Any Michiganders in here?
#92
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MI
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Hi everyone,
My name is Rob and I work for Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, MI which is Toyota's North American R&D center. I am also part of a group that organizes an internal car show that we've had for the past three years.
For this particular year, we're looking into inviting some of the public to join us. While this idea is still in the planning stages, I want to get some feedback from local Toyota/Lexus owners on whether this sounds interesting.
What the idea entails is having local Toyota/Lexus owners send in info/pics of their car, then we would decide on who would be invited. The participants would then bring their car in for the show (which is usually from 11am-1pm), hangout, and get a chance to meet and with Toyota employees (including program chief engineers). Lunch should be provided, and I'm trying to get approval for some kind of tour of our facility (which is very difficult considering everything is confidential).
So let me know what you guys think and any comments you might have.
Thanks!
My name is Rob and I work for Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, MI which is Toyota's North American R&D center. I am also part of a group that organizes an internal car show that we've had for the past three years.
For this particular year, we're looking into inviting some of the public to join us. While this idea is still in the planning stages, I want to get some feedback from local Toyota/Lexus owners on whether this sounds interesting.
What the idea entails is having local Toyota/Lexus owners send in info/pics of their car, then we would decide on who would be invited. The participants would then bring their car in for the show (which is usually from 11am-1pm), hangout, and get a chance to meet and with Toyota employees (including program chief engineers). Lunch should be provided, and I'm trying to get approval for some kind of tour of our facility (which is very difficult considering everything is confidential).
So let me know what you guys think and any comments you might have.
Thanks!
#95
LFA test drives / rides would be awesome. But short of that, just visiting would be great.
I was consulting at Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea back in the early 90s when they had an anniversary open house for employees and families. I took my kids and we had a blast: 90 MPH loops on the banked oval, watching kids sway back and forth in the rearview mirror of my Suburban on the frame twist road, and a trip down the hill that's too steep to see down from the top or see the runout on the way down. One of my sons got to fire the crash sled (not ride on it). They also provided lunch and ride-alongs in the then-new Viper (we didn't get in that 3 hour line). After lunch, the kids wanted to go back out on the twisty test roads, but I decided it would be better to take a nice sedate ride home.
I was consulting at Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea back in the early 90s when they had an anniversary open house for employees and families. I took my kids and we had a blast: 90 MPH loops on the banked oval, watching kids sway back and forth in the rearview mirror of my Suburban on the frame twist road, and a trip down the hill that's too steep to see down from the top or see the runout on the way down. One of my sons got to fire the crash sled (not ride on it). They also provided lunch and ride-alongs in the then-new Viper (we didn't get in that 3 hour line). After lunch, the kids wanted to go back out on the twisty test roads, but I decided it would be better to take a nice sedate ride home.
#97
Lexus Test Driver
Hi everyone,
My name is Rob and I work for Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, MI which is Toyota's North American R&D center. I am also part of a group that organizes an internal car show that we've had for the past three years.
For this particular year, we're looking into inviting some of the public to join us. While this idea is still in the planning stages, I want to get some feedback from local Toyota/Lexus owners on whether this sounds interesting.
What the idea entails is having local Toyota/Lexus owners send in info/pics of their car, then we would decide on who would be invited. The participants would then bring their car in for the show (which is usually from 11am-1pm), hangout, and get a chance to meet and with Toyota employees (including program chief engineers). Lunch should be provided, and I'm trying to get approval for some kind of tour of our facility (which is very difficult considering everything is confidential).
So let me know what you guys think and any comments you might have.
Thanks!
My name is Rob and I work for Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, MI which is Toyota's North American R&D center. I am also part of a group that organizes an internal car show that we've had for the past three years.
For this particular year, we're looking into inviting some of the public to join us. While this idea is still in the planning stages, I want to get some feedback from local Toyota/Lexus owners on whether this sounds interesting.
What the idea entails is having local Toyota/Lexus owners send in info/pics of their car, then we would decide on who would be invited. The participants would then bring their car in for the show (which is usually from 11am-1pm), hangout, and get a chance to meet and with Toyota employees (including program chief engineers). Lunch should be provided, and I'm trying to get approval for some kind of tour of our facility (which is very difficult considering everything is confidential).
So let me know what you guys think and any comments you might have.
Thanks!
#99
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MI
Posts: 4
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Hey guys, sorry for the delay in updates. Originally we were trying to plan the car show on the same week as the Nascar Sprint/Truck Series at MIS so we could get some of the race cars to come to the event, but it looks like it won't be able to happen. Either way we'll have a date finalized by next Wednesday (6/22) with more info on what activities we'll have and how to submit your info.
Thanks.
Rob
Thanks.
Rob
#102
#103
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MI
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Hey everyone,
Unfortunately the executives have decided they would like to keep the show this year internal. So we will not be inviting any of the public this year. However, they did mention the possibility for next year so be on the lookout for that.
Again I apologize for getting anybody's hopes up.
Rob
Unfortunately the executives have decided they would like to keep the show this year internal. So we will not be inviting any of the public this year. However, they did mention the possibility for next year so be on the lookout for that.
Again I apologize for getting anybody's hopes up.
Rob
#104
That's OK, you'll have more time to line up those LFA test drives. I've driven by your site regularly for 30 years. Do you have ghosts? (The Toyota Technical Center south of Ann Arbor is the former location of the Ypsilanti Regional Psychiatric Hospital.)
http://www.opacity.us/site102_ypsila...e_hospital.htm
http://www.opacity.us/site102_ypsila...e_hospital.htm
#105
I'm in the 517 area, about halfway between Jackson and Lansing and I'm absolutely on-board with the next gathering that comes along. Caddyowner and a few others know more about the LS than the Toyota design team does and I owe them all a drink or 2 for all they have shared here.