Devenir un expert petit à petit : «Découverte de la conduite» de BMW Group.

1. Devenir un expert petit à petit : «Découverte de la conduite» de BMW Group. 3 2. Responsabilité et sécurité, question de tradition : Historique du stage conduite depuis 1977. 5 3. Les stages conduite : 3.1 Stage conduite BMW. 11 3.2 Stage conduite MINI. 19 3.3 Stage conduite BMW Motorrad. 23 4. Encadrement idéal : Le centre de conduite de sécurité BMW. 28 5. Actif dans le monde entier au nom de la sécurité : Formation d'instructeur de haut niveau. 30 6. La société constructrice d'automobiles pour individualistes : BMW M GmbH. 32

In 1977 BMW became one of the first car makers in the world to offer customers
the opportunity to optimise their know-how at the wheel. Back then the entire
project started out as a "Driving School" using various models in the first BMW
3 Series. Today the BMW Group Driving Experience comprises not only BMW Driver
Training, but also MINI Driver Training and BMW Motorcycle Rider Training. The
fleet of vehicles has increased to more than 250 cars and 100 motorcycles for
all kinds of programmes and activities.

Some 1,000 training events take place each year in Germany alone, with
approximately 18,000 drivers and riders taking part. Since 1977 more than
200,000 participants have gained superior skills in training sessions on tracks
and circuits closed to the public, subsequently benefiting from these skills
through their greater confidence at the wheel and extra safety in
everyday traffic.

The BMW Group Driving Experience has therefore become a symbol for a wide range
of driver and rider courses benefiting all participants dedicated to the cause
- from the beginner all the way to the "old hand". The BMW Group Driving
Experience thus stands for systematic training based on the latest know-how in
driving skills and research, with individual, personalised support provided by
competent instructors.

Theory and practice for even greater driving pleasure.
Just like BMW Group cars and motorcycles, the driver and rider training
programmes are consistently improved and upgraded to an even higher standard.
Just one example is that thirty years ago, obviously, nobody even knew about
modern driver assistance systems helping the driver and rider master his or her
vehicle in superior style. Today, on the other hand, functions as significant
as the anti-lock brake system and Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) play a
significant role in the training schedule and the various areas of knowledge
covered.

Other fundamental features have remained unchanged throughout these three
decades. Accordingly, it has always been and still is the objective of every
training activity to ensure a good theoretical understanding and appreciation
of technical parameters and driving physics, to convert this theoretical
knowledge into practical exercises and, in this way, to ensure greater
supremacy in handling demanding situations at the wheel or on the saddle.

How does my seating position and the way I hold the steering wheel influence my
control of my car? Why do cars with front-wheel drive behave differently in
dynamic situations from cars with rear-wheel drive? How does the intelligent
shift of weight on a motorcycle affect my position in a bend? The participant
considering questions of this kind in theory and then implementing what he or
she has learnt in practice has everything it takes to recognise potential
hazards in everyday traffic and to avoid or master possible risks. And last but
not least, conscious and safe control of one's car or motorcycle also makes an
important contribution to sheer driving - or riding - pleasure.

Competent instructors passing on their skills and knowledge.
Thinking dynamically, driving better, arriving safely - it was in these simple
and convincing terms that professional rally driver Rauno Aaltonen from Finland
once defined the strategy of consistent driver training. He was the man who was
appointed the first Chief Instructor in BMW Driver Training by BMW Motorsport
GmbH back in January 1977. And today many of the more than 120 instructors -
among them routined test drivers, experienced engineers, and highly
knowledgeable vehicle development specialists - contribute not only their
technical and instructional skills, but also years of experience in motorsport
to BMW Group Driver Training.

Step-by-step towards greater superiority and safety.
The wide range of training sessions and courses offered considers not only the
participant's individual needs and requirements, but also all kinds of
different skills and levels of perfection already achieved or to be achieved.
From the start, the courses offered in BMW Group Driver Training have picked up
where the conventional driving school leaves off, extending all the way
to ambitious training on the race track enabling the participant to experience
his vehicle at the very extreme.

Proceeding from BMW Compact and BMW Advanced Training for drivers and riders,
as well as the MINI Starter Pack, the demands made of participants increase
from one course or level to the next. This offers the dedicated participant the
opportunity to complete a multi-level training programme extending from safe
control of his or her vehicle in everyday situations
all the way to the most sporting challenges. It enables even the beginner to
move up step-by-step to the level of a skilled expert in the process of BMW
Group Driver and Safety Training.

Quite generally, BMW Group Driver and Safety Training intentionally does not
"just" address customers of the BMW and MINI brands as well as BMW Motorrad.
Rather, it is the commitment of the Company to make a high level of skills and
know-how in the area of driving safety available to a larger number of car
drivers and motorcycle riders, in the interest of all parties concerned.