BMW's Corporate Performance Drive
The BMW Performance Center West offers a full complement of performance driving courses. The BMW Performance Center West is relatively new, opening in early 2015.
On display was the all-electric BMW i3, which has a 114-mile range on a full charge. The BMW i3 allows the driver to select the car energy consumption level through three different drive modes.
In addition to track time, the BMW event also included a two-hour drive up windy mountain roads to the town of Wrightwood, which sits at a 6,000-ft. elevation in the Angeles National Forest.
BMW M5 models lineup at the start of a ride-and-drive event into the mountains north of Palm Springs. The event started at the BMW Performance Driving Center West, a 30-acre site with paddock, track, and a 1.6-mile course.
In addition to managing the various racing competitions, the driving instructors at the BMW Performance Center West were available to take fleet attendees for white-knuckle-hot laps in a BMW M5.
Attending from ARI were (L to R), Anthony Foursha, VP of sales; Rick Deeck, senior VP of marketing; and Partha Ghosh,
director, North American vehicle supply chain.
The BMW EfficentDriving Experience featured timed driving competitions and skidpad racing in both BMW and MINI models. The Thermal Race Course is divided into three circuits, featuring high-speed carousels and corkscrew turns.
The BMW Performance Center West is adjacent to the Thermal Club, which is a five-mile private race course. Its banked corners and straightaways allow for full-throttle acceleration driving a BMW M5 with attendees hitting speeds north of 120 mph.
Clem Ciufo (L), corporate sales manager for BMW North America, poses for a photo with Rick Smith, manager of operations/ vehicle acquisition & upfitting for LeasePlan USA.
Among the event participants were Neil Carter (L), fleet administrator for Beckman Coulter, and Travis Mjolsnes, director of strategic client services for Element Fleet Management.