BMW Precision Driving Experience class....MUST DO IT!
08-30-2003, 07:49 PM
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I just got home tonight from driving in the BMW sponsored event call The Precision Driving Experience. This is a school put on by BMW to help teach and implement both basic and advanced car control skills, and I am here to tell you it works!
They have a couple different choices that you can pay to participate in. That is right, you have to pay, but trust me it is worth every dime. There are schools for teens that teach basic drivers training, or more advanced courses with the new Z4 or M5. I chose to take the 2 day M5 school and it left me with a smile on my face for the entire 2 days.
First the instructors (both professional race car drivers) were extremely poilte and funny, which put all the students at ease and was a big help in making us feel comfortable. Then they gave us a classroom session teaching us basic skills and also several more advanced skills and describing how to implement those skills on the road. The classroom sessions were reinforced on the track with lapping sessions where they took us all out in the M5's and actually showed us what all the classroom talk was about in the real world driving situations. After a few instructional laps, they pulled over and let us drive and try it out. It was phenomenal how well the M5's handled and how professional and helpful our instructors were. Always there to support you and offer helpful advice. They never pushed you further than they knew you could go, and they always respected your own personal comfort and skill levels. Totally top notch instruction.
Between doing skid pad exercises in both the wet and the dry, we also had threshold braking exercises, slalom events, and a high speed autocross event that was a real adrenaline rush, and helped to tie together all that we had learned throughout the course. At the end of each day I felt like I had improved as a driver, and that I was actually safer on the road. Sure, it was a total perk to be able to drive new M5's at the limit for 2 days straight, but it was even more rewarding to go home knowing that I had learned something useful. Something that will make me a better driver, and will allow me to be prepared for the 'real life' road course called the daily commute.
I honestly believe that if everyone had to do a class like this to get their license, there would be far fewer accidents on the road these days. The BMW Precision Driving Expereince is a top notch event that is well worth the money to participate in. If not for the fact that you can pay to wail on someone elses BMW's, you should do it to experience what a true drivers training course should be like. The boys and girls over there at BMW have done their homework on this, and it is an A++ event. Do it!! Make the time to look it up on their site www.bmwusa.com and see when it comes to your area.
They have a couple different choices that you can pay to participate in. That is right, you have to pay, but trust me it is worth every dime. There are schools for teens that teach basic drivers training, or more advanced courses with the new Z4 or M5. I chose to take the 2 day M5 school and it left me with a smile on my face for the entire 2 days.
First the instructors (both professional race car drivers) were extremely poilte and funny, which put all the students at ease and was a big help in making us feel comfortable. Then they gave us a classroom session teaching us basic skills and also several more advanced skills and describing how to implement those skills on the road. The classroom sessions were reinforced on the track with lapping sessions where they took us all out in the M5's and actually showed us what all the classroom talk was about in the real world driving situations. After a few instructional laps, they pulled over and let us drive and try it out. It was phenomenal how well the M5's handled and how professional and helpful our instructors were. Always there to support you and offer helpful advice. They never pushed you further than they knew you could go, and they always respected your own personal comfort and skill levels. Totally top notch instruction.
Between doing skid pad exercises in both the wet and the dry, we also had threshold braking exercises, slalom events, and a high speed autocross event that was a real adrenaline rush, and helped to tie together all that we had learned throughout the course. At the end of each day I felt like I had improved as a driver, and that I was actually safer on the road. Sure, it was a total perk to be able to drive new M5's at the limit for 2 days straight, but it was even more rewarding to go home knowing that I had learned something useful. Something that will make me a better driver, and will allow me to be prepared for the 'real life' road course called the daily commute.
I honestly believe that if everyone had to do a class like this to get their license, there would be far fewer accidents on the road these days. The BMW Precision Driving Expereince is a top notch event that is well worth the money to participate in. If not for the fact that you can pay to wail on someone elses BMW's, you should do it to experience what a true drivers training course should be like. The boys and girls over there at BMW have done their homework on this, and it is an A++ event. Do it!! Make the time to look it up on their site www.bmwusa.com and see when it comes to your area.
08-30-2003, 10:22 PM
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I have to agree, I loved attending this event! I did mine about a year and half ago at their plant in Greenville/Spartanburg, SC. My buddy bought an M5 and I was the lucky guest who got to enjoy the trip. Paid for airfare only (got a great deal from priceline) but everything else was covered and in style I might add.
On Saturday, we used their M5s for the track event and on Sunday, we used their M roadsters/coupes for the road trip out to the Biltmore estate. This event was top notch and again, I agree that they really did their homework. Do you remember your instructor names? The father of one of the instructors owns a racing school in California who does the pro celebrity event at the Long Beach grand prix and another instructor races in the Porsche GT3 cup series and pikes peak. Great group of people to just hang out with. Very down to earth.
The M5 car control clinic was held while it rained that day and made things all the more fun! I ended up winning their slalom auto-x in the wet that day which didn't please the other M5 owners too much
My friend still can't drive for sh*t till today but that's another story altogether. I was also very impressed with the DSC stability system and the brakes on the M5. The skid pad was great fun too. Very memorable trip altogether. Ripping around their track in a 400hp jeckyll & hyde monster was something else. 
On Saturday, we used their M5s for the track event and on Sunday, we used their M roadsters/coupes for the road trip out to the Biltmore estate. This event was top notch and again, I agree that they really did their homework. Do you remember your instructor names? The father of one of the instructors owns a racing school in California who does the pro celebrity event at the Long Beach grand prix and another instructor races in the Porsche GT3 cup series and pikes peak. Great group of people to just hang out with. Very down to earth.
The M5 car control clinic was held while it rained that day and made things all the more fun! I ended up winning their slalom auto-x in the wet that day which didn't please the other M5 owners too much
My friend still can't drive for sh*t till today but that's another story altogether. I was also very impressed with the DSC stability system and the brakes on the M5. The skid pad was great fun too. Very memorable trip altogether. Ripping around their track in a 400hp jeckyll & hyde monster was something else.
08-30-2003, 11:01 PM
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You might want to join your local BMWCCA (bmwcca.org) chapter as all local chapters provide school orientated track days and Car Control Clinics (aka CCC), which is basically the same series of exercises you did with the M5 but using your own car.
Unfortunately the free 2hr BMW performance event is already booked in my area so I'm regulated to abusing bimmers in the Susan B Koman event.
Unfortunately the free 2hr BMW performance event is already booked in my area so I'm regulated to abusing bimmers in the Susan B Koman event.
08-31-2003, 10:31 AM
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Originally posted by loki
You might want to join your local BMWCCA (bmwcca.org) chapter as all local chapters provide school orientated track days and Car Control Clinics (aka CCC), which is basically the same series of exercises you did with the M5 but using your own car.
Unfortunately the free 2hr BMW performance event is already booked in my area so I'm regulated to abusing bimmers in the Susan B Koman event.
You might want to join your local BMWCCA (bmwcca.org) chapter as all local chapters provide school orientated track days and Car Control Clinics (aka CCC), which is basically the same series of exercises you did with the M5 but using your own car.
Unfortunately the free 2hr BMW performance event is already booked in my area so I'm regulated to abusing bimmers in the Susan B Koman event.
Yeah, I belonged to BMWCCA when I had my M3, but the beauty of this event was that you did not have to use your own car, and the instruction was top notch as well. Especially when you do not have to pay for the tires and brakes.
08-31-2003, 10:33 AM
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Originally posted by SEVNT4
... Do you remember your instructor names? The father of one of the instructors owns a racing school in California who does the pro celebrity event at the Long Beach grand prix and another instructor races in the Porsche GT3 cup series and pikes peak. Great group of people to just hang out with. Very down to earth....
... Do you remember your instructor names? The father of one of the instructors owns a racing school in California who does the pro celebrity event at the Long Beach grand prix and another instructor races in the Porsche GT3 cup series and pikes peak. Great group of people to just hang out with. Very down to earth....
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