They name Indian Wells “Tennis Paradise” and truthfully, it lives as much as the identify. However earlier than I even obtained to the event, my weekend in Palm Springs had already began on a excessive notice—behind the wheel of a brand-new 2025 BMW M5 Touring. I flew into LA to hitch a experience out to the desert and my experience turned out to be this new efficiency wagon that pulled eyes at each gasoline station and site visitors mild. The four-hour drive by typical SoCal gridlock gave me the right window to get a really feel for the Touring—the way it behaves in the true world, not simply round a monitor.
With out diving too deep into the automobile evaluation weeds, I’ll simply say this: the M5 Touring is the type of automobile that makes you marvel why we ever wanted sedans. Identical brutal efficiency, similar consolation and adjustability, however with precise room to throw in weekend baggage, tennis rackets, and doubtless a golden retriever or two. It’s quick once you need it to be, calm once you want it to be, and it felt like a correct luxurious wagon in bumper-to-bumper site visitors.
Indian Wells: The place Tennis Meets California Cool
As soon as we made it to Indian Wells, the ambiance shifted into one thing that’s laborious to explain except you’ve been there. The BNP Paribas Open isn’t only a tennis event—it’s a scene. Impeccably manicured grounds, clear blue skies, snow-dusted mountains within the distance, and a vibe that lands someplace between luxurious resort and sports activities pageant.
On Saturday, we caught the lads’s semifinals: Rune vs. Medvedev and Draper vs. Alcaraz. Unsurprisingly, the gang was all in for Alcaraz—who not solely brings power to the courtroom, but in addition has a facet “gig” as a BMW ambassador. Fittingly, there was an Alcaraz-customized M5 Touring on show close to the doorway, which made for a enjoyable tie-in between the athlete and the model.
BMW’s Huge Tennis Second
BMW has leaned absolutely into its partnership with the BNP Paribas Open, and their presence is tough to overlook. Proper on the entrance gates, there was a Vegas Pink M5 gleaming within the solar, positioned subsequent to the popular parking space reserved for BMW house owners. Deeper contained in the grounds, that they had their very own “X show” showcasing the brand new 2026 iX and the ever-popular X7, full with a mini tennis courtroom the place followers may strive hitting tennis balls at BMWs on a display.
Different corners of the event had their very own BMW moments—an i7 right here, an M5 Touring there—and tucked away inside the world, there’s even a BMW lounge reserved for purchasers and friends. Assume air-con, chilly drinks, and an amazing view of the motion—undoubtedly a pleasant break from the desert warmth.
It’s simple to see why this event is such a favourite on tour. The gamers adore it for the nippiness schedule and high-end lodging, and the followers get this uncommon mix of accessibility and first-class expertise. The place feels premium with out ever tipping into pretentious.
From Tennis to Observe: The BMW Efficiency Heart
The following day wasn’t about tennis—it was about driving. Simply half-hour from Indian Wells sits the BMW Efficiency Heart West in Thermal, California. In the event you’re ever within the space, it’s a must-visit.
We jumped right into a half-day M College program, which is principally grownup Disneyland should you’re into vehicles. After a fast briefing, we rotated by a mixture of machines: the M2, M4 Competitors, Z4 M40i, and the massive SUVs—X4 M and X6 M—on a compact monitor setup. Every automobile had its personal persona, however all of them made you grin like an fool beneath a helmet.
One of many extra entertaining elements was a skid pad “rat race” in an M8 Competitors, the place two drivers go head-to-head attempting to loop the automobile round a moist circle the quickest. It’s enjoyable, it’s humbling, and it teaches you a large number about throttle management (and the way shortly you’ll be able to go from hero to zero).
Then got here one thing actually subsequent degree: BMW’s Combined Actuality expertise. You’re driving an actual automobile, on an actual monitor, however sporting a VR headset that overlays a digital racecourse into your view. It sounds bizarre, however it works. Corners seem, cash float within the air like a online game, and your mind someway adapts. I’d tried an early model of this a pair years again, and now it’s even smoother and extra immersive.
To cap all of it off, we handed the keys to BMW’s professional drivers for a spherical of sizzling laps. Our teacher, Derek, threw the automobile round with that good mix of talent and calm recklessness—turning each apex right into a lesson and each nook exit right into a thrill. In the event you weren’t smiling by the tip, you have been most likely unconscious.
Paradise, Recharged
Trying again, it’s laborious to think about a greater approach to spend a weekend. You get the calm and sophistication of Indian Wells, the roar of an M5 Touring on desert roads, the sound of tennis balls popping off rackets, and the unmistakable scent of burning rubber on the monitor.
Tennis Paradise? Positive. However for anybody who lives for each the class of the game and the adrenaline of driving, this was one thing even higher: a collision of two passions, in a single unforgettable setting.
