A lot of people claim to be simply afraid to get behind the wheel of a rear-wheel drive car during winter months just because they think their car will at one point skid out of control. The thing is, a lot of the newer models come with plenty of electronic nannies that keep you in check. Throw in a set of good winter tires and you might be surprised of just how controllable your BMW is during winter. For those wanting to learn more, BMW and MINI offer winter driving experiences that can teach you how to control your car during the coldest months of the year.
The winter driving experiences offered by the two companies have been around for quite some time now and they are bound to get two new locations in Austria starting this year. 27 years ago, a handshake between Josef Bücherl, one of the developers of BMW driver training courses, and Hans Falkner, head of the 5-star hotel “DAS CENTRAL – ALPINE . LUXURY . LIFE”, sealed the launch of the BMW Snow Experience in Sölden, Austria.
Last Friday, Bücherl and members of the Falkner family met up again at BMW Welt in Munich, where they were joined by representatives from BMW M GmbH, the BMW and MINI Driving Experience, and winter training venues in Ötztal and Pitztal to celebrate the start of the next phase of this successful cooperation. One core aspect of the partnership is the continuation of the success story in Sölden. In addition to the BMW Snow Basic Training and BMW Snow Intensive Training courses, Sölden is also primarily a venue for corporate and customer events.
The cooperation with Pitztal is also being increased. Located 1,700 meters above sea level, the training facility there offers dynamic fields, a drift oval and a handling track for the BMW Snow Drift Training course and BMW internal driver training courses. As of the coming season, which begins in December 2017, the area will be available exclusively for BMW. “The BMW winter training courses in Austria have a long tradition, which we enjoy celebrating together with all those who have made this success story possible,” says Frank van Meel, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH.
“I am particularly pleased that we will significantly increase our cooperation with the Pitztal tourist board, which began in 2016.” Robert Eichlinger, Head of the BMW and MINI Driving Experience, adds: “The winter training courses in Sölden and Pitztal are very popular with our customers, and it is no longer possible to imagine the BMW and MINI Driving Experience portfolio without them. That is why we have added the events in Pitztal to our range of courses. It would not be possible to handle the large number of courses without outstanding organization and perfect teamwork. I would like to thank those responsible in the Ötztal and Pitztal regions for this fantastic partnership.”
