A Luxurious Experience

Only about 20 BMW owners were fortunate enough to participate in this event, known as "The M Experience." The extent of this good fortune becomes immediately clear when you learn about the event's program.



The event was held at Suzuka Circuit, and not just a short course like the East or West Course, but the full 5.8km circuit was booked for half a day – an incredibly luxurious arrangement.



The core program consisted of three parts. The first was a taxi ride with a racing driver. To make matters even more enticing for BMW fans, the drivers were Nobuteru Taniguchi and Tatsuya Kataoka, who compete in SUPER GT driving the "No. 4 GSR Hatsune Miku BMW."

Furthermore, as the event took place the day after the fifth round of SUPER GT at Suzuka Circuit, Jorg Muller, a BMW works driver who made a spot appearance in this race, also volunteered as a driver. And the "taxis" they piloted were the "M6 Gran Coupé," another incredibly luxurious choice. While it was a matter of luck which driver you got, on this day, participants could ride with two out of the three.



The second part of the event involved test drives of the M6, with three types available: Gran Coupé, Coupé, and Cabriolet. Come to think of it, the M6 is the only M model series offered in different body types, positioned as the flagship. To be able to thoroughly experience the differences in driving feel on the Suzuka Circuit, the very stage for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, was undoubtedly another luxury.



The third part was a test drive of three models: the "M5," "X5 M," and "X6 M." While using the M5, the core of the M models, as a reference, tackling Suzuka Circuit in the extremely powerful SUVs (which BMW calls SAVs – Sports Activity Vehicles) like the X5 M and X6 M was a truly luxurious and sophisticated experience.

Experiencing Entertainment and Masterful Driving

Regarding the impressions of each part, the taxi ride in the first segment was an "in-your-face" demonstration of the M models' high performance. After all, active racing drivers were pushing the M models to their limits. The cornering speeds, acceleration, and braking intensity were so tremendous that anyone with little experience would have felt sheer terror.


Incidentally, I had the pleasure of riding with both Kataoka and Taniguchi. Kataoka, like a true professional racer, drove with meticulous care, fully utilizing the car's traction and maintaining a speed just before the tires began to slide through the corners. In contrast, Taniguchi, midway through the session, asked, "Shall we turn off the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control)?" and then proceeded to drift through hairpin and spoon corners alike, disregarding the electronic aids.

Tatsuya Otani riding with Taniguchi in the M6

Of the two distinct driving styles, Kataoka's, which focused on moving the car forward efficiently, achieved the faster lap times. Of course, Taniguchi could also drive in a similar manner, and during actual races, he undoubtedly drives like Kataoka. Nevertheless, Taniguchi's drifting was to entertain us guests.



On the other hand, those with a discerning eye for true driving skill would have been captivated by Kataoka's delicate control. At first glance, it seemed effortless, but his precise control of the steering, throttle, and brakes, down to the millimeter, or even the tenth of a millimeter, sensing the contact between the tires and the road, was breathtakingly brilliant.



His intensely suspenseful driving could be compared to a pitcher's duel in baseball, where every run is crucial. Taniguchi's flamboyant drifting, on the other hand, would be akin to a slugfest in baseball, with home runs flying out one after another.

SUVs from M Models That Perform Confidently on the Circuit

In the second part, a comparative test drive of the M6, we drove the Cabriolet, Coupé, and Gran Coupé in that order. The Cabriolet surprised us with its incredible body rigidity, despite being a convertible. The Coupé impressed us with its remarkably low road noise compared to the Cabriolet, and the Gran Coupé offered a smooth ride thanks to its longer wheelbase, 115mm more than the Coupé and Cabriolet. In any case, the sight of these cars, weighing nearly two tons, effortlessly navigating Suzuka's S-curves and chicanes was nothing short of spectacular.

Yet, they cleared the high-speed 130R corner with a stable form and reached 200 km/h at the end of the straight, demonstrating impressive power. Naturally, the luxurious interior lived up to the name of BMW's top-tier coupé. Coupé models that satisfy such diverse criteria at a high level are rare indeed.



We initially thought the X5 M and X6 M, which we test-drove last, might be unsuited for Suzuka Circuit. However, to our surprise, their body roll was well-controlled during cornering, making them agile in direction changes and stable even in high-speed corners.

Our colleague A from the OPENERS editorial department remarked, "Wow, surprisingly, the X6 M might have been the easiest to drive..." This was likely due to the high seating position providing excellent visibility, which aided driving on Suzuka's many blind corners. Even in a sports model, good visibility of your surroundings is crucial.

The Truly Fortunate Participants Were Blessed with Another Opportunity

Thus, "The M Experience" provided us with various experiences unattainable on public roads. But who were the people fortunate enough to participate in this event?



They were invited to "The M Experience" as a benefit for purchasing an M model at an authorized BMW dealer nationwide in March of this year. It wasn't a lottery; everyone who purchased an M model during the period received this valuable opportunity without fail. Therefore, their good fortune was not just in participating in "The M Experience," but they were also blessed with the good fortune of acquiring an exceptionally high-performance M model.