You know that adrenaline rush you get from riding on roller coasters? Well, my body received a huge surge of that adrenaline rush this past weekend, and I didn’t even have to go to a pricey amusement park for that to happen!
Instead, H took me to the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience event at the Santa Anita Park in LA. To sum it up, the Ultimate Driving Experience (UDE) is a 2-hour closed-course thrilling driving session where you can push the limits of the 3-series, 4-series, or X4 with a professional driver at your side while you learn advanced driving theory and defensive driving techniques by driving heart-racing laps around the track. My vehicle was the X4, and although I was initially grumbling about the bulky hump and overall aesthetics (first thought: the X4 looks like the shape of what I imagine a tortoise/cockroach hybrid would be), I was highly impressed with the handling and 300hp! The experience also was not what I had imagined it to be at all. Rather than merely circling around cones mildly, I found myself lost in intense concentration, flooring the gas pedal, and stamping on the brakes while looping around crazy S-turns and sharp corners (hello childhood dreams of becoming a movie stunt driver). Even sitting in the backseat while I awaited my turn at the wheel was no breeze – the seat belt may have kept my body in place, but my upper half still violently jolted around with each bend, brake, and acceleration.
“You’ll learn to drive like you’ve never driven before,” the instructor had said. He wasn’t kidding on that one. Exhilarating, unfamiliar, and addicting: these three words rightly sum up the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience for me. Also, cue hashtag “best date ever.”
And as much as I love a good heel and skirt, I didn’t want to be that girl showing up to a dudes’ event all out of place like a laughingstock, and since I forever value comfort over anything else and wanted to be as comfortable as I could behind the wheel, I went casual with my white Adidas, denim shorts (can it please just be fall weather already?), and a soft striped tee, all anchored together by a longline vest.
Thanks so much for reading! If you’re interested in trying out the BMW Ultimate Driving Experience for yourself, the next location will be in Dallas, TX from October 3-11!
Top: Banana Republic
Bottom: Levi’s
Vest: Forever 21 (similar here; love this and this)
Bag: Mansur Gavriel
Shoes: Adidas
Accessories: Banana Republic necklace (similar), Polette sunglasses
Chris says
SWEEEEEEEET!