BMW has long referred to its cars as ‘The Ultimate Driving Machines’, and while the company has diversified into numerous genres one wouldn’t typically consider drivers’ cars, it has never let up in the development of its M models. BMW M remains one of the most highly regarded performance sub-brands in the world, and now anyone can sample some of the very latest BMW M models right here in Ireland, at Mondello Park in Co. Kildare.
The new ‘BMW Driving Experience Powered by M’ gives enthusiasts the chance to exploit the power and performance of both the BMW M2 and BMW M4 on the Mondello Park circuit. Leaving the restrictions of speed limits and other road users behind is reason alone to enjoy pushing these cars that bit harder, safe in the knowledge that your surroundings are significantly more suited to the task that public road ever will be. It also helps that you have a very experienced instructor sitting shotgun the whole time.
There are different options to choose from depending on whether you want to drive the M2, M4, or both. After all, why should you have to choose? In any case, for the uninitiated, the day starts off with the obligatory safety briefing before you head down to the track.
Before you jump straight into the M cars, you first take to Mondello’s National Circuit in a MINI Cooper S to help get you more familiar with the layout and the right lines to use. If you’ve never driven on the track before these additional laps in a less powerful car make all the difference. Mondello Park has a good mix of turns on the National circuit, and knowing how to take them from your time in the MINI will make driving them in the BMWs that bit more enjoyable. In all, we covered three introductory laps before pulling back into pit lane. It’s important to remember that the instructors are there to not only make sure you stay safe, but also to ensure that you get the most from the experience. Any advice they impart on you is to make it better for you overall.
We then jump into the M2 and buckle up. Even trundling down the pit lane, you can instantly tell that this is a very different car to the MINI Cooper S. The deep burble from the turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine is instantly intoxicating. Plant the throttle at the pit exit and the M2 surges towards Turn One. Rounding the 180-degree corner sees you dart to the opposite side of the track before the turn out into the country. This is where you first get to properly open up the M2. It puts its power down extraordinarily well, even before the tyres get fully up to temperature.
That first full run down the straight gives you a real appreciation for just how wonderful the BMW M2 is. Thankfully, its compact size makes it so easy to place in a corner, yet it still makes that 370hp feel truly impressive. The five laps as part of the (€299) Ultimate Experience we tried ended quickly, but in fairness, we could easily have done another ten, such was the fun we were having in the M2.
With sufficient levels of adrenalin now in the system, it was time to move up to the BMW M4 Coupe. Just like the M2, this has bulging arches, quad tailpipes and a menacing look up front that includes a power dome bonnet. Thumbing the starter button summons the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six into life. You immediately get a sense that things have moved up a notch. With the M4 you have 431hp under your foot and an even more useful 550Nm of torque. It feels like a much larger car, too, and as you give it that first squirt of power leaving the pit lane, you’re under no illusions as to its potency.
Having first gone out in the M2, the M4 isn’t quite as daunting for someone who hasn’t had much experience with such cars. Jumping straight into the M4 from the MINI might be slightly overwhelming to some. There are three parts of the lap where you can use full power in the M4, although, aside from the main straight, you cover these sections rapidly. The traction control noticeably has to intervene much more as the M4 tries to lay down its power.
Down the straight, you get a good kick with each upshift. While not a great deal of power separates this from the M2, the M4 feels, and is, a much more senior car. After a couple of laps, you learn the power delivery better and can start to explore more of the M4’s capabilities. It makes for a memorable experience, but like the M2, there never seems to be enough laps.
Personally, I found the M2 more enjoyable, but driving both is heaps of fun. If you’re an experienced track driver and already have a performance car you probably won’t get quite as much of a kick out of this, but overall, the BMW Driving Experience is a fun thing for the car enthusiast that has always wanted to drive something like an M4. Alternatively, it makes for a great gift for that person that seemingly has everything.
You can buy the various BMW Driving Experience packages through the Mondello Park website.
BMW M2 Coupe review
BMW M4 Coupe review
MINI Cooper S review