How do you like to spend your holidays? I always try to weave at least a little automotive passion into a trip. I might splurge on a hire car upgrade, visit a car museum or even just spend a bit of time at an outdoor café with a good view of the street and watch what rolls past. Can I suggest something else? The BMW Snow and Ice Experience.
With a history dating back to 1977 (BMW was the first manufacturer to offer driver safety training), BMW has rebranded their M car experience as “AREA M” – offering driver training, skills competitions and a community for people that still want to enjoy driving.
While the BMW Snow Experience can trace its roots back to Sölden, Austria, this year’s event was held in the rather spectacular Queenstown, New Zealand at the very private and secretive Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground.
In keeping with the luxury that is synonymous with the brand, BMW will host you at Millbrook Resort (perfect if you like golf, but a little remote from the town if you don’t).
As nice as the resort’s facilities are, it was not the reason why I was in Queenstown. I was there to get my fill of sideways action in a BMW M car.
The day of the event sees you bused up to the track where you are briefed by simply the nicest bunch of people you are ever likely to meet – all professional race drivers who are quick and ready to offer instruction with the sole aim of making the experience the best fun it can be. And it was the bestest!
A selection of BMW’s M3, 4 Series coupe and convertible and the surprisingly capable X3 M50 xDrive were all on hand to be pushed to their limits.
The 4 Series coupes and convertibles (not my pick of the current line up, if I’m honest) were the best I’ve ever found them to be when pushed hard and fast through an icy slalom course against the clock. I’ve always considered this model to be more boulevard cruiser than a performance model but I was very pleasantly surprised by their balance at the limit and reminded that BMW really do care about how their cars drive in challenging conditions.
The M3s, including that sexy M3 Competition wagon, were reserved for the drift circuit where they were, of course, sublime. A guest at the event was the lucky owner of the 10000th M3 sold in Australia and it got me thinking. I know they’re not cheap to own or to run, but it is hard to believe that they haven’t sold 20 or 30 thousand of the damn things. They are an epic car.
The real surprise of the day was the X3 M50 xDrive – a car that I had dismissed as just another pumped up SUV. While I really dislike the over reliance on huge screens and crazy amounts of tech that is a big part of the X3 (and probably why they sell so well), the 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine (the same as used in the Supra) is an utter peach of a thing. Combined with a heavy rear wheel drive bias in M Mode and near 50:50 weight distribution, the X3 was a standout on the ice and would prove to be a very handy cross-country device.
After experiencing some of the best fun I’ve had in cars, breathtaking scenery and the company of good people the helicopter ride back down the valley to the resort was simply sensory overload and a wonderful way to end the day.
It’s not a cheap experience (almost $8k) but it really is great value and, if you have the means, I can’t recommend it enough. Make sure to catch it when it returns to the southern hemisphere in Winter ’27.
Web: BMW Snow and Ice Experience
Adam travelled to New Zealand for the entire experience as a guest of BMW Australia
Adam – or Flipsy as he’s known to Trev – is one of Trev’s best mates going back to high-school. He knows more about cars than many would care to imagine so he’s the perfect fit to find the whacky, innovative and new stories about and around cars at CES in Las Vegas.
