OneShift Attempts The BMW Challenge 2023 At Chang International Circuit

Chang International Circuit (CIC) at Buriram is surprisingly isolated. Although just some 400 km from Bangkok, there is only one flight a day from Don Mueang Airport to the little town that was once part of the Khmer Empire. The temples here are made of sandstone, a sight more commonly seen today in Cambodia than in Thailand.

But the trip was well worth it, because Chang is a fantastic circuit to bring out the best of the BMW cars that we were to drive there. It’s not too technical and therefore not too intimidating for newcomers. It is also quite long being an FIA Grade 1 approved circuit, as opposed to the Bira track which is closer to Bangkok but also quite a bit smaller.

You may be wondering why the event is called a Challenge. Well, there were timed trials for the two gymkhana sessions, one on track and one off-road, and the winners will win prizes. Otherwise, it is a great expose of some of BMW’s most iconic models, including the 3 Series (M340i, 330e), its SUVs (iX xDrive 40, X4M) and the star - the new M2 Coupe. There was a mix of on-track and off-track activities, an expertly curated day that really maximised our time with the cars.

Here’s a quick recap and some key takeaways.

Track Gymkana with the M340i

We started off the day swift and hard with a timed gymkhana station with sublime M340i saloons. We were free to switch the car to our desired driving modes to attempt this station, and I found that Sport worked best in allowing lesser intervention coupled with keeping slides in check for the fastest times.

As expected, the M340i felt brilliant on the gymkhana, feeling as agile as a sports car even though it is a 4 door executive saloon. Traction is great with xDrive and agility is superb. The main thing that needs to be managed is traction control kicking in at the tighter corners, which curtails power for just enough time to make it feel like a pause too long.

Drifting with the 330e

While the previous gymkhana activity was quite stressful given the stakes (i.e. it counts towards the Challenge score), the drifting activity was all about fun. We used the plug-in hybrid 3 Series for this, which is of course purely rear wheel drive.

BMW hired a mini fire engine to keep the tarmac wet (and slidy), so it was pure joy to flick the 330e into oversteer and to hold the slide until the exit.

Turn Dynamic Traction Control (DSC) off. Enter at 20 km/h, turn, apply wide open throttle and let the car swing its rear. Then countersteer ever so slightly to keep it sideways for as long as possible while holding onto the throttle at full tilt. Surely, one of the most memorable BMW moments during the event!

We also tried a run with DSC on and what was remarkable was how the car managed to not only prevent a slide, but also to stay true to its line without a jerky or abrupt intervention. It’s traction control that’s been honed to a tee, and a safety system that surely has saved many from accidents.

Experiencing Chang International Circuit

Driving on the CIC was the most anticipated part of the day, and even though we started off with a familiarisation drive on half of the track with the BMW iX, it was still thrilling to put on one’s helmet. Things just feel a lot more serious with a deadweight on one’s head.

The iX was surprisingly composed on the tighter part of the circuit, surely a testament to its rigid carbon fibre chassis. Its dual motor setup worked well to maximise grip and the car didn’t feel ponderous at all. It was, however, the luxury sofa-like seats that undid the iX, as we slid from left to right while we took on the corners. Sometimes, it felt like we were about to depart the seat!

The familiarisation laps continued with the M2 and X4M in the faster part of the circuit with its long straights. Here the cars felt more at home immediately, and it was quite an experience to hit more than 200 km/h on the straights in either car. The X4M felt very suited for the track, but obviously the M2 was on a whole other plane of performance when we swapped over to it.

The M2 had a shedload of power delivered so effortlessly with its ZF 8-speed gearbox, which when set to shift automatically allowed me to just focus on driving. Its handling is sublime, it feels like the car can take impossibly high entry speeds into corners and still come out of it in one piece. Although we weren’t allowed to turn off DSC, I could feel the shorter wheelbase of the car and the increased interactivity of the rear end versus its larger sibling, the M4.

Technically speaking, there’s very little to fault in the M2. It’s as good as you’d expect an M2 to be in the modern day, even faster and even more composed than ever before. Can I put a disclaimer though? I still don’t feel like my heartstrings tug for one. Maybe one with a manual gearbox might change my mind. Oh, and perhaps improved looks and a more natural sound…

Bringing the iX xDrive40i on a Grassy Gymkhana

We got a little of an off tempo experience in between our hot-blooded on-track drives with a grass gymkhana using the all-electric iX. If that sounded weird, you’re not wrong. It really is quite weird. Imagine driving a hulking electric luxury BMW on a circuit that’s more suited for a Subaru Impreza WRX.

But you know what? It was really enjoyable. I could feel the adjustability in the iX that I’d never be able to on the road. One could experience the power transfer between the front and rear axles to get the car out of sticky, low traction situations on the off-road surface. There were moments of oversteer and understeer, which exposed the iX dynamically in a good way.

However, I had wished there was more steering feel to read the surface better. Its turning radius is too big as well, and the car tended to understeer if the corners became too sharp. Otherwise, it’s a really cool activity. One that was also timed, so we really had to hustle in the low grip environment, and the iX obliged. I gained a newfound respect for the iX.

Finally, Whole Laps

We wrapped up the day with a drive of the full length of CIC in the M340i and 330e in a convoy, followed by the M2 and X4M in another convoy.

Due to the varying levels of abilities in our group, the instructors were very conservative in their braking distances and speed. I reckon we only exploited a fraction of the capabilities of the cars on CIC.

Nonetheless, it was enough to appreciate some nuances. The 330e, for example, was the surprise performer vis-a-vis the M340i. The RWD setup of the 330e just felt easier to read and more fun on track, while its exhaust note is as good as what we’ve heard in the 330i. There is a lighter, more agile feel to the car that felt so right. In fact, its handling was probably 80-90% of what the M340i could muster.

The M340i was of course amazing, and is probably faster point to point. But aside from that great I6 engine, it was an incremental improvement to the 330e’s handling. I think that’s testament to the greatness of the G20 chassis that even an M sport version feels so good on track.

Of course, the true M cars are on another level. The fact that some of the B48/B58s of the M340i/330e had check engine lights (CELs) during the drive was a clear reason why you’d pay extra for the stronger and tougher S58 in the M2 and X4M. That said, there wasn’t actually a mechanical issue with the B38/48s: the CELs popped up because the engines hadn't been run in and they ran too rich, which triggered the warning.

The X4M felt like an impressive SUV on track, but the M2 was a brilliant sports car period. There’s nothing the M2 cannot handle, it seems, while the X4M tended to understeer if you pushed beyond its limits.

That said, the CIC can be neatly divided into a section with more straights and wide hairpins, while another section had more technical corners that played to the strengths of a car’s ability to transfer its weight. It is the X4M that took full advantage of the former with its formidable straight-line stability and surprisingly good turn in at the corners. However, the M2 clearly took top trumps in the latter as it danced through a string of artfully designed corners that felt like an elaborate salsa sequence.

A Friendly World-Class Racetrack

Coming to Chang International Circuit was always on my to-do list, and I’m glad I got it ticked. While Sepang would probably be what we Singaporeans call our home track, CIC felt like an incredible place for someone just starting out on the track with its simpler layout, zero altitude changes and shorter length. Yet its quality is every bit as world-class as the best tracks out there.

To be able to get a feel of a variety of BMWs on the CIC was truly special. The 3-Series variants definitely lived up to their stellar reputation, while the SUVs performed surprisingly well despite their physics-defying body shapes. As for the M2, well, there hardly is a better M car to bring to the track, is there? It was scintillatingly good as only a well-honed M product can be, and I’d be splitting hairs to find any fault in its capabilities. I’m looking forward to try it on Singapore roads to peel below more layers of the M2…

Photos by BMW

---

Selling your car? Whatever the reason, caryousell@carousell, sell your car at the highest price today.