New Golf GTI game puts you in the driver’s seat >> GadgetGrid

May 20 2009

New Golf GTI game puts you in the driver’s seat

The folks at Volkswagen have come up with a clever way to spread the word about the new Golf GTI ahead of its May 22 U.K. launch.

Enter the GTI Project, an online game complete with virtual workshops and a Scalextric track inside a hangar. Now you can test drive a 1:43 scale Golf GTI via your mouse or keyboard!

I chose my index finger and suddenly I was off to the races, trying my best to corner tight spaces and applying my “mouse brakes” at just the right moment. At one point I actually felt a bit foolish cause I could sense my heart pounding and index finger popping like it was a life or death situation.

Alas, I never made it to the finish line. After my third crash, I was promptly given the boot by the Project’s chief engineer for butchering his baby. Whoever designed this was not only creative, but has a wicked sense of humor too.

As part of the GTI Project, you can:

Preview the sporty auto’s features, order a brochure or book a real-life test drive

Check out the Leaderboard to see other people’s scores

Rank high enough in your own race and enter to win a new Golf GTI for 3 months

Join a league and race against others or start your own league and invite your friends

I gotta hand it to VW for finding a smart, funny way of getting the facts across. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, the GTI Project is one option worth checking out. I give it two index fingers up.

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