The highly popular BMW Driving Experience – a training programme designed to enhance safe driving skills, enabling them to assess and navigate any driving situation or potential hazard on the road safely and promptly – is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Thailand this year. Prestige joined a recent session.
Launched in Germany in 1977 by BMW Motorsport GmbH, these training sessions uphold BMW’s dedication to imparting intensive driving skills and knowledge from professional racing drivers to the general public. The aim is to boost the capabilities of both the drivers and their vehicles, leading to improved driving proficiency.
In Thailand, BMW Group Thailand inaugurated the first BMW Driving Experience course in 2004. Now, two decades later, the training programme has been upgraded to include enhanced activities and to accommodate up to 30 participants per course. This expansion has been facilitated through partnerships with three main sponsors: Evolt, Siam Michelin Co Ltd, and BMW Financial Services Thailand.
With a focus on reinforcing participants’ skills through engaging and challenging lessons that emphasise safe driving, general driving knowledge, and handling emergency situations, the programme is conducted by certified BMW instructors and comprises three levels: a basic as well as an advanced training course at the Pathum Thani Speedway, plus a BMW M Experience course at the famous Bira Circuit racetrack in Pattaya. Both the basic and advanced courses are available for booking February, and in April, while the BMW M Experience course is available starting from May.
The basic training course is open to drivers of all levels and aims to provide participants with the skills necessary to confidently and safely manage emergency situations. Training covers seating position adjustment, emergency braking and safe lane-changing at speeds up to 60km/h, oversteering and understeering control, timed slalom driving practice, and more. Trainees will practice with vehicles including the fuel-efficient BMW M340i xDrive, the plug-in hybrid BMW 330e M Sport, and the latest electric-powered BMW i5 M60 xDrive. Passing this course earns trainees a BMW-endorsed certificate and qualifies them for the next course.
The advanced training course introduces high-level driving techniques necessary for managing various emergency scenarios on the road. Participants will master specialised manoeuvres to amplify their driving potential and maximise their vehicle’s performance. This course covers emergency braking in corners and safe double lane changes at speeds up to 100km/h, half-circle and full-circle drifting, 180-degree reverse turns, and timed Gymkhana driving practice.
Drivers that pass both the beginner and advanced training courses are eligible for the BMW M Driving Experience, where they get hands-on experience with high-performance BMW M vehicles. Participants are challenged to test their limits and enjoy high-speed driving under the guidance of seasoned instructors. This curriculum offers an understanding of racing lines, practicing hairpin and 90-degree bends, and spending half-day at the racetrack while following a lead car.
Interested customers can book a training course or find more information by visiting bmw.co.th or contacting 095-169-1919.
