Under the blazing Abu Dhabi sun,the BMW M5 was howling down the long straights of Yas Marina Circuit, its twin-turbocharged V8 hurling over 700 horsepower toward the horizon, heat shimmering off the asphalt. The brakes—massive M Carbon Ceramics—bit down hard as I approached the tight left-hander, scrubbing off speed before diving in, feeling the all-wheel drive system working its magic to keep everything in check. Then, throttle back on—instant torque, instant acceleration, the kind of relentless power that shoves you into the seat and leaves no doubt that BMW M’s latest super sedan has entered a new era of performance.
The North Loop of Yas Marina, where I was wringing the M5 out, is built for speed. Its wide, sweeping corners and long straights are a playground for high-horsepower monsters, making it the perfect place to stretch the legs of both the M5 Sedan and its even more niche counterpart, the M5 Touring. A heavy wagon that does 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds? This is the kind of madness only BMW M could justify.
Then came the South Loop, an entirely different beast. Tighter, more technical, where finesse matters just as much as brute force. This was where I swapped into BMW’s smaller, sharper machines: the M2, M3 Touring, and M4 Coupe.
The M2 was an absolute riot, a playful, rear-wheel-drive troublemaker that begged to go sideways at every corner. The M3 Touring felt like the perfect balance—a car that could handle a family road trip by day and chase lap records by night. And then there was the M4, an aggressive, high-strung machine that danced between grip and power, a car that made me feel like a proper racing driver when I got things right, and a complete amateur when I got things wrong.
Blasting through Yas Marina’s chicanes, under the watchful eyes of spectators sipping cocktails on the W Hotel terrace, was surreal. This wasn’t just any track day—this was the BMW M Experience, a €5,490, invite-only festival of speed, where high-performance machines, luxury, and adrenaline tourism collide.
But how did I get to Yas Marina Circuit in the first place? And what exactly is the BMW M Experience?
A Chauffeured Journey to Motorsport Heaven
It all started at Dubai International Airport, where a chauffeur-driven BMW 7 Series was waiting to whisk me away in effortless comfort. The hour-long drive to Abu Dhabi was an experience in itself—slipping into the plush seats, the world outside rushing by in near silence, showing its beauty under the lights. The destination? The W Hotel Yas Marina, a five-star architectural statement that literally overlooks the Formula 1 circuit. This is where I would be staying for the BMW M Experience—and where I would soon find out that the event was about a lot more than just driving fast cars.
The BMW M Clubhouse: Where Motorsport Meets Luxury
The first stop was the BMW M Clubhouse, a lounge built to celebrate all things M. Inside, the BMW XM Label—a 748-horsepower hybrid SUV —sat menacingly in a stunning BMW Individual color, flanked by a BMW M4 GT4 race car and walls lined with BMW Motorsport memorabilia. Vintage racing posters, helmets from legendary BMW drivers, memorabilia of M cars on track—this display was paying tribute to BMW’s racing heritage.
And then there was the BMW lifestyle collection, an array of high-end M-branded apparel and accessories, perfect for those who wanted to take a piece of the experience home. Attendees—a mix of BMW owners, top customers, and brand insiders from around the world—relaxed over coffee, discussing their dream M cars and past track day stories. It was a place to decompress before the action, but also to soak in the history and future of the M brand.
As the sun set, the Clubhouse transformed into something else entirely: the M Night Club. What had been a laid-back gathering spot turned into a neon-lit, high-energy celebration of speed, sound, and spectacle—because why should M cars have all the fun?
A Walk Through M History: The Ultimate M5 Lineup
Right next door was the real treat for BMW purists: a BMW M5 exhibition that brought together every generation of the world’s most iconic super sedan. There was a E28 M5, the original super sedan that put BMW M on the map. The E34 M5, a fans’ favorite from the golden era of analog driving. The E39 M5, often called the greatest sports sedan of all time. The E60 M5, fitted with a Formula 1-derived V10 that screamed to 8,250 RPM. The F10 and F90, each adding turbocharged power to the mix, before arriving at the new G90/G99 M5, BMW’s most powerful M5 yet.
For anyone who’s ever obsessed over the M5’s evolution, this was heaven.
Drag Racing the BMW XM: 738 Horsepower of Fury
The next morning, after pushing several M cars to their limits on the circuit, we moved to Yas Marina’s dedicated drag strip. The challenge? Launch the BMW XM Label and see just how fast a 2.7-tonne SUV can really be.
Spoiler alert: it’s fast. Ridiculously fast.
Engaging Launch Control, the XM Label squatted down, its hybrid system delivering an instant electric boost before the V8 thundered to life, launching us down the strip in low 11 seconds. It was a bizarre, exhilarating experience—like getting shot out of a cannon, but in a luxury SUV with ventilated seats.
Just above the drag strip, BMW had set up the M Mixed Reality Lounge, where we could jump into a sim racing setup using the same Fanatec steering wheels found in BMW M4 GT3 race cars. The perfect way to cool down before the next round of madness.
Lunch with a View
The contrast between the high-speed track session and the laid-back luxury of the afternoon was striking. After the morning’s adrenaline-fueled driving, BMW had arranged a boat ride across Abu Dhabi’s turquoise waters—a chance to slow things down and take in the city’s striking skyline from a new perspective. It was a reminder that the BMW M Experience was as much about community and lifestyle as it was about raw performance.
Mixed Reality Driving
Then came BMW M Mixed Reality, a concept that merges real driving with virtual racing. Strapping into a BMW M4, I was handed a VR headset, and suddenly, the Yas Marina Circuit was transformed into a digital playground. The catch? I was still actually driving—every movement, every acceleration, every brake input was happening in the real world, but visually, I was racing in a gamified universe. Even more impressive was the multiplayer mode, allowing me to go wheel-to-wheel against digital opponents while still physically following the real track.
It still is a mind-blowing experience, and above all, it was the most futuristic Mixed Reality experience I’ve ever had since BMW showed it to me in 2022.
Dinner on the Pit Lane: The Ultimate Send-Off
After a full-throttle day, BMW wrapped things up in style: a private dinner right on the Yas Marina pit lane. To kick off the night, a BMW M8 Competition Safety Car tore down the straight, its V8 soundtrack echoing off the pit walls, a final reminder of what M cars are all about. And just when I thought the surprises were over, Chris Brow, the face of BMW YouTube videos for two decades, took the stage—not for an M car demo, but to rap an Eminem track in front of the crowd.
A wild, unforgettable ending to an experience that was as much about passion as it was about speed. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Would I recommend bringing your chequebook? Maybe leave that at home—because after this, the temptation to buy an M car is almost impossible to resist.