And that in itself may justify the investment.

1 Pre-show -- Standing in line for Test Track is made bearable by a myriad of displays that show various testing procedures for GM vehicles. It only works for so long, though. Anything longer than an hour starts to produce signs of "road rage."

2 Hill climb test -- Test Track begins by doing a "burnout" up a 15- degree hill. Not exactly a carbon copy of the mild-mannered handbrake test performed at Milford, but a heck of a lot more fun.

3 Suspension test -- Once the hill is topped, riders endure the punishment of a "Belgian block" surface. To enhance realism, kidneys are affected the same way in the simulation as they are in actual testing. Lines to the bathroom at the end of the ride rival the lines to get on it

4 Brake test -- Riders experience back-to-back braking tests, one simulating an "ABS off" pass through some traffic cones, and the next an "ABS on." Naturally, cones fly everywhere in the out-of-control skid resulting from ABS off. Yeah!

5 Environmental chamber test -- A quick ride through heat lamps and a refrigerated room doesn't hold a candle to a car full of sweating or shivering engineers with a laptop and a bad attitude. Riders get off easy on this one.

6 Ride and handling test -- The obligatory "roller coaster" portion of the Epcot ride simulates switchbacks and performance driving, but this is pure fun. Obviously, the notion of a blank-stare, sleep-deprived engineer, mumbling something about a failed marriage and not wanting to live, did not make the cut with Disney.

7 Barrier test -- This is where riders get a "crash dummy" perspective on a barrier test. The car makes a banzai charge for the wall producing a pucker factor of 100. The car hits the "barrier" at speed, mowing it down and segueing right into the next test.

8 High-speed test -- The car accelerates to its top speed of 65 mph (feels like 150) and rifles through a long 50-degree banked curve. As the car pulls back into the building, it passes through a thermal imager. Look for hot spots on guests as well as the car.

9 Post-show -- First comes a look at some manufacturing procedures as well as interactive demonstrations. Then there's a chance to sit in actual GM products without fear of a salesman descending on you. After that comes the gift shop -- just say "no."

GM Test Track vs. Milford Proving Grounds

                    Epcot
                    Test Track           Milford

Location            Sunny Florida        Cloudy Michigan
Area under roof     150,000 [ft.sup.2]   2 million [ft.sup.2]
Track length        one mile             128 miles
Maximum speed       65 mph               Whatever
                                         engineers can
                                         get away with
Vehicle occupants   up to 6              up to 6
Occupant outlook    Overjoyed            Overworked
Annual
gasoline usage      none                 2.4 million gallons
Wheels
on vehicle          22                   4
Horsepower          250                  Classified
Barrier tests
per year            1,622,790            500
vehicle
durability bogey    1,000,000 miles      100,000+
Annual test miles   50,000+
Hot test
temperatures        130 F+/-5%           100,000+
Cold test                                Darmed hot +/-5%
temperatures        30 F+/-5%            Darmed cold +/-5%

Automotive Industry

Whistle While You Work - General Motors test track at Epcot Center - Brief Article

Automotive Industries, Feb, 2000 by Gerry Kobe

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