In 1977, BMW was the first car manufacturer in the world to offer driver training and became a pioneer in the field. 40 years later, the BMW and MINI Driving Experience offer a range of training options that allow participants to develop their driving skills on an individual basis. There are a host of training experiences to choose from in current BMW cars, as well as MINI vehicles and training for motorcyclists.
The BMW Customized Experience also provides the opportunity to browse all the available vehicles, training locations and training content to put together a tailored, individual event. As part of the anniversary event at the BMW and MINI Driving Academy site in Maisach, journalists had the chance to test BMW models from various eras, supervised by professional instructors, and get a feel for the mobility of the past, present and future.
“The BMW and MINI Driving Experience has been helping people to experience sheer driving pleasure with driver training for 40 years and forms a direct link to the customer,” says Frank van Meel, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH. “There is no better way to get to know the driving behavior of a BMW, BMW M or MINI vehicle than with professional training from the experienced instructors at the BMW and MINI Driving Experience.”
“Anyone who has had the pleasure of taming the horsepower of one of our BMW M models during drift or racetrack training courses knows exactly what I am talking about. The BMW and MINI Driving Experience has a long history and is also ideally set up to meet the challenges of the future. Topics such as electromobility, innovative assistance systems and autonomous driving concepts are all parts of today’s training content. Looking forward ensures that the BMW and MINI Driving Experience will continue to be the most emotive product and brand experience within the BMW Group and retain its position as the global competence center for active driving experiences,” van Meel added.
Active in more than 30 countries worldwide, the BMW and MINI Driving Experience competence center provides around 50 different courses for BMW and MINI models, as well as BMW motorbikes, under the guidance of professional instructors. More than 25,000 people took part in training courses across Germany in 2016, with more than 100,000 participating around the world.
In the future, the emphasis will continue to move to technology transfer in the areas of drive systems, driving assistance systems and connectivity. E-mobility, interactivity and autonomous driving are playing an increasingly important role. The BMW and MINI Driving Experience is developing new core competencies in these areas. The objective: react to customer requirements and provide them with the opportunity to develop basic driving skills in a controlled environment, with professional instruction. It is also important to make technology in modern BMW and MINI cars easier to understand and experience. BMW driver training will continue to make a long-term contribution to driving safety in the future.
