my ///M school experience
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 198
From: New Orleans LA area
my ///M school experience
Just got home a little while ago from South Carolina where my wife and I attended the 1 day M school at the BMW Performance Center. We had a blast.
I got this trip for free after the purchase of my 08 M3. A few days after I registered, I got a call saying that our class was not full and I could also bring a guest if I wanted for no charge. Being a dutiful husband, I took the missus.
Although we were provided a room for 2 nights, we elected to go a day earlier on our own dime because we were driving up (about 9 hours each way.) The ladies at BMW got us in for the night at a favorable rate. The hotel was very nice and we were treated well.
We arrived Monday night and were tired out. Grabbed a couple margaritas and a mexican dinner at place close to the hotel. Early lights out.
Tuesday morning we ventured out to do a little x-mas shopping since we didn't have the kids. I had signed us up to go on the factory tour so we did that. We toured the Zentrum visitors center and went to see where the x5's and x6's are made. The factory is really efficient and clean. It is amazing how the cars are made in no particular order and all the parts arrive from the vendors already in line for the cars that they go with. We had a nice dinner that night at the hotel restaurant courtesy of BMW.
Wednesday was school day. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel courtesy of BMW, and hopped on the shuttle to head over to the Performance Center.
We met our instructors, Paul and Matt and had a little class instruction to lay out the day's events. There were only a total of 5 students in the class, so we had a lot of seat time. The instructors were awesome. Both had extensive driving and racing pedigrees and were great teachers as well. They were patient and fun. After about thirty minutes of instruction, we headed out to the cars.
There they were-, more M cars than I had ever seen in one place in my life. each student had their own M3, M5 and M6 to drive for the day's events.
There were probably 25 M cars total lined up counting the instructor's cars.
We started out in the M6's for a little turning practice. We made about 10 or so runs each at a sharp turn. We practiced braking for the turn and turning in to set up for the apex. The M6's were awesome machines in 500 hp mode. Mine was a beautiful AW on red fully optioned model. The instructors are constantly on the radio giving you pointers and advice. Most of the advice was "faster, faster" LOL. Most of this was done in 2nd gear and sometimes third, which is plenty fast in an M6. After several runs we went back to the lot.
Up next: part two.
I got this trip for free after the purchase of my 08 M3. A few days after I registered, I got a call saying that our class was not full and I could also bring a guest if I wanted for no charge. Being a dutiful husband, I took the missus.
Although we were provided a room for 2 nights, we elected to go a day earlier on our own dime because we were driving up (about 9 hours each way.) The ladies at BMW got us in for the night at a favorable rate. The hotel was very nice and we were treated well.
We arrived Monday night and were tired out. Grabbed a couple margaritas and a mexican dinner at place close to the hotel. Early lights out.
Tuesday morning we ventured out to do a little x-mas shopping since we didn't have the kids. I had signed us up to go on the factory tour so we did that. We toured the Zentrum visitors center and went to see where the x5's and x6's are made. The factory is really efficient and clean. It is amazing how the cars are made in no particular order and all the parts arrive from the vendors already in line for the cars that they go with. We had a nice dinner that night at the hotel restaurant courtesy of BMW.
Wednesday was school day. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel courtesy of BMW, and hopped on the shuttle to head over to the Performance Center.
We met our instructors, Paul and Matt and had a little class instruction to lay out the day's events. There were only a total of 5 students in the class, so we had a lot of seat time. The instructors were awesome. Both had extensive driving and racing pedigrees and were great teachers as well. They were patient and fun. After about thirty minutes of instruction, we headed out to the cars.
There they were-, more M cars than I had ever seen in one place in my life. each student had their own M3, M5 and M6 to drive for the day's events.
There were probably 25 M cars total lined up counting the instructor's cars.
We started out in the M6's for a little turning practice. We made about 10 or so runs each at a sharp turn. We practiced braking for the turn and turning in to set up for the apex. The M6's were awesome machines in 500 hp mode. Mine was a beautiful AW on red fully optioned model. The instructors are constantly on the radio giving you pointers and advice. Most of the advice was "faster, faster" LOL. Most of this was done in 2nd gear and sometimes third, which is plenty fast in an M6. After several runs we went back to the lot.
Up next: part two.
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 198
From: New Orleans LA area
Part two:
Next up we took out the M3 coupes. I got in a nice space gray coupe and we took off for a little heel-toe downshifting work. I was nervous for my wife for this part because her manual transmission skills aren't that great. She did great. This was only her second time driving a manual car. She did wonderful considering she was in a high pressure environment. We took several runs at the same curve as in the first exercise. We took off at the turn at full speed in second, shifted to third and had to heel-toe down to second as we approached the turn. I had a little trouble with this at first. My foot wanted to get stuck to the brake pedal and I couldn't get the timing right to get my heel over to the throttle for the blip for the downshift. Towards the end of the exercise I got it better but not perfect. It is easy to heel-toe when you are sitting in neutral, but not so easy when you are barreling down towards a hard left doing 80+.
Next up was the skidpad in the M5's. The skidpad is basically a large circle of polished concrete that is wet down with sprinklers. My wife and I got in the same car with Paul , the instructor. My wife went first around and around the skidpad. We practiced understeer and oversteer and steering out of an oversteer skid. We spun that car more times than we could count. I feel sorry for that SMG gearbox because it went backwards in first gear SO many times. I did better than her but when you romp down on 500hp going in a wet circle to induce a skid, you can only turn the wheel so fast.
We headed in for a nice lunch and a few minutes of classroom and the instructors gave us keys to start the in-car video and audio systems. The rest of the day would be recorded by a camera in the car, on the front of the car and audio in the cabin. We will be receiving DVD's in the next few weeks.
We went up to the small oval, in the M6's for a little chase race. We chased each other around a small oval, on a wet track with stability control off. If you spun out you lost. We did a couple of laps, two cars at a time, one car each starting out on each side of the oval. Whoever passed their starting cone first after 3 or so laps was the winner and went on to the second round. I actually was declared the winner in this race. I got to do some victory donuts as my prize. Nothing like doing donuts in someone else's $100k car.
Next up we took out the M3 coupes. I got in a nice space gray coupe and we took off for a little heel-toe downshifting work. I was nervous for my wife for this part because her manual transmission skills aren't that great. She did great. This was only her second time driving a manual car. She did wonderful considering she was in a high pressure environment. We took several runs at the same curve as in the first exercise. We took off at the turn at full speed in second, shifted to third and had to heel-toe down to second as we approached the turn. I had a little trouble with this at first. My foot wanted to get stuck to the brake pedal and I couldn't get the timing right to get my heel over to the throttle for the blip for the downshift. Towards the end of the exercise I got it better but not perfect. It is easy to heel-toe when you are sitting in neutral, but not so easy when you are barreling down towards a hard left doing 80+.
Next up was the skidpad in the M5's. The skidpad is basically a large circle of polished concrete that is wet down with sprinklers. My wife and I got in the same car with Paul , the instructor. My wife went first around and around the skidpad. We practiced understeer and oversteer and steering out of an oversteer skid. We spun that car more times than we could count. I feel sorry for that SMG gearbox because it went backwards in first gear SO many times. I did better than her but when you romp down on 500hp going in a wet circle to induce a skid, you can only turn the wheel so fast.
We headed in for a nice lunch and a few minutes of classroom and the instructors gave us keys to start the in-car video and audio systems. The rest of the day would be recorded by a camera in the car, on the front of the car and audio in the cabin. We will be receiving DVD's in the next few weeks.
We went up to the small oval, in the M6's for a little chase race. We chased each other around a small oval, on a wet track with stability control off. If you spun out you lost. We did a couple of laps, two cars at a time, one car each starting out on each side of the oval. Whoever passed their starting cone first after 3 or so laps was the winner and went on to the second round. I actually was declared the winner in this race. I got to do some victory donuts as my prize. Nothing like doing donuts in someone else's $100k car.
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 198
From: New Orleans LA area
Next, we went back and got the M5's for a little time trial action. We put the cars in 500 mode with MDM. (M dynamic mode) We started out with a small slalom and a long sweeping right turn. The turn was just sharp enough that you could feel the awesome grip of the car but shallow enough that you could wind it up in second. After the sweeping right was a sharp right with a small double S section and then we had to come to a quick stop in the stop box. Seconds were added if you hit a cone or stopped out of the stop box. The whole run was about 25-30 seconds. We all took several runs. I was the winner in this exercise also. I was surprised because 2 of the other guys had a little more training than me prior to this school. It was all in good fun any way.
The last exercise was a bigger track run. We went around a little bigger road course. We got to choose our car for this. I was torn with my choice. I could choose a manual M3, which is close to my car. Or I could choose a SMG M5 or M6. I ultimately chose the M6 as I wanted to not have to worry about the clutch as much and be able to concentrate on braking and paddle shifting as I approached the turns. After 1 turn, there was a good stretch I could floor it in second and third , eventually shifting into 4th before braking hard for a hard left turn. I got up to maybe 105-110 in this area. These cars make you so confident it is easy to forget you are in a 500hp monster. I had to tell myself several times that this wasn't a video game and i better slow down before I get to that hard turn.
After a dozen of so laps of this we returned to the lot. We got in a M3 sedan with the instructor for a hot lap of the whole course. WOW. We didn't get to use the whole course in our exercises as the whole course is used in the second day of the 2 day M school. Our instructor had 30 yrs, of racing experience and he made that car dance. It gave my wife and I new found respect for that little white car in the driveway.
All in all. we had a great time. BMW treated us like royalty. I am planning to go back in the spring on my own dime and take the 2 day school. Yes these courses are expensive, but I got to beat on $250k+ worth of cars for a day with no repercussions. Take in to consideration the amount of $ that BMW puts into the school, cars, maintenance and staff and it is worth the $.
Pics to come.
The last exercise was a bigger track run. We went around a little bigger road course. We got to choose our car for this. I was torn with my choice. I could choose a manual M3, which is close to my car. Or I could choose a SMG M5 or M6. I ultimately chose the M6 as I wanted to not have to worry about the clutch as much and be able to concentrate on braking and paddle shifting as I approached the turns. After 1 turn, there was a good stretch I could floor it in second and third , eventually shifting into 4th before braking hard for a hard left turn. I got up to maybe 105-110 in this area. These cars make you so confident it is easy to forget you are in a 500hp monster. I had to tell myself several times that this wasn't a video game and i better slow down before I get to that hard turn.
After a dozen of so laps of this we returned to the lot. We got in a M3 sedan with the instructor for a hot lap of the whole course. WOW. We didn't get to use the whole course in our exercises as the whole course is used in the second day of the 2 day M school. Our instructor had 30 yrs, of racing experience and he made that car dance. It gave my wife and I new found respect for that little white car in the driveway.
All in all. we had a great time. BMW treated us like royalty. I am planning to go back in the spring on my own dime and take the 2 day school. Yes these courses are expensive, but I got to beat on $250k+ worth of cars for a day with no repercussions. Take in to consideration the amount of $ that BMW puts into the school, cars, maintenance and staff and it is worth the $.
Pics to come.
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 198
From: New Orleans LA area
our chariot covered in ice at the hotel
Hotel lobby
wife and I
M's as far as you can see
cranking up an M6
lining up the m6's to start
the wife and her IB m3 for the day
the bronze M5 I drove
official car
Hotel lobby
wife and I
M's as far as you can see
cranking up an M6
lining up the m6's to start
the wife and her IB m3 for the day
the bronze M5 I drove
official car
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Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,935
Likes: 198
From: New Orleans LA area
She did really well. She wasn't too comfortable at first but by the end she was moving pretty good. She got a little frustrated on the skidpad, but so did everyone else. She had a lot more fun than she thought she would. She is used to driving a minivan or Tahoe around with 2 kids in back, not a 500 hp car at 7k rpm.
Suzuka Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 6,271
Likes: 236
From: Maryland
Looks like you had a ridiculous amount of fun achenator. You described it very nicely. It's definitely something one must do before it's too late.
We're jealous.
I love M cars...
We're jealous.
I love M cars...
Last edited by nokiaman; Dec 4, 2008 at 10:59 PM.
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