Ring Training! 3-Day BMW M School on Nurburgring for NA Customers

[OC3]

Damn, this is when I'd want to give up being self-employed and take advantage of paid vacation time w/ an employer.

[cmk227]

Originally Posted by marcel b

I have booked this training for the same dates! would be great if more of you guys can make it. You will not regret it!!!

Sounds great. Anyone thing of sharing a room? Really want to do this.

Carlos

[mcp202]

Looks like a great experience! Does BMW do this every year?

[persian54]

if it had airfare... I'd go 100000%

[aus]

Originally Posted by marcel b

to give you guys an idea, this video is made during the same training:

Sweet vid, but why do they send them out all bunch up like that?
And looks like there's no helmet in the rear view mirror?

.

[Yogijet]

Originally Posted by aus

How much is //M school here?
This seems very reasonable, especially if it includes hotel.
Just kind of short notice to get a trip together.

I was just thinking how great this opportunity is but it's too short notice, especially for those of us who need a Schengen. They should do this again in September around the time of the Frankfurt Auto Show because there'll be so many more people over for that who would be willing to fit this kind of experience in.

[ssabripo]

I just pitched it to the wife, and it was a no go!

changing the airfare tickets (delta, already paid), cancelling a hotel in Fussen, and tacking another $4k for the this, would set this Euro Delivery trip out of scope financially.

but dammit, I'm gonna be there in germany from the 10-18th May.

[aus]

Wondering how it works with 2 student's per car? One drives and does the other sit and wait or is there class time? How many laps a session?

[MDyDinanM]

wish i had the time and the $

[///M Rakete]

Session doesn't show up on the bmw-drivingexperience web site so it's either full or something. I'll try calling tomorrow and am sending them an email now.

[Bubbles]

I spoke to one of the driving instructors at the 12 hour. It's an experience of a lifetime. I really enjoyed my Ring experience. I went in May and did just under ten laps after breaking in my M3. I will never forget the experience. Going to Advance M School at VIR in June. Can't freaking wait.

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by aus

Wondering how it works with 2 student's per car? One drives and does the other sit and wait or is there class time? How many laps a session?

you share a car indeed. You can sit in the passenger seat, or watch from the outside.
Most of the time you will spent driving parts of the track (sections). The groups consist max. out of 4 cars. This enables a lot of driving time. Also from sitting next to somebody or looking from the outside you learn. Driving 9 hours a day would be a bit too much

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by cmk227

Sounds great. Anyone thing of sharing a room? Really want to do this.

Carlos

no sharing of rooms, everybody has a own room!
And indeed, hotel and food is included.

[///M Rakete]

Just got off the phone with the BMW-Driving Experience folks.

First off, really nice guy, he checked and checked. Session is already full.

Now I am going to rant...

BMW NA has this habit of announcing stuff with little notice and not enough time to get in on something. When this opportunity was posted the office in Germany had already closed. I just called them, they just opened. I checked a number of hours earlier and it wasn't on the web site to sign up. So either it was on the web site earlier and it filled up fast, quite possible, or it was never really facilitated in any reasonable fashion that we could make it.

Better to make these events visible on the BMW NA Performance Driving Center site or not bother at all.

Rant off.

I suppose I'll just keep an eye out for the next one. They do have other options, just not on the Nordschliefe and not always in English. Yes, I suppose I could do ED in a 2012 M5.

I'm just whiney because I have the ability to fly there, take the time, etc. Back to bed.

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by ///M Rakete

Just got off the phone with the BMW-Driving Experience folks.

First off, really nice guy, he checked and checked. Session is already full.

Now I am going to rant...

BMW NA has this habit of announcing stuff with little notice and not enough time to get in on something. When this opportunity was posted the office in Germany had already closed. I just called them, they just opened. I checked a number of hours earlier and it wasn't on the web site to sign up. So either it was on the web site earlier and it filled up fast, quite possible, or it was never really facilitated in any reasonable fashion that we could make it.

Better to make these events visible on the BMW NA Performance Driving Center site or not bother at all.

Rant off.

I suppose I'll just keep an eye out for the next one. They do have other options, just not on the Nordschliefe and not always in English. Yes, I suppose I could do ED in a 2012 M5.

I'm just whiney because I have the ability to fly there, take the time, etc. Back to bed.

The problem with the events on the Ring is that they are sold out within days after they are announced, and they where announced already weeks ago. My Dealership has bought a lot of places for the event on 10-12 May, and some of them are still open what I know (not not on the site, but through my Swiss dealership) They are offering their customers to join.

[///M Rakete]

The plot thickens...

Apparently the European Delivery department offered these openings to ED customers with scheduled deliveries back in mid-March. If only...

Anyway, no wonder the slots are gone. What I don't understand is why another announcement unless they were trying to fill 1 or 2 last slots.

[bavarian19]

Seems like a great deal.

[BMW NA Communications]

Originally Posted by ///M Rakete

The plot thickens...

Apparently the European Delivery department offered these openings to ED customers with scheduled deliveries back in mid-March. If only...

Anyway, no wonder the slots are gone. What I don't understand is why another announcement unless they were trying to fill 1 or 2 last slots.

M Rakete, I'm sorry for the confusion. I've sent an email to my colleagues to determine if the seats are in fact filled. My understanding was that none of the Euro Deliv customers were able to make the training and we still had at least 13 seats to fill, so if they have all filled in 24 hours, I'm shocked. Either way, I'll let you know. Thanks for the suggestion about posting these opportunities on the Performance Center site.

[///M Rakete]

Originally Posted by BMWNA_MGuy

M Rakete, I'm sorry for the confusion. I've sent an email to my colleagues to determine if the seats are in fact filled. My understanding was that none of the Euro Deliv customers were able to make the training and we still had at least 13 seats to fill, so if they have all filled in 24 hours, I'm shocked. Either way, I'll let you know. Thanks for the suggestion about posting these opportunities on the Performance Center site.

No apology necessary.

I can and am still willing to do this if a spot is available. I have a flight itinerary already on hold...

LAX-FRA DEP: 0900 09 MAY - ARR: 0745 10 MAY
FRA-LAX DEP: 1040 13 MAY - ARR: 1755 13 MAY

What would be nice is to know when and where to present myself on Tuesday so I know if I should move my outbound flight up a day. It's a 2-hour drive from FRA to Nurburg so a 7:45 am arrival is probably fine as is. I figure I'll stay at the Sheraton in the FRA airport the night of the 12th on my way out. So you see I'm ready to go.

I know the above sounds crazy but I don't have time to make this a longer trip. The weekend before I will be on California Hwy 1, the week after I have a retreat with the CIO team, and the week after that I'm already going to the 2-Day M School for a second time. Bit of a nut case I suppose but this is my 50th. My wife calls it the 50-Palooza. This opportunity to include the Ring just sort of fits in like it was meant to be and with the CCA Ring School being cancelled it might be the only opportunity.

Any information you find out will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[marcel b]

when, where and at what time do you need to pick up your car?

[///M Rakete]

Originally Posted by marcel b

when, where and at what time do you need to pick up your car?

Since the cars are provided as part of the school I'm not sure I follow. I'm not doing a European Delivery, I would be going just for this Ring opportunity. I thought about taking the train out of FRA but I suspect that would only work as far as Cochem so I'll rent some wheels to get me there (but not to drive on the track).

[///M Rakete]

Okay, here's the latest...

It would seem there are slots still available!

I received an email from a person with the BMW Group Driving Experience Eventmanagement team. He forwarded me the same M Fascination brochure and registration form that is posted here. He also sent me the Lindner Congress & Motorsport Hotel brochure (which is only in German), I guess this is where the guests are put up the two nights.

He also gave me a link, pretty much the same information...

http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/d...dschleife.html

Unfortunately online booking does not work.

He made it clear that the registration form needs to be submitted for booking so I filled it out and faxed it to them. I know their fax machine got what I sent but that's it. Their office is now closed due to the time difference. I'd give you his name and email address but it won't help, he's out of the office until next Thursday (got an autoresponse).

I'm hoping to get some sort of confirmation quickly as I'd rather not ticket my flights in case it's all a bust and I have to redeposit the miles.