BMW Driving Experience, our experience at Misano World Circuit

BMW Driving Experience

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, BMW's M sports division has launched a program full of sporting activities ranging from participation in the Italian GT Championship to the single-make M2 CS Racing Cup Italy. In addition, the German manufacturer offers the opportunity to participate in Siegfried Stohr's BMW Driving Experience, real safe driving courses with specific programs also dedicated to sports driving and drifting.



The car fleet of the BMW Driving Experience 2022 is quite varied and features models suitable for all needs such as, for example, BMW M4 Competition, BMW M3 Competition, BMW 220d, BMW M240i xDrive, BMW 128ti, BMW 118d and BMW i3s. A few days ago, on the occasion of the presentation of the BMW Italia Sport Programs, in the splendid setting of Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, we had the opportunity to try different models in different contexts. Let's go in order:

BMW M240i x Drive

Although it is not "a real M", it is perhaps one of the most balanced cars I have tested at the event. Its 374 hp and 500 Nm of torque are felt by everyone; the car goes really fast and rises steadily at all speeds and in all laps, making it very balanced. It doesn't have the nastiness you might expect from the power level, but the acceleration is always progressive. The feeling with the asphalt is excellent, while the sound is satisfying without being too intrusive. I would have liked to do a few more laps to understand it better, a single launch did not allow me to test the true potential that I have glimpsed, but I think it could be an excellent compromise between travel car and track day.

BMW 220d Coupé

Of all the cars available, it is the least suitable for the track, later tested the M240i the difference appears abysmal, yet, despite this aspect, BMW has managed to create an agile solution that can be taken "to the limit" without particular repercussions by emphasizing an almost surprising behavior.

BMW 128ti “SpecialMente”

BMW, among the many activities, has given life to a very exclusive but above all inclusive program. Known under the name of SpecialMente, it allows people with various levels of disability to try their hand at a sports driving course together with all the other students and with the same car. The changes concern only the controls because otherwise the car maintains the same performance and characteristics as the one used in the courses.

In this way the person with limited motor ability will be able to compete in the same way with the other students. In order to try to understand the excellent work done by BMW, I decided to try the car anyway; in this regard it is necessary to make a premise, I have never driven a car with steering wheel controls, therefore, from this point of view an accustomed person would be much more at ease.


Despite the lack of habit, using the hands allows you to dose the accelerator and brake perhaps even better than using your feet because the sensitivity is greater. After the first lap in which I tried to get used to it, in the second I tried to push a little more and, although my focus was more on the correct use of the controls, I began to gain some confidence. In conclusion, as a "complete stranger" I can say that I was fully satisfied: good BMW!

BMW M4 Competition Coupé with rear-wheel drive

Here we enter the Olympus of travel supercars: 510 Hp, 650Nm of torque and 0-100 in 3.5 sec. Until a few years ago these were numbers really reserved for supercars. Today BMW has succeeded in bringing out these results on a car with an extremely accurate finish down to the smallest detail and great comfort.

The imprint more towards sportiness than pure comfort is evident here. When you step into the passenger compartment, despite having everything under control, you find yourself wrapped in the seats and you immediately understand the solid intentions of the car. Even if it is a purely subjective aspect, I appreciate aesthetics in all its extensions; the color chosen by BMW for this model is also really spot on without being too aggressive or cloying. The sound is not exaggerated but certainly very present. Putting into sport mode as soon as you start pressing the accelerator the music changes and the bucket racing seat becomes almost a must. electronics working hard to hold back the rear explosion. The version tested was fitted with carbon ceramic brakes, therefore, needless to say, with a firm braking it seemed to drop anchor. Unfortunately, thanks to the limited time available, I was unable to test the concrete nature of the car and disengage the controls, but I'm sure it could be an extremely sharp and explosive car, certainly not suitable for beginners. Thanks to the presence of rear-wheel drive, the impression you get on the track is that the car, pushed to the maximum, can easily wear out the rear tires; behavior in any case more than regular for such a solution.

BMW M4 Competition Coupé xDrive

BMW's xDrive mode aroused in me, and among colleagues, a certain curiosity that has not subsided even after the track tests. After the first few corners, the feeling transmitted by the car is strange and, despite the slight increase in mass (about 60 kg), the dynamics seem totally different. It is not the first time that we have used an all-wheel drive variant, but the work done by BMW has certainly excelled and has managed to come up with a solution that travels almost on the tracks.

Beyond personal considerations, it is necessary to specify that this car manages to be 5 seconds faster in the tests carried out by BMW than the rear-wheel drive one. On the other hand, almost like all integral, it appears more "boring", less unpredictable, thus removing that shred of "thrill" that rear-wheel drive instead manages to return.

Despite the absence of carbon-ceramic, braking it immediately appeared very incisive in all its manifestations. As for the gearbox, I would have preferred something even worse in sport mode, with less progression. Overall this model is the one I liked most, it being understood that it is a "distorted" M, as it does not have its classic rear-wheel drive.

RIDE AS A PASSENGER ON BMW M2 CS

Fans of the brand and cars in general will surely recognize how BMW was able to create a real weapon with its M2 CS. My initial thoughts were immediately confirmed after getting on board a car driven by a real driver. Believe me, it is not the first time that I ride on the track and I often follow track days for pure passion, but being in the company of a driver makes you re-evaluate any aspect in terms of speed and trajectories.

During the first corners I don't I thought it was possible to do them at that speed. The rider managed to follow the trajectories in the most natural way possible, reaching an almost unimaginable grip. As a passenger, it feels like being on board a car of a higher category, and not a "vitaminized Coupé". Making a championship with that car must be indescribable and a ride as a passenger was still a mystical experience.