Put your driving skills to the test in a drag race, slalom course, or cornering session!

Audi offers training to be a better driver

Trying to improve your driving skills is never a bad thing.

There are many places to get instruction, including programs put on by some of the manufacturers.

The German automaker offers what it calls the Audi Driving Experience, which debuted in Canada in fall 2011. It returns this fall, with stops in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

During the winter, the Audi Driving Experience will also be on tour across the country, providing instruction on handling winter conditions.

In Montreal, the event – which is offered in half-day and full-day sessions - was held at the Circuit ICAR in Mirabel Oct. 10-14. It then moves on to the Toronto area Oct. 18-25 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The last stop is in Vancouver Nov. 7-11.

Before the event opened to the public, media representatives were given a chance to get behind the wheel for an experience of their own.

And the star of the show is a 2013 Audi S4, a sporty sedan that has plenty of power thanks to a 3.0-litre TFSI V6 engine that produces 333 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque.

As part of the experience, drivers are given some in-class instruction, including how to properly seat yourself behind the wheel. It’s something that many drivers do improperly, said Richard Spenard, one of the instructors at the event and an experienced race-car driver.

Afterward, participants get to the fun portions of the day.

They include drag racing, slalom courses and a cornering session on the track that teaches you the importance of proper vision.

While those are fun events, the program also has two elements that can be applied to everyday driving.

The first is how to correct the vehicle when you lose control as a result of understeer, which can happen when hydroplaning.

After you have mastered that, instructors take you to an obstacle course that teaches you the importance of peripheral vision when it comes to obstacle avoidance.

When travelling at 50 km/h, drivers are expected to react to a flag raised by an instructor and manoeuvring in the opposite direction and stopping safely, avoiding a possibly fatal collision.

There are plenty of real-world applications of these exercises, and every driver will benefit from learning how to handle a vehicle in these situations.

After all that hard work, participants can unwind in a hot lap around the track as a passenger in an Audi R8.

A half-day course (4.5 hours) costs $395 (plus tax) and a full-day course (eight hours) is $780.

Courtesy of The Montreal Gazette