Design a Concept Car and Take a Test Drive at Test Track Presented by Chevrolet

Whether you're a car enthusiast or you just enjoy the thrill of speeding around curves at 65 mph, there's a little something for everyone at the redesigned Test Track.

The pavilion that houses Test Track was originally the World of Motion pavilion presented by General Motors. When it opened in 1982, the wheel-shaped pavilion featured TransCenter designed by GM and featuring examples of innovative concepts for transportation.

The Original World of Motion

For the ride portion of the attraction, guests would board Omnimovers and travel through time as they learned about this history of transportation - starting with the caveman and traveling through time and even through a speed tunnel which took guests to CenterCore, the city of the future. The ride concluded with guests appearing in a simulated "car of the future." After leaving their Omnimovers, guests could visit TransCenter which featured exhibits about transportation.

World of Motion was closed in 1996 but Disney was working closely with GM to build Test Track. The original version of Test Track had a soft opening in 1998 and fully opened to guests in 1999. In this version, the queue took guests through a repair and test shop - complete with crash test dummies - and then saw a brief video about the tests being performed. The ride itself featured a series of tests on the ride's cars, finishing with an exhilarating spin around the outside track at speeds of up to 65 mph around banked turns.

That version closed in April 2012 and the newly redesigned Test Track Presented by Chevrolet opened in December 2012.

Test Track by Chevrolet

The queue for the ride has been completely redesigned and features a sleek, modern feel. The crash test dummies are gone, replaced by sleek concept cars and large monitors featuring more concept car ideas. Guests find themselves inside the Chevrolet Design Center where they get a chance to design their own custom virtual concept car based on handling, maneuverability, fuel saving and environmental efficiency, and speed.

After designing their SIM car, guests then board the ride vehicles which are more modern than the old Test Track vehicles. The ride itself takes place on the same track as the original version, but it's been updated with a lot of TRON-like neon lights. The SIM cars "connect" with OnStar as the car is tested for capability. The cars go through an "off road and extreme weather sequence" complete with a dramatic lightning bolt, and then the cars are tested for aerodynamic efficiency. This "test" actually shows riders how the wind moves over their vehicles.

Experience The Power Test

The vehicles are then put through a responsiveness test where the SIM car negotiates hair-pin turns and heads into a tunnel with the 18-wheeler truck from the original Test Track. Did I mention that everything is neon? Even the truck and the trees are created with laser projection. It feels as if you're driving through a video game.

The final "test" is the power test and this is where the real fun begins. The SIM cars accelerate through arches (flashing neon purple) that lead to the outside portion of the track. The vehicles increase their speed and make several turns on the track, banking at 50-degree angles. This last leg of the ride is thrilling and sometimes it feels as if you're going faster than 65-mph.

Test Track Chevrolet Showroom Display

The ride ends back at the loading area and guests can play games with their SIM car in the Chevrolet Showroom and check the performance scores for their vehicles in the scoring area using the SIM card they were given to create the car at the beginning of the ride. Guests can also make a 15-second commercial of their car design and email home.

Thanks so much to our friend Traci C. for this great guest post! Also thanks to Juliet Earth and Loren Javier for use of her images through Creative Commons. Have you taken a spin on the new Test Track? What did you think? Leave us a comment!