Yellow Blood is flowing through the streets in Montreal this week as BRP welcomes 4,000 dealers, distributors, suppliers, members of the media and BRP employees from more than 100 countries to Club BRP — the largest event in BRP history held at sites across Montreal and at the company’s Valcourt, Quebec facilities.
At the opening session Sunday night Chris Dawson, the VP and general manager of BRP’s international division, promised the week would, “provide you all with a strong dose of yellow blood,” and the BRP team is working tirelessly to live up to this promise at Club BRP events that run through July 17.
2012 BRP Lineup
BRP’s ultimate playground offers attendees the opportunity to preview the company’s latest innovations including the new from the ground up 2012 Can-Am Outlander 1000, and Outlander 800R, which boast an innovative ride quality. BRP says that the next generation Outlander maintains its engine performance with a new 976cc Rotax V-Twin option.
Riders also tested the new Renegade 1000, which features an EFI-fed, 976cc V-Twin power plant, and both have the next-generation chassis, improved suspension and enhanced ergonomics.
Newly configured for 2012, the Outlander MAX 800R XT-P and the Outlander MAX 650 XT-P sport-oriented two-up ATVs allow riders to select preloaded ACS settings on the fly to match the trail or load conditions.
Can-Am bumped up its SxS lineup with the introduction of the Commander 1000 LTD. It boasts sophisticated Pure Magnesium or Orbital Blue painted plastic, an 85-horsepower 976cc Rotax engine and other premium upgrades as well as key accessories including a WARN winch, Garmin GPS and air-control Fox Racing shocks.
On-road, the 2012 RS Spyder Roadster gets a facelift with new base RS coloration; two new color options — Neutron Green Metallic/Satin Black and Can-Am Red/Satin Black; an amber LCD display; and new gas-charged FOX Racing shocks on RS-S models.
On the touring side, the Spyder RT gets a new amber multi-function Dot-matrix display coloration for improved contrast at night. In addition the RT Limited offers a new Lava Bronze Metallic color scheme with an embroidered tan seat; new aluminum six-spoke chrome front wheels as well as chrome mirrors, heat shields and exhaust tips. The TR-S now comes in a Quantum Blue Metallic with Dark-Mist Gray six-spoke front wheels.
BRP also unveiled changes to its PWC lineup with the 2012 Sea-Doo RXP-X model featuring the new T3 lean-in hull design, Ergolock system and iControl technologies.
BRP remains the only manufacturer to offer the industry’s only on-water braking system. The intelligent Brake & Reverse system (iBR) is now a standard feature in every category on the Sea-Doo RXP-X watercraft. The next generation 2012 Sea-Doo RXP-X is joined by the new GTR 215 and GTX 155 S. Handling enhancing components for the RXT-X and RXT-X aS models are also new in 2012. The 2012 Sea-Doo WAKE 155 and WAKE Pro 215 models feature new colorization and have received a system upgrade with intelligent Throttle Control (iTC ) and an exclusive Ski mode now directly linked to a GPS control system for 100 percent pulling speed accuracy.
Visions of The Future
Club BRP tours of the Design and Innovation center in Valcourt highlight the company’s focus on innovation. BRP unveiled a Hybrid concept Spyder model as well as an electric concept Commander SxS unit. While both models are still a handful of years from being production ready, these innovations exemplify the company’s passion for innovation and commitment to the environment. “We will not sacrifice performance for fuel economy,” assured Gerd Ohrnberger, VP and general manager of the Powertrain division.
Strengthening the Dealer Network
Beyond product innovations, perhaps the most notable news from Club BRP is their focus on strengthening the dealer network. While BRP lost approximately 100 dealers due to economic instability through the downturn, the company has no plans to expand the dealer network at this time. Instead, the OEM is working with dealers to significantly increase the sales volume per dealer. VP and general manager of the North American division Yves Leduc explained how the company aims to drive dealer traffic through advertising and customer loyalty programs. “The company aims to raise consumer focus to the same level as the product focus,” said Leduc.
In addition, the company is unveiling a new flexible delivery system that will allow off-road dealers to place new unit orders 12 times a year. This program will be slowly rolled out in the U.S. marketplace over the next three years.
BRP will also launch a web-based aftersales dealer community this fall that will support the dealer community with worldwide access. Leduc explained that one of the main goals of the community is to accelerate service information with video-based service instruction.
Watch your mailbox for MPN’s August issue for more from Club BRP, and learn more about the company now at www.brp.com.
