AUDI DRIVING instructor Joachim Kleint seems preoccupied at the end of a line of traffic cones, a makeshift slalom course on the Zhuhai International Circuit. While I'm trying to strike up a conversation with the 1979 European Rally champion, he's looking over my shoulder to keep a wary eye on the next guy who's negotiating the cones. He answers my questions, but he's already made a mental note of what to tell that driver.
Kleint balances his attention as keenly as the wheels of the Opel Kadett GTE he rallied to victory before he joined Audi. What does his job entail?
'We hold these driving clinics all over the world, about 17 times a year, mostly in Europe,' he says. 'In Europe, particularly Scandinavia, driving courses of this kind are in hot demand because of the snowy weather. We practise all kinds of car-control techniques in the snow - without using the ESP [electronic stabilisation program] system, of course.'
The driver who's got Kleint's attention is now haring down the straight, weaving wide between the cones. The instructor flags him down. 'Try holding the steering wheel steady, be more precise - and drive faster,' Kleint tells him.
The Audi Quattro Driving Experience was set up for local media by the German marque's Hong Kong distributor, Premium Motors, to show off the cars on a race track, and educate the marque's fans about the need for Quattro (four-wheel-drive) in Hong Kong.
'Most consumers aren't aware of the real benefits of Quattro, and the excellent handling and perfect traction of driving a Quattro car,' says Premium Motors spokeswoman Jacky Raenisch. 'We hope the exercises in the Driving Experience show that the real function of Quattro is maximising the grip and traction of the car, regardless of the speed, but in unexpected conditions. Quattro is one feature that places such as Hong Kong need, given its humid climate and the many narrow corners on the hillsides.'