SANTA ANA, Calif. — Yokohama Tire Corp. is bringing the test drive to its dealers backyards with the return of its experimental Ride and Drive Dealer Training Program. This year's event includes five stops and is designed to give dealers an opportunity to take some of Yokohama's newest tires for a spin.
At each event, dealers will have the chance to test Yokohama tires by driving modified BMW 228i coupes fitted with the soon-to-be released AVID Ascend GT, ADVAN A052 , and ADVAN Sport A/S and S.drive tires.
"The annual ride and drive program is one of our most popular — and important — dealer activities," said Fardad Niknam, Yokohama Tire senior director of consumer product planning and product marketing.
"Over the years, it's proven to be a significant tool to help our ongoing dealer education program because one of our primary objectives is to interact with our dealer network and help them sell more Yokohama tires," he added. "The driving experience definitely helps highlight specific benefits of Yokohama's diverse product line, which they can then relate back to their customers."
Yokohama's 2018 Ride and Drive Dealer Training Program has stops planned for:
- May 22-25, Anaheim, Calif.
- May 30-June 1, Denver
- July 24-27, Houston
- October 9-12, Boston
- October 22-25, Charlotte, N.C.
Each event includes two sessions and welcomes around 70 dealers per day (35 in each session). Local Yokohama sales staff invites dealers to the session.