The history of the BMW M Driving Experience

The idea is as simple as it is logical: If a car manufacturer offers its customers the optimal of technology, it should also be able to pass on the high art of driving expertise. BMW were the first car-maker to put this into practice in 1977 – the birth of the BMW Driver Training.

Former sports secretary of the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD) Börries von Breitenbuch was part of the first team of instructors for the BMW Driver Training. — Börries von Breitenbuch, former sports secretary of the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD)

BMW Motorsport as a company is responsible for the overall motorsport activities of the BMW marque and as such would like to make a contribution to supporting driving performance in the interplay of human and machine.

Core statement in the first announcement of BMW driver training, 1977

DECIDED BY THE BOARD.

Rauno Aaltonen wrote the only textbook on the subject of driver training. In Revolution at the Wheel (Revolution am Steuer) the training plans were vividly explained – and the book quickly sold out.

The foundations for the wide variety of training courses which are today offered all over the world by the BMW M Driving Experience were laid by the BMW board a year before. On 3rd February 1976, they decided to found a drivers’ school. The aim was for 20 courses with a total of 800 participants a year on the BMW testing grounds and various racetracks. Back then, no one had any idea how big the idea would become: in 2022, more than 110,000 participants in 25 countries enjoyed driving fun and action at one of the many training courses in the BMW M Driving Experience.

LEARNING FROM THE FASTEST.

The close connection to motorsport runs like a golden thread through the history of the BMW M Driving Experience. The very first concept by Jochen Neerpasch, head of the still young BMW Motorsport, convinced none other than Rauno Aaltonen. The Finn wasn’t just a successful rally driver, but was also fascinated by the subject of driving technique, which over the years earned him the nickname of “the rally professor”. He became the first official instructor.

Aaltonen and Börries von Breitenbuch, former sports secretary of the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD) were two men from the world of motorsport involved in the BMW driver training from day one. After some initial test courses, including for the Munich police force, BMW Driver Training started officially on 22nd April 1977 with a safety training seminar.

125 HP TRAINING VEHICLES.

For the first driver safety training sessions, BMW 320is were modified. Here we see Head Instructor Rauno Aaltonen in the passenger seat.

AT THE BEGINNING WERE THE EARLY MORNING EXERCISES.

The „Driver Vitality“ Training in 2005 — Renaissance of the exercise programme: At the “Driver Vitality” training in 2005, callisthenics were included again to guard against pain and tiredness while driving.

The first training sessions were held exclusively at the weekend and the programme contained different items than today’s. For instance, there were talks on the subject of “Stress at the wheel” and everyday problem situations like uphill starts or common breakdowns and how do to deal with them were practised. Another feature was an extensive fitness programme led by a sports instructor. The latter was soon abandoned: “As far as the exercises were concerned, we instructors soon had the place to ourselves”, remembers Rauno Aaltonen 2007 in an interview with "Der Spiegel".

THE CORE REMAINS THE SAME.

The general objectives of those first programmes is however still today an integral part of the BMW M Driving Experience: first, the subject is approached theoretically, then the participants can practise what they’ve learned in simulated borderline situations. And another factor has remained the same: apart from a few exceptions, the vehicle for the training sessions are provided by BMW. Thus, all participants have the same technical basis and don’t have to worry about ruining the tyres on their own cars. In this way, the training courses also offer the chance to experience various different models of BMW M, BMW and Mini – and above all the unique opportunity to push the BMW M automobiles to the limit.

WORLDWIDE SUCCESS.

The concept went down a storm: more and more drivers were interested in the training, and not just in Germany. So it was only logical that Josef Bücherl, who took over in 1991, began to extend the programme. Armed with the idea of a unified instructor qualification, he travelled the world and laid the foundations for the BMW M Driving Experiences we know on all continents of the earth today. Since 1997, the high standards set by the qualification have been imparted at the instructor academy. Here, aspiring instructors learn the skills they need to help participants at the Driving Experiences in their home countries enjoy more safety and driving pleasure according to exactly defined parameters.

A training session of the BMW M Driving Experience, in those days BMW Driver Training, at the Salzburgring in Austria in 2001.

MODULAR CONSTRUCTION: THE RIGHT TRAINING FOR EVERY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE.

A HANDSHAKE FOR THE SNOW EXPERIENCE.

Over the years, the range of courses on offer grew. One important milestone was passed when Josef Bücherl, then Head Instructor, and Hans Falkner, then managing director of The Central, one of the best 5-star hotels in Sölden, Tyrol, shook hands in 1990. This marked the start of a new series of winter training seminars in 1991, initially as 6-day events in which the skiing was as important as the driver training. Since then, several thousand participants have taken part in the BMW Snow Experiences on the world's highest winter training ground at almost 3,000 metres. Today, participants can enjoy a variety of training courses, from drifting to an off-road course on a glacier, in a wide range of current BMW and BMW M models. And after the action-packed drives, The Central pampers the participants with a fantastic atmosphere and excellent, Gault & Millau award-winning cuisine.

BMW 320i at Driver Training in Sölden 1991

WORLDWIDE ACTION: FROM THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO SOUTH AFRICA.

Spectacular drift training on frozen Swedish lakes has been offered since 2006 at Arjeplog on the Arctic Circle. The participants of the Ice Experiences practise driving sideways in BMW M automobiles with spiked tyres and may if they’re lucky catch a glimpse of the odd camouflaged prototype from the BMW Test Centre. The huge frozen lakes are not only ideal for drifting: all the big car manufacturers test their series vehicles here.

BMW M Driving Experience Offroad Tour Südafrika

And it’s not just on snow and ice that the participants of the BMW M Driving Experience can find out what they and the BMW automobiles are made of: the summer of 2000 saw the first off-road tour through the Atlas Mountains and the sandy wastes of Morocco with the BMW X5. Later, other destinations were added, with Kenya, Namibia and Botswana. In the meantime, the BMW Driving Experience South Africa has taken over the organisation of the tours there.

EXPERIENCE THE LIMIT.

For people with petrol in their blood and a penchant for speed, they can experience numerous international race tracks, such as the world-famous Nürburgring or the legendary circuit of Hockenheim, almost from the very beginning. Here, the racing line is fine-tuned and sections of the track are driven on that are otherwise only driven on by the professionals. Reflexes and driving skills are trained with demanding driving manoeuvres. From dynamic lane changes at higher speeds to perfecting the racing line on the track.

THE BMW M TRACKDAYS: FOR NEW AND EXPERIENCED RACING DRIVERS.

Bringing together the community of active motorsport fans was the aim of a new experience format introduced by the BMW M Driving Experience in 2020: the BMW M Trackdays. Here, both new and seasoned racing drivers can experience the power of the customer sport vehicles from BMW M or enjoy a Personal Coaching Seminar with an experienced instructor to improve their skills in finding the ideal line. Of course, BMW M fans can also take part with their own BMW M production model or racing car and experience renowned race tracks. The first BMW M Trackday on the Hockenheimring was greeted with enthusiasm and quickly became an integral part of the BMW M Driving Experience calendar.

BMW M3 Competition Sedan [1] :

Fuel consumption combined in l/100 km 9.9

CO2 emissions combined in g/km 224

CO2 class G

BMW M4 Competition Coupé [1] :

Fuel consumption combined in l/100 km 9.9

CO2 emissions combined in g/km 223

CO2 class G

CUSTOMISED EXPERIENCE: TAILOR-MADE EVENTS.

In addition to the wide variety of regular training courses, tailor-made trainings and experiences have been a great strength of the BMW M Driving Experience since 2012. Be it for a group or an individual or planned completely individually in consultation with experts or on the basis of established modules – the Customised Experience has made the BMW M Driving Experience particularly customer-oriented since 2012. From a half-day session at Maisach right through to racetrack training or even a tour lasting several days, almost everything is possible.

EXCELLENT SETTING: THE BMW M DRIVING ACADEMY IN MAISACH.

Since 2012, the BMW M Driving Experience has been based at a former airport in Maisach, around 30 km west of Munich. The BMW M Driving Academy covers an area of 130 hectares. A 1.8 km circuit and numerous dynamic surfaces for different types of driving practice offer an excellent setting for all kinds of training.

is the area of the BMW M Driving Academy in Maisach.

And there will continue to be new, surprising and challenging training sessions in future – critical to success, if not self-evident in our age of transformation.