10/10 Would Do Again! Then and now at the BMW Performance Center
/by Dan Tackett
The original member group at the Performance Center in 2015
The original temporary building for the Performance Center
On February 17, our Chapter hosted a driving experience at the BMW Performance Center for the tenth time. Another 100 members got to enjoy the latest ///M and ///M Performance models and taste the best from Bavaria.
We are so fortunate to have a premier BMW facility within a short driving distance of San Diego, so we don’t pass up opportunities to enjoy it. This annual Chapter experience traces its origins to Spring of 2015, when (now current) Board members Greg and Catalina Uhler happened to be in Palm Springs for a weekend getaway. While there, they were curious to check out the new Performance Center built within the private Thermal Club facility. To their surprise, they were welcomed by the staff and given an overview of the BMW programs. Dropping the name of the San Diego Chapter and the potential of scheduling future events for the Club, they were invited, along with 2 guests, to a free sample program just a few days later. The Uhlers were kind enough to include me as a guest, and we discovered just how much fun it was to push brand new M cars without worrying about fuel, tires, brakes, or unplanned roadside interviews. Since I already knew Mike Renner, head of this Performance Center and the first one in South Carolina, I reached out to schedule a program for our Chapter. Since the desert is most pleasant in Winter months, we requested a regular date in February on the weekend before Super Bowl, and have had that coveted date for most of the years since then.
The first podium of fastest autocross drivers
Drag racing 2015 M6s
We couldn’t wait for a cooler Winter date to get started, so our first event took place in September 2015. The BMW facility then was a temporary (but very nice) building, and the new Thermal Club had just a few trackside homes under construction. Today, expensive homes and expansive garages surround the three Thermal racetracks. The amazing F80 M3 was a brand-new car at the time, so we arrived very excited to try the first six-cylinder turbocharged M cars. We drove them on the South Palm Circuit in a lead-follow format, discovering how quick they are in a straight line and how much handling grip was available. Their DCT transmissions and Carbon Ceramic Brakes impressed us; BMW was clearly pushing the capability of their latest M cars ever further. In the drag race, we got to drive new M6s and see just how quickly they launched with 550 horsepower. In the Autocross competition, nimble M235i’s were pushed to their limit against the clock. They also included a “sampler” event where we could try new models on a serpentine course at more reasonable speeds. There, we could get behind the wheel of an X6M, 550i, and 335i. As word spread every year, our annual Performance Center event has become quite popular, with all 100 slots selling out very quickly.
Track time at the first Performance Center event
This year’s event included the latest and greatest M cars for us to enjoy. For the first time, we got to try the G87 M2 (paired in a drag race, along with a pair of M5 Competition models). Some favorites returned: the G82 M4 Competition (Lead-Follow on track), M240i xDrive (Autocross) and M340i (skidpad). These individual parts of the program have remained the same, but each year we get to sample new models as the inventory updates at the Performance Center. One year, the drag race even included a pair of M760i V12 executive sedans! This year, the program evolution continued by moving starting points very close for the drag race, skidpad “Rat Race,” timed Autocross, and Hot Lap rides to keep walking time to a minimum. In the limited time we have to try everything, efficiency in downtime and walking time enabled many participants to have a second go at some favorite events after everyone had their first chance. The gourmet lunch prepared by onsite chefs had an Italian theme, and the Driver’s Meeting was conducted in the outdoor shade instead of the classroom. We also got to have a good look at the new XM and X7.
Beating 97 other drivers, our top 3 podium for the timed Autocross was:
The top 3 autocross drivers in 2024
| 1st | Armin Bruderlin | 22.730 |
| 2nd | Tanner Carter | 22.850 |
| 3rd | Greg Uhler | 22.852 |
Yes, just TWO THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND separated 2nd and 3rd!!
So, will year eleven be absolute heaven? We’ll get to find out, because our 2025 date is already set for February 1, the weekend before Super Bowl again. Watch our Chapter website and bi-monthly eNews email near the end of this year for details on registration. You don’t want to miss being one of the lucky hundred drivers!
