BMW Owner's Rewards

[dparm]

BMW rented out Autobahn Country Club last weekend to allow owners a half-day of driving instruction, autocross, track time, and hot-laps. We also got a free hot breakfast and hot lunch. Naturally, I took my M3 out.

Credit for the amazing photos goes to Johan Lee of Driven Media.

I had the fastest autocross time of the day (24.872s), which won me a free BMW M hat! It was interesting to see some first-timers. A guy in a 750Li was churning out some very impressive times as well.

It was my first time getting the M3 on track, and I am absolutely smitten with how it performed. The instructor could not shake me with his M5, nor could the other M5 owner that showed up. I was actually pulling on both of them on the straights where we were nudging 120...and could've gone even faster had they not gotten on the brakes so early to allow for the other cars to catch up to us. You can see this gap in the photos. The car was just so predictable and balanced that I didn't feel nervous driving it on the ragged edge. And for those interested, my Pilot Super Sports performed like a champ!

At the end, we had a chance for the instructors to take us out for hot-laps in the track's performance fleet. I opted to ride in the new M6, which was a very impressive vehicle but plowed into some corners due to its high curb weight. The 4.4L TT V8 has gobs of power but isn't as loud as an M car should be, in my opinion.

Overall it was a blast and for $150 I definitely got my money's worth.

 

[NMBurb02]

Looks like it was a blast!

 

[OVERKILL]

Freakin' AWESOME!

 

[redhat]

pardon my ignorance but you're the white one?

 

[CBR.worm]

Very cool

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: redhat
pardon my ignorance but you're the white one?


Yep, the white M3 sedan.

 

[Da Game]

Hey dparm, so you have a Audi S4 and a BMW M3? Do you have a slow car? Which do you like between the two?

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: Da Game
Hey dparm, so you have a Audi S4 and a BMW M3? Do you have a slow car? Which do you like between the two?


Ha, I sold the S4. "Slow" is relative.

 

[hattaresguy]

Nice, at Limerock I love seeing the BMW pace cars. You can tell the guys driving them don't own them, holly [censored] they beat on them.

 

[JHZR2]

Awesome. I need to do something like this. We loved the BMW performance center, when I picked up my 135, doing what you show would be so cool.

I also think I need to pick up an m3. Do they still make them in that blue color they used on the e36?

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Awesome. I need to do something like this. We loved the BMW performance center, when I picked up my 135, doing what you show would be so cool.

I also think I need to pick up an m3. Do they still make them in that blue color they used on the e36?




The last E92 M3s rolled off the line earlier this summer. There are two blues: LeMans (dark blue) and Interlagos (blue with purple flake). Silverstone II is silver with blue flake. BMW Individual will paint it any color you want...for a price.

Next time you are near Chicago, time your trip so you can do a track day at Autobahn or maybe even their performance driving school.

 

[OVERKILL]

And we should all know what LeMans looks like

LOL!!!

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: dparm
And for those interested, my Pilot Super Sports performed like a champ!


As I'm sure Steve and I both expected

 

[redhat]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: redhat
pardon my ignorance but you're the white one?


Yep, the white M3 sedan.


Sharp looking car you got there. Looks like a good time.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Wonderful! Any day at the track is better, period!

As far as the M6, all you needed to do was turn up the stereo for more fake engine noise.

But seriously, your M3 represents the real deal that BMW was famous for, and I know from seat time that they really work better at over 100 mph. Actually over 120. The mark of a well tuned chassis is that feeling of confidence even at very high speeds.

BTW when i bought my car it came with the SRT Track Experience as a free perk right on the window sticker. Since no one even knew what that meant in August of 05 I called Chrysler and was sent directly to Skip Barber! Went to Homestead and had an entire day with 17 professional drivers and drove THEIR cars, not mine.

One of the most rewarding, informative, educational, and fun days of my life. Drove a Viper 155 on the half of the big oval at Homestead we used in addition to the infield raceway. Then got the thrill ride with a real Formula champion driver at the end of the day.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: dparm
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Awesome. I need to do something like this. We loved the BMW performance center, when I picked up my 135, doing what you show would be so cool.

I also think I need to pick up an m3. Do they still make them in that blue color they used on the e36?




The last E92 M3s rolled off the line earlier this summer. There are two blues: LeMans (dark blue) and Interlagos (blue with purple flake). Silverstone II is silver with blue flake. BMW Individual will paint it any color you want...for a price.

Next time you are near Chicago, time your trip so you can do a track day at Autobahn or maybe even their performance driving school.


My 135i (M, FWIW) is lemans blue. I thought the e36 blue was different. Maybe I have an old brochure someplace...

My brother moved back to Chicago so Ill have to look into it.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

But seriously, your M3 represents the real deal that BMW was famous for, and I know from seat time that they really work better at over 100 mph. Actually over 120. The mark of a well tuned chassis is that feeling of confidence even at very high speeds.



It's true. The car lives up to all the hype. It's home is the racetrack; even after 20 minutes, the car was rock solid. Oil temps were around 230-250, brakes had zero fade, tires weren't greasy, and the powertrain was happy to rev to 8400rpm every time I requested.

I was amazed at how early I could power out of the corners, especially compared to the M5. The corner 8/9 complex was perhaps the best example. I was at WOT just before the corner 9 apex and it was clear to me that the M5 couldn't get the power down that early. He was pretty [censored] fast through the 3/4/5 complex and I think I could've used a bit more tire in that section.

But yes, the car is built for this sort of activity. It was only my first time taking it out on the track (I have driven other vehicles on that same track), so I'm sure there's a bit more performance to be extracted for next time.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2

My 135i (M, FWIW) is lemans blue. I thought the e36 blue was different. Maybe I have an old brochure someplace...

My brother moved back to Chicago so Ill have to look into it.



You're probably thinking Estoril Blue, which was a lighter blue metallic. You could get it on the E46/E92 through BMW Individual.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: dparm
And for those interested, my Pilot Super Sports performed like a champ!


As I'm sure Steve and I both expected

OH yeah! They remain the absolute BEST tire I have used yet. Since this is my SIXTH set I can say I have had a decent sampling of the market.

I may never use anything else.

Dparm, the thing I love is re-visiting the same course. I sometimes even used to take notes at the track to help me remember my learning from the last time...

My sincere thanks for taking the time to share, I enjoyed the experience vicariously...

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8


OH yeah! They remain the absolute BEST tire I have used yet. Since this is my SIXTH set I can say I have had a decent sampling of the market.

I may never use anything else.



Six sets? Haven't these only been out for like 12 months?!