The track at the BMW Performance Center near Spartanburg, South CarolinaBMWBuyers of performance and luxury cars invest a lot in the decision: Watching videos and reading reviews from experts; asking friends about their cars; touring dealership showrooms and test driving the models they're interested in.None of that, however, stands close to the truest experience: Spending a day behind the wheel on a track.Recognizing this and eager to immerse owners and fans in the BMW lifestyle, or better yet, to fall in love with the brand's performance cars, the company built its test track into the ultimate test drive. At BMW Performance Driving Schools in Spartanburg, South Carolina, next to its assembly plant, and in Thermal, California near Palm Springs, drivers can try on a BMW for the day.Drive Experiences Designed For All Drivers, Novice To ProBMW's Performance Driving Schools have evolved into multi-level learning opportunities where new drivers, teen drivers, new BMW owners and experienced, even pro-level drivers, can build their skills. This is in addition to more than 20 drive experiences that take place around the country, from free test drives and auto cross events to M Track Days at select race tracks.To find out what the BMW experience entails, we traveled to the company's Spartanburg campus to attend a half-day class and get a feel for a number of different models on the company's test track, the same facility where BMW's engineers test cars in development.For our first time at the BMW school, we participated in the New Owner's Track Drive, a half-day experience that is included with the purchase of a BMW and that allows owners to bring along a guest. But that's just the start; the company offers a full menu of classes, starting with the basics and and increasing in skill and rigor, allowing drivers to increase their skills, from novice to pro-driver level. Sessions start at about $350 and increase to several thousand dollars for multi-day higher level courses.The BMW Performance Center near Spartanburg, South CarolinaDriving School Starts In The ClassroomOur day started with a classroom introduction to the BMW Performance Center, the classes offered and an overview of what we would learn that morning. Our instructor, Matt Mullins, chief driving instructor, BMW Performance Driving School, started with a surprising basic: how to properly set the driver's seat. It starts with setting the proper seat height for optimal visibility, then setting the distance from the pedals so there's a bend in the driver's knee. Then, adjusting the steering wheel with hands at 9 and 3 and a bend at the elbow, adjusting the seat back to meet the driver's shoulders and setting the side and rear view mirrors.Next, Mullins covered what we would need to know about the track: What the cones indicate, how to approach a curve and an apex, when to brake, when to accelerate. And then, he shared what our drive time would entail: We would split up into groups of 10, two people per car, and rotate through six models: Five performance models on a handling course and an SUV on the off-road course.To become familiar with the handling course, a mile-plus road course, Mullins took us out for a lead-follow lap; he communicated with us via walkie-talkies in each car. Then, we each took turns on the course alone, Mullins watching and coaching as we drove. Between laps, those who were attending with a co-driver swapped drivers, while those who brought a friend, spouse or child to ride along for the day got extra laps.Heading out on the handling course in the BMW Z4Learning To Drive a BMW As It Was Designed To Be DrivenFinally, it was time to hop into the cars and get a feel for each on the track. And a funny thing happens: All those things you just learned, all those notes you took, instantly fly out of your mind as you look at the steering wheel and controls in front of you.Mullins, on the walkie-talkie, coaches each driver to put the car in gear—not all gear selectors are the same—and anything else they need to do to prepare for the drive. He reminds everyone to set their seats and tells the i4 driver to power on the car since it powers off when a driver puts it in park and exits the car; the rest of the cars are powered on and warmed up for the drive. Then, we head out on the familiarization lap.The track looks quite different from the driver's seat comparet to the images we saw during the classroom discussion. Here it looks flat and vast. It's hard to know which way to turn and even more difficult to imagine driving fast. During the first lap Mullins allays those fears as drivers start to piece together what he said in the classroom: the cones, the curves, the red and white painted apex curbs, all starting to resemble the photos we'd seen.And then, it's time to solo.Our group on the handing course at the BMW Performance CenterRotating Through Each Car Lets You Form An OpinionEach BMW model we drove, the M4, i4, M5, M2 and Z4 delivered a different experience. Taking each out for two laps then switching to the next model let us feel the difference that the wheel base, power, and sport handling can make. The M4 felt very natural for a sports car, its shorter wheel base feeling very planted on the road and its steering and suspension precise at every turn.The M2, though, felt much more like a true sports car thanks to its smaller size yet powerful engine, the same engine that powers the M4. The Z4, a convertible, was driven with the top down, giving it a much more relaxed feeling, though still pretty thrilling. The M5, with its larger engine and longer wheel base, was a bit of a surprise for how agile a car this large can be.But the real surprise was the i4: An EV, it delivers more instant torque and power and can take a driver a bit by surprise. That split-second-faster performance can happen before you know what's going on. However, it's not just fast in its acceleration; BMW engineered its handling to respond quickly too, so it felt responsive and in command, its drive dynamics matching its speed.The off-road course shows that BMW's SUVs are very capableTaking the BMW X5 Off-RoadAnother surprise was the off-road course. BMW added this to demonstrate the capability of its xDrive vehicles, all-wheel-drive systems paired with drive modes, tires and under-body protection. These system allow for BMW's SUVs to entertain some pretty rugged conditions, but the real goal is to ensure that drivers can confidently tackle those more mundane challenges, from snow storms to gravel trails to steep, rainy roads.Our course took us, lead-follow style with Mullins on the walkie-talkie, down a dirt trail and over obstacles. The first obstacle demonstrated articulation, letting driver and passenger feel what its like to let the traction system maintain wheel grip even with a wheel, or two, off the ground. We crawled over a hill of rocks and descended the other side, rounded a hill with a 30-degree angle that lifted one side of the X5 higher than the other, and plowed through a two-foot-deep creek. Mullins, coaching us through each obstacle, offered advice that helped us gain confidence while teaching us about the function and capability of the SUVs, including the importance of taking it slow, especially through water, which can lead to engine damage from driving too fast.Driving BMW's performance cars on the company's track is a special experienceReasons to Return: Skills, Thrills And Pick Up Your New BMWAfter our track drives we returned to the classroom where Mullins answered everyone's questions. People wanted to know about the drive modes, how different systems functioned and more about the i4: most in our group were surprised by how much they liked the way it drove.Mullins also discussed what we should all think about next: more comprehensive classes with time on the skid pad and auto cross to learn more about handling; M Driving School, M Track Days and social events that bring BMW fans together.The ultimate experience, though, might be the factory delivery program, a free service that offers buyers the opportunity to have their BMW delivered to the Spartanburg facility. There, it's put into a private delivery bay for an introduction session with an expert. Buyers are invited to bring guests and get a personalized tour of the car, its systems and functions before they drive it for the first time. Since their purchase also includes a driving session, most who choose the delivery program also spend time on the track that day, too.And that might be the winningest strategy BMW has come up with yet. Buyers who choose factory delivery are often repeat customers and typically engage their own friends and family in the BMW lifestyle, bringing them along for the reveal and time on the track. And it starts another customer down the path of considering adding a BMW to their driveway, making that decision all the easier.