THE BMW M DRIVING EXPERIENCE EXTENDS INTO AREA M.
THE BMW M DRIVING EXPERIENCE EXTENDS INTO AREA M.
In 2026, the BMW M Driving Experience extends into AREA M, hitting the ground running. AREA M is now the new home for unique driving experiences with BMW M models. The new brand identity has given rise to completely new driving experiences that go beyond the previous offering, are even more fun, and allow drivers to experience the performance of the latest M models even more vividly. AREA M is becoming the ultimate space for performance fans and car enthusiasts, for beginners and professionals, for M drivers and those who want to become one.
SAFELY FAST SINCE 1977.
The idea is as simple as it is logical: car manufacturers who offer their customers the best in technology should also be able to convey their advanced driving expertise. BMW was the first manufacturer to put this approach into practice in 1977 – the birth of BMW driver training.
BMW Motorsport as a company is responsible for the overall motorsport activities of the BMW marque and as such would like to make a contribution to supporting driving performance in the interplay of human and machine.
EXECUTIVE DECISION.
EXECUTIVE DECISION.
The foundations for the wide variety of training courses which are today offered all over the world by the BMW M Driving Experience were laid by the BMW board a year before. On 3rd February 1976, they decided to found a drivers’ school. The aim was for 20 courses with a total of 800 participants a year on the BMW testing grounds and various racetracks. Back then, no one had any idea how big the idea would become: in 2022, more than 110,000 participants in 25 countries enjoyed driving fun and action at one of the many training courses in the BMW M Driving Experience.
LEARNING FROM THE FASTEST.
The close connection to motorsport runs like a golden thread through the history of the BMW M Driving Experience. The very first draft by Jochen Neerpasch, head of the still young BMW Motorsport, convinced none other than Rauno Aaltonen. The Finn wasn’t just a successful rally driver, but was also fascinated by the subject of driving technique, which over the years earned him the nickname of “the rally professor”. He became the first official instructor.
Aaltonen and Börries von Breitenbuch, former sports secretary of the Automobile Club of Germany (AvD) were two men from the world of motorsport involved in the BMW driver training from day one. After some initial test courses, including for the Munich police force, BMW Driver Training started officially on 22nd April 1977 with a safety training seminar.
TRAINING VEHICLES WITH 125 HP.
TRAINING VEHICLES WITH 125 HP.
While AREA M now offers the unique opportunity to drive not only BMW M high-performance cars but also genuine racing cars such as the BMW M4 GT4 EVO on the racetrack, there was only one model available at the beginning. The small fleet consisted exclusively of modified BMW 320i models: 125 hp, with modified suspension, a limited-slip differential, and a bucket seat for the driver.
MORNING EXERCISES IN THE EARLY DAYS.
MORNING EXERCISES IN THE EARLY DAYS.
The first training sessions were held only at weekends and covered different topics than today’s programmes. Early courses included coaching on “stress behind the wheel” and practical tasks such as hill starts and dealing with roadside breakdowns. There was also an extensive fitness programme led by a sports instructor, but that was dropped early on. “As far as the exercises were concerned, we instructors soon had the place to ourselves,” Rauno Aaltonen recalled in a 2007 interview interview with german news magazine "Der Spiegel".
THE CORE REMAINS THE SAME.
The core aims of those early programmes are still central to today’s experiences: theory first, then practice in simulated borderline situations. And another element stayed the same: with only few exceptions, BMW supplies the training vehicles, so every participant starts from the same technical baseline with no worries about wearing out the tyres on a personal car. The courses also let drivers sample a range of BMW, MINI and BMW M models — and, crucially, give participants the chance to push the M cars to their limits.
A GLOBAL SUCCESS.
The concept was very well received: more and more drivers took an interest in the training courses, not just in Germany. So it was only logical that Josef Bücherl, who took over the programme in 1991, began to expand the training. He literally travelled around the world with the concept of a standardized instructor training, laying the foundation for AREA M International, which now exists on every continent.
Since 1997, the high standards of training have been taught at the Instructor Academy. Prospective instructors learn all the skills they need to help participants in their home countries enjoy greater safety and driving pleasure according to precisely defined guidelines.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION: THE RIGHT TRAINING FOR EVERY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION: THE RIGHT TRAINING FOR EVERY LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE.
Josef Bücherl also left his mark on the training structure: he introduced the modular concept still in place today. As a rule, you begin with a compact or development training course in order to further educate yourself via the next, more sophisticated steps. Both beginners and experienced drivers can thus develop and perfect their skills step by step.
FROM HANDSHAKE TO THE SNOW EXPERIENCE.
Over the years, the range of courses on offer grew. One important milestone was reached when Josef Bücherl, then head instructor, and Hans Falkner, then managing director of The Central, one of the best 5-star hotels in Sölden, Tyrol, shook hands in 1990. It marked the start of a new series of winter trainings in 1991, initially as 6-day events in which the skiing was as important as the driver training.
Since then, thousands of participants have taken part in the BMW Snow Experiences on the world's highest winter training ground at almost 3,000 metres. Today, participants can enjoy a variety of trainings, from drifting to off-road courses on a glacier, in a wide range of current BMW and BMW M models. And after the action-packed drives, The Central pampers the participants with a fantastic atmosphere and excellent, Gault & Millau awarded cuisine.
FROM THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO SOUTH AFRICA.
FROM THE ARCTIC CIRCLE TO SOUTH AFRICA.
Spectacular drift training on frozen lakes has been available in Sweden since 2006, more precisely in Arjeplog on the Arctic Circle. Participants in the experience, now known as AREA M Ice, can practice drifting in BMW M cars with studded tyres and, with a little luck, catch a glimpse of one or two prototypes from the BMW Test Center. This is because the vast frozen lakes are not only ideal for drifting: all major vehicle manufacturers test their production vehicles here.
It is not only on snow and ice that participants discover what they and the BMW automobiles are made of. In the summer of 2000, the programme launched its first off-road tour through the Atlas Mountains and the sandy deserts of Morocco in the BMW X5. Later destinations included Kenya, Namibia and Botswana. Today, BMW Driving Experience South Africa handles organisation of the regional tours.
EXPERIENCE THE LIMIT.
Almost from the outset, the programme has taken drivers to various world-class circuits such as the Nürburgring and the Hockenheimring. Now bookable as AREA M Track, these sessions let drivers hone the ideal line and — in some cases — sample sections normally reserved for professional racers. Also, fast reflexes and car control are trained with challenging manoeuvres, from high-speed lane changes to perfecting the racing line.
THE BMW M TRACKDAYS: A PASSION FOR SPEED.
THE BMW M TRACKDAYS: A PASSION FOR SPEED.
Bringing together the community of active motorsport fans – with this goal in mind, the BMW M Driving Experience 2020 launched a new experience format: the BMW M Trackdays. New and trained racers can experience the power of BMW M customer racing cars or receive personal coaching from a professional instructor to improve their skills in finding the ideal line. Of course, BMW M fans can also participate with their own M series model or racing car and experience to drive iconic racetracks. The first BMW M Trackday at the Hockenheimring was enthusiastically received and has been an integral part of the AREA M calendar ever since.
TAILOR-MADE EVENTS.
In addition to the wide range of regular training courses, tailor-made trainings and experiences are the great strength of the offering, which can be found at AREA M Custom. Whether for a group or an individual, whether planned entirely individually with experts or based on established modules. Since 2012, groups or individuals have been able to design their ultimate bespoke BMW M programmes. Whether planned from scratch with experts or assembled from established modules, these tailor-made events range from half-day sessions in Maisach to full racetrack courses or multi-day driving tours — almost anything is possible.
EXCELLENT SETTING: MAISACH AND MEMMINGEN.
EXCELLENT SETTING: MAISACH AND MEMMINGEN.
From 2012, the home of the BMW M Driving Experience and today's AREA M is located at a former airport in Maisach, around 30 kilometers west of Munich. The BMW Driving Academy covers an area of 130 hectares. A 1.8-kilometer circuit and numerous dynamic areas for all kinds of driving exercises offer an excellent setting for a wide variety of training courses.
From 2026, Memmingen serves as an additional location, expanding the geographical reach of AREA M. It offers ideal conditions for high-performance experiences. Seven wet skid pads, including three drift circles, and four dynamic areas, as well as additional handling and slalom zones, open up a wide range of possibilities.
