ELKHART LAKE, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) hosted its annual Spring
Rally last week at Road America, one of the world’s premier road racing
tracks. Over the course of two days, nearly 100 media members from
across the country had the opportunity to put nearly 80 vehicles through
their paces in a variety of driving opportunities, including on-track,
street, off-road and autocross.
Automakers from 25 different brands selected the 2019 MAMA Spring Rally
to showcase their latest cars, trucks, SUVs, and CUVs to top-tier
automotive journalists. A handful of the attending manufacturers also
provided detailed overviews of their latest products.
Lexus officially opened the MAMA Spring Rally with a breakfast
presentation featuring the 2020 Lexus RC lineup—particularly the
high-performance RC F model.
Following a morning of track touring laps and street drive evaluations,
Nissan’s Karen Long discussed the brand’s commitment to sedans, the
overall state of the sedan market and the company’s latest reveal, the
2020 Nissan Versa.
Shifting gears, Hyundai put its Veloster N in the spotlight by bringing
five models for journalists to drive on track, on street, and in the
autocross.
“We were thrilled to share our fun-to-drive Veloster N at the Midwest
Automotive Media Association’s Spring Rally,” said Mike O’Brien, vice
president, product, corporate and digital planning, Hyundai.
Volkswagen kicked off the second day of the 2019 MAMA Spring Rally with
a presentation and overview of the Jetta GLI, which was also available
for evaluations on the street, the track, and the autocross.
“The Spring Rally is a highlight of the media association year, and I’m
delighted that MAMA members were able to experience the vehicle at Road
America, one of my favorite tracks on the planet,” said Mark Gillies,
senior manager, product and technology communications, Volkswagen of
America.
Mopar, the service, parts, and customer-care brand of FCA, hosted the
final event and presentation of the MAMA Spring Rally. Kim Mathers, head
of accessories and performance parts, Mopar, walked attendees through
the brand’s evolution over 80-plus years in serving customers throughout
the ownership experience.
Finalists for MAMA’s annual Family Vehicle of the Year (FVOTY) and
Luxury Family Vehicle of the Year (LFVOTY) Awards were also announced.
The 2020 Jeep Gladiator, 2020 Kia Telluride, 2019 Honda Passport and
2019 Mazda3 made the FVOTY contender list. The 2019 BMW X7, 2019 Lincoln
Nautilus and 2019 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS 53 Coupe are the finalists for
LFVOTY.
Contacts
Damon Bell
President
Midwest Automotive Media Association
[email protected]
