BMW X5, BMW X6 Plant to Offer Ultimate BMW Experience
Manufacturer-backed driving schools and factory tours are nothing new in the automotive industry, but BMW will begin a combination of the two by offering its all-new Ultimate BMW Experience for just $99 per person. Following the announcement yesterday that BMW will be starting up a highly customizable ordering process for the 2011 BMW X3, the automaker is looking to further entice prospective buyers (or just enthusiasts) by lumping a factory tour of the Spartanburg, S.C. assembly plant together with a museum tour and a driving experience at the Performance Center driving school.
Factory and museum tours are much cheaper than $99, but BMW's inclusion of a driving portion should definitely help to bridge the gap between the current BMW factory tour that costs just $7 and the full driving school that starts at $650. The highlight of the Ultimate BMW Experience is definitely the driving part of the experience, and it consists of a two-hour driving program at the facility's test track with a BMW driving instructor. It's not clear which vehicles will be used for the drive portion or what skills will be taught, but it is likely to touch on different skill sets taught in the more expensive programs including low- and high-speed driving exercises.
If driving a BMW around a track for two hours isn't already worth $99, the Ultimate BMW Experience also includes a guided tour of the assembly plant that builds the BMW X5 sport activity vehicle and BMW X6 sport activity coupe. Making this part of the experience even better, it sounds like BMW has expanded its usual tour to include more of the plant including parts that have been off limits in the past including the paint shop. The plant tours will provide a concierge which will allow for highly customizable tailored tours that could include event speakers, catered meals and parties (the ultimate wedding reception for true BMW fans!). The Spartanburg assembly plant opened in 1994, and in addition to the X5 and X6, it has built the BMW Z3 and BMW Z4. Last year, the plant began building the performance-tuned X5 M and the X6 M, but it also makes fuel-efficient products like the diesel-powered X5 xDrive35d and BMW's first-ever hybrid-electric vehicle, the ActiveHybrid X6.
"From extraordinary driving programs to guided tours into previously restricted areas of the plant all planned by a personal concierge, The Ultimate BMW Experience transcends a traditional interaction by engaging visitors and revealing the sheer driving pleasure of a BMW," said Bobby Hitt, Department Manager, Corporate Affairs at BMW Manufacturing.
As a finishing touch to the Ultimate BMW Experience, visitors will still be able to tour the Zentrum museum which is a part of the manufacturing plant. The spiral-shaped museum features an elegant design from the gill-like windows to the sloping roof. The vast window space on the outside of the museum helps create plenty of light inside for the multitude of exhibits that include former production cars like the iconic Isetta micorcar, race cars and even motorcycles. The Zentrum museum already sees more than 50,000 visitors per year, but the Ultimate BMW Experience should definitely help increase traffic.
BMW says that it will initially only offer the experience to a limited number of participants on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but in the future, the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience could be expanded and customizable (likely dependant on the budget) to include even more excitement like custom drive routes through surrounding Upstate South Carolina, rare vehicle demonstrations and even exclusive culinary events. For more information about the all-new Ultimate BMW Experience, just call 1-877-9BMW-EXP (926-9397) or email bmwexperience@salessupport.com. Located just off of Interstate 85, BMW Manufacturing Co. Spartanburg is about two hours from Charlotte, N.C. and about 2.5 hours from Atlanta, Ga.