There are quite a few folks out there who will spend a lot of money to make their car go just a little bit faster. This is especially true of Bimmer->ke178 owners. Dropping thousands on BPUs is the name of the game when it comes to European sports car mods.

And while I should be the last person on Earth to judge such behavior (“underdrive pulleys, eh? Five extra horsepower for how much, exactly? Never mind, just give them to me”), I will say that the most important upgrade anyone should make is to the nut behind the wheel.

Yes, you, Mr. "I've got a fast car." You’re the one making all those sloppy apexes and not blipping on your downshifts, and that’ll cost you time every single lap, even if you do happen to make more power and grip harder than the other guy.

So what do you do? Simple – go back to school. BMW is offering a slew of courses at its Performance Center, a few of which are highlighted in this video.

Even if you don’t spend your weekends at the track, a learning session at a decent driving school will make you a better driver on the street. As professional driver and race coach Grant Ryley told us in an interview last December, “the very first time that you get to threshold on the brakes shouldn’t be when you’re trying to avoid an accident on the highway. That should be the hundredth time.”

Wise words, indeed.

BMW M5