They call Indian Wells “Tennis Paradise” and honestly, it lives up to the name. But before I even got to the tournament, my weekend in Palm Springs had already started on a high note—behind the wheel of a brand-new 2025 BMW M5 Touring. I flew into LA to hitch a ride out to the desert and my ride turned out to be this new performance wagon that pulled eyes at every gas station and traffic light. The four-hour drive through typical SoCal gridlock gave me the perfect window to get a feel for the Touring—how it behaves in the real world, not just around a track.
Without diving too deep into the car review weeds, I’ll just say this: the M5 Touring is the kind of car that makes you wonder why we ever needed sedans. Same brutal performance, same comfort and adjustability, but with actual room to throw in weekend bags, tennis rackets, and probably a golden retriever or two. It’s fast when you want it to be, calm when you need it to be, and it felt like a proper luxury wagon in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Indian Wells: Where Tennis Meets California Cool
Once we made it to Indian Wells, the atmosphere shifted into something that’s hard to describe unless you’ve been there. The BNP Paribas Open isn’t just a tennis tournament—it’s a scene. Impeccably manicured grounds, clear blue skies, snow-dusted mountains in the distance, and a vibe that lands somewhere between luxury resort and sports festival.
On Saturday, we caught the men’s semifinals: Rune vs. Medvedev and Draper vs. Alcaraz. Unsurprisingly, the crowd was all in for Alcaraz—who not only brings energy to the court, but also has a side “gig” as a BMW ambassador. Fittingly, there was an Alcaraz-customized M5 Touring on display near the entrance, which made for a fun tie-in between the athlete and the brand.
BMW’s Big Tennis Moment
BMW has leaned fully into its partnership with the BNP Paribas Open, and their presence is hard to miss. Right at the front gates, there was a Vegas Red M5 gleaming in the sun, positioned next to the preferred parking area reserved for BMW owners. Deeper inside the grounds, they had their own “X display” showcasing the new 2026 iX and the ever-popular X7, complete with a mini tennis court where fans could try hitting tennis balls at BMWs on a screen.
Other corners of the tournament had their own BMW moments—an i7 here, an M5 Touring there—and tucked away inside the arena, there’s even a BMW lounge reserved for customers and guests. Think air conditioning, cold drinks, and a great view of the action—definitely a nice break from the desert heat.
It’s easy to see why this tournament is such a favorite on tour. The players love it for the chill schedule and high-end accommodations, and the fans get this rare blend of accessibility and first-class experience. The place feels premium without ever tipping into pretentious.
From Tennis to Track: The BMW Performance Center
The next day wasn’t about tennis—it was about driving. Just 30 minutes from Indian Wells sits the BMW Performance Center West in Thermal, California. If you’re ever in the area, it’s a must-visit.
We jumped into a half-day M School program, which is basically adult Disneyland if you’re into cars. After a quick briefing, we rotated through a mix of machines: the M2, M4 Competition, Z4 M40i, and the big SUVs—X4 M and X6 M—on a compact track setup. Each car had its own personality, but all of them made you grin like an idiot under a helmet.
One of the more entertaining parts was a skid pad “rat race” in an M8 Competition, where two drivers go head-to-head trying to loop the car around a wet circle the fastest. It’s fun, it’s humbling, and it teaches you a lot about throttle control (and how quickly you can go from hero to zero).
Then came something truly next level: BMW’s Mixed Reality experience. You’re driving a real car, on a real track, but wearing a VR headset that overlays a digital racecourse into your view. It sounds weird, but it works. Corners appear, coins float in the air like a video game, and your brain somehow adapts. I’d tried an early version of this a couple years back, and now it’s even smoother and more immersive.
To cap it all off, we handed the keys to BMW’s pro drivers for a round of hot laps. Our instructor, Derek, threw the car around with that perfect blend of skill and calm recklessness—turning every apex into a lesson and every corner exit into a thrill. If you weren’t smiling by the end, you were probably unconscious.
Paradise, Recharged
Looking back, it’s hard to think of a better way to spend a weekend. You get the calm and class of Indian Wells, the roar of an M5 Touring on desert roads, the sound of tennis balls popping off rackets, and the unmistakable scent of burning rubber at the track.
Tennis Paradise? Sure. But for anyone who lives for both the elegance of the sport and the adrenaline of driving, this was something even better: a collision of two passions, in one unforgettable setting.
