In the thirty minutes it takes to complete this cir­cuit, the drivers of a SUV encounter every imaginable challenge: man­oeuvring across a rutted dirt road and through an enormous cement pipe, traversing extreme corrugations and a number of railway lines, as well as coping with steps and a steep incline.

The vehicles’ technical equipment, like the Hill Descent Assist or the Hill Climb Assist, will help you to master the course. A finely-­tuned throttle control and a particularly sensitive ABS system are all instrumental in the handling of the ve­hicles when negotiating the off­road track’s hard­-to­-traverse routes. The first time around an Autostadt instructor will drive the course with you. Next time round you take the wheel.