Spartanburg, SC – October 6, 2022…BMW’s celebration of 50 Years of BMW M comes home to Spartanburg, South Carolina, with The M Anniversary Celebration: three days of very special events at the BMW Zentrum, The Ultimate Driving Museum, and the BMW Performance Center. Exhibits and displays celebrating five decades of BMW M, M track driving experiences with professional instruction, charity rides in historic BMW M race cars, and BMW celebrity guests and speakers are lined up to make the weekend something to remember when the tire smoke clears. Friday, October 14: The Ultimate Driving Museum and BMW Zentrum. The weekend kicks off Friday, October 14, at the BMW CCA Foundation – home of The Ultimate Driving Museum. From 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM ticket holders receive admission to the museum’s “The Power of M: Celebrating 50 Years” exhibit featuring over 25 vehicles spanning the history of BMW M including the 1972 3.0 CSL Batmobile, the mythical 2012 M3 CRT, and the 2018 M8 GTE race car. While there, visitors can pre-purchase Jackie Jouret’s soft-cover exhibit book and have it signed by the author from 11:00-11:30 AM and 1:00-1:30 PM. Guests will check-in at the museum and collect a registration badge that will gain them access to an evening event featuring cocktails and appetizers at the BMW Zentrum from 6:00-9:00 PM. The event will honor Jochen Neerpasch, BMW’s first Director of Motorsport and the creator of BMW M who, sadly, is unable to attend. Head of BMW Product Communications Tom Plucinsky will moderate a discussion with Eddie Cheever, star of Neerpasch’s first BMW Junior Team driver development program, and IMSA legend Bill Auberlen. Door prizes include a set of tires from Continental, driving experiences at the BMW Performance Center, and memorabilia signed by Eddie Cheever and Bill Auberlen. Tickets for the VIP Reception cost $195 per person. Information and registration available here. Saturday, October 15: The BMW Performance CenterThe history of BMW M roars to life on Saturday, October 15, when the BMW Performance Center opens its doors for a full day of track experiences and displays. Guests will get behind the wheel of BMW M’s latest products for some track time with instruction by the Performance Center’s pro drivers. Two 2-hour sessions will be offered from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Rare and distinctive street and race cars spanning five decades of BMW Motorsport will be on display throughout the day, and visitors can even purchase a spot in the passenger’s seat of a classic BMW M race car for the ride of a lifetime, with the proceeds benefitting the BMW CCA Foundation. The all-new 2023 BMW M2 and the first-ever BMW XM will break cover at the BMW Performance Center during the day, marking the first time fans in the US can see and hear the two newest vehicles from BMW M in the light of day. A Bavarian Mittagessen (lunch!) of brats, pretzels, and beer will be available for purchase from 12:00-2:00 PM. Bill Auberlen and other BMW celebrities will be there for questions, conversation, and photo ops. The Ultimate Driving Museum will be open from 2:00-5:00 PM, where Bill will be among the featured guest speakers. Tickets for the driving event are $135 per person and include the afternoon activities, or $35 for the afternoon events alone. Tickets and more information are available here. Sunday, October 16: Cars and Coffee with the BMW M ChapterThe weekend winds up at the BMW CCA headquarters with a Cars and Coffee car show hosted by the BMW M Chapter. The show is expected to attract dozens of new and classic M vehicles, plus a few very special vehicles from BMWUSA Classic Collection. Also, for those who missed them on Saturday, the all-new 2023 BMW M2 and the first-ever BMW XM will also be on display in the BMW CCA headquarters garage. The Cars and Coffee will run from 8:00-11:00 AM. Starting at noon, the M Chapter will host an exclusive drive along some of South Carolina’s best backroads. Guests wishing to go on the drive must register here. Admission to the Cars and Coffee is free. BMW Group In AmericaBMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 146 BMW motorcycle retailers, 105 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.www.bmwgroup.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroupTwitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroupYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupviewGoogle+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.comJournalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com.
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