Just outside of Palm Springs, the BMW Performance Center West at Thermal is a haven for car enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike. Offering a range of driving experiences, from adrenaline-packed M School sessions to skill-building driving courses, this state-of-the-art facility invites drivers to push the latest BMW models to their limits—all under the expert guidance of professional instructors. With private driving courses, luxurious amenities, and a stunning desert backdrop, the Performance Center is the perfect destination for anyone looking to combine high-speed excitement with a touch of luxury.
BMW Complimentary New Owners Track Drive
After purchasing your new BMW, you’ll soon receive an email congratulating you on acquiring your "ultimate driving machine," along with an invitation for a complimentary new owners’ track drive at a BMW Performance Center. The experience is described as an opportunity to "explore the limits of a variety of BMWs, both on- and off-road." It sounded thrilling enough to me, so I wasted no time in calling the hotline and scheduling my track day. Even better, drivers are allowed to bring along one guest to share in the excitement—free of charge.
My 2024 BMW M2
For some quick context—I bought a 2024 BMW M2 in November 2023 and took delivery in early February 2024. I’ll be writing a full post diving into my experience with the M2, but to keep it brief: it’s one of the most thrilling, exhilarating cars I’ve ever driven. Naturally, I was beyond excited to take some M cars out on the track and see just how far they could be pushed.
Arriving at the BMW Performance Center
Seemingly isolated in the middle of the desert, the BMW Performance Driving Center appears like an unexpected oasis. Pull into the parking lot, and you’re instantly welcomed into a petrolhead’s dream—countless BMWs lined up, waiting for you to put them through their paces. For those with a different kind of thrill in mind, there’s also a Mini Cooper driving school at the center, perfect for anyone craving an Italian Job-style experience.
Enter the building and sign in at the front desk. Grab a much-needed coffee from the bar—essential after the early wake-up required to make it here by 8 a.m.—and maybe a snack while the anticipation builds. Once everyone has checked in, you'll meet your two instructors and be split into two groups of eight people—four cars per group. One group heads for the advertised on-track experience, while the other takes to the off-road course, switching later to make sure everyone gets a taste of both.
Off-Track
The off-track experience starts with choosing a BMW X7 M60i—essentially a choice based on whichever color you find most appealing. After that, you take a brief on-road drive over to the off-road section where the experience takes place. Each vehicle is equipped with a radio, though it’s strictly for the instructor’s use to provide, well, instructions. Once you've taken a few moments to get familiar with the vehicle’s controls, you’re off. The off-road experience itself—if it can even be called that—consists mainly of driving over a few bumps, curbs, and small hills, each driver taking a turn which lasted about 10 minutes per driver. To be honest, it was pretty unexciting. I’m glad we started with this, because if we had ended the day here, it would have felt like a bit of a letdown.
On-Track
Now we begin the part we all came here for: the track portion of the experience. Ahead lies a compact but thrillingly twisty course—just enough to push these BMWs to their limits. Though not the largest track, it delivers on excitement, with sharp turns, sudden accelerations, and the kind of controlled chaos that keeps your adrenaline pumping.
For this "New Owners Track Drive"—which, as the instructors put it, was meant to "give you a taste"—that description was entirely accurate. We only got to drive on a smaller section of what was already a compact track, leaving us wanting more of the full experience – which seems to be the exact purpose of this experience is to get you to fork over some cold hard cash for the full day lessons - but I digress.
Lined up for us were five different cars to take around the track—an M240i, M2, M4 Competition, X3 M Competition, and X6 M Competition. The track rules were straightforward: each driver got five laps around the designated section, which included a straightaway, a hard braking zone, a short slalom, and then back to the straight. After everyone had their turn in a car, the groups would switch to the next one, repeating the process until we had driven all five.
Even though the track was short, it was nothing short of exhilarating. It’s hard not to have fun when you’re pushing performance vehicles to their limits. We were grinning from ear to ear, giggling like school kids the entire time. The opportunity to drive each of the five cars back-to-back was incredible, allowing us to feel the distinct personalities of each—differences that were as clear as day. The biggest surprise for me was the X6 M Competition. Its large, almost awkward crossover body initially threw me off, but the S63 engine—a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 with 547 horsepower—made it an absolute thrill, the kind that leaves you buzzing. The M4 Competition, though, was the undeniable standout on the track. With xDrive putting all 523 horsepower from the S58 engine to the ground, it took corners effortlessly, its bold front grilles slicing through each turn with precision. By the time we had cycled through all the cars, we were all feeling a bit queasy—an adrenaline overdose—so a short break was definitely in order.
The final thrill of the day was a chauffeured ride – the best kind of chauffer – with the instructors in a pair of M3 Competitions. Thankfully, this time we got to experience the full track—not just the small section we’d been on earlier. We climbed into the maroon M3, and we were off. Barreling down the straight at over 130 mph, the instructor hit the brakes, and it felt like our eyes might pop out of their sockets. The way we were tossed through the tight corners was astonishing—the sheer power of the brakes, the precision with which the car could change direction. It left me wanting to get even more lessons, just to push my own car that much harder. Our instructor clearly enjoyed putting on a show, drifting through the final two corners before returning to the pit lane, where we exited the car with unsteady legs and tried to regain our balance. It was, without question, the perfect way to cap off an unforgettable day.
Final Thoughts
All in all, the BMW Performance Driving Center experience was an absolute blast. From the thrill of pushing M cars to their limits on the track to the lighthearted antics of drifting corners with the instructors, it was a day filled with excitement, learning, and just pure fun. Even the less thrilling moments—like the off-road course—added their own charm to the overall adventure. Getting to feel the power, precision, and engineering of these vehicles firsthand reminded me why BMW calls them "the ultimate driving machines." It’s an experience I’d recommend to any BMW owner or enthusiast—there's simply nothing quite like the feeling of being on a track, foot to the floor, with all that power at your command.