Exercise 1: Autocross with M2 Comp
Of note, all of the cars are DCT/auto. They give you a little bit of time to adjust the seat, mirrors, etc. However, don’t count on it being more than 5 min as they want you to maximize time out on the track. They wanted us in the “M1” setting which was preset for the exercise, (IIRC it was sport + for throttle and suspension and sport for steering). If you’re not used to driving a new BMW like me, it can be pretty hectic as I had to find the lever for steering adjustment, look at the DCT layout to put it into drive, etc. Not only that, the DCT in sport + throttle is SO touchy and jerky when driving off the line. It was probably comical watching me initially drive off, lol.
A couple lead-follows, and you’re off. At first, I was a bit too conservative, and heard a few “need a little more speed from you” over the radio. After a few minutes with the car though, you get a sense of what it’s capable of and realize you can carry a lot more speed into the corners, slalom, and straights. I never slammed a brake pedal that hard in my life, or took a corner that fast, it is EXHILARATING. While most people talk about how easy it is to break traction in these cars, I felt that the cornering capability of the M2 was super high before you even approached that point. I left the gearbox in auto and the DCT was sublime. It was 25-30 minutes of sheer concentration.
Exercise 2: Skidpad with M4 Comp
We were given a quick break for bathroom/water. I walked out to this pleasant surprise, a SPY M4 Comp w/ YMB carbon buckets, CCBs. Needless to say, this was the flashiest car on the lot; bit too showy for me, but I enjoyed trying out the carbon buckets nonetheless (more on this later). We had DSC off. We were driven by one of the instructors in a M3 comp who demonstrated the effects of understeer and oversteer, and then had a hell of a time drifting the entire pad.
The understeer portion wasn’t difficult to induce - but the catch was to get off the throttle quickly to allow the tires to regain traction. The oversteer wasn’t difficult to induce either, but correcting it was challenging. It took a few tries before I recognized how much throttle to blip and for how long before it resulted in a correctable oversteer. What caught me off guard was that there is a miniscule period of time between when you blip the throttle and when the car reacts as such - you need to hold onto the throttle for longer than expected (it’s not a stab, it's a stab-and-hold, then off). Overall, this was probably my least favorite exercise. It seems like it would be great fun (and it is) but the constant splashing of water in the windshield as you're trying to view the inside line causes disorientation, especially when you’re sideways (I guess it’s supposed to mimic a real-life scenario?) Additionally, there is just a lot of downtime waiting for your turn.
Exercise 3: Corner Entry with M5 Comp
The corner entry really honed in on straight line braking and vision. This exercise really taught me the importance of keeping your eyes where you want to go. It is odd at first not to look directly at the corner entry cone and instead have your eyes and head looking out the side window at the next apex as you take the corner. But, you quickly realize how important it is to “drive further ahead with your eyes” before your car gets there. What’s even more surprising is how much anticipation and time this affords you, and how your body subconsciously judges how much brake, throttle, and steering you need to make it through the corner as fast as possible - all because of proper vision. Truly game-changing.
Lunch Break + Short Classroom Session:
A clean, simple lunch. Buffet style, but all the food was delicious and high quality. It was interesting listening to everyone’s perspectives. Some liked the M5, some swore by the M2, some thought the skidpad exercise was the best. Just goes to show that there is something for everyone. Once again, we had a brief class session going over what we learned and what the next exercises would be. There is definitely a progression of building up your skills.
Exercise 4: Rat Race with M4 Comp
We went up to “area 6” which looked like a parking lot with a few lines and cones. There were sprinklers and the track was wet. The goal of the exercise was to drive around the oval shaped track in the fastest manner possible. DSC was off, and while the point was to prevent oversteer and manage turn in and throttle correctly, I quickly learned that I LOVE oversteer in the M4. Needless to say, I just tried to drift the whole entire time. The M4 felt so easy and intuitive to control even with DSC off. The sound of the car (while it may be piped in) was awesome and I grew fond of the car. I couldn’t believe how well engineered it was to make a novice driver like me feel at ease with it.
Exercise 5: Timed Autocross with M2 Comp
This was the same exact layout as before, but now we were given timed laps. Before we left the classroom, we were told by one of the instructors that the record from a participant was 21 seconds flat, while the record for the instructors was 19 seconds. Two guys in our group (who happened to be brothers) went out and smashed this record with 20.8 and 20.9 seconds (go red team!) I managed to squeeze out a 22.884 sec, which was respectable amongst the entire cohort, but against my team members, it was last place (the red team was on fire).
Exercise 6: Long Autocross with M5 Comp
This was the best exercise of the day. We hit triple digit speeds on the straight before 10/10 braking for a sharp left onto the skidpad. The course was set up in such a way that you incorporated the corner entry, skidpad understeer/oversteer management, and hard straight-line braking. What shocked all of us was how amazing the CCBs are; absolutely zero brake fade despite slamming to a halt in a car weighing > 2 tons doing > 100 mph over and over again for all participants. Additionally, the M5 is very comfortable to be in - I never knew this would be an advantage, but I felt that the more comfortable I was, the longer periods of track work I could do without losing concentration or getting fatigued. Of the cars I drove on day 1, I was the most impressed with the M5 - it really is the jack-of-all-trades.
Final Exercise: Timed Lap with M5 Comp
Everyone got to take the M5 out again for a timed lap around the long autocross circuit. Given that my last exercise was essentially the same thing, I felt that I could finally put together my best run. I managed a 44.59 seconds (range 49.64 to 42.52). Once again, the two bros in my group managed a blistering 42.52 and 42.54… wow. Even the instructors were thoroughly impressed.
Bonus Exercise: Shopping
In addition to the $100 they gave us, your badge also gives you 15% off. I ended up picking up a few items w/ the performance center branding - all this came to ~$100. I’m sure we subsidized this w/ our school fee, but a nice gesture nonetheless.
Dinner was much like lunch - high quality, buffet style, open bar, brief. I was told by the instructors that I would be fatigued after the first day. They were right. Make sure to get some sleep as the next day is even more intense.