When I was in high school my parents had a BMW 3 Series wagon. I have so many fond memories of this car. Once on the road, this seemingly demure family hauler truly embodied the brand’s late ‘90's to early 2000's slogan, The Ultimate Driving Machine.
Responsive acceleration, grippy brakes, and precise steering, together made the car an absolute blast to drive. It also handled like a dream thanks to the near perfect 50:50 weight distribution—something of an obsession by BMW engineers.
Simply put, the car was made to be driven. For those who love driving, this combination of qualities makes a BMW so thrilling every time you get behind the wheel.
But BMW didn’t just stop with creating a high-performance product. They’ve long created experiences that showcase what The Ultimate Driving Machine really means to owners and non-owners alike. Perhaps no better place to experience the thrills is at BMW’s Performance Center West.
Located about 45 minutes southeast of Palm Springs, the driving school consists of several race tracks within a private club in Thermal, California. There are a range of programs available, from a teen driving school to Mini stunt driving program to intense two-day track events. I recently had the pleasure of taking the M Performance Course where I put a BMW M3 Competition through its paces.
Following some light refreshments in the Center's lounge and instruction space, and a surprisingly quick tutorial on track fundamentals from a seasoned racing driver and instructor, it was time to get behind the wheel.
Turning on to the racing track, we followed the instructor on a reconnaissance lap to get familiar with the course. Slowly we followed the instructor, mirroring his path, how he turned into each corner, braking when he slowed down, accelerating when sped up
After only one intro lap, it was time to open up our M3’s.
With each adrenaline-pumping lap at speed, the instructor continued to provide on-going tips over the radio, like when to brake, reminders to accelerate out of turns, and suggestions to help refine our skills and lap times.
Trying to keep only a few car lengths from the instructor’s car I hit higher and higher speeds—close to 120 mph—and felt the G forces increase as I tamed over 500 horsepower around the twisties.
The experience certainly helped forge my performance driving skills. It also kept the focus on what sets BMW vehicles apart.
BMW’s promise of building The Ultimate Driving Machine isn’t just about speeds and feeds. It’s about delivering sheer driving pleasure to anyone who gets behind the wheel.
At BMW’s Performance Center, that ethos is perfectly illustrated in a one-of-a-kind experience. You can see the caliper size of the M3’s massive Brembo brakes on a table of specs, but feeling of their stopping power before heading into a turn and smelling the pads after a pit stop gives you a completely different understanding of the product feature.
In a crowded marketplace, experiential events like these can help brands stand out from traditional marketing strategies and grab consumer attention. They create a strong brand identity, enveloping participants in the brand message as they learn about products in a fun and interactive way. After all, the path to purchase for premium products is by no means linear. Plus, there’s even an opportunity for brands to gather valuable data and insights to inform future marketing efforts.
I am not even in-market for a new car, yet somehow I found myself venturing to BMW’s website to learn more about the vehicle I happily tortured around the track.
While navigating the course, as my heart rate went up, I got closer to understanding my limits, as well as the car’s (considerable) limits. It also reinforced that there’s a lot more to BMW than a tagline.
That’s the point at which the promise of a slogan gives way to a memorable brand.
For me, the experience in Thermal brought back childhood memories of that 3 Series wagon I had a love affair with, amid some adolescent mischief. It also reminded me that BMW hasn’t lost their way. Even decades later, at least in my mind, BMW remains The Ultimate Driving Machine.