More than a decade on the ice: inside the BMW M Snow & Ice Experience, as the BMW M3 marks 40 years and 10,000 sales in Australia.

• A performance driver training program BMW has refined in New Zealand since 2014
• Led by BMW M Certified Instructors, including Driving Experience Manager Doug Greenslade, who has coached more than 1,000 drivers 
• World-class instruction paired with premium hospitality, luxury accommodation and an iconic alpine setting
• Celebrating 40 years of the BMW M3 and 10,000 sold in Australia, with the owner of the 10,000th vehicle and a competition winner as special guests

Queenstown. The BMW M Snow & Ice Experience is a performance driver training program run by BMW Group Australia on the purpose-built snow and ice circuits of the Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground near Queenstown, New Zealand. Held on the country’s highest driver training ground, a facility normally reserved for global manufacturers testing vehicles in extreme conditions, the program invites drivers to explore the full breadth of BMW M performance on pristine snow and ice, staged against one of the most dramatic winter backdrops in the world. BMW has been running driver training in New Zealand since 2014, with the experience offered as a ticketed program open to the public.

A day on the ice.

The day begins with an exclusive 4WD snow bus transfer up the mountain to the proving ground, followed by an introduction and theory session on winter driving dynamics. From there, participants move through a sequence of exercises designed to build skill progressively. A motorkhana course tests precision and car placement between the cones in low grip, while dedicated drift practice covers both understeer and oversteer, and a drag sprint exercise teaches drivers how to put power down effectively and how the ABS and DSC systems respond when traction is limited.
 

A challenging manual handling course set in the mountains puts those skills together, and the day includes an instructor ride, where participants experience a BMW M3 driven in snow conditions by one of BMW’s experienced instructors. Each participant receives an official BMW M Driving Experience Certificate before heading home.
 

Behind the wheel of current BMW M and M Performance models, including the BMW M3, BMW M3 Touring, BMW M440i, BMW X2 M35 and BMW X3 M50, participants are guided throughout by BMW M Certified Instructors. The skills learned are as practical as the setting is spectacular, because understanding how a car behaves in low grip on snow and ice translates directly to wet roads, gravel or any unexpected loss of traction.

The expertise behind the experience.

What is not visible from the driver’s seat is the depth of preparation and expertise behind it. The program is led by Doug Greenslade, BMW M Driving Experience Manager at BMW Group Australia, who has been an instructor with BMW for more than 11 years and first ran this program in 2015. Across his career he has coached well over 1,000 drivers.
 

His own route into performance driving shaped how he teaches. Greenslade started out as an apprentice auto electrician who didn't have the means to make his car faster for track days, so he focused on becoming a better driver instead.

“That taught me very early that good driving technique can make a huge difference,” said Doug Greenslade, BMW M Driving Experience Manager, BMW Group Australia. “To run a program at this level, you have to live the BMW philosophy of premium excellence. Every touchpoint is considered, from presentation and timing through to vehicle selection, colours and which BMW M model is allocated to each activity. Every activity has to hit that sweet spot where drivers of very different skill levels can all achieve something meaningful.”
 

Behind each day on the ice sit tyre allocation, fuel supply, transport, precisely measured course markers and a contingency plan for every element, all refined over more than a decade of running the program in the same alpine environment. It is why the experience continues to draw repeat customers season after season.
 

“Seeing someone achieve something they didn’t believe they were capable of is probably the highlight of my job,” Greenslade said. “You see that smile when it finally comes together, that moment when they realise, I did it. It has never been just about getting someone around a track or teaching them how to drive a car. It is about the people, the teamwork and creating experiences that stay with them long after they leave.”

An experience that extends far beyond the vehicle.

The program combines that instruction with premium hospitality, luxury accommodation at the five-star Millbrook Resort and the sense of occasion of an iconic alpine setting. From welcome and celebration functions to helicopter and 4WD alpine transfers, every detail is designed to immerse guests in the lifestyle and emotional connection that make BMW ownership unique. It is a showcase of the belonging, craftsmanship and shared passion that define the M community, the intangible qualities that turn a car into an experience.

Celebrating 40 years of the BMW M3 and 10,000 sold in Australia.

The 2026 program carries special significance. It celebrates 40 years of the BMW M3 and the enduring legacy of BMW’s most iconic performance model, a nameplate that has defined the high-performance sports car segment across five generations. The program also marks a landmark local milestone: 10,000 BMW M3s sold in Australia. Fittingly, the owner of the 10,000th vehicle and the winner of a social-led competition both joined the experience as special guests, placing genuine customer stories at the heart of the celebration.
 

“What makes the M3 particularly special is its adaptability,” Greenslade said. “It gives you style, sound, performance, comfort and, most importantly, that connection with the driver. On snow and ice you experience the balance and feedback of the car in a completely different way to the track. It is a car that can be incredibly rewarding when you learn to work with it.”
 

Alongside participating customers, a curated group of Australian and New Zealand media and creators joined the 2026 program, sharing the experience with audiences around the world.
 

More than a decade on, the ambition has not changed: to give drivers the joy of discovering what a BMW M car can do. The BMW M Snow & Ice Experience returns to Queenstown in 2028.

Program: BMW M Snow & Ice Experience

Location: Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground, near Queenstown, New Zealand, the country’s highest driver training ground

Vehicles: BMW M3, BMW M3 Touring, BMW M440i, BMW X2 M35 and BMW X3 M50

Activities: Snow drifting, drag sprints, motorkhana, precision braking and an instructor ride

Instruction: BMW M Certified Instructors, led by Doug Greenslade, Driving Experience Manager, BMW Group Australia

Accommodation: Millbrook Resort, a five-star resort near Queenstown

Further information at: www.bmw.com.au/en/discover/snow-ice-experience.html