BMW Driving Experience

jleeFJ62 · 07-23-09, 07:13 AM

Has anyone done this? If so, how was it?

I won a promo at work and the prize was a half day there.

AGreekBoy · 07-23-09, 09:34 AM

my best man did it before he bought one and he said it was amazing. they took him out in an M5. he said they took the car to the limits. do it if you can it would have to be a fun experience

jleeFJ62 · 07-23-09, 09:48 AM

This is my third time winning this trip in past work promo's. Each time i had something i had to do that i couldnt get out of, weddings etc. I'm pretty excited and glad it worked out this time. My fiance did it a few years ago and now she wants a m5/z4.

AGreekBoy · 07-23-09, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jleeFJ62

This is my third time winning this trip in past work promo's. Each time i had something i had to do that i couldnt get out of, weddings etc. I'm pretty excited and glad it worked out this time. My fiance did it a few years ago and now she wants a m5/z4.

although they are nice get her cruiser instead and take her on an off road trip.lol

BMThiker · 07-23-09, 04:15 PM

You need to talk to Bill Wright. He works over there, test driving and such...

eventhough · 07-23-09, 04:41 PM

You should take your 62 out there and say "watch me boys - this is how its done..."

BillWright · 07-23-09, 04:41 PM

I haven't done 'The BMW Driving Experience', they pay me $60+K a year to do that 40 or more hours a week.
I did the BMW Performance Driving School once, had to have it on my resume to get a license for the test track (one the clock and their nickel of course). I thought I was a pretty fair performance driver, been driving the shoes of cars and bikes since I was 14. I was very surprised to learn stuff and actually improve my driving skills.

I say take it. BMW NA, our dealer branch, puts it on and they do pretty good stuff. The facility over their is pretty cool.
Not to mention you're going to be in one of the best balanced all-around driving cars in the world. Maybe THE best. At least Road and Track said so a few years ago about the M cars, price not withstanding. And they're much better now than they were then.

b

k9crazy · 07-24-09, 01:20 PM

I drive a BMW everyday and I would love to be able to do the Experience. I need to get up there sometime. Of course, I don't have an M...can't afford 'em.

jleeFJ62 · 08-15-09, 11:47 AM

Bill, I envy your job. I did the half day at the driving experience and it was amazing. One of the coolest things i've ever done. The instuctors and cars were great. I was very impressed on how well all the bmw's handled and their pick up. It was a great experience.

BillWright · 08-15-09, 08:04 PM

Glad you took the time to avail yourself of the opportunity. I was pretty sure you'd enjoy it. Bimmers are kinda surprising-looks like a Camry, drives like a Porsche.

We're just finishing the launch of the Motorsport X5 and X6. Pretty dramatic in the Roll Booth, I'd love to get one of them in the twisties up in the Smokies. 555 bhp at 5850, 501 lbft torque from 1500-5750 rpm or something like that. Plus our incredible 4wd with gen3 dynamic stability control and HUGE tires.
Guys that have had them at Talledega with the speed control disabled say they are absolutely awesome up past 180mph.

I'm trying to get hold of a Mini S cabrio. Slalom time better than Porche 911.

b

73fj40lc · 08-22-09, 09:49 PM

Bill, Just out of curosity what is the top end speed of a 525I. I have had mine to 135 mph and backed off but the speedometer goes to 165. Is there a speed limiter build into the American models? We haul the new BMW's out of Greenville on CSX. I always have to peek inside the car carrier when we get one in our train. I will my wife in BMWs from now on. My 2006 is still one of the best driving and safest cars that I have ever driven. I alomst got a a Benz until I was convinced by my brother in law not to make the same mistake that he did. Great quality product!!!!!!! I only have one complaint, there isn't a damn oil dipstick. Looked for 30 mins until I finally read the owners manual. It is all monitored by the onboard comp. I still like to do the manual check out of habit. Greg

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillWright

Glad you took the time to avail yourself of the opportunity. I was pretty sure you'd enjoy it. Bimmers are kinda surprising-looks like a Camry, drives like a Porsche.

We're just finishing the launch of the Motorsport X5 and X6. Pretty dramatic in the Roll Booth, I'd love to get one of them in the twisties up in the Smokies. 555 bhp at 5850, 501 lbft torque from 1500-5750 rpm or something like that. Plus our incredible 4wd with gen3 dynamic stability control and HUGE tires.
Guys that have had them at Talledega with the speed control disabled say they are absolutely awesome up past 180mph.

I'm trying to get hold of a Mini S cabrio. Slalom time better than Porche 911.

b

BillWright · 08-23-09, 08:44 PM

Greg I don't know for sure what the speed limiter is set for on the 525i. I want to say it's 165 for all models, I'm pretty sure it's that for the hotter ones but I really don't know. I expect it's in the owner's manual, if not I'm sure one of the salesmen at the dealership could tell you. I don't recommend you find out for yourself. If it's not fast enough you can get a chip for them without the limiter but I doubt the 2.5 would go much more than you quit at. You can easily calculate the anticipated speed from the tach and the rev limiter but it would probably take a long to time to get there in the 525. Now the late 90s 540, that might do it.
I've had or leased five of them. I had an 86 535i that I loved and really got my money out of. Bought it for about $5000 in 96 when I couldn't ride a bike after a wreck. It was an 86 with 125k on it and I put another 125k on before I passed it on to my son. The only thing I ever did was replace some worn out suspension parts and had the brain rebuilt. I also put one size wider tires on the rear so I could power steer it a little better. I leased one of the last Z3s we built, a 3.0 loaded. I really wrung that one out before they took it back because the dealers were screaming for them, we hadn't put the Z4 on the street yet and weren't making any more Z3s. I think I put 15000 miles on it in about 4 months. And I had three bikes; the K100RS I center punched a car with at about 70, the R1200LT I leased when I was too stove up after the wreck to trust myself on one not to drop it when I stopped, and the K1 I have now which I stripped of the body, made a rat bike out of. I had the K1 over 140 once, after I took the body off it got squirrelly over 125. But once I missed a shift and stood it up at about 100. It ran a lot stronger than the 100hp it was set up at. They had a deal for a long time with the German insurance people to limit them to 100hp but that was a strong 100hp.
I've never been disappointed by any of them.
b

Brock · 08-31-09, 02:32 PM

here is a blast....my car for first year when I was living outside of Amsterdam was a 1972 BMW 2002 tii.....very limited vehicle...fuel injected...quick car. Was going to bring it back but main bearing went out in it and could not afford to get it fixed plus do the basic DOT stuff for the gray market. Miss that car..... I had already replaced most of the rusted pieces and started cutting some metal out to get rid of rest. If I fully understood what I had in my possession back then I would have brought it back broken and fixed it once I could afford it. :(

she was silver with two wide black rally stripes and the ground effects kit all around similar to this one i found on web

BMThiker · 09-03-09, 06:27 AM

I guess that site doesn't allow hotlinking or my browser is acting up again... All I see is a big ad that says Bring a Trailer.com...
Image attached.

That's pretty trick, Brock. I knew a few guys who had 2002 models, but nothing like that one. One guy had his shipped from UK and it was a racer. Only 1 bucket seat and a roll cage inside and it would scream.