• by Karl Greenberg , September 9, 2011

It's about the experience. Cadillac, which has staked out a performance positioning and upped its commitment to racing, is getting consumers into its vehicles with several simultaneous programs that involve culinary elements, racetracks, golfing -- and of course, test drives.

The Cadillac V-Series Performance Lab invites 3,000 or so potential customers, most of whom are owners of competitive vehicles, to events that also involve drivers from Cadillac's racing program, Johnny O'Connell and Andy Pilgrim, as well as John Heinricy, who developed the V-Series program. The V-Series events will be at Road Atlanta and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. In addition to consumers, the company said it will invite select dealers and media.

The company is also doing a program called the "Cadillac Culinary Challenge" that pits two chefs against each other (attendees presumably get to compare the results) to find the "Cadillac of Chefs" while also pitting Cadillac vehicles against BMW, Lexus and Mercedes offerings and letting attendees compare. Also, the automaker is doing an invitation-only series of "Innovation Golf Clinics" which again feature top chefs along golf professionals David Leadbetter, Matt Kuchar and Anthony Kim.

Next month, the General Motors division will add one more program to the lineup: a V-Series Performance Academy in Las Vegas, at the region's Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. Cadillac National Advertising and Promotions Manager Steve Haener, says the events will put upwards of 15,000 potential customers behind the wheel this year. "We get to meet some new potential customers and they get to enjoy a truly unique Cadillac experience that meets them where they like to spend their leisure time."

The automaker will be rolling out new vehicles next year, but for the time being is using the events to tout the SRX crossover, Escalade Hybrid SUV, CTS sedan and coupe.