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Audi Makes Test Drives Fun With Amazon

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Audi Test Drive to the UnknownFor better or for worse, Amazon is changing how we shop for almost everything we need or want. One area it’s barely touched here in the U.S., though, is car sales. While you still can’t buy a new car from a major manufacturer without visiting a dealership, Audi partnered with the Amazon Go flagship store to offer a new way to test drive its cutting-edge Audi A6 vehicle.


Take A Closer Look: The 2019 Audi A6 is in dealerships now for your own test drive


If you haven’t heard, Amazon Go stores use advanced technology that allows shoppers to pick up their items and leave without going through a checkout lane, with sensors picking up what goes out the door. Audi loaded select shelves in Amazon Go’s store in Seattle with key boxes for a “Test Drive to the Unknown”. Interested guests could pick up the keys and walk out, just like they would do with any other transaction. They then used the keys to claim a 30-minute test drive in the Audi A6 that was truly out of this world.

Instead of just taking a spin around the block, drivers experienced mini adventures, like personal concerts, painting a mural, and professional photo shoots. A few select winners got to take long road trips to a helicopter ride, custom suit fittings, or cheese-making classes. As if that wasn’t enough, the big winner out of all the test drives was actually flown to Munich, Germany, to take a ride in the Audi A6 in the famed German Autobahn.

“As a brand rooted in innovation and pushing boundaries, we at Audi wanted to break category paradigms for what a test drive could be. Locating our test drive at Amazon Go allowed us to experiment with a new kind of retail environment while transforming the test drive into an adventure. In doing so, customers were able to have a one-of-a-kind experience and make a car purchasing decision at a time and place that may be more convenient to them,” said Loren Angelo, vice president, Marketing, Audi of America.


Keep Your Car Clean: Make sure you’re taking proper care of your leather seats


Of course, there are no announced plans to make test drives available on a regular basis at Amazon Go locations.  You can visit an Audi store near you to take your own test drive in the A6.