I have always been amazed at how the X3 manages to feel so neutral behind the wheel in spite of being a tall vehicle, but I sure do like the results.

Major tips to becoming a faster better driver:

1. Go to more track events

2. Go to more track events

3. I'll bet you already know what this one is - go to more track events

There is no substitute for more seat time and that's really the bottom line. I typically do about 15 or more events per year for what it's worth and there have been a few years with far more than that - depends on event opportunities and my spare time budget. I'm lucky in that I get discounted track time for playing the instructor role. That also gets me a lot of serious workout time with the pucker factor that comes along with sitting in the passenger seat for the novice group

My favorite teaching/learning venue is a day that starts out dry and gets rain by afternoon. I can get a student acquainted with the track lines in the dry and then before they start trying to get too much speed up out there, the wet track will slow them down so we can work on car balance instead. You get to experience your vehicle out on the track right at the edge of traction limits at far slower speeds than on a dry day and learn how it handles when inertia wins out over traction. At the slower speeds in the wet there is far less danger of not being shiny side up. Probably not easy to arrange for the track you just experienced judging from the surrounding desert in the video, but if you get a chance to go up north to Thunderhill during the winter months, it would be well worth the trip. Those conditions are quite common up here in the Portland area and I have to confess that a completely dry track day would be a welcome change from the last 5 events I have attended.

Click this for a shot of my track car in turn 12 at Portland Int. Raceway last November as an example of a track event in the rain.