http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/07/c...s-in-illinois/

I am going to do test drives EVERY WEEKEND!!!

 

I bought my mini two weeks ago just around the corner from there and they didn't say a damn thing about that!!!!! I would have loved to hit up the course with the MCS!!!!

 

it does not look like a high speed test track, just a Naperville tax payer gimick. Be sure and Thank your Naperville tax paying home owners.

 

see http://www.naperville.il.us/dynamic_...t.aspx?id=1699

 

"the idea of a test track as a way to reduce the number if test drives being conducted within residential neighborhoods" from the above site. GIMMICK

 

Thankfully The MINI dealer did'nt BUY/PAY into the gimmick.

 

I didn't see them listed in the full page ad in the Tribune.

Sorry...I want real world street driving for a real world car. One thought, Go Karts!

 

Good catch and interesting blog entry. Too bad it can't be rented out.

 

I have a friend who was one of the civil engineers (for the city of Naperville) that worked on this project. The reason this whole thing came about was the extremely high number of complaints from residents in the immediate area around the track in Naperville.

Anyone who has been to Bill Jacobs for MINI service knows that there are nearly 20 dealerships in a couple of square miles. (Audi, VW, Land Rover/BMW/MINI, Toyota, Cadillac, Chevy, Dodge, Saturn, Nissan, Honda, Acura, Lexus, Chrsyler, Jaguar and more). There are also several neighborhoods in the immediate area, as well as a couple of schools.

The hope of the track is to reduce the number of people driving far too quickly in residential neighborhoods. As auto enthusiasts, we all know how it is. When you test drive a car, you want to check out the accelleration and handling abilities. So you jump on the gas and wind it up to 60 or 70, jump on the brake, whip it through a corner et. How would you feel if this was happening several times an hour in front of your house? With kids playing in the yard/riding bikes?

The city provided the land, and paid for a portion of the contruction, but any dealers who've signed on to use the facility had to pay an up-front membership fee, and will also
have to pay an annual fee to the city to cover maintanence costs.

I once saw a guy slide an M3 (with the magnetic dealer plates) through a busy intersection and go ripping into a neighborhood doing 65+ mph on my way to Bill Jacobs.

I agree that it seems a bit over the top, but then again, I don't live in a neighborhood affected by it.

 

i bought my 06 mini at bill jacobs 17 days ago, and they did not tell me to test the mini there. my MA told me to test it along the warehouses nearby. but then again, billjacobs is the worst mini dealer in the whole wide world, im not surprised.