Vehicle launches can be a rather fun experience and VW has a rather brilliant way to both drum up excitement about the Golf 8 GTI and give everybody a chance at attending the launch.

This week VW has launched the #GTI8OnTour gaming app for Apple or Android which will give anybody who wants to attend the launch event of the vehicle a shot at doing so.

So what do you need to do? Firstly you’ll need to download the app for Android or iOS (our download was 80.89MB on Android) and then you will need to race.

Well, first you’ll need to Register an account and this process was incredibly frustrating. While entering text in the registration form our text was cleared if we didn’t hit enter. While waiting for an OTP (which VW is using rather than allowing you to set a password) the registration process was reset when we minimised the app.

Once you are in the app you can customise your ride before you start trying to set lap times.

The game itself is about as basic as it comes. You simply need to set a quick lap-time and you will be offered a ticket to attend the VW Golf 8 GTI launch event. Space is limited so if you don’t want to attend, don’t claim the ticket.

“A good race time equals a ticket, one that will guarantee fans a chance to not only attend the intimate events but get into the driver’s seat of the Golf 8 GTI. Put pedal to the metal in the Goodyear GTI 100m Speed Dash, get taken on a whirlwind of a hot lap with a Volkswagen Advanced Driving instructor and experience a fully customised car meet that will include local car clubs, merchandise stalls, food trucks and live DJs,” VW said in a press release.

The launches will take place throughout October with an event each in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

If you don’t want to attend the launch, a good lap time can win you some prizes.

“Weekly prizes will be up for grabs for die-hard fans who come back to better their time (there is no limit to the number of times you can race). Race your way to GTI branded merchandise, a brand-new set of Eagle F1 Supersport tyres, courtesy of event partner Goodyear, or an Advanced Driving Experience courtesy of Volkswagen’s Advanced Driving Academy,” said VW.

Is this the best game ever? Not by a long shot but it is a bit of fun and if you’re a Golf fan – of which there are many – this is a nice way to attend a launch event you otherwise might not have.

You can download the #GTI8OnTour gaming app for free via the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.