[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Continues Annual “Ultimate Driving Experience” in Expanded List of U.S. Cities for 2021.

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• 2021 program features full brand immersion experience, including professional instruction on closed courses, local street drives, static vehicle displays and other guided demonstrations.
• The first-ever, all-electric BMW i4 and BMW iX will be on display in select cities, allowing visitors a first look at the innovative technology, premium and sustainable design appointments, and next-generation eDrive powertrains that BMW’s Ultimate Electric Driving Machines have to offer.
• BMW continues to follow all CDC and local health guidance in each city the Ultimate Driving Experience visits, ensuring a safe experience for all participants.

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – June 16, 2021… BMW continues its Ultimate Driving Experience tour across the U.S. for 2021, safely welcoming BMW customers, enthusiasts and fans back for an immersive and exciting BMW driving experience. This year’s tour has expanded to 22 total stops across the U.S., featuring a variety of different experiences in a wide array of BMW vehicles. This year’s Ultimate Driving Experience also offers the opportunity for visitors to see the first-ever, all-electric BMW i4 and BMW iX for the very first time in select tour stops.

Visitors will enjoy the following at this year’s Ultimate Driving Experience:

Autocross: an exciting driving session with professional instructors that highlights BMW performance driving dynamics, advanced technology and innovative safety features on a challenging course. (Ages 18+)
Street Drives: visitors can experience a variety of BMW vehicles during test drives on local roads, including the all-electric MINI Cooper SE in select tour stops. (Ages 25+)
PHEV Experience: a pulse-elevating experience that compares a BMW plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with its core model counterpart and showing how BMW’s legendary vehicle dynamics are preserved. (Ages 18+)
M Car Control Clinic: a half-day educational track driving program for visitors who are interested in learning even more about the capabilities of BMW’s latest M models (Ages 25+, $250)
Display Vehicles: new for 2021, visitors will be treated to a static display of BMW’s latest and greatest products, including the all new M3, M4 and M4 Convertible, M5 CS, and – in select markets – the all-electric i4 and iX.

BMW will continue to ensure the health and safety of all Ultimate Driving Experience visitors by maintaining extensive sanitization and social distancing where applicable, successfully implemented in 2020’s tour. This includes, but is not limited to, contactless registration and check in, vehicle sanitization between each drive, smaller group sizes and distribution of PPE as necessary.

The full BMW Ultimate Driving Experience schedule for the balance of 2021, as well as more program information, can be found on the official BMW UDE website. The next major tour stop will take place in Philadelphia, PA from June 17 – 20, 2021 at Citizens Bank Park. Further tour stops this year include Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, New York City and many more.

More information on the full experience programming, tour dates and health/safety protocols is available at driving.bmwusa.com.

[themnmd]

Cool!
FYI. https://ude.bmwusa.com/

[dwj6211]

I highly recommend these to anyone. Had an amazing time…. AND you get an OL code for 1k credit on a new car shortly after!

[MachinesWithSouls]

I had a great time, as always, and wrote a review on the 440i, which was overall a great car

https://machineswithsouls.com/2021/0...xdrive-review/

[unfoundnemo]

We're already into the 8th event for the year... attendance must be pretty poor if they're putting out another press release now. Looks like auto-x is booked in Philly for the weekend (I happen to be goin on Sunday), but yesterday and today were/are wide open.

[Phillymb75]

glad I saw this, just signed up for the 3:30 slot today!

[The_M_Way]

I hit up the autocross in Philly yesterday. Got 3 runs on the autocross course (about 3 laps each). They also had a separate area for some drag runs with 330i vs 330e and X3 30i vs X3 hybrid. The hybrids were clearly quicker off the line in those. The iX was on display as well as a new M3. The test drives included an X7m50i and some m850is and various other cars.

[TAZ007]

Originally Posted by Phillymb75

glad I saw this, just signed up for the 3:30 slot today!

Just requested the notify for Houston when it becomes active.

[unfoundnemo]

What's this dude doing? Cool picture of the car, and good to know BMW wants me to throw my phone in my face at speed?

[tankertoad]

Originally Posted by unfoundnemo

What's this dude doing? Cool picture of the car, and good to know BMW wants me to throw my phone in my face at speed?

It looks like there is a passenger.

[Germanauto]

Late 2019 in LA the event was magnificent. Autocrossed the M340, drag raced the M850, and did street drives in the M2C, Z4, and M4.

But last year in San Diego, aside from M340 autocross, the event was underwhelming. Only their SUVs and the FWD 2er were available for street drives. I just brushed it off as being due to the location.

How are the street drives this year? Are "real" BMWs like the M2, 3-series, M5 etc available for test drive? Or is it the grocery getters again?

[Jetrik]

I did this both at MetLife and Gillette stadiums this year and it was awesome. In addition to the Autocross event, I did some drag races, emergency braking and lane changes, and test drove the M850i convertible, X7 M50i, and M340i. I was sold after hearing that wonderful exhaust of the M850i! Well, I didn't actually buy it as I recently picked up a new M50i. Not quite in the position to pull double duty just yet…

[NYC_340i]

My friends and I have a tradition of going to these every year and we have been doing these for the past 4 years or so.

This year I did the UDE in Long Island, Metlife in NJ and the Citizens Bank in Philly and it's a really fun way to spend a morning. It's been the same formula every year with the autocross, street drives, a few cars to look at, and a special activity (it was an xDrive experience for a while and is now the PHEV experience).

I feel like there is a good mix of people who go to these for the first time who are non-bmw owners along with bmw owners who are regulars to these events. I pretty much am familiar with most of the staff that work in these events and they sometimes recognize me and they love seeing people come back year after year.

I believe BMW is going a great job with these events and their shift in marketing strategies. Getting people more hands on experience and driver's seat time in these cars really make a big impact in persuading people to spend money and get them into a BMW. It really makes sense how BMW stopped participating in autoshows to instead focus more on hands on experiences.

[-EndOfAnEra-]

Great to see it back, but very disappointed it's no longer in Cleveland. It was the RWD M340i autocross that convinced me to get it over the Drive on the basis of better balance. No way I would have found that out without the UDE in snow country!

[Arcades]

Hey, think I recognize one of the driving instructors.

[Phillymb75]

The event was ok, I'll admit it was not near as fun as doing the performance delivery for my M240 last summer.

They broke us up into three groups of about 12 people. You got to do three runs, three laps in the first two, then two laps in the third. I felt like I had to stop just as I was getting to know the car. At pdc I probably did 20-30 laps.

I did like the diversity of the people. A lot of different types of cars in the parking lot, probably 50/50 bmw's, it was nice to see them bringing new people to the brand.

I looked into doing test drives, there was only one car that peaked my interest, a M850 gran coupe. Unfortunately there were 15 people signed up ahead of me. I put my name down for the X7 since there were only five people ahead of me...I left after 45 minutes of waiting and they texted me after I had gotten home and cracked open a beer...

[Dillinger]

Can anyone confirm do you get a credit towards a future BMW purchase after you complete the event?

[pablomail1]

The first time I registered and did this in NJ in 2019 it was a long but great day. Had a lot of fun. Then 2020 came and I understand the whole COVID thing but it was horrible, unorganized, I would think twice before returning. They overbooked it, then a small drizzle of rain came in and they told people to go in the cars and wait followed by now you have to re register, followed by sorry there's no more room today.. Why couldn't they just tell people from the beginning "subject to weather" or cancel it the day prior or simply send one of those automated emails like the ones we get all the time to announce they won't go out if weather is not perfect (we have pretty amazing weather services today) we drove almost 2 hours from LI to get there and be treated like that. Whoever is in charge of this events need to get their act together and have a little more consideration for current/future customers. I own a BMW and went there with 2 friends looking at new cars to buy and after this they went to other brands and avoided BMW altogether.

[pablomail1]

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Can anyone confirm do you get a credit towards a future BMW purchase after you complete the event?

Definitely not

[NOSNOW]

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Can anyone confirm do you get a credit towards a future BMW purchase after you complete the event?

After I attended the one in MN they sent a e-mail with a credit on a future BMW purchase.

[Brendan///M]

Originally Posted by NOSNOW

After I attended the one in MN they sent a e-mail with a credit on a future BMW purchase.

Does this have a unique code for you or is it a generic OL code that anyone can mention? Ultimate Driving Event will not hit my area in SoCal until September, and I have to order a car by the end of August. Does the fine print prohibit use on already ordered cars, or do you think it can be redeemed anytime before the car arrives / taking delivery?

[NOSNOW]

Originally Posted by BrendanM

Does this have a unique code for you or is it a generic OL code that anyone can mention? Ultimate Driving Event will not hit my area in SoCal until September, and I have to order a car by the end of August. Does the fine print prohibit use on already ordered cars, or do you think it can be redeemed anytime before the car arrives / taking delivery?

The code is not generic, and the fine print does prohibit use on already ordered cars, so I can't use it either. Of course I have no hope of every getting my car as it's been in QC for 6 weeks.