Need some help with M5 driving experience

TonyS555 · 29th April 2002, 16:17

My wife and I are taking the driving experience May 2nd (Thursday) in SC.
After reading Atomic80’s great post about his experience, my wife has a few doubts concerning her ability to keep up.
Has anyone else brought their significant other?
My wife drives a stick infrequently, as her normal mode of transportation is a minivan. My wife and I are taking the driving experience May 2nd (Thursday) in SC.
After reading Atomic80’s great post about his experience, my wife has a few doubts concerning her ability to keep up.
Has anyone else brought their significant other?
My wife drives a stick infrequently, as her normal mode of transportation is a minivan.
She drives our M3 Cabrio on occasion, and took the Beast out this weekend and acquitted herself nicely.
She just doesn’t want to “push” things. Know what I mean?
So here are her questions:

Do any other wives (or girlfriends) attend these things?
Will she be looked at as a “weak link” due to her inexperience?
Are jeans (or shorts) ok? (I’m sorry – she made me ask)
And a couple of questions of my own:
What happens if it rains both days? I’m guessing the instruction doesn’t change much.
Is anyone else going to the DE this Thursday?

Thanks for all of your help.

PS: Installed V19 Nav software – much faster!

Tony
01 M5 Carbon Black
01 M3 Cabrio Imola Red
01 X5 4.4 Jet black
02 Mini Cooper S Dark Silver (May 19 build)
Some minivan

atomic80 · 29th April 2002, 16:31

Tony,

Although there was only one couple in our group (B), the other group had quite a number of couples. Your wife won't have to worry about being the "weak link" since we were supposed to be driving conservatively! We just happened to find ourselves driving a bit more aggressively than we should have. Tell your wife not to worry. I have heard of the instructors taking someone aside to teach them how to improve their stickshift techniques. Those guys LOVE to drive and to teach so you both will be in good hands. Be sure to tell Donnie, Lonnie, Jim, Larry, Tom Strahs and Rodney (at the hotel) that Jason said hi!

Jeans and shorts will be just fine. I wore shorts on the first day (M5 portion) and pants on the second day (M roadster/coupe drive). You'll want to bring a warm jacket for those "impromptu" moments. We did get some rain but it happened overnight so we were fine on both days. I don't foresee a problem either if it does rain. The M5 is a magnificent machine both in wet and dry conditions! You'll have a blast!

greg · 29th April 2002, 16:37

It is a non-competitive event. When I was there, my group was the one who toured the 1st day and went out on the track the second. There was a woman who could not stop complaining during the tour - she only wanted to know where and when she could shop. She wasn't looking forward to the driving either.

After a few exercises in the car she went through some sort of metamorphosis. By the end of the day she was a rabid M5 fan, wanted more seat time, and embarrassed several of the men with her time through the slalom. SO - tell your wife not to worry and to keep an open mind. She wont be holding anyone up, she will learn some valuable skills that might save her life one day, she WILL have fun, and she might end up kickin' some proud male butt.. The instructors say it happens all the time.

Enjoy!

TonyS555 · 29th April 2002, 16:38

jason,
Thanks for the advice!
My wife will feel much better about this.
Now if I can just get her to take the M5 down from Ohio.
She wants to take the X5 so we can go plant shopping on the way home....

Thanks again!

atomic80 · 29th April 2002, 16:47

Tony,

Greg summed it up very well also.

I would suggest taking the X5 down instead. After you're done with the M5 portion, you WILL want to try doing some of the things that you learned and that could be a bad thing for your poor unsuspecting M5.

One of the things that the instructors repeatedly emphasized was the fact that these M5's were all "N.Y.C." (Not Your Car) meaning that they wanted us to flog them out!