Racing School Review — BMW M School

November 27, 2020 Motorsports

BMW M car on track at the Thermal performance center

Original Author: Lao Mo, PB Motorsports | November 27, 2020

"I originally went there just for a vacation, but later realized there was a reason they put me in a resort — because the resort offers massages..." — Lao Mo

This is the first article in the "Racing School Review Series." All experiences in this series are firsthand accounts from our group members, ensuring authenticity, albeit with a highly subjective perspective. The goal is to help everyone choose the right racing school without wasting money, quickly improve their driving skills, and find a great place to spend their year-end bonuses!

This series will cover the following Racing Schools:

01 Overview

BMW M School is BMW's official brand driving school, offering a rich variety of courses ranging from half-day experiences to multi-day racing schools. Instructors are all experienced retired race car drivers or factory test drivers. There are several bases on both the East and West Coasts. Among them, the one located in the vacation destination of Palm Springs, near LA, features the best private track in the country — Thermal.

BMW on track at Thermal

This track offers all Racing School courses:

Similar to many brand driving schools, the One Day and Two Day courses are open to beginners, but subsequent courses are restricted to applicants with significant experience or those who have graduated from foundational courses.

The focus of our review today is the Two Day M School, which is the highest-level course beginners can register for. The Two Day M School is moderately priced at $3,900, which includes:

02 Curriculum

The instruction provided in the Two Day M School seems more geared toward absolute beginners. Its curriculum is designed to start with the basics before gradually leading students to advanced techniques. Overall, the training objective of this course is to give graduating students a comprehensive understanding of track techniques and provide ample room to experience the vehicles' limits and power.

The two-day instruction is typically conducted in groups of 2–3 people. Each group is assigned an instructor, and instructors rotate for every exercise. BMW provides corresponding vehicle models for each exercise to ensure students have the opportunity to experience various cars. Every student gets their own car from start to finish without having to share seat time. Throughout the entire process, instructors provide guidance via demonstrations and remote radio communication.

Day 1 content usually includes:

Day 2 courses overlap slightly with Day 1, but there are notable differences:

03 The Experience

The overall course design at BMW is highly beginner-friendly, giving novices plenty of time and guidance to practice fundamental skills. The requirements on the first day are very strict, with particularly thorough training on braking precision, visual targeting, and hand-foot coordination.

Prior to the BMW M School, I had a rough understanding of track driving, but it was extremely limited — summarized in one sentence: "I know how to heel-toe downshift." BMW's training courses largely helped me solidify the most fundamental track driving basics. I benefited the most from the braking exercises, which guided me through my entire beginner phase, right up until Allen Berg helped me readjust my braking concepts — but that is a story for another time.

The foundational braking course on Day 1 lasted for half an hour. The only task was to apply full throttle and then full brakes on a straightaway. Instructors also encouraged students to brake hard enough to trigger the ABS every single time. This training gave me immense confidence for my subsequent track driving. Returning to the hotel on the first day, my thighs almost cramped. I later realized that everyone probably needed a massage to some extent, which is likely why BMW placed us in a resort.

I didn't fully utilize the deconstructed track strategy at the time. The reason was probably that my skill level was too low, and I couldn't comprehend many of the details. Often, six months later on the track, I would suddenly grasp the theories and sensations the instructors had explained back then.

BMW M cars lined up on the Thermal paddock

The Auto Cross training was actually more intense than the main track, because Thermal's autocross facility is exceptionally good — basically covering all corner types with complex variations and wide speed ranges. Furthermore, BMW encourages students to drive as fast as possible. Every lap on the second day is timed, with live results broadcast on large screens and via walkie-talkies. Consequently, everyone pushes themselves frantically on this track, making adjustments based on the feedback from each lap. Even though I was proficient at shifting, I eventually succumbed to the fast pace and put the car in "D" (Drive). The speeds were such that, as someone who had just learned these techniques, I couldn't monitor the speedometer and tachometer while also managing corner entry and exit.

The other exercises were more entertaining and less technical. The oval track pursuit gave me a taste of the edge of control and helped me practice trail braking. The only downside was the limited time on the skidpad. I think it's very difficult for a normal person to master vehicle recovery and drifting techniques in such a short period — though this is a common flaw across most driving schools.

The volume of techniques and concepts imparted over the two days is a bit overwhelming for beginners. Personally, I only absorbed 50–60% of it, and it took me the next few years to slowly comprehend many of the skills and concepts. It wasn't until after 20 track days that I felt I had mostly digested the material taught and finally hit a bottleneck.

04 Conclusion

Overall, BMW's M School has obvious pros, very few cons, and leans more toward beginners.

Pros:

Cons:

Recommendation Rating: ★★★★☆

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