[mikeokimster]

Money aside (for those who have done both) what would you pick, 1-day M school or 2-days at a BMW CCA driving event?

I have yet to have any track time in any car. Not sure which will leave more of a lasting impression.

[mayja6]

I would definitely pick an HPDE over the M-school. Unless you just really want the chance to drive an M car for the day. You will get significantly more track time and will be able to learn the limits of your own car at an HPDE for substantially less money. Only problem is, you can't do just one event, they become an addiction.

[orionredwing]

I've been to both, so maybe I can help.

I started off with a 1-day BMWCCA HPDE at Laguna Seca. My instructor was awesome, and I felt like I picked up all the basics. In fact, some of my friends took 3 track days in other clubs w/ instruction to pick up the same level of instruction. So it's my opinion (and of many others) that the instructors at the HPDEs are top notched.

The month following, I attended the 1-day M school in South Carolina. What an experience. First of all, having gone to the HPDE, I thought the classroom instruction was nothing special. The M-school classroom instruction was better than the HPDE due to better power points, but honestly, it's the 1-on-1 instruction on the track where you learn the most. So in this respect, the HPDE was better than M-School.

In the HPDE, you have an instructor sitting in your car all day. In M-School, you rotate between M-cars and listen to the instructor speaking through a headset. There is 1 instructor per group, and they only critique you as you're doing the exercises. So you really don't pick up as much as the HPDEs.

On the plus side, in the M-School, you get to experience a WIDER range of activities, not only by driving the M3, M5, M6, but participating in wet skid pad exercises, an autocross experience, as well as a half-track. So you get to experience a wide range of things, but it's not enough time to feel comfortable. I have to admit, I greatly enjoyed the wet skid pad exercise, as learning how to drift was so cool.

Hope this helps. It's my recommendation that you save some money and attend the HPDE first. Then if you really want, hit the M-School later....for the unforgettable experience mostly. You get this really cool DVD of all the stuff you did in the 2nd half of the day, which is a great memorabilia.

[S4to335]

I agree with the onionwing....two day BMW CCA HPDE would be better for a newbie. I personally think the M School is yet another thing to differentiate M cars from other BMWs...so that the M owners feel special that they have their own school. Seat time is what you want...and a 2-day HPDE would be obviously longer than a 1-day M course.

[swartzentruber]

Depends also on how you feel about your insurance situation. The M schools are probably more expensive and you won't be in your own car, but at least you don't need to concern yourself with insurance. Most insurance companies these days will not cover you for any on-track incidents (even if your agent says they will), so you should be financially prepared for repairs, or purchase track insurance (BMWCCA now has a recommended vendor). Certainly not recommending against HPDEs, just go in with open eyes vs the BMW schools.

I went to a 1 day AMG school a few years back, and in terms of track learning, every HPDE I've attended blew it out of the water, but the AMG school was an experience I'll remember for a lifetime, including an opportunity to meet a relatively famous racer at the local bar after the event.

[E30M3Driver]

Originally Posted by orionredwing

On the plus side, in the M-School, you get to experience a WIDER range of activities, not only by driving the M3, M5, M6, but participating in wet skid pad exercises, an autocross experience, as well as a half-track. So you get to experience a wide range of things, but it's not enough time to feel comfortable. I have to admit, I greatly enjoyed the wet skid pad exercise, as learning how to drift was so cool.

Very good points.

Most CCA chapters also offer a Car Control Clinic which will offer a variety of M-school type activities like dry and wet skidpads, slaloms, threshold/ABS braking, high speed lane changes, etc.

Most CCA chapters also offer autox events and autox schools to work in experience with this as well.

Many CCA schools are held on famous and/or fun tracks and deliver alot of seat time between your sessions and riding with your instructor(s).

I am a CCA instructor and a car control clinic coordinator so I am a bit biased, but I believe you can get extensive, high quality and personalized experience through the CCA and it is very cost effective.

That being said, for me the big draw to the M-school was being able to drive the latest and greatest M-cars - I had a blast driving and sliding an M5 even though I would never buy one.

So if your priority is learning to drive better, I wholeheartedly recommend BMW CCA events. If you want to drive the latest M-cars in a sporting fashion, then the M-school is perfect for that.