$99 for BMW's Ultimate Experience in Spartanburg

[Crazy Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Autoblog

Most factory tours cost a lot less than $99, but BMW has more up its sleeve than a short walk down the production line. BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina facility is home to a new enthusiast attraction called "The Ultimate BMW Experience." The tour starts out with a trip to the Zentrum museum followed by a tour of the assembly line, where you're likely to see products like the new X5 M get pieced together. That's not exactly worth parting ways with 99 bucks, but there's more to the deal. After the factory stroll, tour-goers hook up with a certified BMW performance driving instructor and spend two hours piloting a Bimmer on the track . Now there's a horse we can ride. Where do we sign up?

BMW plans to further upgrade the tour soon with "custom driving excursions, rare vehicle demonstrations and unique culinary events as well as many other spectacular opportunities." The Ultimate BMW Experience runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you're interested in the tour you can set up a date by calling 1-877-9BMW-EXP. Hit the jump to read over the BMW press release.

BMW Premieres The Ultimate BMW Experience

Spartanburg, S.C. - 05/07/2010

BMW, a longtime fixture in the Upstate of South Carolina, recently launched "The BMW Experience". In leveraging BMW's multiple assets in Spartanburg County, BMW hopes to create a fresh appreciation for the brand by giving individuals and groups more options to come experience The Ultimate Driving Machine firsthand.

Combining BMW's resources along Highway 101 in Spartanburg, SC: The BMW Performance Center, The BMW Zentrum, as well as, BMW's Manufacturing Plant, "The Ultimate BMW Experience" extends the ability to offer a more customizable, personal approach to all visitors and will become a destination for many enthusiasts and will give BMW a forum to tell BMW's story in the US.

Outside of Germany, The Ultimate BMW Experience is a unique opportunity that does not exist anywhere else. In this one location, a visitor can experience the heritage, the performance, and the awe-inspiring engineering that BMW is known for worldwide.

"From extraordinary driving programs to guided tours into previously restricted areas of the plant all planned by a personal concierge, The Ultimate BMW Experience transcends a traditional interaction by engaging visitors and revealing the sheer driving pleasure of a BMW," said Bobby Hitt, Department Manager, Corporate Affairs at BMW Manufacturing.

Initially, the program will be offered for $99 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with limited spaces for a visit to the Zentrum museum, an exclusive guided plant tour followed by a 2-hour driving program. In fairly short order, BMW plans to expand the experience to offer custom driving excursions, rare vehicle demonstrations and unique culinary events as well as many other spectacular opportunities. For more information on The BMW Experience or to schedule your own experience, call 1-877-9BMW-EXP (1-877-926-9397) or visit www.bmwusfactory.com.

BMW Manufacturing Co.
BMW Manufacturing Co. is a subsidiary of BMW AG in Munich, Germany and is the global producer of the BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle and X6 Sports Activity Coupe. In addition to the South Carolina manufacturing facility, BMW North American subsidiaries include sales, marketing and financial services operations in the United States, Canada and throughout Latin America; and a design firm and technology office in California. For more information on BMW Manufacturing, visit www.bmwusfactory.com.

The BMW Group
With its three brands – BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce – the BMW Group is one of the world's most successful premium manufacturers of cars and motorcycles. It operates internationally with 24 production sites in 13 countries and a global sales network with representation in more than 140 countries. During the financial year 2009, the BMW Group sold approximately 1.29 million cars and more than 87,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2009 was euro 413 million, revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31.December 2009, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 96,000 employees.

Long-term thinking and responsible action have long been the foundation of the BMW Group's success. Striving for ecological and social sustainability along the entire value-added chain, taking full responsibility for our products and giving an unequivocal commitment to preserving resources are prime objectives firmly embedded in our corporate strategies. For these reasons, the BMW Group has been sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the last five years.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at: www.bmwgroupna.com

[Wah]

This sounds kinda like the PCD program...

[FStop7]

$99 for track time is a pretty epic bargain.

[Crazy Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Wah

This sounds kinda like the PCD program...

It is, but now it seems to be open to the public for a fee.

Since i didnt do PCD this would be a nice option to still be able to experience it.

[Wah]

I'm wondering if this will affect the new BMW owner's PCD at all? ie.. harder to schedule days, more people to accommodate, less track time for everybody....

[besiktas]

how much track time will would you get for 100$, i would be down for it if its a good deal

[AMPowerJ]

Looks like I am going to have to ride up the road and check this out. The factory tour was one of my favorite parts of the PCD and a couple hours on the track for $99 is a bargin.

[besiktas]

Just got some information,
First of all i have to mention that the representative was very polite and clear in his explanations. (surprising compared to my previous experience) Anyway, here is the deal;
it is a course given from 2-6:30 pm on mondays, wednesdays and fridays. (they wont offer for couple weeks in july since factory will be closed)

first 2 hours - you have a tour of the museum and the factory
the next 2 hours - you go on a track

but here is the issue, you will be driving an x5 (or x6) and and a regular sedan, no M vehicles. Only if you pay $129 instead of $99 then you will have a couple laps sitting in an M5 when a pro-driver is driving it and drifting it etc.

basically this is a promotional tour for bmw to show people its production fleet and get you familiar with it as opposed to a fast driving experience that we expected it to be.

To me, doesnt worth it.

[rominl]

umm, not that worth it then imho

i know it's a lot more, but i would rather do the m school

[linsm3]

Just got back from the M school and drove, 5, 6 and 3 but of course prefer the M3. It was much more expensive than the $99 of course, track was decent and you were really encouraged to push it so that was fun. The only thing is using the M5 just didn't feel right, way too big for my taste. Good deal if you are in the area though.

[mkoesel]

So, 2 hours track time in - at best - a 335i or 135i. The nice thing, of course, is its not your car.

How much track time do you get for PCD and in what cars do you get to do it? Granted, you have to buy a car to get that.

Originally Posted by linsm3

Just got back from the M school and drove, 5, 6 and 3 but of course prefer the M3.

How did you get to drive non-M vehicles at the M School? Was this a special thing you worked out? I only drove E90 M3, E60 M5 and E63 M6. Just curious.

[Radiation Joe]

How much actual on track time do you get during those two hours? My guess is it is limited depending on how many people are in the tour.

[besiktas]

think about this, how much track fun you can have with an x5, not x5m. I am also pretty sure they wouldnt let you drive the cars like M school to avoid vehicles wearing out.

[linsm3]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

So, 2 hours track time in - at best - a 335i or 135i. The nice thing, of course, is its not your car.

How much track time do you get for PCD and in what cars do you get to do it? Granted, you have to buy a car to get that.



How did you get to drive non-M vehicles at the M School? Was this a special thing you worked out? I only drove E90 M3, E60 M5 and E63 M6. Just curious.

Sorry guys forgot to add the M in front of 5 and 6. We got tons of track time, spent the entire morning and afternoon out there alternating between all three cars. I was going so fast I was sick afterward and I wasn't the only one. No speed limit, just push the car as hard as you could. I would say at least 5-6 hours out there between the skid pad, timed races and use of the entire track as well. I was really tired by the end of it and couldn't wait to get home to my car. I have to say one thing though, I was surprised no helmet as I thought this was the rule at most tracks, going over 100 seems to be an indicator for something like that. Anyway, had a great time and am ready to start taking my car out.

[rominl]

Originally Posted by linsm3

Sorry guys forgot to add the M in front of 5 and 6. We got tons of track time, spent the entire morning and afternoon out there alternating between all three cars. I was going so fast I was sick afterward and I wasn't the only one. No speed limit, just push the car as hard as you could. I would say at least 5-6 hours out there between the skid pad, timed races and use of the entire track as well. I was really tired by the end of it and couldn't wait to get home to my car. I have to say one thing though, I was surprised no helmet as I thought this was the rule at most tracks, going over 100 seems to be an indicator for something like that. Anyway, had a great time and am ready to start taking my car out.

1 day m school, the fastest you can get is just barely over 100mph (no more than 105) on the straight away probably with the m5 on the long track in the afternoon. all other courses are smaller and designed to be not about pure speed.

if you go to 2 day m school, then you will get a helmet (part of your tuition), because you will get considerably faster with the full long track

[linsm3]

Originally Posted by rominl

1 day m school, the fastest you can get is just barely over 100mph (no more than 105) on the straight away probably with the m5 on the long track in the afternoon. all other courses are smaller and designed to be not about pure speed.

if you go to 2 day m school, then you will get a helmet (part of your tuition), because you will get considerably faster with the full long track

Thanks, but going over 100 in short track with stock brakes seemed fast enough for me to begin withgirl since I was working on braking and turns, my understanding of tracking is not just about speed though but reading the line and technique so a short track definitely makes you more aware.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by rominl

1 day m school, the fastest you can get is just barely over 100mph (no more than 105) on the straight away probably with the m5 on the long track in the afternoon. all other courses are smaller and designed to be not about pure speed.

I'd sware I hit a buck ten at least on that straight, but yeah, you don't get anywhere near top speed of the cars at the M School. Although when riding with the instructors at the end of the day I'm pretty sure we were well over 100.

[rominl]

Originally Posted by linsm3

Thanks, but going over 100 in short track with stock brakes seemed fast enough for me to begin withgirl since I was working on braking and turns, my understanding of tracking is not just about speed though but reading the line and technique so a short track definitely makes you more aware.

i completely understand you, with helmet of course it's safer, but considering the capability of the car and the speed, that's nothing yet. the brakes on the m5 didn't really fade after the whole 45 mins around that track.

and you are right, to be honest speed is not my first priority going to m school. getting consistency and hitting apex and turn in all those were way more fun. straight line high speed was just more of a "cool" thing

Originally Posted by mkoesel

I'd sware I hit a buck ten at least on that straight, but yeah, you don't get anywhere near top speed of the cars at the M School. Although when riding with the instructors at the end of the day I'm pretty sure we were well over 100.

i guess it depends on driving condition and some other factors, though i think it's hard to hit 110mph before that hard left turn. when i went to the school it was a pretty dry day, even the instruction when doing demo for us, he was doing around 105 (from passenger angle) before he had to start braking. but even at 110 i think the car is still pretty capable.

and yes, at the very end when they did the 2 hot laps around the full track, they went well above 100

[AMPowerJ]

Originally Posted by rominl

if you go to 2 day m school, then you will get a helmet (part of your tuition),

Do you get to keep the helmet?

[rominl]

Originally Posted by AMPowerJ

Do you get to keep the helmet?

i believe so. for the 2 day m school, i believe you get the helmet and also a jacket. someone can correct me if i was mistaken