The High G machines: G80, G82, and G90 at the Performance Center 2022
/by Dan Tackett
Courtesy Dan Tackett
Our recent experience at the BMW Performance Center marks the 8th year that our San Diego Chapter has hosted members at that amazing facility. We are SO lucky to have one of BMW’s permanent showcases for M car performance located just 3 hours from home. When online registration opened in October, after announcing it on several platforms, all 100 slots quickly sold out. Over half of the attendees were repeat participants, which demonstrates just how much fun we have here each year.
Perfect weather greeted us as we entered the site with well-directed parking, then picked up our custom name badges with keepsake M tricolor lanyards. A delicious outdoor buffet came next, featuring Mahi Mahi, coconut-crusted chicken and grilled veggies, all prepared on site. Even the food was MMM… After socializing a bit and ogling the array of M cars around us, we entered the classroom. Lead Instructor Bryan Randall welcomed us with his great humor and explained the details of the day. He said he likes the CCA groups best because we have the most enthusiasm for the marque.
Next, ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! We were off to enjoy five distinct events:
DRAG RACE DOWN AND BACK - Pairs of M850i convertibles, X3Ms, and Z4 M40i’s were on hand to demonstrate the straight-line acceleration and braking of M Performance models. At the drop of two arms: full-throttle acceleration, full ABS braking, a tight 180 degree turn, then accelerate again and finally stop within a tight box. The competition for this event was absolutely “roofless.” We marveled at the throaty V8 sound of the 8s and the short braking and nimble turning of the Z4s.
RAT RACE - A pair of RWD M340i’s were staged on opposite sides of a polished-concrete skidpad so slippery that it was hard to get the cars moving without wheelspin. The goal was to circle a tight oval layout on the skidpad 3 times, seeing who passed the mid-point ahead of the opposing driver. It was a “race” that rewarded careful management of your slip angle without losing forward momentum or spinning. This was the only event where DSC was completely shut off, since experiencing sliding was the point. For those of us raised in Southern California, it was more challenging than for snow and ice veterans. Once everyone had their chance, at the end of the day a few of us were allowed to explore maintaining perpetual slides just like they teach in the full M School!
Courtesy Dan Tackett
LEAD-FOLLOW - For many, the highlight at the Performance Center was driving on the 2.0 mile South Palm Circuit. For the first time, we got to drive the impressive new 503 hp G80 M3 Competition. An Instructor with a radio would lead us narrating the reference points during a moderate-speed lap while three drivers in identical M3s followed. We were urged to keep up and precisely match the driving line ahead. We built up to full acceleration and braking and high-G cornering, getting up to 125-135 mph at the end of the longest straight. After each quick lap, the first car would pull aside and let the other two move forward, so each driver got a lap directly behind the Instructor to learn the line. The newest M3s are amazing, but as a committed manual guy, I was especially astonished by how intuitively the 8 speed automatic shifted up and down in automatic mode, doing exactly what I would have done with the paddles!
HOT LAPS - Bryan Randall was back, this time behind the wheel to show us he could turn more than a clever phrase. Usually this portion of the program features the Instructor showing his slidey sense by drifting around a tight course, filling the width of the pavement with the length of his car. With the Performance Center’s new tire supply stuck on a container ship, they had no tires to spare. What to do? Bryan took three of us at a time around the South Palm Circuit at warp speed in an M5 Competition. We got a fast-forward preview of the course, and a better taste of an M car’s capability than we could achieve ourselves.
Courtesy Dan Tackett
AUTOCROSS COMPETITION - They let us drive lots of cars with Competition in their name, so we got to use them for some competition of our own. A tight autocross layout was set up, including the super-late apex “Patience Corner” and a tight stop box that you had to finish within for your time to count. We were introduced to the M4 Competition models, which some of us thought looked better going away than coming back. But they looked great from behind the wheel, with some featuring the wildly-bolstered M Carbon Bucket Seats. We discovered impressive power and handling, but the M4’s higher weight caused longer braking distances than the M2s we’ve autocrossed in past events. Each driver got one reconnaissance lap and three timed laps. The top times, all within 0.2 of a second, were achieved by:
| 1st | Kevin Tarson |
| 2nd | Joey Cipponeri |
| 3rd | Dan Tackett |
As the sun began to set, we were all smiles after a day of learning so much about the current array of M cars…and about ourselves. If this sounds like something you would like to do, there is good news. BMW CCA is hosting Oktoberfest Forever in the area from September 27-October 1. Several different Performance Center experiences will be available. Watch Roundel for more information. And for 2023, the San Diego Chapter has already reserved Saturday, February 4th. Watch our communication platforms this October for registration details. Hope to see you there!
Courtesy Matt Gage
