[buckybadger]

I was wondering if anyone here has tried the 1-day or 2-day performance driving school event from BMW:
http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...t.aspx#drivers

If yes, do you recommend the 1-day or 2-day? I am just wondering if it is worth attending it the second day as well. The cost for attending is $700 and $1,200 for 1-day and 2-day respectively.... Any experiences, please share!

Thanks!

[yarviinn]

Waste of money. I would rather spend it on exotic driving.

[iherebyresign]

Oh man, for that price you can do laps in a Ferrari, Lambo, Aston Martin, etc

[tr_ms3]

Go do the Bondurant 1-day school.

[dmatre]

Whether it is worth it or not depends on your ability to afford it, and what you want to get out of it.

I attended the 2-day school, and I felt it was definitely worth it.

You do split time with a co-driver (2 people per car), but you still get plenty of seat time. 135's are used for some sessions, and 335's are used for others. (Typically the 1's are used for slalom/lane-change/rat race, and the 3's are used for the higher-speed & more flowing sessions)

The instruction was great, with several instructors, using their cars & tires.

You do get to push the cars as hard as you can. I don't recall ever hearing on the radio for someone to slow down. Several folks went off during the course of the event, but because of the way they the course laid out, nobody came even close to hitting anything (other than traffic cones).

Driving laps in an exotic may be for some, but a couple of laps isn't enough to get close enough to the edge (safely) to be interesting for others. The extended time in the same car, practicing the same techniques, affords the opportunity to work right up to (and sometimes over) the edge; all the time with instructors in your ear giving tips and pushing you faster.

I speaking with the others from my class, we all felt that the 2-day was worth the cost of admission. Nobody felt like they paid more than they received.

If you're torn between the 1 and 2-day schools, I would recommend the 2-day. You will find that the things you struggled to master in the first day, come much easier in the second.

On day 1 students were having difficulty just saving a spin on the wet skid pad. By day 2 many were drifting most (if not all) the way around it.

Check the Performance Center Delivery sub-forum here, there are a couple of reviews of the school there as well.

[buckybadger]

Originally Posted by dmatre

Whether it is worth it or not depends on your ability to afford it, and what you want to get out of it.

I attended the 2-day school, and I felt it was definitely worth it.

You do split time with a co-driver (2 people per car), but you still get plenty of seat time. 135's are used for some sessions, and 335's are used for others. (Typically the 1's are used for slalom/lane-change/rat race, and the 3's are used for the higher-speed & more flowing sessions)

The instruction was great, with several instructors, using their cars & tires.

You do get to push the cars as hard as you can. I don't recall ever hearing on the radio for someone to slow down. Several folks went off during the course of the event, but because of the way they the course laid out, nobody came even close to hitting anything (other than traffic cones).

Driving laps in an exotic may be for some, but a couple of laps isn't enough to get close enough to the edge (safely) to be interesting for others. The extended time in the same car, practicing the same techniques, affords the opportunity to work right up to (and sometimes over) the edge; all the time with instructors in your ear giving tips and pushing you faster.

I speaking with the others from my class, we all felt that the 2-day was worth the cost of admission. Nobody felt like they paid more than they received.

If you're torn between the 1 and 2-day schools, I would recommend the 2-day. You will find that the things you struggled to master in the first day, come much easier in the second.

On day 1 students were having difficulty just saving a spin on the wet skid pad. By day 2 many were drifting most (if not all) the way around it.

Check the Performance Center Delivery sub-forum here, there are a couple of reviews of the school there as well.

Thanks for the amazing response.. and I will probably go for the 2-day school then! Everything is pretty booked here and I do plan to attend it in the next few coming months.

[Braumin]

I'd love to do that 2 day. Yes you can do Exotics but you are going to get WAY less track time. I did 8 laps in a 458 last summer in Vegas and it was like $600. Yes it was fun, but 8 laps is only 8 laps.

[dmatre]

Sorry, there is no PDC subforum here.

Try this one: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/for...prune=30&f=136

other review: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=636554

[Agentphish]

Originally Posted by dmatre

Whether it is worth it or not depends on your ability to afford it, and what you want to get out of it.

I attended the 2-day school, and I felt it was definitely worth it.

You do split time with a co-driver (2 people per car), but you still get plenty of seat time. 135's are used for some sessions, and 335's are used for others. (Typically the 1's are used for slalom/lane-change/rat race, and the 3's are used for the higher-speed & more flowing sessions)

The instruction was great, with several instructors, using their cars & tires.

You do get to push the cars as hard as you can. I don't recall ever hearing on the radio for someone to slow down. Several folks went off during the course of the event, but because of the way they the course laid out, nobody came even close to hitting anything (other than traffic cones).

Driving laps in an exotic may be for some, but a couple of laps isn't enough to get close enough to the edge (safely) to be interesting for others. The extended time in the same car, practicing the same techniques, affords the opportunity to work right up to (and sometimes over) the edge; all the time with instructors in your ear giving tips and pushing you faster.

I speaking with the others from my class, we all felt that the 2-day was worth the cost of admission. Nobody felt like they paid more than they received.

If you're torn between the 1 and 2-day schools, I would recommend the 2-day. You will find that the things you struggled to master in the first day, come much easier in the second.

On day 1 students were having difficulty just saving a spin on the wet skid pad. By day 2 many were drifting most (if not all) the way around it.

Check the Performance Center Delivery sub-forum here, there are a couple of reviews of the school there as well.

+1

Loved the two day

[ChipB]

I would suggest that a better deal is to do a weekend track event in yuor own car with your local BMW CCA chapter. It's less expensive, you do similar class work, and you get personal attention from an instructor who rides in the car with you coaching through every turn.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Take the 2 day school & you will be able to do a lot more with the 8 laps in a Lambo

[BBuff]

I've done the 2-day car control class twice. It's awesome. Doing the 2-day M school next year.

[jon_335]

Originally Posted by ChipB

I would suggest that a better deal is to do a weekend track event in yuor own car with your local BMW CCA chapter. It's less expensive, you do similar class work, and you get personal attention from an instructor who rides in the car with you coaching through every turn.

This.

Spend $300-$500 for a 2-day weekend at a track near you in your car. You'll learn a ton about your car, greatly improve your driving skills, and have a great time. I think the BMW school would be awesome and I would love to do it if I had the money. But I think you'll get more bang for your buck by doing a HPDE weekend, whether it's with BMW CCA, NASA, or some other group.

[marosmith]

Originally Posted by ChipB

I would suggest that a better deal is to do a weekend track event in yuor own car with your local BMW CCA chapter. It's less expensive, you do similar class work, and you get personal attention from an instructor who rides in the car with you coaching through every turn.

Ya that sounds like a better option.