Audi ice experience

The Audi ice experience is Audi’s special winter driver training program in Finland. On specially prepared, frozen lakes north of the Arctic Circle, drivers train dynamic vehicle control on bare ice and experience driving pleasure under extreme conditions.

The program consists of successive trainings: Performance Finland, High Performance Finland, Top Performance Finland, Masterclass Finland and Performance Finland Exclusive Coaching. The services usually include driver training, overnight stays in a 4-star hotel (suite), full board, an airport shuttle and (depending on the program) exclusive supporting programs such as dog sledding tours or helicopter flights.

The program has a modular structure:Intermediate level (entry-level in Finland): Performance Finland and Arctic Adventures. Suitable for anyone with previous winter experience (e.g. from a level 1 training course)High level: High and Top Performance. For advanced learners who want to perfect their techniques and compete (previous experience required)Maximum level (motor sport): Masterclass. For drivers with motor sport ambitions, professional aspirations and very good fitness (previous experience required)Individual: this exclusive coaching course is adapted to the level of skills of the participant 

The training sessions take place in Muonio, Finland. The town is located in Finnish Lapland, about 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.

Due to the weather, the season runs in the safest winter months from January to March 2027. The exact dates available for the individual programs can be found on the Audi driving experience official website.To the dates

The standard training vehicle for all programs is the powerful Audi RS 5 Avant{ft_ade-rs-5-avant-en}. The extremely agile Audi RS 3 driving experience{ft_ade-rs-3-driving-experience-en} is also used from the “Top Performance” level upwards. Exclusive coaching and parts of the accompanying program also include fully electric models such as the Audi SQ6 SUV e-tron{ft_ade-sq6-e-tron-en} or RS e-tron GT performance{ft_ade-rs-e-tron-gt-performance-en}.

The core technologies include precise braking in bends, the alternating curve technique, the 180° cornering technique, millimetre-precise load changes to initiate a drift as well as power slides to keep the vehicle confidently on course at the limit.

The target group ranges from ambitious drivers with their first winter experience who want to learn how to drift on ice and enjoy nature, to active racing and rally drivers who prepare for the coming motor sport season in the Masterclass modules.

Ambitious drivers benefit from the Top Performance Finland training – and on request also in other programs – from maximum driving time in individual occupancy, professional data and video analysis (telemetry), daily time trials in rally format and coaching by instructors with motor sport experience.

For the regular arrival and departure day, Audi offers a centrally organized shuttle service from the nearest airport in Kittilä (KTT) to the hotel and back. In order to coordinate the central or – if necessary – an individual transfer for you, we need your exact flight times at least 14 days before arrival. If we do not have your travel data before this deadline, we ask you to understand that you will have to bear the organizational and transfer costs yourself.

From the 2026 winter season, flight tickets will no longer be part of AUDI AG’s travel services. Flights to Kittilä (KTT) must be booked individually and independently by the participants.

The biggest challenge is the extremely low friction (traction) on bare ice. Drivers must learn to operate with very sensitive steering, acceleration and braking impulses and to maintain constant load change control at high speed. In addition, from the higher levels onwards, there is sporty pressure in the time trials.

Due to its location beyond the Arctic Circle, Lapland offers extremely high snow reliability and constant sub-zero temperatures for months. This makes it possible for ice on the huge lakes freeze so much that up to 10 kilometres long, safe handling courses can be milled into the snow.

Muonio is located deep in Finnish Lapland on the Swedish border. The location is crucial as it offers the perfect infrastructure (comfortable 4-star hotels for accommodation) in close proximity to the pristine, extensive lake landscapes where the ice tracks are prepared.

Two things are important: independent flight booking due to the weather conditions reservation (possible short-term cancellation of training in case of thaw for safety reasons), it is strongly recommended to take out travel cancellation insurance and to book  flight tickets that can be cancelled.

It is recommended to wear warm, comfortable layered winter clothing. For driving itself, flat, sporty and comfortable footwear is essential to have the necessary sensitivity for the pedals. Good sunglasses also protect against strong reflections on ice and snow.

Safety is the highest priority. The training sessions take place in a controlled environment on cordoned-off ice surfaces that have been tested for load-bearing capacity. The instructors have continuous contact with the vehicles by radio.

Even though the Audi ice experience focuses on drifting and driving at the sporty limits, drivers benefit enormously in everyday life: they develop an intuitive feeling for loss of traction, (untersteering/oversteering), learning gentler and more precise steering impulses and reacting much more confidently and calmly in the event of sudden icy conditions on roads.