Thinking of a BMW Performance Driving Course

[TMR013]

But not sure which I should take, looking for advise from those who have done it.
I've never done any kind of performance driving school. Had my 135 for 3 years and an S2000 before that. So a bit of experience driving high performance cars. Consider myself a pretty good driver (but don't we all), and do have plenty of time having fun on the twisties, and have been able to control my way out of more than a few tricky spots, lots of confidence driving. Have not tracked, and probably won't.
So based on that, I'm thinking the M school. I don't want to spend money and be bored by the basic driving school. But I'm also sure it can probably teach me some things.
Recommendations?

[Experimental]

I think it's a great idea. If you've never done a performance driving event at a track or otherwise, I'd really suggest starting out with their two-day Driver's Program, and working your way up to the M-school. All due respect and no offense, but owning several high performance vehicles and driving them unscathed in the twisties doesn't qualify as having the basics out of the way. I've seen it bite people several times.

If you really feel that the Driver's Program is going to bore you, go for the M-school. You'll always have the option later on to go on to the advance M-school...

[jmcphillips1]

do the 2 day regular school first...I don't care what kind of experience a person has or doesn't have...this 2 day school is a blast and you will love every minute of it

[TX78666]

I'm going to say maybe look into non-BMW options. Maybe Nasa? BMW just seems awfully proud of their program. I've done some great events with thedriversedge.net, here in Texas, for a fraction of what BMW charges.

[1Pirate]

I took the one day M school back in December of 2006 and it was one of the most fun days of my life. It was also a great learning experience. I opted for the M school over other schools offered by at BMW Performance Center because I felt it offered me the most instruction in performance driving. I also felt that the other courses were geared more to less experienced drivers. I've been driving sports/performance cars for 25 years.

As someone else said there are probably less expensive performance driving schools out there, but the BMW M school was very well run and provided lots of instruction, seat time and gave you the opportunity to drive the hell out of several BMW M cars rather than your own vehicle. When I took the course we only had six students in the class, but we had three instructors. In addition, all of the BMW driving instuctors have excellent credentials and lots of racing experience.

The BMW M school is the only performance driving school I've ever attended so I don't have anything else to compare it to. However, I've participated in several autocrosses and gymkhanas over the years.

[JimD]

I had never done a driving school before I did the 2 day M school. I didn't set any speed records but I wasn't the slowest either. I actually won the figure 8 contest in my sub-group, my last exercise of the school. There is a minimum of classroom instruction and lots of driving on the track.

There is an early skid pad exercise to either make sure you can handle understeer and oversteer or teach you to handle it. Everybody can do understeer with at most a little instruction. You just get off the gas. But oversteer is trickier, especially if you've never driving under slick conditions (snow and ice). I used to have fun drifting around parking lots first snow every year. So I did OK and got to try drifting the wet skidpad. That is tougher because the concrete changes as you go around. I never made it all the way around drifting. This was one of the few times the instructor was with you and they use the emergency brake to put you in wicked oversteer. Not the easiest to catch without over correcting.

The rest of the school is mostly teaching you how to take small sections of the track. Then you get to string it together. I found it surprisingly hard to remember to do what I'd learned when it was the whole track. But loads of fun. How can you not have fun driving M cars on a track as fast as you can handle? It's a little pricey but you get a helmet, jacket, and shirt. And lots of fun. The hotel is also in the price.

Jim

[TX78666]

Originally Posted by 1Pirate

gave you the opportunity to drive the hell out of several BMW M cars rather than your own vehicle.

That's probably the big difference, price-wise.

[TX78666]

Originally Posted by JimD

you get a helmet, jacket, and shirt...The hotel is also in the price.

Hmmm. That would add up, too.

Maybe I'll do a BMW class.

It's Driver's Edge this weekend, though.

[DAC17]

I would do the 2-day driver's school first (which is what I did!) Once you're through that, you'll get a lot more out of the M school.

[ptack]

Is this only at the SC center?

[GaryS]

The BMW school is very good, but they use cars with DCT and regular automatics. If you want MT, Skip Barber schools might be a better option.

[Lexington]

Autos except for the use of the 1Ms but not sure how long they will be used.

[JimD]

The BMW schools before the advanced M school are all at the BMW performance center outside Greenville, SC. You stay at the Greenville Marriott for the 2 day M school. You have to take the M school before the advanced M school but they do it at race tracks around the southeast. The schedule lists when they are at each track. I think most are at a track in Virginia. I haven't done the advanced M school (yet). It is more expensive than the M school.

Jim