BMW M Ultimate Driving Experience

THE BMW Z4 sets the pace.

Asian Carmakers Corp., the sole authorized importer and distributor of BMW automobiles in the Philippines, recently invited select customers and members of the media to Clark International Speedway in Clarkfield, Pampanga, to participate in what it refers to as the ultimate driving experience ever held in the Philippines. M Cars would be present for us to drive, and BMW says that M is the most powerful letter in the alphabet.

JP Tuason, international race car driver and head of Tuason Racing School, started the day with a session on the theories behind proper race craft: a safety-first mindset out on the road  and on the  track; the proper seating position; the principles and benefits of proper braking points and the correct racing line;  how the latest BMWs with their electronic aids are  designed not only to make your drive safer but in many cases faster around the track; and lastly, as we found out on the track, how to slowly but surely start pushing yourself and the car to its limits in a gradual but consistent rate.

Our first activity was the standard emergency braking and avoidance maneuver: Riding the new BMW 118d, you speed up from 60 kph then pass a set of cones, stand on the brakes and swerve to avoid an imaginary roadblock. We had four tries, rising in speed until we hit 80 kph. I pushed my luck and tried to do 100 kph but the BMW speedometers seemed quite optimistic as JP would record our speeds through the cones with a speed radar, and I found myself just past the 80 kph target speed.

Next up was the slalom, this time in an all-new BMW 320d. Initially, we all tried to speed up as fast and as aggressively as we can, which resulted in me hitting a cone on every single run. It was only when I was given an extra run that I realized that a consistent moderate speed was the secret. It sounds boring but the discipline of keeping your car in control was etched firmly in my mind.

Our third activity was more exciting: We would get behind the wheel of BMW’s very limited edition 1M—which some say is the real successor to the original E30 M3—and drive through the East Course of Clark International Speedway, starting at the Corkscrew, through a set of cones which are designed to keep our speeds in check (mostly second gear, right around 100 kph). It might sound slow, but with 340 bhp on tap, RWD, a manual gearbox and a slick track, it had all the makings of a very exciting— and to the nervous, many “wet bum” moments—as the 1M would slip and slide just enough to remind you to respect it.

Fantastic to ride

The 1M itself was just fantastic: It felt light, lively, responsive and very eager to play with on the tight make-shift autocross track through the East Course. The RWD layout, short-wheelbase and prodigious power can be tricky. But nonetheless it was loads of fun, with the features helping me remember to be as smooth yet deliberate with my every movement.

There was a competition as well, where I scored 24.8xx seconds—not bad for being the first guy on a still damp track. The instructors were in the high 22-second range, so I know how big the gap between my skills and that of the pros. But the instructors cheered me on, saying that they set their times on a very dry track.

The last activity of the day was a fantastic high, perhaps the most memorable track day I’ve had in a long time. We were allowed to go out on five laps (one out lap, a cool-down lap and three hot laps) following an instructor. We were then given a choice to try the 1M, the all-new M5 or the daunting X5M SAV, with its high center of gravity.

My first outing was in the X5M, and while other guests complained that it could not keep up with the Z4 M package-equipped lead car, the X5M was amazing. By braking earlier, giving it a wider berth and trusting in the X5M’s all-wheel drive traction, it was surprisingly easy to pin the clipping points on the apex. I was more adventurous so I  rode the FIA-kerbing to get the wheels pointing straight sooner, pinning the throttle sooner and deploying all 560 HP. It was indeed a colossus to drive and the brakes were taking a beating, but on the second hot lap I engaged the paddle shifters and used engine braking to help slow down the beast further on corner entry.

My next two stints were in the M5. I had never thought I’d get to drive the M5, especially on the track. It is indeed a brute in a suit, and a bit lairy as the tail would slide out just a bit to remind you that despite all the most advanced electronic aids, Newton doesn’t like you pissing at his doorstep too often. But the M5 was amazing, especially in the tighter sections of the West Course where I actually found myself gaining ground on the lead car up until I was sniffing the tail pipes of the Z4.

M SMORGASBORD your choice of powerful cars

The M5 also likes a wide berth, 4-wheel drifting very predictably as I’d find the FIA-kerbing on more than one occasion upon corner exit, but once the wheels were straight, full-throttle could be released and the M5 would chomp down the Z4’s lead. On the sweeping first turn, I took a slightly different line on corner entry so I could pin the throttle sooner and have more braking distance prior to hitting the apex, which worked tremendously well and displayed the M5’s massive mechanical grip.

Get-go with the 1M

It was in my final two stints (I drove the most in our entire group, the others were all tired in their first stint) when I  felt like I had died and gone to heaven. It was after JP nonchalantly asked me if I wanted to have a go on the 1M. I initially refused because time was running out and I didn’t want to push my luck. However, the guys from both ACC-BMW and TRS urged me on to try it as it was a very rare chance to get intimate with BMW’s pocket-rocket. Strapped in a tight, seat set slightly nearer (to help reach the clutch pedal for heel-toe downshifting), I had no warm-up lap but went flat out from the get-go.

The 1M was a real dream drive even if it was the short track: super fast and super responsive; the front-end felt light but very grippy; and the rear-end, which initially promised to be a bronco ride through the fast but still damp sweepers, was surprisingly stable. The 1M fearlessly braved my poor heel-toe downshift inputs to smooth it just enough to keep my momentum steady.  I found reserves of grip when I thought I had cooked it going too fast on corner entry. I could have died right there and thought I’d gone to heaven.

In the end the instructor, Bjorn, said he was driving as fast as he could in the Z4 lead car, and I felt a sense of accomplishment having kept up with a real pro.

After all the driving, I had my cup filled, my itch scratched, and general fear of RWD cars significantly lessened. JP says it’s all about keeping it safe, practicing when you can and keeping the basics in mind when driving flat-out the way we did.  Here’s hoping BMW (and other car manufacturers) hold another driving event like this! And I hope I can borrow that 1M again soon, fingers crossed!