Well, I don't want to argue semantics as to what is a "test facility" and what's just "a place where they have unreleased VAG cars that they drive around town", but there is absolutely such a facility in Tampa.
Obviously, there is some proof above as well, but I can confirm that it exists. A friend of mine's dad is connected to it somehow through business, so I heard about it years ago, and have seen all kinds of pre-production VAG stuff driving around the Tampa area for years, as well.
Just off the top of my head, I saw a CC back in early '08 or late '07 before there were any real pictures available, even Camo'd that I could find online at least. In addition, I've seen the Q7, Q5, S5, A6, A4, TT, R8, etc, all months and months before production... sometimes before pictures of any kind were available. I try to take pics when I get a chance, but it doesn't always happen. Also, I'll confirm what the other guy said that they usually still maintain the marque badges, but no badges indicating the model.
But all those were nothing compared to one instance a few years ago. Sorry, it's kind-of a long story, but someone might be interested haha
So, my friends and I are driving around North of Tampa, taking one of my friends home... kinda out in the middle of nowhere. Just before we turned off the main road, we see this car going the other way, and instantly recognize it as a Lambo. The rest of the guys figure it's a Murci, but I say, "Guys, that was not a Murcielago... that must be the new Gallardo!"
So we cut across 3 lanes and do a u-turn, but it's WAY ahead of us. In fact, by the time we actually turned around, it was out of sight. We knew where he was headed (the "VW test facility"), so we decided to just keep going even though it was way ahead. About 7 miles down the road, we finally caught up because it and it's Audi wagon buddy were filling up at the gas station! At this point there are ZERO pictures of the car available without camo on the car, and here it is, a Gallardo, with not one piece of camo on it. So, I tell my friend to run across the street and buy a disposable camera. So, he gets back, and starts taking pics from quite a ways away and the little Italian guy driving the Lambo gets really pissed and starts yelling "No Picture!". So, that one friend quits, but my other friend says it's "his 1st amendment right to take pictures" lol.
So, he starts taking pretty close pictures... like he's maybe 10 feet from the car, and the little guy is yelling at him telling him to stop and he won't. So, the little Italian guy CHARGES my friend and tries to knock the camera away or something. Unfortunately, my friend moved out of the way, so we couldn't sue Lamborghini for a new Gallardo for each of us :biggrin:
So, they go to leave, and we start following them... and the guy in the Lambo is actually swerving at us like he's going to ram my friend's Ford Contour with his pre-production Gallardo!
Eventually we back off to go take the pics to a 24-hour photo place and sell them to Motor Trend or something, but that didn't happen. One, because we didn't know what to actually DO with them, and #2, because just a week or 2 later, Lambo released the first shots of an uncovered Gallardo... those shots of the Yellow Gallardo kinda floating against the black background, for those of you remember them.
Pretty awesome experience... although hindsight being 20/20, my friend should have let the little Italian guy punch him! :biggrin:
