[Fugly M3]

Overall, this is an experience that cannot be missed. There are talks about a future lapping session trip for alumni of this and I can't wait for that. The instructors and the execution is, as is German and BMW style, all but flawless. The only serious complaints I have are that sometimes you end up with someone who can't keep up and even more so, that the USB sticks didn't really work, even after they gave out a second one, in my case. These are still minor issues, however, and I probably won't hesitate to do this again. Ideally, I'll tie it into my planned ED trip of the final year of the F22 M2.

Below should be the embedded vimeo of my last solo pace lap. BTG time of 9:25. Enjoy!



The night before checkout they were setting up for the DTM race, and BMW blessed us with this eye candy:





On check out day I hopped in my Alfa Stelvio rental A beautiful car, but the diesel non-sport seat version I had wasn't the best. Navigation was counter intuitive and tried to take me on way longer routes than my tom-tom. That being said, they are going to sell a ton of these things.



I also had quite the stablemate...a Huracan I believe (I am not a huge Lambo guy...but this was )





I departed Nurburg and headed down to Heidelberg for a quick walk around the city. I'd heard incredible things. It is a gorgeous town definitely worth a day or two, but I do think it's a bit of a tourist trap/shopping mall. Main walking street is nothing but high end brand names. Nothing wrong with it, but not the quaint German town I imagined.









Feel free to ask questions. I'll try and post the rest of my videos when I get the bandwidth to get them properly loaded. For now, I am sitting in Bangkok airport waiting to board my flight to Australia. I'll spare you all this part of the trip!

Gute Fahrt!

[calbears]

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

Feel free to ask questions. I'll try and post the rest of my videos when I get the bandwidth to get them properly loaded. For now, I am sitting in Bangkok airport waiting to board my flight to Australia. I'll spare you all this part of the trip!

Gute Fahrt!

Thanks for the write up and pics. One question, but maybe I missed it above, but what's the USB stick for?

[KKSigs]

Originally Posted by calbears

Thanks for the write up and pics. One question, but maybe I missed it above, but what's the USB stick for?

It for the video cam during the sessions

[lax01]

Found out, (I believe) an old friend was in your group at the Ring...he posted similar pictures on IG. Did you meet a Joe?

[E92M3GT]

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience !

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by calbears

Thanks for the write up and pics. One question, but maybe I missed it above, but what's the USB stick for?

Originally Posted by KKSigs

It for the video cam during the sessions

Yes...videos above that did work show that the BMW stick includes RPMs, speed, etc.

Originally Posted by lax01

Found out, (I believe) an old friend was in your group at the Ring...he posted similar pictures on IG. Did you meet a Joe?

Don't think there was a Joe or Joseph...looked at the attendee list and didn't see him. Maybe he was in one of the M4 groups?

[lax01]

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

Don't think there was a Joe or Joseph...looked at the attendee list and didn't see him. Maybe he was in one of the M4 groups?

hah was definitely M2 group...maybe it was after yours...he literally had the same pictures as you

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by lax01

hah was definitely M2 group...maybe it was after yours...he literally had the same pictures as you

hmm...joe must be nickname

[ewohar]

Loved the statement where you are amazed this is legal as an American Lawyer.

[M+M]

I also did this BMW experience but started on the following day after you finished so we did the Thursday and Friday. We were in M4 but there was an American gorup in M2 for this course as well.
Fantastic way to get initial experience in a relatively safe and controlled environment. It rained when we aere lapping on the second day and the difference to dry lapping was dramatic. Track was extremely slippery and instructors took different lines but that was interesting in itself. The rain makes you really appreciate why its called the Green Hell.

I was super happy with the course and despite the cost for long distance travel on top of the course it was worth it. We were lucky to have chief instructor and Ring taxi driver Claudia leading our group in the rain and she did have a good pace on which stretched the group out. One of the instructors said to me afterwards that there were 6 'incidents' with some body damage over the 2 days - none in our group. There is an excess that they can levy participants of Euro 2500 if an incident is deemed participants fault and significant enough to warrant this.
The main weakness of the format is if there is a large speed difference within your group when lapping. The instructor then needs to slow down and let the groupd reform. But the section training is sort enough not to make this so much of an issue. Having had a taste I will definitely go back but would want to concentrate on lapping with an instructor in the car. One thing that may be possible that I didn't know about is that the day finished approx 4.30-4.45 and it is open track from 5pm. So if you could BMW to 'rent' you a car and instructor for say another hour then just pay per lap and this would top up the experience really well.

[M+M]

nothing like the angry sound of a raging bull.....

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by M+M

I also did this BMW experience but started on the following day after you finished so we did the Thursday and Friday. We were in M4 but there was an American gorup in M2 for this course as well.
Fantastic way to get initial experience in a relatively safe and controlled environment. It rained when we aere lapping on the second day and the difference to dry lapping was dramatic. Track was extremely slippery and instructors took different lines but that was interesting in itself. The rain makes you really appreciate why its called the Green Hell.

I was super happy with the course and despite the cost for long distance travel on top of the course it was worth it. We were lucky to have chief instructor and Ring taxi driver Claudia leading our group in the rain and she did have a good pace on which stretched the group out. One of the instructors said to me afterwards that there were 6 'incidents' with some body damage over the 2 days - none in our group. There is an excess that they can levy participants of Euro 2500 if an incident is deemed participants fault and significant enough to warrant this.
The main weakness of the format is if there is a large speed difference within your group when lapping. The instructor then needs to slow down and let the groupd reform. But the section training is sort enough not to make this so much of an issue. Having had a taste I will definitely go back but would want to concentrate on lapping with an instructor in the car. One thing that may be possible that I didn't know about is that the day finished approx 4.30-4.45 and it is open track from 5pm. So if you could BMW to 'rent' you a car and instructor for say another hour then just pay per lap and this would top up the experience really well.

I agree, last year when I did ED I hired an instructor and he had me going pretty good after only 4 laps. I think that's probably the ticket to get the fastest, safe experience. How did you like the M4s. The M2 is the car I'd buy, but the M4 is the car I'd want for the ring I think.

[M+M]

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

I agree, last year when I did ED I hired an instructor and he had me going pretty good after only 4 laps. I think that's probably the ticket to get the fastest, safe experience. How did you like the M4s. The M2 is the car I'd buy, but the M4 is the car I'd want for the ring I think.

I thought the M4 good for the range of conditions we encountered; separately adjustable sterring shocks and throttle whereas the M2 can't so this and we used everything soft in the wet. M4 also longer wheelbase so greater stability in fast corners.
But interestingly you will have noted the instructors all used M3 and I asked about this and the comment made was that the M3 chassis is stiffer than the M4 and so the suspension tuning is different. Read better, for track.

Having said all that I didn't find the M4 a particulary engaging car and like my M2 better as a daily driver.

Haven't tried M3

[kami3...]

Originally Posted by E46M54325Ci

A couple videos from yesterday from Tiergarten and Mini Carousel Sections, in order:

I joined the same last year by driving an M2. The following video shows a section training from Schwalbenschwanz to T13 (2 sections at a time).

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1023632

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by M+M

I thought the M4 good for the range of conditions we encountered; separately adjustable sterring shocks and throttle whereas the M2 can't so this and we used everything soft in the wet. M4 also longer wheelbase so greater stability in fast corners.
But interestingly you will have noted the instructors all used M3 and I asked about this and the comment made was that the M3 chassis is stiffer than the M4 and so the suspension tuning is different. Read better, for track.

Having said all that I didn't find the M4 a particulary engaging car and like my M2 better as a daily driver.

Haven't tried M3

I did notice that on the M3...also at M school they were driving the 3s. I thought it felt a tad tighter when I did M school. I just wanted to drive the M4 comp at the ring because it's a beast. To be honest, if I could justify 18k miles a year on an M car and were to buy one, like you, it'd be the M2!

Originally Posted by kami3...

I joined the same last year by driving an M2. The following video shows a section training from Schwalbenschwanz to T13 (2 sections at a time).

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1023632

Good Stuff!

[M+M]

Were the M2 you were using standard arpart from pads? The M3 our instructor used had MP exhaust. Just wondering if there was any MP adjustable suspension which I presume was tested at the Ring.

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by M+M

Were the M2 you were using standard arpart from pads? The M3 our instructor used had MP exhaust. Just wondering if there was any MP adjustable suspension which I presume was tested at the Ring.

I believe it was standard...that said, the brakes were definitely not stock.

[Fugly M3]

Update: all day 1 full lap videos are in post #14 and all day 2 full lap videos are in post #19.

A few more pics taken by BMW photographers to follow. Seriously missing this event!

[E92M3GT]

How many laps each day?

[Fugly M3]

Originally Posted by E92M3GT

How many laps each day?

It was 3 solo lead-follow pace laps on day 1 and 4 on day 2, so 7 total at speed. Plus 2-3 more at reduced speed.

[Fugly M3]

As promised, the pictures taken by BMW's photographers...unfortunately only in one section and I wasn't driving then:























The two groups of drivers:





Me and my (temporary) toy!

[Fugly M3]

Got a nice thank you in the mail today! Donnie willwin2day is a true professional!