For a vehicle that has been in existence for only two short years, the Can-Am Spyder has developed an impressive following of dedicated and enthusiastic owners. Though due in large part to the grass-roots development of both localized and national clubs and websites, the phenomenon has also been fueled by an almost-unprecedented level of customer support from the manufacturer, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP).
On the weekend of July 26 – 28, BRP sponsored their second-ever “Spyder Owners Event” in Los Angeles, or more specifically, Hollywood, dubbing it the “Red Carpet Ryde.” And that title wasn’t just PR hype, as the event involved a private, premiere showing of the new movie “Transformers II – Revenge Of The Fallen,” in which a prototype (P1) Spyder Roadster is featured as an urban assault vehicle, used in the battle against the evil Decepticon Transformers.The event began on Friday evening with a gathering of over 70 Spyders at the famous, original Bob’s Big Boy restaurant in Burbank, attended by hundreds of classic and hotrod car enthusiasts, including none other than Jay Leno, proud owner of Spyder #001 (though he actually drove his turbine-powered hotrod that night). The next morning, approximately 410 Spyder owners arrived at Universal Studios to park their mounts in a private, VIP parking lot, before walking down the famed CityWalk to an exclusive breakfast buffet, served at the Hard Rock Café, just in front of the theater.
After breakfast and the movie, on a soundstage set up in front of the theater, several Can-Am executives, who had flown in from Quebec especially for the event, gave out awards to the owners in categories such as “most customized Spyder,” “highest-mileage,” “most miles ridden to the event,” etc. These awards weren’t just plaques, either, but included such things as $1,000 gift certificates for accessories and riding gear, and a new Garmin Zumo 660. Pretty good stuff.
After the awards, everyone took off for a three-hour ride up the famous Angeles Crest Highway, ending up at the Pickwick Gardens for an outdoor barbecue, and even more door
prizes. And as if that weren’t enough, Sunday morning featured a poker run, with stops at four different Can-Am dealers in Southern California, with the last stop at the world-renowned Petersen Automotive Museum. There, they got to watch as the actual P1 prototype Spyder used in the movie was officially unveiled and inducted into the museum, as part of the “Movie Cars” exhibit.All in all, it was a pretty incredible event as such things go, but here’s the real kicker: The VIP parking, the breakfast buffet, the movie (including popcorn, candy and sodas), the door prizes, the barbecue and the poker run were all FREE. That’s right, if you were a Spyder owner and showed up for the Red Carpet Ryde, all of the events, activities and food were paid for by BRP Can-Am! I’ve heard of customer support for owners’ groups before, but this goes way beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed. When it was all over, I asked BRP’s Vice-President, Yves Leduc, and their Marketing Director, Marc Lacroix, the obvious question—“Why?” The answer from both was the same: “Our owners are our best salesmen and our greatest promoters, so we want to support them as much as we possibly can.”
Will they do it again, next year? “Yes. Absolutely. Only bigger and better!”
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