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      08-02-2019, 08:41 PM   #38
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Drives: ///M3
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: PA

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Quote:
Originally Posted by RBNetEngr View Post
I attended the full-day event on Tuesday, July 16. The event ran from 8:00am-5:00pm, and included breakfast snacks and coffee, lunch and dinner. Bill Auberlen was also there, and sat for an interview and Q&A, during lunch. He was also available throughout the day to chat with.

The full day event consisted of three on-track sessions, an autox session, drag race session, and a wet skidpad session.

For the three on-track sessions, one was in the M2 Comp, one in the M4 (with track package upgrades including carbon ceramic brakes), and one in the M5 Comp. For each session, there were two people per car, and each driver had three lead-follow laps, in a group of 2-3 cars behind an instructor. After each lap, the car behind the instructor dropped to the back of the pack, so each driver had the opportunity to drive directly behind the instructor for one lap. Then, pull into the pit and switch drivers. The M2 Comp felt great on the track. I have an E36 M3, and have driven it at COTA several times. The M2 Comp felt very similar in size to the E36, but with way more power and grip. The highest speed I hit on the back straight was 140.

The M4 felt very stable on the track, and the braking performance was amazing with the carbon ceramic rotors. They are definitely NOT worth the $8K price if you aren’t going to track your M4 and drive it like it’s stolen. I hit 143 on the back straight in the M4.

The M5 Comp was the biggest surprise on the track. For a vehicle that large, it handled and gripped better than the M4. It felt totally stable at all points on the track, including the long right-hand Turn 16-18 complex (with the bump in 18). I hit 145 on the back straight once with the M5 Comp.

All of the cars had DSC enabled, and were set for Sport Plus mode. DSC allowed sufficient looseness in the rear to make things entertaining. It also does a good job of saving drivers from their bad driving mistakes.

The autox event was driven in the M2 (non Comp), and was a very short and simple course (19-24 seconds, depending on whether youÂ’re an autox god, or you suck). Again, two drivers per car, and each driver got four three timed runs (that counted toward the FTD award). Then, if there was time, we had fun runs, and each driver got another two runs. This year, the fastest autoxers from each event will NOT be sent to Thermal, CA for a competition to find the fastest driver.

The drag race event had four pairs of vehicles: X3M, X4M, M4, M850i xDrive. Our group was small, so we had one driver per car, and had four runs per car. The object was to launch, race down the strip, and stop within the stop box. The M850 with xDrive launches like a rocket!

We also had an event with a standard M5, on a wet skid pad. And while each group was queued up, waiting for a turn in the M5, Bill Auberlen came by in an M5 Comp, and took attendees, two at a time, for two hot laps around the track. It was amazing to fly around the track with him at the wheel, sliding sideways through many turns, and watching him doing this while totally calm. He is definitely in another league! But then, he is the winningest BMW driver...ever. The skidpad M5s were set for RWD mode, so it was easy to kick the rear end out and drift around the skidpad.

Overall, it was a good event, and I thought it was worth the money to be able to drive someone else’s M cars as hard as you dared. BMW also offered discounts to attendees for the BMW Performance schools in South Carolina and California.

-rb
In your opinion, was the full day worth the near $1k?

I personally have attended the last 2 years, 3rd is ordered and waiting for Sept.

I see everyone complain about the price increase of the standard half day, interested in a full day attenders opinion.
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