Volkswagen: Ice dance with the drift princess 🎥

Jasmin Preisig steered the T-Roc R elegantly like a drift princess over the mirror-smooth track.

Driving Experience in winter normally means driving on flattened snow with some grip for decent winter tires. In Andermatt, however, the participants in this year's Volkswagen Driving Experience encountered bare ice.

The snow on the part of the golf course below the Radisson Blu Andermatt Hotel that had been converted into a training slope was simply blown smooth by the icy wind. So much so, in fact, that the very first safety instruction was for people: don't fall when you get out of the car!

Touareg or T-Roc R as desired
The VW Touareg V8 and the new VW T-Roc R, a sporty SUV crossover lightweight with a whopping 300 hp, were available. The Touareg, which weighs over 2.3 tons, was used to try out the various driver assistance systems and to experience the behavior of such a large car on extreme surfaces.

In the second part, we moved on to the T-Roc R speedsters, with which we were able to practise handling and, above all, drifting.

Let the cow out properly
The course was superbly organized, you first drove the course behind the instructor, were connected via walkie-talkie and were able to follow every explanation live and put it into practice. Afterwards, on your own, the instructor looked on, explained the driving behavior with the patience of an angel and motivated you to really let the cow fly.

It takes a little courage to step on the gas when you think you've long since lost the car, but the instructor shouts "step on it, step on it, now!!!" shouts. And then to experience how the T-Roc R with 4Motion all-wheel drive and sports suspension moves to where you want it to go thanks to the driving assistance systems - sensational.

A basic tip that people tend to forget in tricky situations: Look where you want to go and not where the car is heading.

Jasmin Preisig piloted over slippery ice
You also get a refresher course in oversteer and understeer on this occasion. And weight transfer and what effects this has, depending on whether you are braking or accelerating.

The personal highlight was a drive around the course with Jasmin Preisig, a 27-year-old racing driver who has been driving a VW Golf GTI TCR at the Nürburgring since 2019.

The woman from Appenzell steered the T-Roc R elegantly like a drift princess over the mirror-smooth surface, as if she were going Sunday shopping. She also explained how the weight shift works. And told us that such driving experiences are really fun for her too, but also good training for precision and to be able to experience borderline situations again and again without having to worry about having an accident.

The limits of what is possible
Conclusion: Once again, the tip is to treat yourself to a driving experience like this every winter season. There is something for everyone in pushing a car and yourself to the limits of what is possible with relatively little risk.

Always listen to the instructor and practise, then you'll get the hang of drifting. Just please never try it out on public roads!

Two new models for all occasions
The Touareg is now also available as a V8 TDI. With permanent all-wheel drive 4Motion, a sprint time of 4.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, various assistance systems, including the "Night Vision" night vision aid, as well as a head-up display. The Touareg V8 TDI costs from 101,900 Swiss francs.

The VW T-Roc R is the top model in the range. It is powered by a four-cylinder TSI engine and achieves 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.

The T-Roc R is available from CHF 50,100 including extensive standard equipment.

P.S. Maybe there are still last places for this year, otherwise make a note for the fall:
Take a look here

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