BMW Delivery/Performance Driving Experience Spartanburg (G8x M3/4, M8, M2)

[Space Fox]

I had the opportunity to join a good buddy that was taking delivery of a new X4 at the Spartanburg, SC BMW facility. While there we were treated to a red carpet delivery experience and I tacked on a PDE as well - thought I would share.
BMW knows what they're doing - providing hotel accommodations, transport, track time, a factory tour, and meals free of charge for my friend taking delivery as well as myself as his guest. Highlights of day 1 were the factory tour, X3 m40i on track, and the X5 x-drive off road.
The factory is remarkable - 7 million square feet total, employing over 11,000 and pumping out 363,000 cars per year. Was surprised/pleased to see the general lack of automation and robotics along the assembly line. Outside of welding, paint, and windshield installation almost the entire assembly line was human powered. Incredible operation and really makes you appreciate the brand and the attention to detail/quality control that goes in to the manufacturing of these vehicles. No pictures/phones allowed inside the factory unfortunately.

Next we were able to get some seat/track time in a vehicle similar to that of which you are taking delivery. They had no X4s available so we 'settled' for an X3 m40i. We started out with an emergency braking drill where activation of the ABS was the goal. It's interesting to see how commonly people struggle to really engage the brakes that do not have track experience. It was easy to tell who was successfully engaging ABS and who wasn't as one of the safety features in the newer BMWs is the automatic rolling up of the windows upon ABS activation. The idea is that if you're braking hard enough to activate ABS then you are likely preparing for a collision. The windows automatically roll up to keep you/your limbs inside the vehicle in the event of a roll but do not close all of the way to allow a 2" gap for the airbag gases to escape. Therefore - no ABS, windows stay down. I was yelling at my buddy to stomp on the brakes after he failed to get the windows to come up the first three attempts




Next was some track time in the X3 m40i. I have not driven a modern day SUV so safe to say I was floored by its capabilities. I was throwing everything I had at it - including through a slalom section and the car just ate it all up. Quick acceleration, great composure, powerful braking, and nimble through the slalom section. Was so impressed. Exhaust note was surprisingly angry as well. I could see where an X3M could give my e92 a run for its money.



Next up was the X5 x-drive off road course. Was floored by the X5's off-road capabilities and this course was no joke. Fender-deep river crossing, slippery rock covered steep inclines/declines, suspension-maxing undulations. We had the car teetering on two wheels multiple times. Never slipped once. The x-drive is incredible at sensing slippage and diverting power to wheels w grip. The downhill assist is an amazing feature as well - set a max mph, head downhill, and take your foot off the brake/gas and the car will crawl down the hill under its own power never beyond the mph you set. One of the more terrifying segments of the course saw the front left wheel dive down over the crest of a rocky climb while the back right kicked up in the air 4 feet. Absolutely the closest I've ever come to rolling a vehicle and it was quite an interesting feeling. As the instructor said - 98% of X5 owners will never have any idea what it's capable of. I have some videos that I will attempt to upload.



Finally, we returned to the Performance Driving Center to be greeted by our instructor in a green G80 M3 - he said 'get in' and we set out on a traction-control free hot lap of the track (including the drift pad). Now most instructors have anywhere from 10-20 years of racing experience so they know how to drive. Floored by what a 4 door sedan filled with people can do on track in the right hands. Sliding every corner and holding a drift the entire circumference of the drift pad, everyone left w a smile on their face.

We concluded day 1 w taking delivery of my friend's new X4 and spending about an hour going through its technological capabilities - automatic parallel parking, 360 camera, lane departure assist, back up assist (the car memorizes your last 50 yds of forward movement and can then back itself up tracing the exact steering inputs along the way) Pretty incredible stuff and again white glove/red carpet service all along the way. Our assistant said 1 in 4 come back and buy a vehicle from them so it appears to be working!





Day 2 was where things got really exciting for me. I signed up for the Performance Driving Experience the next morning as I figured I might as well make the most of it while I was already there. I knew it involved 2 hours of performance drills/track time but could not for the life of me get an answer on what cars we would be driving. I assumed it would be your standard 340i, a 2 series, that type of thing. To my utter joy we walked out to a line up of an M8 Competition, M4 Competition, M2 Competition, and a Z4 convertible (?lol). I could not wait as these are the three modern M cars I have been waiting to experience.




We partnered up and went off. No instructor in-car through any of this. All instruction was given through a walky-talky in the cup holder. My partner was an older gentleman from Australia, living in Atlanta. He was taking delivery of a new X3M and in talking we found out we both had the exact same e92 M3 - 2012 Space Grey w Fox Red interior. The difference was that his was a 6-speed that he had bought new (!), had never modded or tracked. He was in for a treat.
We started off in the M8 which turned out to be a blessing and a curse. We did a few lead-follow laps behind the instructor before taking off one-by-one. Before it was our turn I turned to my partner and told him we're f&%*ing sending it today (not my car, brakes, tires). Got the green light and mashed the throttle. I think both of us were equally surprised by the brutal acceleration of the M8, only to be exceeded by its braking capabilities. The thing is an absolute monster. You can feel its weight but the car still handles spectacularly well. On a few of the off camber turns you could feel it nosediving and understeering but everything was manageable. I got it to oversteer a couple of times but the MDM jumps in immediately, not letting you do anything stupid. By the end of our hot laps we were both laughing and hooting. Kept saying 'what a freaking car'.

I say it was a blessing and curse because everything from that point on would be downhill. We followed up the M8 w the new G8x M4 - another car I was quite excited to experience for myself. Immediately off the line you could feel turbo lag when compared to the M8 - the M8s throttle response was immediate and endless. The M4 took a second to get going before the boost kicked in and you were off. The M4 was more balanced, turn in was exceptional and braking, again, spectacular. The understeer was less prominent and it felt like you could do no wrong in the car. Incredibly composed even when pushed past the limit. We both had a blast here as well as my passenger was beginning to trust my driving abilities. I gained a great new respect for the new M3/M4. Despite our hatred for the new grill the cars are insanely capable and continue to push the limits of what an M car is capable of.



Finally, the M2. I have been wanting to get one of these on the track since it came out. I have heard great things about it being the closest thing to the experience of the e92 M3 in a modern day M car, etc. etc. Unfortunately I think I set my expectations too high and was rather disappointed. Compared to the other two previous M cars it felt like a base model. The interior is such a step down as with all F-series M cars I've been in. Bland, cheap looking/feeling, and plastic-y - could immediately tell the seats were not holding you nearly as well as with the M4/8. The G-series cars really shine w high quality, pronounced finishes, gorgeous seats that hold you in place, high tech steering wheels and kick ass digital dash, shiny carbon throughout. We took off and the acceleration and noise the car emits are uninspiring (again, maybe unfair to compare to the twin-turbo V8 of the M8). The car is plenty capable around the track - balanced, composed, excellent braking (a theme here) but I did notice under heavy braking the back axle tended to unsettle a bit more than the other cars. Understeer was non-existent and the turn in was immediate - lightness and wheelbase help but the steering is numb and disconnected, much like my f80 experience. All that said and both my passenger and I were smiling and laughing a lot less than in our other two goes - maybe the adrenaline was wearing off or the other two are just that superior but the M2 was certainly the least-memorable of the M cars driven.




Last was the Z4 - not much worth mentioning - felt slower, mushier, softer than the rest as to be expected. Still had fun slinging it around.
We ended the day w another instructor-driven M3 hot lap for good measure.

All-in-all I was ecstatic about the entire experience/weekend and would recommend it to anyone buying a new BMW or an M enthusiast looking to push some new models.

For good measure I had some time to kill before my flight so I went next door to the BMW CCA facility (BMW's museum was closed ) They have their Z-car 25th anniversary exhibit going on at the moment. I'm not a huge Z guy but it was cool nonetheless.







One thing I noticed immediately after boarding the plane was despite all the fun we had I couldn't wait to get back and drive my M3. After the entire experience my appreciation of the e9x generation M3 only grew. I have no desire to purchase any of the cars driven (well maybe the M8) and have really solidified my love of this car!

[Longboarder]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you have some good experience and that helped make for a great review. Glad you got the full line up M2, M3 and M8. So you drove the best BMW has to currently offer.

Love how you ended it with the comment about the e92. I couldn't agree more. Sure the new cars are faster but not a better experience. Makes trying the new cars a little disappointing. We are lucky to have the best road car ever made by BMW.

[Adriano917]

Been there twice when I used to work for BMW, very cool place. We had a drive on an F10 M5 around the track with a professional driver and it was amazing.

[Drv4fun]

Had the same feeling leaving turbo ///M school in my E92.

[Cyberdemon]

I did the M performance school in 2013 when the E92 was still part of their roster (Along with the F10 M5/M6)

I left saying "Wow...I really need to own one of these E9x's" - took me 8 years, but still happy I made that decision even if it's a little squeakier around the edges now.

[94jedi]

I just did the One Day M School last weekend and hadn't had a chance to post about it...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

[Space Fox]

Originally Posted by Cyberdemon

I did the M performance school in 2013 when the E92 was still part of their roster (Along with the F10 M5/M6)

I left saying "Wow...I really need to own one of these E9x's" - took me 8 years, but still happy I made that decision even if it's a little squeakier around the edges now.

Jealous! I was thinking while I was there how cool it must have been to be there doing a hot lap in a brand new e92 M3 when they came out.

[Space Fox]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

I just did the One Day M School last weekend and hadn't had a chance to post about it...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Jealous again! I saw some guys getting pulled in to the one day M School while I was there and asked if anyone didn't show up or cancelled. Was fully booked when I signed up. May have to come back for this.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by Space Fox

Jealous again! I saw some guys getting pulled in to the one day M School while I was there and asked if anyone didn't show up or cancelled. Was fully booked when I signed up. May have to come back for this.

I want to go back for the 2 day school or advanced school. No joke, let me know when you go and I'll try to book at the same time.

Actually would awesome to get a group from here to go; M3post takeover lol

[Space Fox]

Originally Posted by 94jedi

I want to go back for the 2 day school or advanced school. No joke, let me know when you go and I'll try to book at the same time.

Actually would awesome to get a group from here to go; M3post takeover lol

I would be in for this. I will let you know. Would be very cool to get a group of us out there.

[MTM]

Am headed to the 2-day M school in SC next weekend! Very excited! And really loving OP's comment about getting home to his E92....!

[Space Fox]

Originally Posted by MTM

Am headed to the 2-day M school in SC next weekend! Very excited! And really loving OP's comment about getting home to his E92....!

Let us know how it is!

[MTM]

Originally Posted by Space Fox

Let us know how it is!

In a word...amazing.

Spent 2 days last weekend in SC driving competition versions of the M2, M4 and M5. Instructors were very capable and the cars blew my mind. Some itinerary items were a little bit of "filler" while they alternated track time, but I found my brain needed the break.

The 2 day M School was, to me, a Very technical driving course. Lots of good practice on different types of corners. The best part was day 2 when they stitched the whole track together including a few blind corners with big elevation change (cresting a hill on a blind apex at ~60mph and then jamming down the throttle as soon as you find your downhill mark was terrifying and thrilling!!!).

If you can afford it (don't forget the CCA discount!!) and you want some great training in this sort of driving I would highly recommend it.

I am considering a return trip sometime before I take the Advanced M school (eventually working up to Nuremberg!)

Oh..and if you love or want to love deep southern food this place is golden. We stayed in a little town called Greer that was charming.

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by MTM

In a word...amazing.

Spent 2 days last weekend in SC driving competition versions of the M2, M4 and M5. Instructors were very capable and the cars blew my mind. Some itinerary items were a little bit of "filler" while they alternated track time, but I found my brain needed the break.

The 2 day M School was, to me, a Very technical driving course. Lots of good practice on different types of corners. The best part was day 2 when they stitched the whole track together including a few blind corners with big elevation change (cresting a hill on a blind apex at ~60mph and then jamming down the throttle as soon as you find your downhill mark was terrifying and thrilling!!!).

If you can afford it (don't forget the CCA discount!!) and you want some great training in this sort of driving I would highly recommend it.

I am considering a return trip sometime before I take the Advanced M school (eventually working up to Nuremberg!)

Oh..and if you love or want to love deep southern food this place is golden. We stayed in a little town called Greer that was charming.

Who was your head instructor? Tall thin guy named "Adam" (Seaman)? There was a young instructor too, early 20's aged kid...man I thought I was a good driver until I attended the class. Incredible. Adam literally made me sick on the hot laps...I sat in the back seat lol

[ATLIEN]

I live here in Greer and go twice a year. The BMWCCA gives huge discounts for one days and my job invites clients for the experience. After my first experience I ended up buying my current m3 so the process works. Total red carpet/white glove experience.

[Space Fox]

Originally Posted by ATLIEN

I live here in Greer and go twice a year. The BMWCCA gives huge discounts for one days and my job invites clients for the experience. After my first experience I ended up buying my current m3 so the process works. Total red carpet/white glove experience.

I enjoyed Greer's main street as well! Ended up stumbling upon it killing some time before my flight. Great little town.

Feedback on the 2 day is as expected! Great to hear.

I just tried registering for an M Experience they're putting on at Palm Beach International Raceway down here in Florida. Sounds similar to the performance driving experience in Spartanburg but a bit more track focused. Showcasing M340i, M2, M4, M5, M8, X3M, and X5M with an hour and a half of track time. Best of all it was FREE to register Unfortunately I'm currently waitlisted but hoping for the best....

[ATLIEN]

Originally Posted by Space Fox

I enjoyed Greer's main street as well! Ended up stumbling upon it killing some time before my flight. Great little town.

Feedback on the 2 day is as expected! Great to hear.

I just tried registering for an M Experience they're putting on at Palm Beach International Raceway down here in Florida. Sounds similar to the performance driving experience in Spartanburg but a bit more track focused. Showcasing M340i, M2, M4, M5, M8, X3M, and X5M with an hour and a half of track time. Best of all it was FREE to register Unfortunately I'm currently waitlisted but hoping for the best....

Downtown Greer is a nice little town. Check out downtown Greenville next go around. Glad you had fun!!