I feel like skidpads are typically a paid driving event, which seems excessive for someone to just learn the characteristics of a car

I don’t agree with the skidpad, but a good empty area to learn characteristics is what I was going to suggest.

For OP:

Find an empty plot(industrial or parking area with no parking blocks and no malls), and learn about the weirdness of the traction control. Try and do a burn out, try and do a donut and learn how the pedal feels when TC pulls it down and slaps you in the foot.

Also learn how the front end rolls from that terrible front leaf spring suspension. If you have stock size tires, learn how it feels when the whole car is rolling to the sides under turning at a normal speed, but also under braking. I always felt mine had terrible understeer.

Obviously you shouldn’t just do this over and over. Just learn what it feels like and move on. Go into knowing what you’re looking for, experience it and move on… Jesus this sounds like drugs

Go look at the tire, and that should help put you in the right direction. For winters(hopefully), you’re friend won’t be banging out every gear and driving more sensibly. So the easiest tire option is typically acceptable as long as it’s still within a reasonable radios of the stock tire.

Once you go out and look at the tires/wheels… You’ll need to do some leg work, so I leave you these links:

• www.bmwstylewheels.com
• https://tiresize.com/calculator/

Go look at the tire, and that should help put you in the right direction. For winters(hopefully), you’re friend won’t be banging out every gear and driving more sensibly. So the easiest tire option is typically acceptable as long as it’s still within a reasonable radios of the stock tire.

Once you go out and look at the tires/wheels… You’ll need to do some leg work, so I leave you these links:

• www.bmwstylewheels.com
• https://tiresize.com/calculator/

The boomer in me is always super strong when I hear about governments wanting to do X to cars… Makes me want to go back to OBD1. I get there’s lots of benefits to being able to flash tunes on OBD2, but once you figure out how to manipulate OBD1… Let’s just say there was a few times where I went full conspiracy theory charlie on my friends

Last time I did a door with friends. 2 people held the door of an e39, 1 person was on bolts. It was 10 grueling minutes of “got it? You good yet? Please tell me it’s almost there…” Then 30-40 minutes of adjusting the door to make it fit correctly… And that was just putting it on