AUBURN HILLS, MI – Audi of America, Inc. has launched the 2008 Audi driving experience and all-new Competitive Comparison program. The second-annual nationwide tour, developed with Audi’s strategic partner Emotive is coming to eight major U.S. cities and will kick off in Chicago on Jul. 21.

For the 2008 Audi driving experience, Audi has introduced a Competitive Comparison program, which puts participants behind the wheel of the all-new 2009 Audi A4 in addition to three other vehicles in its class to prove, first-hand, the superior handling, and driveability of the Audi, according to www.businesswire.com.

The 2008 Audi driving experience, running July through November, features a national tour with signature events in eight major markets — Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., New York, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles — conducted on renowned racing circuits, including the Autobahn Country Club, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Pocono Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and California Speedway. The tour will offer participants the opportunity to explore the remarkable performance capabilities of Audi vehicles by putting them behind the wheel of signature models, including the 2009 A4, RS 4, TT, Audi Q7, S5, and the 420-horsepower R8.

The Audi driving experience offers two driving programs: Competitive Comparison and Enthusiast. The Competitive Comparison is a complimentary two-and-a-half-hour introductory program in which participants will test the all-new 2009 A4 alongside three other vehicles in its comparable class, including the BMW 328 Xi, Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic, and Lexus IS 250 AWD. To both teach the fundamentals of driving and demonstrate, through hands-on experience, the handling capabilities of the A4, six exercises were designed to replicate real world conditions, including Acceleration, Swiss Slalom, Wide Turn, S Slalom, Emergency Lane Change, and Braking — each will be carried out in all four vehicles. Participants, split into two groups, will also get a chance to drive the all-new A4s on the racetrack.

The second program, the paid-for half-day Enthusiast program, includes the opportunity to drive the R8 and S5 on the racetrack, in addition to more seat time and training from the professional racing drivers. Participants will experience a variety of Audi vehicles during fundamental exercises expertly designed to empower participants with an improved understanding of vehicle handling, and they will also get substantial track time in Audi’s most extreme performance vehicles.

A third, year-round program, the Audi Sportscar Experience, is a hands-on driving experience designed especially for performance car enthusiasts, featuring the R8 and the RS 4 high-performance sedan, as well as Audi’s newest “S” models — including the S4, the new S5 coupe, and the 450-horsepower S8. The Audi Sportscar Experience operates year-round from the Audi Forum Sonoma, located trackside at Turn 1 of Infineon Raceway in beautiful Sonoma Valley.

For more information about the Audi driving experience, visit www.audidrivingexperience.com or call (800) 466-5792.