BMW Drivers Club Melbourne News

KINGS BIRTHDAY LONG WEEKEND – ECHUCA 2026

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 09:13:01 GMT

Saturday 6 June We all met at Yan Yean Reservoir to kick off our Kings Birthday Long Weekend adventure to Echuca. With 16 cars and 28 members, plus four children along for the ride, it was already shaping up to be a fantastic trip. It was wonderful to see everything from historic classics to modern hybrids and full bettry electric vehicle lined up and ready to roll.

UHF radios on, smiles all round, we set off toward Tahbilk Winery for our first rest stop. A few photos, a little wine tasting, and plenty of laughs later, we were back on the road and heading to Nagambie Distillery for lunch. What a venue, delicious food, brilliant service, and a gorgeous view over the lake. We even had a bit of free time to explore the town, although we missed the market by just 30 minutes… my timing wasn’t perfect, but the company made up for it.

From there we cruised to Rushworth, a charming historic town and a great spot for more photos and a quick drink. Next stop was Girgarre, where the new botanical gardens were a lovely surprise, peaceful, beautifully designed, and another perfect backdrop for car photos (as always!).

We rolled into Echuca and checked into the Mercure for the weekend. I’d arranged dinner onsite for the first night, so no one had to travel, and it was lovely having the restaurant to ourselves. We handed out a few missed presentation‑night awards, enjoyed a great meal, and watched new members start forming friendships. The kids were absolute superstars, beautifully behaved and a joy to have with us. After a big day, everyone headed off for a well‑earned rest.

Sunday – Choose Your Own Adventure

Sunday was deliberately relaxed so members could explore at their own pace. Graeme and I decided to visit the Torrumbarry Weir, and a few others had the same idea. While we were there, we got chatting to a young fellow who’d been out on his jet ski. Half joking, we mentioned going for a spin… next thing I knew, he’d called his boss and I was getting ready to hop on!

No wetsuit, no swimmers, just me, fully dressed, removing only my good jumper, socks, and shoes. I was sure I’d end up in the lake, but they looked after me like royalty. And what an experience — 118 km/h and only wet toes! I’d never been on a jet ski before, and it was absolutely brilliant.

Back in town, we wandered through the shops before boarding a 4 pm paddle steamer cruise. If you’ve never been to Echuca, it’s full of history, great cafés, and charming little shops, you could spend days exploring. The cruise was a highlight, with a fantastic commentary from the skipper.

Dinner that night was at the 1895 Royal Hotel, and this one was fully covered by the club thanks to the RACV regional grants we’re fortunate to receive each year. We sometimes top it up, but that’s what our club is about, giving back to our members and supporting regional communities. Another wonderful night of great food, great company, and great stories from everyone’s day out.

Monday – Homeward Bound

After a good night’s sleep, most of us met in the car park to begin the journey home. Two cars stayed behind, one for an extra relaxed day in Echuca, and another heading west to SA for more exploring.

Our first stop was Rochester to admire the incredible silo art. We’ve done several silo art trails as a club, and these are still my personal favourites. After the obligatory photos, we continued to Colbinabbin for morning tea and more silo art (and yes, more photos). Hot drinks and cake hit the spot perfectly.

From there, a few cars peeled off home early while the rest of us continued to Redesdale for lunch. We stopped just before town at a beautiful historic bridge where Peter went ahead to capture photos of every car crossing, a magic moment. The pub welcomed us early with true country hospitality, huge servings, and delicious food.

After lunch, everyone made their own way home, wrapping up another fantastic long weekend away with both familiar faces and new friends.

Why Our Trips Work So Well

The beauty of our weekends away is simple: You can do as much or as little as you like. Nothing is compulsory, our itinerary is a guide, not a rulebook. We love seeing members explore on their own or join in with the group.

We’re also thrilled with how well TourBoss is working for us. The trip notes popping up along the route, combined with UHF radios, mean members can travel at their own pace, stop for photos, or take detours without worrying about getting lost. The app keeps improving, and it’s making our adventures even better.

Join Us Next Time

If you haven’t yet joined one of our away weekends, have a look at our upcoming events, we run at least two a year, some longer than others, and they’re always memorable.

Thank you to everyone who came along and made this weekend such a joy. Here’s to many more adventures together.

Jo Mawson #2

An Update from the President | May 2026

Thu, 28 May 2026 23:20:34 GMT

Well, it certainly doesn’t feel like we’re slowing down for winter, and with the fantastic attendance at our events, why would we! May was another bumper month for BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, full of great people, great cars, and plenty of laughs.

2 May – Murder Mystery Presentation Dinner What a night! Our Murder Mystery Dinner sold out quickly and absolutely lived up to the hype. Almost everyone dressed up and got right into character, which made the whole evening a huge amount of fun. It was something completely different for us, and it gave our events team a rare chance to relax and enjoy the night too. And who would have guessed our Treasurer, Lawrence Glynn, would end up being the murderer classic! Of course, the main purpose of the night was to present our annual awards, and it was wonderful to congratulate our winners in person.

9 May – Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 3 at Sandown Another great day at Sandown, with one of our members completing his OLT and becoming a new racing driver. These days are perfect for licence testing and always full of excitement. The day started a little damp, but the track soon dried out, and fun was had by all.

16 May – Bunyip to Kilcunda Drive Our afternoon start proved popular again. We began with afternoon tea at the beautiful Lady Lavender’s before splitting into two groups for another brilliant Peter Williams drive through Gippsland. We had comfort stops, photo opportunities, and even picked up a few extra cars along the way. The weather was perfect mid‑20s and sunny, so a few convertibles enjoyed the day with their roofs down. A special highlight was seeing a young L‑plater confidently lead the second group. It’s moments like these that make me so proud of our extended BMW family. We ended the day with a lovely dinner at the Kilcunda Hotel before heading home.

17 May – National Motoring Heritage Day A soggy start didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. We still had a great turnout and a great drive, proving once again that our members are a hardy bunch. Thank you to the Geelong Motoring Enthusiasts Club for inviting us to join their drive for National Motoring Heritage Day.

27 May – Coffee & Chat Drop‑In Night These casual evenings are becoming a favourite for a small but enthusiastic group. A relaxed night of cars, coffee, and conversation what more could you want.

31 May – Coffee & Cars at Pier 35 A few of us attended this event hosted by Classic Car Owners of Victoria. A fantastic venue with room for lots of cars and a great café. A very enjoyable morning out.

Events Coming Up

With such a busy May, things will ease slightly as we head into the cooler months, but our events are still going to be fantastic.

June

• 6–8 June – Monarchs Long Weekend Echuca Trip

• 24 June – Coffee & Chat (Geelong area)

• 27 June – Fox Museum

Mark Your Diaries

• 5 July – Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island

• 9 July – Members Meeting at Waverley BMW

• 19 July – Christmas in July

• 26 July - Winton Festival of Speed Race Meet and 50 Years of M3 Car Display

• 30 August – Come & Try Calder Park

• 30 August – Parade Laps Thunder Dome

• 25 October – Oktoberfest

• 18–22 November – Challenge Bathurst (Officials Required)

• 12 December – Christmas Show & Shine Family Picnic

• 11–14 February – Bathurst 12 Hour

• 18–21 March – BMW Clubs Australia Nationals (BMWDCNSW)

• 24 April 2027 – Variety Stars on Track – Calder Park

These are just the events already booked, with some still waiting to be released. Bathurst 12 Hour will sell out quickly, especially if Max Verstappen comes to the Mountain. Accommodation is already disappearing fast, so make sure you’re booked and deposit paid.

Keep an eye out for more exciting events as they’re finalised.

Club Updates

We have a new social media person joining us this week, so expect a fresh new look across our socials.

We’re also very pleased to have filled most of our sub‑committee roles, giving our hardworking committee more time to focus on what they do best. Look out for more roles coming if you are interested in assisting us.

Our Winter Merchandise Sale is now on, with great bargains available. Pre‑orders are essential check the website and grab something at the next event.

A Personal Note

Thank you all for your kind messages regarding my health. On Thursday 28th we had a follow‑up visit with the oncologist, and he is very happy with the results of the treatment and follow‑up scans. So, it looks like the months of treatment and discomfort were worth it. I can’t express my appreciation enough for the doctors, nurses, and support staff at Peter Mac and Monash Cancer Centre for their wonderful care over the last six months. And of course, Jo her support and love through it all has been amazing. To everyone who called or messaged, you don’t know how much it helps to have such a great support network.

Jo and I have a few short trips planned over the coming months, something we both really need. Time to relax, finish my recovery, and get back to enjoying life.

Hastings is open again, but I may not be there every day, so please don’t just turn up. With appointments and some time off coming up, we may be closed on certain days or weeks. A quick call to Jo or myself will save you a wasted trip. Thank you for your understanding it has been a challenging time, but we are slowly getting back to normal.

I want to thank every one of you for making the start of 2026 such a strong and enjoyable one for the club. To those who stepped in when needed, and to those who kept an eye on Jo while she nursed me back to health your support means the world.

Looking forward to seeing you all at the next event.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

PO Box 81, Tyabb VIC 3913
Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of: BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council
Motorsport Australia Affiliated Motorsport Club

National Motoring Heritage Day May 17 2026

Sun, 17 May 2026 05:30:00 GMT

National Motoring Heritage Day is an opportunity to get as much of our motoring heritage in front of as many eyes as possible.

Whilst some choose to celebrate the day with static car shows, the preferable option is to have vehicles on the move, going past those who do not attend car shows.

To make such a cavalcade work the cars involved, at least at the front, need to be obviously "heritage" (ie classic, not neccesarily vintage!) which most BMWs with their timeless styling are not!

In my role as a committee member of the Association Of Motor Clubs (AOMC - Victoria's peak body for motoring clubs) I have assisted my local Geelong Motoring Enthusiast club extend their monthly coffee and cars style meeting (which coincides with NMHD) into a cavalcade.

This year we drove past two of the main "cafe strips" in Geelong and Torquay to the Aireys Pub, in diminished numbers due to threatened heavy rain which did not eventuate until after the event was finished.

Nonetheless, we attracted a reasonable amount of attention and enjoyed each others company whilst having a nice cruise.

Lawrence Glynn #3

Bunyip to Kilcunda Drive May 2026

Sat, 16 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

This drive was something a little different, starting later than usual with a lovely late‑lunch and afternoon tea at Lady Lavender’s in Bunyip. Many of us arrived early to wander the beautiful grounds before stepping inside to what felt like stepping back into the 1800s, a charming, old‑world tearoom serving a proper English Devonshire Tea (or Cornish, depending on whether it’s jam first or cream first). The scones were freshly baked and absolutely worth the wait, with fruit, plain, and of course lavender varieties to choose from.

After tea, we gathered in the car park, surrounded by a stunning line up of BMWs including a fully electric BMW, which is great to see, with a perfect without having to recharge. We had a few special guests: a gorgeous Jaguar, a Mercedes, and a BYD. It’s always wonderful to see members bring their “other” cars out to enjoy the day, too.

Once the drivers’ briefing was done, we split into informal lead and rear groups. Peter led the front group, while Graeme and I took the rear, although technically, young Ben ended up leading our group in his Dad’s L‑plated BMW E39 540i. And might I say, he did an exceptional job. I handled the radio calls in our car, but Ben was our true lead car, and it was lovely watching his confidence grow throughout the afternoon. A big credit also goes to Simon, his Dad, who was the perfect instructor in the passenger seat. Well done, Ben! You made us all proud.

Ben said of his day, “It was a fun day, seeing all the nice cars and fast BMWs lined up. The roads were nicely winding, and it was a great driving experience. I enjoyed leading the second group. The pub at the end of the drive was great, and a nice dinner to finish the day. It was fun to see everyone, and I look forward to the next drive”

We made a couple of comfort stops and took a few photos along the way. A few cars left us part‑way through, but we also picked up a few more, so our numbers stayed steady.

The weather made the day even better, a perfect Victorian autumn afternoon in the mid-20s. A few convertibles had their roofs down, soaking up the sunshine. The roads were exceptional, winding through some of the most beautiful scenery this part of the world has to offer. With Ben leading, Graeme and I even had a chance to relax and enjoy the countryside, another thank you to Ben.

We all arrived at the Kilcunda Pub, with the first group about 15 minutes ahead and already ordering. Some of our group headed home from there, while the rest of us joined the others for a wonderful evening of good food, great company, and plenty of laughs.

One of the things that makes me so proud of our club is the families who join us, kids in the back seats, kids on the radios, kids learning to drive with confidence and care. Young Tilly on the UHF today was a delight. When the next generation wants to be part of our events, we know we’re doing something right.

A quick reminder: we strongly encourage everyone to have a good-quality UHF radio, ideally 5 watts and, if possible, with an external antenna. It makes a huge difference to communication and helps keep the whole group safe and together.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, our new members, our regulars, and the families who trust us enough to let their kids take the wheel on these drives. And a special thank you to Peter for organising such fantastic driving roads. He and I make a great team. He handles the route planning, and I take care of the bookings and make sure everyone gets where they need to be on time.

Graeme and I thoroughly enjoyed this drive, and it was wonderful seeing him looking so well and enjoying everyone’s company. We’re already looking forward to the long weekend in June for our next club adventure.

Thank you all for making today such a memorable and happy day out.

Jo Mawson #2

An Update from the President | April 2026

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:05:58 GMT

April has been an absolutely outstanding month for our club, filled with community spirit, fantastic attendance, and some truly memorable events.

I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and grateful for the support I continue to receive as my health improves. It has been wonderful to be back out at more events, seeing familiar faces and enjoying the camaraderie that makes this club so special.

3 April – Good Friday Appeal Display, Black Rock

We kicked off the month with our annual Good Friday Appeal Cars and Coffee/Display, proudly supported this year by Christopher George from Flavours Patisserie in Black Rock. We had a capacity turnout, with members and the public coming together to raise much‑needed funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. The generosity shown was heart‑warming, and I thank everyone who attended, displayed their cars, or donated. We raised over $1800 on the morning, going straight to the RCH Appeal. Your support truly makes a difference. This was my first event back out in the world after three months of treatment and it was wonderful to get back out and see you all again. Thank you to everyone that came up and said “hello”.

7 April – Geelong Area Coffee & Chat

Our Geelong Coffee & Chat night once again proved why it’s one of our most popular social gatherings. Members dropped in and out all evening for a warm drink, a chat, and plenty of laughs. It’s always a relaxed, friendly night, and we love seeing both regulars and new faces.

26 April – Variety Stars on Track

Our major event for the month and one of the highlights of our entire year was the Variety Stars on Track Ride Day at Sandown. This event has been a long time in the planning, and thanks to the help of some truly amazing sponsors and volunteers, we pulled off something incredibly special. Thank you to Jo for all her hard work, long phone calls, late nights, emails while sitting in hospital waiting rooms, all done while caring for me. After all the expenses to run the day, we managed to donate $9000 to Variety to help their work with looking after sick and disadvantaged children in the community. So very proud of everyone involved in the club and the Motorsport Community that came together for this wonderful day.

Some of the sponsors that need a big thank you were BMW Australia, Waverley BMW, Wurth Australia, Shannons, Evolve Technic and Andy Hall’s Cup Car Engineering that took people for Hot Laps in between the kid’s sessions. Club member, Peter Knight, needs a very special mention too, your push to bring this event to fruition and benefaction of the day was the inspiration for such a wonderful event, Thank You!

We were joined by several car clubs, creating a spectacular display of vehicles from all marques not just BMW which was a real treat for the eyes and ears. The atmosphere was electric, with smiles everywhere you looked.

A huge highlight was the arrival of Will Brown from Red Bull Racing, thanks to Wurth, who generously gave his time to sign autographs, talk and take photos with people and then take guests for hot laps in his shiny new Mustang was amazing. The excitement he brought to the day was unforgettable. Will is truly a great ambassador for Wurth and Red Bull Racing.

Our lunchtime Course Car Parade Laps, proudly sponsored by Waverley BMW, were another crowd favourite. They supplied two stunning course cars to lead the laps, and once again, the smiles said it all. Our Parade laps are always popular, and this time was no different, needing 4 separate parades to accommodate everyone.

If you missed this year’s event, please mark 24 April 2027 in your diaries, we will definitely be doing it again, and we plan to make it even bigger and better next year.

Upcoming Events – May & Beyond

2 May – Presentation Night Our 1920s Murder Mystery Dinner promises to be a night of fun, laughter, and a little gangster‑style mischief. Everyone attending will play a character it’s going to be fantastic.
9 May – Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 3 Sandown
16 May – Bunyip to Kilcunda Afternoon Drive
17 May – National Motoring Heritage Day (Geelong departure)

6 June – King’s Birthday Long Weekend Away
5 July – Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 4 Phillip Is
11 July - DCM Come and Try Day at Sandown
19 July – Christmas in July
23-26 July - Winton Festival of Speed – E30 Racing 25^th Anniversary Special event, will be a huge event, well worth coming to support all the members racing
21 November – Challenge Bathurst
18 March 2027 – BMW Clubs Australia Nationals (hosted by BMWDCNSW)

Membership & Personal Update

Our membership continues to grow every month, which is a testament to the strength and reputation of our club. I am also pleased to share that my health is improving steadily. I’m now attending more events and truly looking forward to seeing everyone out and about again. Your support during my illness has meant more than I can ever express.

Thank you all for your dedication, enthusiasm, and friendship. Let’s keep building on this month’s momentum and make the rest of 2026 just as memorable.

Stay safe, enjoy your driving, and I hope to see you at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

BMW Clubs Australia Motorrad Rally 2026

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:06:50 GMT

Read the report here

Variety Stars on Track

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 09:32:59 GMT

A brilliant day we called the Variety Club ‘Stars on Track’ - a high speed ride around the Sandown race track for lots of sick and underprivileged children and their families in conjunction with Variety - the childrens charity.

The day was only possible because of a huge contribution from volunteers, drivers with their cars and officials and our generous sponsors :

BMW Group Australia, Waverley BMW, Shannons Insurance, Wurth Australia, Grip Auto watches, Josco Australia, Evolve Technik, Bell Motorsport, Cup Car Engineering.

And especially Peter Knight, you are amazing.

Without you all we couldn’t have run such a wonderful event.

Thank you to Will Brown for coming down to Melbourne to join us on the day too, with thanks to Wurth. You were very generous with your time and are such a great ambassador for Supercars and Red Bull Racing.

We had over 120 kids and their families having the time of their lives with over 100 cars taking kids for rides.

As well as cars on track we had lots of amazing cars on display, including some of the "Variety Bash" participants in their wacky vehicles bound to raise a smile.

For the adults we had some great raffle prizes and proper hot laps.

Thank you to all the clubs and club members that came along to help on the day, you are amazing!

VFT, as always there helping out with flags, all the Variety people helping get kids in and out of cars.

It was huge!

We couldn’t have done better with the weather too, just a perfect Melbourne Autumn sunny day.

With all the costs of the event accounted for we have donated $9,000 to Variety Victoria to continue their amazing work with the kids too. Well done everyone for coming and making it such a success.

We will be back again next year bigger and better!

Jo Mawson #1 and Lawrence Glynn #3

Dear Jo, Graeme and the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne community,

On behalf of everyone at Variety – the Children’s Charity, thank you for your extraordinary support in delivering the inaugural Variety Stars on Track.

The day was truly special. What stood out most was the spirit of community — people coming together to create an experience that many of our children and families never imagined possible. The smiles said everything.

For many children, this was far more than a day out. It was a moment of confidence, joy, and connection that will stay with them for a long time. The care shown by your drivers and volunteers made a profound difference.

We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from families and wanted to share a few reflections with you:

“Tanner and I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in making the day so amazing at Sandown. He was very hesitant at first, but the amazing and supportive staff helped him feel comfortable. He ended up going in with me and had a great time. Thank you for including us in such an amazing day.”

“I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the incredible experience my child had. The level of care, professionalism, and confidence you instilled made a remarkable impact. Chase absolutely loved it. Seeing the confidence and excitement it brought out meant so much.”

“The staff were so lovely and helpful, and the driver was very attentive. We were both grinning the entire way. Thank you for such a wonderful event — a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance.”

“I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone involved with this event. It was an awesome day. I took my grandson, who has Cerebral Palsy, along with my friend and their child, and they had an absolute ball. Everyone was so kind and friendly, and the cars were incredible. My grandson rode in a Mini and was so excited. It was truly a magical experience and one they will remember for a long time. Thank you from all four of us — you do an amazing job.”

Alongside the experience itself, the $9,000 raised is an outstanding result. These funds will directly support more Victorian children living with disability, illness, or disadvantage, extending the impact well beyond the day.

We’re incredibly proud of what was achieved together. This was a genuine partnership and a powerful example of what’s possible when communities come together with a shared purpose.

Thank you again, and we look forward to building on this success with you next year.

Warm regards,
Pete, Jodie & Ella
Variety – the Children’s Charity

BMW Clubs' World Magazine Issue 1 2026

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:09:38 GMT

Issue 1 for 2026 of the BMW Clubs' World magazine produced by the BMW Clubs International Council is here

Report on April 2026 BMW Clubs International Council meeting

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:23:42 GMT

All official BMW clubs are part of the BMW Clubs International Council, represented by delegates from the regional and umbrella organisations - BMW Clubs Australia in our case.

Here is the report made to the BMW Clubs Australia AGM by our International Delegate - Bob Williams from BMW Drivers Club NSW.

Royal Children's Hospital Appeal - Good Friday Coffee & Wheels Morning

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:56:05 GMT

The Royal Children's Hospital Appeal on Good Friday is a long established tradition. We have made a Coffe and Cars style event at Flavours Patisserie raising funds for RCH a club tradition.

Now based at the Black Rock store we had the run of the Woolworths supermarket car park for the 60+ cars that turned up during the morning and the 100+ people who visited for varying lengths of time.

This new location provided more passing traffic which resulted in a greater number casual, or curious, drop ins - mostly on foot but some by car.

As is our style, non-BMWs were welcome too and we had some truly fabulous cars on show.

Our talented events team were on hand to rattle collection buckets and Joesphine Holliday organised a brilliant range of great raffle prizes - helping us reach a total at the venue of $1772, $2,000 to date for the event overall.

Of course, it was not just about fund raising, there was excellent food and coffee from Flavours and many conversations. It was a great event to catch up with some of our members who are otherwise busy with their lives but can break away on a day like this.

Lawrence Glynn #3

An Update from the President | March 2026

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:32:04 GMT

March has been a wonderfully full month for BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, with a fantastic mix of motorsport, social outings, and community involvement. It’s been great to see so many members participating, volunteering, and supporting one another throughout the month.

Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix – 4–8 March

We began the month with the excitement of the F1 Australian Grand Prix. Many of our members attended as spectators, but a large number were also there in an official capacity. Your professionalism and commitment continue to make us proud, and it’s always impressive to see our club so well represented at such a major international event.

The 4th of March was also Jo’s birthday. While we were in North Melbourne for one of my hospital visits, several of our members surprised her with a lovely dinner. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved. It has been a challenging time for Jo as she has been looking after me, and this thoughtful gesture gave her a much needed break. Your kindness truly meant a lot to both of us.

Geelong Mid-Week Drive – 10 March

Our Geelong mid-week drive was another terrific outing. Attendance continues to grow, and it’s wonderful to see more members joining these relaxed weekday events. The route, the weather, and the company all made for a very enjoyable day.

Waverley BMW iX3 Neue Klasse Launch night – 12 March

We were invited to provide some cars to assist the launch of the next generation of BMWs, the Neue Klasse. It was a lovely evening, mingling with staff and guests and looking at the next generation of BMW cars. Apparently if you want one you may have to wait at least 12 months, as most of the first allocation of cars has already been sold. So keep your eye out on the roads for the Neue Klasse cars rolling out very soon. The i3 is next.

Phillip Island Classic – Festival of Speed – 14 – 15 March

We had an excellent turnout for our display at the Phillip Island Classic. The cars looked fantastic, and once again several of our members were officiating throughout the event. Thank you to all who volunteered events of this scale simply don’t happen without dedicated officials, and your contribution is invaluable.

West Gippsland Drive – 21 March

Our West Gippsland drive was another highlight of the month. Starting from Berwick BMW, one of our favourite dealerships, we were also joined by the BMW bike club, who happened to be heading out on their own ride. The driving roads were superb, the lunch destination even better, and it was great to see new members attending and having such a great time. These drives really capture the spirit of our club.

E30 Racing 20 - 22 March

A large group of our members racing at Winton. Good fair clean racing for the weekend had Alex Jory win the round. Congratulations Alex and also happy birthday for you on the Sunday.

Upcoming Events

3 April – Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal

Please note the new location in Black Rock. This is always a meaningful event for us, and we look forward to another strong turnout in support of a wonderful cause. Just and FYI over the years we have raised over $17k at this event.

7 April – Coffee & Chat – Geelong

A relaxed drop-in evening for members in the Geelong region. A great opportunity to catch up and welcome new faces.

26 April - Variety “Stars on Track” passenger laps and Car display

Our Variety Stars on track event is to offer sick children and their families the opportunity of spending some time on the track and forgetting their day to day pain and make some great memories.

Not wanting to put your car on the track or you don’t have a track licence? We have a car display including celebrating 40 Years of M3. Display your car and receive complimentary parade laps at lunch time

26 April –Parade Laps sponsored by Waverley BMW

Our Parade Laps will be held on the 26th, proudly sponsored by Waverley BMW. This is shaping up to be a fantastic day, and we encourage everyone to come along and take part.

Events to Remember

2 May – Presentation Night (Murder Mystery Theme)

Always one of our most enjoyable evenings—this year with a fun twist.

6 June - Kings Birthday Long Weekend Trip – Echuca

A great getaway planned for the long weekend, with plenty of driving, sightseeing, and social time.

19 July – Christmas in July – Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron

A favourite on our social calendar. Save the date for a warm winter celebration by the water.

A Special Thank You – Welfare Team

I would also like to give a very sincere thank you to our Welfare Team, who have been working overtime to support Jo and myself during my treatment. Their daily check-ins, visits, and constant care have made an enormous difference and have helped us both more than words can express.

My health is slowly returning to something resembling normal, and I’m hopeful you may see me at the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal Day. I may not be able to stay long, but it is an event I am aiming to attend.

Membership & Club Support

Membership continues to grow, which is both humbling and encouraging. Our sponsors remain incredibly supportive, and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to the club.

A heartfelt thank you also goes to the members who have stepped up over the past few months to help lighten the load for Jo and I. Your support has been noticed and deeply appreciated.

March has been a month full of energy, enthusiasm, and community spirit. Thank you to everyone who has participated, volunteered, supported, or simply shared in the fun. Our club continues to thrive because of the people in it, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.

Looking forward to another exciting month ahead.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

West Gippsland drive to Phillip Island

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 05:13:41 GMT

BMW's core brand value (originally joy through using, then joy through driving or sheer driving pleasure) is all about bringing joy to its customers. We had a particularly joyous day today driving from Berwick BMW to Saltwater at Phillip Island.

We were warmly greeted at Berwick BMW by dealer principal Neil Phillips and his team. They regularly host BMW motorcyclists before enjoying their run as part of their recent expansion into Mottorad, including today, with an assortment of BMW's finest 2 wheeled machines.

The new car showroom was a joy to behold, including a fetching M2 in Frozen Pure Grey metallic.

Our drive took us through some wonderful scenery and very satisfying roads to a delightful lunch.

Most rewarding of all was the friendly conversations including our newer members, welcoming them to our club.

Lawrence Glynn #3

The day turned out very well organised, meeting other members, catching up with previous and especially new members, a lot of conversations within the group. Berwick BMW were very welcoming and getting advice on all the new range makes you wonder about your next vehicle.

Thank you for including me into the BMW group, learning increasingly every time on these fantastic outings. Especially the country drives, normally we forget what goes on outside Melbourne metro

Had a great time and looking forward to the next well organised adventure.

Bruce Greenland #854

Phillip Island Penrite 100 Classic March 14 - 15

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:44:20 GMT

Two days of classic racing, including our beloved Group C and Group A ex JPS Team BMW cars joined this year by a "Super Tourer" from the Euro scene after Group A.

A great friendly atmosphere, walk around the pits and the paddock, chat with the teams (subject to operational requirements of course) and mix with a fabulous crowd who all love cars.

It was not sunny, which is good except for the photos. It did not rain, which is all good.

Some lovely cars in our display, more on Saturday than Sunday. And lots of iterest and cahts going on.

Altogether, a brilliant weekend.

Waverley BMW - iX3 Neue Klasse Launch night – 12 March

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:30:00 GMT

In case you have missed it, BMW have just reset their entire styling and technology platforms - a clean sheet transformation. They call it "Neue Klasse" - New Class - after the 1961 total reset of the same name.

It a bit like designing an axe in 1961 when shovels had been used before. Since then the axe handle has been improved and reshaped and the axe head has been refined and made from better materials. There is even a vibrating head to help penetrate the tree. The product is much improved, muc h better than one could have predicted in 1961, but still basically an axe. Now we have a chain saw. All new for the future with greater opportunity for further enhancement.

The first Neue Klasse (2.0) vehicle released is the iX3 - the X3 is now BMW's biggest selling product. This is a big deal for BMW as over 17 billion Euros have gone into the Neue Klasse project.

From the responses at the Waverley BMW launch night and the on-line reviews (by professional!), every cent has ben well spent.

As a nice contrast we provided a BMW 700 - the last car BMW designed and produced before the 1961 Neue Klasse - for display.

BMW Clubs Australia's delegate to BMW Clubs International Council report

Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:10:05 GMT

All official BMW clubs are part of the BMW Clubs International Council, represented by delegates from the regional and umbrella organisations - BMW Clubs Australia in our case.

Here is the report made to the BMW Clubs Australia AGM by our International Delegate - Bob Williams from BMW Drivers Club NSW.

An Update from the President | February 2026

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:22:27 GMT

February has been a truly memorable month for BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, filled with fantastic events, great company, and the kind of shared experiences that remind us why this club is so special. The enthusiasm, friendship, and passion shown by our members continues to make every gathering something to look forward to.

Events Highlights

7 February – Pre‑Torquay Motor Show Drive

A wonderful turnout of enthusiastic drivers enjoyed a run through our beautiful countryside. It was fantastic to see so many smiling faces, and even better to finish the day with a relaxed dinner together.

8 February – Torquay Motor Show

Our members once again presented an impressive collection of beautifully prepared cars. Thank you to everyone who displayed their pride and joy—this event never disappoints, and your efforts make it shine every year.

12–15 January – Bathurst 12 Hour Weekend

A group of our racing fans travelled to Bathurst to enjoy the comfort of our 12‑hour suite and a weekend of world class GT3 and GT4 racing. Congratulations to the BMW WRT team for securing a well earned 3rd place podium. The racing was exceptional from start to finish.

22 February – Shelford Duck Race Charity Day

A fun, relaxed day supporting a great cause. Our members brought along some stunning cars, enjoyed the atmosphere, and helped make the event a success.

23 February – Wings and Wheels, Moorabbin Airport

Although not an official DCM event, many of our members attended and proudly represented the club. The photos looked fantastic—thank you to all who went along.

27 February – Twilight Drive from Yan Yean

A perfect evening drive with great roads, great cars, and even better company. We finished with a lovely meal shared among friends—everything our club stands for.

28 February – Motorsport Australia Awards Night

A group of members attended to see me receive a Service Award. Unfortunately, I was unwell and unable to attend, and I sincerely thank Jo for kindly accepting the award on my behalf.

27 February – 1 March – E30 Racing Round 1, Goulburn

A strong group of our racing members travelled to One Raceway for the first round of the 2026 series. The racing was competitive, the camaraderie was strong, and it was wonderful to see friendships renewed as a new season begins.

Upcoming Events

10 March – Geelong Area Mid‑Week Twilight Drive
14 March – Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed
21 March – West Gippsland Drive (departing Berwick BMW)

Dates to Remember

3 April – RCH Good Friday Display, Black Rock
26 April – Variety Stars on Track
2 May – 8th Birthday Presentation Dinner
6 June – King’s Birthday Long Weekend Trip to Echuca

There are some truly fantastic events ahead—please register early so you don’t miss out.

A Personal Note

Many of you have reached out with kind words, messages, and support during my recent health challenges. Your compassion means more than I can express. I have now completed my treatment, but recovery will continue over the next few months. The doctors have reminded me that healing takes time, and I need to listen to my body.

Jo has been by my side every step of the way, and I know many of you have also been thinking of her. She has been incredible, but understandably exhausted, so we both need a little time and privacy to rest and regain our strength. We appreciate your understanding and patience during this period.

My heartfelt thanks go to our wonderful Welfare Team. Their quiet, constant support has meant the world to us. Experiencing their care firsthand has reminded me just how special this club family truly is.

Club Update

Membership continues to grow steadily each month, which is something we can all be proud of. This club is built on friendship, passion, and generosity, and it is wonderful to see new members joining and embracing that spirit.

I’ll leave this report here and hope to see many of you out and about soon. If Jo and I are not able to attend an event, please know that we are thinking of you all and deeply appreciate your kindness, patience, and support.

Warm regards,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

BMW Clubs Australia AGM 2026

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:17:57 GMT

Some notes from the BMW Clubs Australia AGM 2026

BMW Clubs Australia, the umbrella group for all the BMW clubs in Australia, has a total membership now of 6770, car membership has almost doubled since 2018 having been growing very slowly until then.

BMW Clubs International Council, of which BMW Clubs Australia, along with the other umbrella groups around the world,i s a member, have, in total, just over 250,000 club members.

Australia and Canada are the only umbrella organisations to receive direct support from their local BMW Group office.

As at 31 January 2026 there are just over 416,000 BMWs registered in Australia

70% of BMW sales in Australia are now X model.

Most BMW plants are still running at maximum capacity.

The Neue Klasse range will all be offered as ICE, PHEV or BEV, but not all options for all models in Australia. Hydrogen is also a possibility.

To meet the New Vehicle Emission Standards BMW sales will need to be 50% Battery Electric Vehicle by 2029.

The Neue Klasse platform development cost €10 billion.

In 2025 globally BMW brand sold 2,165,768 vehicles, down 1.4%. The Group sales were up 0.5% as MINI rose 17.7%.

In Australia BMW brand sales were up 1.9%, taking 24.9% of the segment. MINI sales increased by 37.7%. BMW sold 5,137 BEV coming 4^th overall for BEV.

Over 20% of BMWs sold in Australia are made in China.

Globally “M” cars (includes M Performance) make up 3.3% of sales, 23.3% in Australia. The best selling ”M” car worldwide is the X3 M50.

Highlight of the meeting was a preview of the Neue Klasse iX3 -the first product from the all new styling and technical platform, the first complete refresh since the original Neue Klasse (1.0 now I guess) in 1960. Neue Klasse means "new class".

The iX3 will be available in Australia later this year. Seen here alongside the i Vision Dee colour changing concept car.

Shelford Duck Race

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 07:42:29 GMT

Background : The Shelford Duce Race is an annual fund raiser for the Shelford Progress Association, the Shelford Primary School and cricket club at which one can "buy" a duck and get a prize if it wins.

A different twist on a raffle.

Contrary to the advertised inclement weather, most of the rain waited until later in the day. But, during the morning, a quick dust storm followed by a light shower left every car coated in a similar layer of matching grime.

There was a strong turnout of onlookers admiring our eight club cars on display—many thanks to everyone who showed up. Our flags were placed at each end of our display which added to the “mystique of the marque.”

The show includes an opportunity for all to display their magnificent cars, to enjoy some light entertainment, browse all the stalls and indulge in the many food options available.

Organizers were happy to see more visitors than expected this year, given the gloomy forecast.

The number of vendors also increased (including the Federal Member for Roads and

Infrastructure with her own stall). It was a wonderful family day for people of all ages, complete with plenty of activities for kids. appearances from Ambulance Victoria and the SES, a roving circus performer and several musicians.

At 3pm 1,500 rubber duckies were let loose in the Leigh River, with spectators cheering on their purchased ducks to the finish line and hoping to take home a prize for coming in the first ten to cross the line.

Terry Lane #965

Bathurst 12 Hour GT3 race

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:30:00 GMT

By way of exaplantaion, the Bathurst 12 Hour is a race for GT3 cars run over 12 hours. GT3 cars are a tightly regulated racing category based on production cars (mainly Grand Touring in nature) but with many alterations allowed. The category uses a "Balance of Performance" (BoP) process to handicap the cars so that, in theory and all going well, their performance is identical on a idealised circuit. But, on any actual circuit some cars will perforem better than others sa each has different strengths and weaknesses.

The bottom line is that the teams can do little to alter the cars during a season, so every, say, BMW M4 GT3, should be the same as any other. But, in endurance racing, stategy is key. Starting at this event last year BMW's factory backed team, WRT, employed a clever strategy to use a little less fuel and thus a bigget gap between pit stops giving them greater opportunity to make a re-fueling stop under a safety car (giving up less track distance and time). And it worked returning them a 1-2 finish.

But that was last year, and everyone is wiser this year!

Day one at the Bathurst 12 hour was a blast. Super comfortable in our corporate suite with plenty of action. Also it was great to see plenty of schoolchildren!

Pirelli fit 12 sets of tyres per car, $1,840,000 worth over the event. Plus GST! Some teams leave the fitting to the last minute. WRT - W Racing Team have all their tyres fitted already.

The second day was equally excelent in our comfortable and well serviced suite above the pits. We had the privilege of some time with WRT BMW M4 car #32 drivers Jordan Pepper and Kelvin van der Linde who shared with us their love of the Mount Panorama circuit (top 3 of their tracks worldwide) and their perspectives of driving the track ( a lot more challenging than a simulator would suggest). Strategy is all important they advised, so not being top of the time sheets after qualifying and the Pole Battle (7th for #46 and 12th for #32) probably won't worry them too much.

The afternoon was rounded off by a guided garage tour through WRT - W Racing Team garage, marvelling at the banks of screens for data, not just on their car but what they can get on the competitors to optimise the strategy. The team were not fussed by the grid positions but, prophetically, were concerned about first corner issues.

The Ken Done recreation art car #32 looks amazing.

Indescribably superb day for the main race at the Bathurst 12 Hour, watching with all the comforts of a corporate suite and very enjoyable and enthusiastic company and the magical atmosphere of a pre-dawn start.

Car #32 made an opportunistic lunge into a gap about 1.01 car's width heading into the first corner and got tagged on the outside right front corner. Some time later a pit stop was required to repair this (see image above) which sent them tumbling down the timing screens.

Such is the nature of endurance racing that much later on, after a safety car period. #32 was at the front of the pack in P1. Sadly it was punted off (at corner 1 again) and finishing 12th.

Car #46 had been there or thereabouts all day and finished 3rd after being out of luck with pit stops and safety cars.

It was a fantastic weekend with great racing and even better company.

Lawrence Glynn #3

Torquay Motor Show and pre-Show Cruise

Sun, 08 Feb 2026 10:30:00 GMT

Nice cruise today with fellow club members on the pre-Torquay car show cruise , some nice twisty roads , test out the Tune and suspension, great weather for a top down cruise, smelling the eucalyptus driving through the Forrest roads, love being back out n about thanks to all who made the day enjoyable.

The Torquay car show was just the tonic I needed, with my recent bad run of health conditions, heart attacks, knee replacements, mental health. To sit and chat about life with genuine people was uplifting, as was getting the 46 out of the garage 2 days in a row. The turn out from bmwdcm was fantastic.

Terry Braddock # 830

Excellent day at the Torquay Motor Show. We had a great turnout including some non-BMWs for added variety. Lots of interest and interactions. I was particularly heartened by the interest from youngsters who have a passion for motor vehicles. Brilliant to have meaningful chats with them and to see a "press gallery" of youngsters at the entry/exit taking photos and giving encouraging waves. Many thanks to our wonderful members for helping with set up and pack down, interacting with the public and each other, and making it a tremendous day.

Lawrence GLynn #3

An update from the President | January 2026

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:45:53 GMT

As we begin a new year, I want to thank all our members for their continued enthusiasm, support, and commitment to our club. January has been a busy month, filled with both wonderful events and a few challenges along the way.

Unfortunately, our Twilight Drive scheduled for 16 January had to be cancelled due to the bushfires affecting the region. The safety of our members and rescue teams always comes first, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding.

We were also delighted to have a great turnout at the AOMC Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm on 18 January. The event was very well attended and enjoyed by all who participated. Thank you to Lawrence and the rest of the attendees for making this such a fantastic event.

We were pleased to see such strong attendance at the Australia Day Eve Drive to Marysville on 25 January. Feedback from those who participated has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s fantastic to see our community starting the year with such energy and connection.

Jo and I were unable to attend the January events due to my ongoing cancer treatment. For those who have reached out to ask how I am going, it has been a tough few weeks and the treatment is certainly taking its toll. We are taking things one day at a time. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has respected our privacy and offered quiet support—it means more than you know.

I also need to share that, sadly, the F1 AGP Display will not be going ahead for our club this year. The AGPC have taken a different direction for 2026, and we were not selected. While disappointing, we remain proud of the strong presence our club has built over the years, and we will continue to pursue opportunities that showcase our members and their cars.

February is shaping up to be an exciting month with a full calendar of events, including:

Torquay Motor Show Pre‑Drive – 7 February
Torquay Motor Show – 8 February
Bathurst 12 Hour – 12 - 15 February
Shelford Duck Race Fun Day – 22 February
Twilight Drive – 27 February
Motorsport Australia Victorian State Awards – 28 February

I am honoured to be receiving an award at the Motorsport Australia ceremony, and it is wonderful to see that we have nearly sold out our ticket allocation for the night. Your support is truly appreciated.

Our merchandise continues to sell well through our online store, and membership is growing steadily each month, something we are extremely proud of. The strength of our club comes from its people, and it is heartening to see our community expanding with passionate, engaged members.

We would like to welcome on board Julie Ahern as our new Dealer Liaison who will be helping Jo out who normally covers this roll. Any other sponsors who would like a visit from Julie please email her on dealerliaison@bmwdcm.com.au and I am sure she will be happy to drop in when she is in your area.

Also we have Killian Treacy on board as one of our welfare team who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep our members happy and cared for. Welcome Killian.

Thank you all for your ongoing support, kindness, and understanding. I look forward to seeing many of you at our February events and to another successful year for BMW Drivers Club Melbourne.

Warm regards,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Pre Australia Day Drive to Marysville

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 05:23:45 GMT

We got in early with our Australia Day drive this year by having it the day before! This freed our members up for other activities on the Day and avoided some of the traffic, giving us a fairly clear run along some of the fabulous roads Peter Williams had selected for us.

With ample time between meet and departure times there was plenty of opportunity for groups fto form and chat before we split into two groups, one leisurely and the other, well, not so leisurely.

Scenic, as always and with a great balance of twists and turns, rise and falls but fast or easy as you choose. Fortunately our route was not affected by bush fires past or present but, attractive as the landscape is, the bush fire potential was painfully obvious and smoke did obscure some of the views in the distance.

The other major component of a successful drive, great company, was definitely enjoyed, at the half way stop at Warburton and especially after the drive sitting around having a coffee or a drink before dinner, and during dinner as well.

It was great to have time to have extended conversations and make a few new friends, particularly for those on their first drive with us who were extended an inclusive welcome by our wonderful members.

Some of us stayed overnight and enjoyed a bit more of Marysville on the Monday.

Altogether a brilliant weekend.

Lawrence Glynn #3

Well, where do we begin? Every club member has a first outing, and ours with BMW Drivers Club Melbourne certainly didn’t disappoint!

Tony and I joined the club because the trip calendar caught our eye immediately — plenty of social days and drives, which is exactly our kind of thing. So when the Australia Day eve drive to Marysville popped up, we figured there was no better time to dive in.

We made our way to the BP Service Centre in Officer on a glorious Sunday afternoon. It was a busy spot, but finding the club group was hardly a challenge — just look for the conspicuous cluster of BMWs gleaming in the carpark and you’ve found your people! With no familiar faces to greet us, we did what any BMW enthusiast does and started chatting with whoever was nearby. It didn’t take long at all — everyone was incredibly friendly, with a wonderful mix of cars and a great variety of reasons for being club members. That alone told us we’d made the right call joining.

The turnout was impressive, with nearly 30 cars expected on the day. Right on time, Lawrence stepped up and delivered a clear and thorough briefing, running through the schedule and what to expect. Given the big numbers, we split into two groups and settled happily into the second. With Lawrence’s reassurance that the Tourboss would get us there, we focused on the important business — the drive itself.

Once we escaped the service centre and hit the quiet country roads, the day really came alive. The weather was absolutely perfect for having the top down on the E36, and those roads delivered just the right blend of sweeping curves and open stretches to put a smile on your face while keeping everything well within the rules. We made our way to Warburton for a halfway stop — an iced coffee, a good stretch of the legs, and some conversations with fellow members before pushing on for the final leg to Marysville.

And what a final leg it was. That stretch of road is a genuine treat, and we rolled into Marysville without encountering any meaningful traffic — practically unheard of! We’d planned to have a quick drink before exploring the town, but the restaurant’s shady deck, relaxed atmosphere, and frankly excellent company from our fellow club members made leaving completely impossible. No regrets whatsoever.

Over dinner we swapped stories, shared some laughs, and got to know quite a few members. The drive home was spent happily recapping the day and attempting to remember everyone’s names — a task we almost certainly failed at, so sincere apologies in advance if we blank on yours at the next event!

We couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the club. The perfect distance, beautiful scenery, and a genuinely welcoming group of people made for a memorable day out.

We’re already looking forward to the next one.

Cheers,

Michele & Tony Rodriguez #1469

Welcome Julie Ahern to the Dealer Liaison role

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 03:28:00 GMT

We are very pleased to welcome Julie Ahern into the Committee Support role of Dealer Liaison.

Julie is a highly experienced marketing and advertising professional who has spent many years running her own successful marketing agency. With a strong background in marketing strategy, promotions and client management, Julie prides herself on outstanding customer service skills.

A proud BMW X1 owner, Julie is excited to combine her passion for the BMW brand with her professional strengths as she steps into the Dealer Liaison role. She is genuinely looking forward to building relationships and ensuring that every dealer enjoys and exceptional experience.

Festival of Motoring 2026

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 09:00:00 GMT

The Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm delivered a memorable day of camaraderie, colour, and chrome, beginning well before engines ever reached the paddocks. Our morning kicked off with a swift rendeavour at the local Hungry Jacks, where caffeine flowed freely and Lawrence set the tone with a clear and enthusiastic briefing on our display plans for the day. With bellies full and expectations high, the group was ready to roll.

Departing in an orderly fashion, we made our way towards Cruden Farm, anticipation building with every kilometre. Entry was made via a long and winding track that felt like a ceremonial approach rather than a driveway. It was the perfect prelude to what awaited us. Upon arrival, vehicles were parked in precise formation, transforming our allocated space into a cohesive and eye-catching exhibit. Club flags were raised, individual vehicle posters positioned, and our BMWs proudly stood shoulder to shoulder, gleaming in the summer light.

Surrounding us was an extraordinary cross-section of motoring history and passion. From the unmistakable presence of Singer, Jensen Interceptor, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Bentley, to the character and charm of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Volvo, Rover, and Austin Healey, the variety was immense. German engineering sat comfortably alongside Ford, Holden, Mercedes, Volkswagen, custom builds, vintage vehicles, and countless other marques, each telling its own story.

The Festival of Motoring once again proved why it holds a special place on the calendar, not just as a car show, but as a celebration of the people, friendships, and shared pride that make the automotive community thrive and support the Redkite Charity supporting families facing childhood cancer.

Michael Mimmo #515

An update from the President | December 2025

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 23:14:01 GMT

As we close out another remarkable year at BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, I want to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful spirit, generosity, and camaraderie that define our community.

We, personally, have had some challenges the last year and it is our friends and family in this community that keep stepping up to help when needed and offering the support we all need from time to time. For all of you that have called or messaged or dropped in to see how we are, you have no idea how great that feels. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. It reaffirms how wonderful our club is, and you are all a part of it.

December brought us one of the most enjoyable events of the year – our Christmas Show & Shine and family picnic on the 7th. We were treated to a fantastic turnout, with an impressive array of cars gleaming in the sunshine and creating a display that truly showcased the pride and passion of our members. Even more importantly, together we raised a much needed $1350 for Prostate Cancer Research, a cause close to many hearts.

The atmosphere on the day was simply brilliant. Nearly everyone walked away with a prize from this year’s raffle, and the smiles, laughter, and festive cheer made it a day to remember. My heartfelt thanks go to every volunteer who helped the event run so smoothly. Your time, effort, and willingness to pitch in are what make days like this possible.

As we head into the New Year, Jo and I want to wish each of you a very happy and safe New Year. We look forward to seeing you all soon, though it may be a little later than usual for us. My treatment for throat cancer begins on the 5th of January, so for the first few months of the year we may not be as present at events as we would like. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time, and we will be around whenever we can.

For those with CPS vehicles, please remember that while Jo and I may be less available in person, renewals will continue as normal. You can renew via email, download and complete (but do not sign!) the Club Endorsement Form and email to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au , or, if electronic is a challenge post the CPS renewal form as received from VicRoads along with a stamped self-addressed envelope to 11 Jean Place, Grovedale, VIC 3216 and we will ensure they are processed promptly.

A sincere thank you to our generous sponsors throughout 2025. Your support means the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2026 as we continue building a strong, vibrant, and inclusive club community.

Our online merchandise stocks are fully up to date, so if you’re looking for new items over the break, feel free to place an order through our online store. We’ll have your items posted out as quickly as possible.

As many of you enjoy some well‑earned downtime with family and friends, please take care on the roads and drive safely. For those who continue working through the holiday period, thank you for keeping the wheels turning – quite literally.

Thank you all for your friendship, your enthusiasm, and your unwavering support throughout the year. Being part of this club is a privilege, and Jo and I are grateful for each and every one of you.

Take care, enjoy the break, and we look forward to seeing you in 2026.

Warm regards,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Geelong Coffee and Chat December 2025

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:30:00 GMT

Many Thanks to Lawrence for organising tonights Coffee & Chat in Geelong. A great group of Enthusiasts. Lots of discussion, most of it car orientated. And several very interesting cars to look at.

Reinhold Schutz #701

Christmas Show and Shine Picnic

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:30:00 GMT

Absolutely perfect day for our end of year Show and Shine and Xmas get together.

Sun is shining, lots of cars and people coming in to share in the day.

Winners of the Show and Shine were :
Under 120,000 kms Paul Caruso 1982 BMW E21 Alipna C1 2.3
Over 120,000 kms Simon Wilkins 2001 BMW E39 5 Series
Non-BMW Matthew White 1935 Singer Bantan Special

People's Choice award Matt Kenny BMW 840 Ci

Our thanks to the Show and Shine Jdges Igor Kay, Luke Devlin, Jess Palmer, Daniel Roberts, Steve Garth, Russell Eastaway.

Thank you for another wonderful year of our amazing club. Look forward to seeing you again in 2026.

Neue BMW Roundel badge

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 23:38:56 GMT

As part of BMW's "Neue Klasse" (New Class) step change in its product portfolio they have introduced a new BMW "Roundel" logo.

You have too look hard to tell the differences but the main change is to strip out the "chrome", which is line with the overall design language which is cleaner and uses much less fussy detail.

The badge differs from the logo used in letterheads, media etc.

You can read the history of the logo here and, no, it never was a propeller!

An update from the President | November 2025

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 08:36:39 GMT

November was a month full of adventure, camaraderie, and memorable moments for our club. As we head into summer we look forward to longer days and sunny days. Perfect for getting out and enjoying our cars and our get togethers.

Canberra Adventure

We kicked things off in November with a large group of intrepid travellers heading off on a 10 day adventure to Canberra. Along the way, we detoured through the Snowy Mountains, where the Alpine Coaster at Thredbo gave us all a thrill and plenty of laughs. There was even some snow still on the hills up there. Canberra itself proved once again to be a fantastic city, with some truly amazing driving roads to enjoy. It was wonderful to have a friend from the NSW club join us for part of the trip, and equally special to catch up with our Canberra mate from E30 Racing. You can read more about the fun we had here.

Sandown Historic Racing & Calder E30 Round

While we were away in ACT, a group of our enthusiasts proudly represented the club with a display at Sandown Historic Racing. A big thank you to Simon Wilkins for picking up the banners and flags and flying the club colours while we were gone. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, our members were racing at Calder for the final round of E30 Racing. We managed to watch the races on Blend line TV and Jo provided lively commentary as we drove home through some spectacular roads, making the experience even more enjoyable. Read the report here.

Challenge Bathurst

As the month drew to a close, members travelled to Bathurst to take part in Challenge Bathurst. I’m proud to say we had entries joining our group from across the east coast and South Australia, and equally proud of the volunteers who gave up their time to help run this iconic event. Without officials and volunteers, none of these events would be possible, so thank you to each and every one of you. Especially since our medical issues prevented Jo and I heading up again. I was very disappointed not to be up there again this year. This is a fantastic event and about the only way any of us normal people can get to drive one of the best racetracks in the world, as fast as you like. For information on how to get on track at Bathurst feel free to chat to Jo or myself. But here is what happened.

Midweek & Twilight Drives

With the weather warming up and the days growing longer, midweek drives returned to the calendar. A great group headed off to Lorne for a mid-week evening drive, enjoying fantastic cars, great company, and a beautiful night. Our final drive for the month was a Twilight Drive to Panton Hill, which sold out quickly and proved to be a huge success. These later drives are clearly becoming more popular, and we’ll look at adding more of them in the future as the weather warms up and the evenings get longer.

Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship

November wrapped up with Round 8 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. It was a pleasure to be out there supporting potential new racers, and I even had the chance to conduct a couple of OLTs (Observed Licence Tests) on the day.

A Personal Note

As I mentioned earlier, sadly, Jo and I were unable to attend Challenge Bathurst this year. Jo was rushed into hospital the week before with kidney stones and required emergency surgery. She has two more surgeries scheduled over the next month, so her journey isn’t over yet. Before heading to Canberra, I also discovered a lump in my throat, which was later diagnosed as cancer of the left tonsil. With this news, we had to make the difficult but necessary decision to put our health first. Knowing that Lawrence and the team were officiating at Bathurst gave us peace of mind that everything would be well looked after.

I have spent a few days at various hospitals over the last two weeks, having pan-endoscopy, biopsies, PET and CT scans and talking to specialists, next week we meet with them again to set the plan of attack to treat the cancer and move forward. Looking like Chemo and Radiology, so I might be out of action for a few weeks.

We are both determined to face these challenges head on, and while there may be times when we’re out of action, we’ll continue to support the club as much as we can. The strength of our community and the generosity of our volunteers remind us why this club is so special. Thank you all for your emails, calls and texts of support, it really is comforting to know we have so many friends in our corner.

Looking Ahead – December & Beyond

December brings a quieter schedule as we head into Christmas. Our annual Christmas Show & Shine at Cruden Farm is just around the corner, and we’d love to see as many members as possible there. Helpers are still needed, so please put your hand up if you can assist—it’s not too late to register and bring the whole family along.

We’ll finish the year with a relaxed Coffee & Chat (used to be called donuts!) night in Geelong, the perfect way to wind down after a busy season.

Events to Diary in 2026

9 January – Twilight Drive Yan Yean to Coldstream
18 January – AOMC Festival of Motoring, Cruden Farm
25 January – Australia Day Eve Drive & Dinner
8 February – Torquay Motor Show
12 February – Bathurst 12 Hour (spots still available)
2 May – 8th Birthday Presentation Dinner

Final Thoughts

As 2025 draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on what an incredible year it has been. From epic road trips to thrilling race days, BMW’s 1-2 at the Bathurst 12 Hour, from casual coffee catch ups to twilight drives, we’ve shared so many experiences that embody the spirit of our club.

Last but not least our fantastic BMW Clubs Australia Nationals that was one to remember.

I had hoped to finish the year with good health news, but life has given Jo and I another journey to navigate. Even so, we remain grateful—grateful for the support of our members, the dedication of our volunteers, and the friendships that make this club feel like family.

Please remember to check that your CPS registrations and membership renewals are paid up. With the silly season upon us, it’s easy to forget, and we’d hate for anyone to have their registration cancelled due to a missed payment. We are all volunteers and deserve some time off over Christmas, so if your Club Permit is coming due get it to us early rather than last minute for a signature as we may well be away over the break and you will then have to wait to get it signed.

Thank you all for being part of this wonderful community. Here’s to a joyful Christmas, a happy New Year, and an exciting 2026 ahead.

Warm regards,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Twilight Drive to Panton Hill

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 22:30:00 GMT

Don't be put off by the hints of rain in the above photograph. Thanks to the vagaries of Victoria's weather our drive was rain free, although some roads were damp and best treated with caution.

We did not totally escape the ironies of life as the start point Peter had changed us to, in order to avoid the crowds at the original location which failed to materialise, turned out to be very crowded thanks to an unforseen market/fair. However, we all made it out in a reasonably tight group.

The first leg took us to Yarra Glen along pleasant and interesting roads, as expected from a Peter Williams drive.

We had short "comfort" stop which seemed to include a fair bit of chat before the second leg to the Panton Hill Hotel. This leg included some more challenging, but still open enough, roads the best of which were along the slightly greasy Buttermans Track. Thanks to our use of the TourBoss app and radios, no one was pressured to go faster than was comfortable in a vain attempt to keep up.

The pub was very busy (always is apparently which is a good sign) but we had a deck all to ourselves so no shortage of space. The good was excellent and the company even better.

And, yes, the rain did catch up with us but only after a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Geelong mid week drive to Lorne

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 08:35:00 GMT

We were fortunate to enjoy a beautiful, bright, and sunny spring evening for our drive to Lorne.

This mid-week outing proved to be both exciting and demanding for BMW enthusiasts, featuring lots of twisty roads and breathtaking scenery—at least for those able to glance away from the wheel.

Once again, Lawrence expertly organized a fantastic drive, culminating at the Lorne Hotel along the Great Ocean Road, where we were treated to spectacular views, excellent company, and delicious food, making the event truly unforgettable.

Thank you Lawrence,

Cheers

Terry and Anne Lane #965 and #1112

Challenge Bathust 2025

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 08:34:11 GMT

Australia is a notoriously flat continent where any hill bigger than a pimple can be called a mount or mountain. Not so around Bathurst, lying in the remnents of the Blue Mountains which are part of the mighty if somewhat mis-named Great Dividing Range (not technically a range).

For here lies Mount Panorama, so named because of the spectacular views which caused the Bathurst City Council to construct a road up and across the mountain to take advantage of said views. This is no pimple but a proper mountain and the road is now world famous as the Bathurst Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, iconic and one of the most challenging tracks in the world. So when an motorsport event primarily aimed at amateurs is organising here, the name Challenge Bathurst is both entirely apt and a bit of a warning.

Such a magical track, take a look at the photo - the track starts about level with where I stand and climbs steeply (far more so than it appears on TV) above and across the "Mount Panorama" cut into the hillside, and then plunges down again just as steeply. All using normal public roads (closed obviously and well surfaced but narrow). One of the few, maybe now the only, internationally certified tracks where the entire competition layout can be driven on public roads.

I spent the first two days (Thursday and Friday) flag marshaling, my first "proper" flag marshalling in over 50 years!

Day one was just past the exit of the dipper which is narrow and fast, we could almost touch the cars as they skimmed the wall at our feet. Tricky to pick an impending overtake (blue flag) but fortunately no incidents in our section (yellow flag). {Other flag colours are available for specific duties!}

Day two was at the end of Conrod Straight entering The Chase. Breathtaking speeds (300+ km/h or or 190 mph) in a "gentle" bend creating enough g-force to really tilt even stiffly sprung race sedans on their suspension, followed by hard hard braking. Tremendous. The closing speed between some competitors meant a blue flag well before an overtake and the sheer speed meant watching the next flag point down the track so as to mirror their yellow to provide enough time for the driver to react.

2 incidents, including a monster trip across the gravel trap shown here and the one on the other side of the track, ending in a roll over (no injuries), showed just how quickly things go wrong and the vital role of marshals in ensuring it does not get worse and is dealt with efficiently and safely.

And there is the communication back to race control - flag points are the eyes and ears on the track and vital to not only the safety of all but the efficient running of the event.

On our feet and on our toes all day, but what a great 2 days.

Saturday was spent in the pit garages with our group of 17 cars (out of a session of up to 55 cars). For reasons unknown the PA was not working in any of the garages and the paddock PA could just about be heard inside but not understood. Time passes quickly and missing the call to driver's briefing or dummy grid can be disasterous. I was able to help out a little by keeping an eye on the clock and stepping into the paddock to hear the PA. Apart from getting a car left over from Thurs/Fri evicted from one garage things went pretty smoothly and the rain stayed away.

I was very impressed by both the lap times and the comradeship of our group. As best as I could tell there was a lot of respect out on track even if that was not always reciprocated by others in the same session.

The Saturday and Sunday sessions were Regularity, one point for every 1/10 of a second slower than your nominated time, 2 points for every 1/10 faster. Chris Price, in his M140i, from BMW Car Club Queensland is to be congratulated as the winner of (at least) our session (Group D) with a mere 41 points in total from 4 20 minute sessions.

Our group was well represented in the top part of the results so good work all round.

Lawrence Glynn #3

Canberra Melbourne Cup trip 2025

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 08:31:27 GMT

We got off to a great start of our 10 day Canberra trip departing from Croyden and heading through Yarck to Whitfield for lunch and then some time exploring Beechworth before overnighting at Wodonga.

Once the early rain and traffic cleared we could enjoy the roads and the views. We met some riders from BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria at Whitfield. They were completing a 2,000 km tour. We encountered a splendid Ceylon Yellow M440i and its owner in Beechworth. He purchased it when a Mustang Dark Horse deal fell through!. He did not seem to be missing the Mustang.

Day two started off with a 9am briefing on a perfect sunny day in Wodonga and was followed by a stunning drive along the banks of the Murray River with sweeping bends and glorious sunshine. Heading in land and up hill changed that to majestic views of snow tinged mountains and tighter curves.

Lunch was at Corryong followed a bit of fun for some at the Thredbo Alpine Coaster and viewing the surrounds before Horizons in Jindabyne for excellent accommodation and a first class meal celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary Jill and Jeff Palmer (who survived the Alpine Coaster - just!).

After dinner, some snuck off for a whisky tasting session whilst the rest went off to bed.

Day three was a more relaxed start with a lovely breakfast at our Motel at Jindabyne with a fairly short leg to our first stop at the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre at Cooma for morning tea.

An easy casual drive took us to the (relatively) recently upgraded Tharwa Bridge before arriving at the very interesting Tidbinbilla Deep Space Communication Station.

Our final destination was our accommodation for the next four nights at the Pavilion Hotel in Canberra.

A lovely dinner in house was enjoyed by all.

From here there was no fixed programme but each day a varying number joined in the main activities.

Day 4 took a group of us to Yass and then the Carey Caves at Wee Jasper.

What an amazing tour guide we all had. So much information and knowledge it was an honour to be in his presence. What was supposed to be an hour tour turned into a full afternoon, but no one complained, as he was so passionate and informative about the caves and his life long work looking after them.

So, 4 hours later and after what was the best cave tour we’ve ever been on, we headed back to Canberra via the Cotter Dam.

Such an amazing sight and again fantastic driving roads picked and plotted by Graeme.

The run of good weather had to end so best to heads inside on Day 5. Some headed off to the Australian War Memorial. Always an amazing place to visit, sadly the rear huge display is still being rebuilt, but the rest is still very much worth seeing. There is so much history here and some of it very confronting and moving. For anyone that has family serving in the military it is a must see when in Canberra.

Canberra is, of course, our Nation’s capital and is replete with embassies and consulates, many built in national style (the UK embassy being stereotypically boring!). As expected, the USA embassy looks the biggest and most palatial. As a former Canberra resident Lawrence had plotted a TourBoss route past the best of the embassies which also took us past the Royal Mint.

Unlike the Note Printing Works in Melbourne, they welcome visitors here and it was very interesting to see it all working. We even made our own $1 coins that are actually legal tender, real coins! Pretty cool! Put $3 in and watch a blank get stamped out and issued to you with a folder to put it in.

We continued our tour, with a detour up another look out viewing point then back to the motel before heading in to the city for dinner with the gang.

Some even tried to watch a certain horse race happening back home, but the pub had the TV on the wrong channel. So they watched a different race somewhere else.

Another awesome day out on Day 6 exploring the countryside surrounding Canberra, literally! We headed off on a shortish drive to our first stop at The Cascades at Lake Googong.

We needed a quick stop to check a tyre that was losing a bit of pressure, luckily Trent had a tyre pump on board to help out.

Lovely short walk to see the river below the dam, then back in our cars for a short drive to the dam wall viewing area. Lovely spot on such a lovely day.

Our next location involved a couple of kms of good gravel roads and it was great to see no one was too precious to not drive down to the car park at the Woolshed at London Bridge. It was a bit of a hike to this one and we were very proud that everyone made the 2km hike to London Bridge to see this natural limestone formation. There was so much else to see and enjoy too, we saw echidnas, kangaroos and even a big fat wombat came out to say hello.

Some went to Honeysuckle Creek, site of the former communication centre used by NASA during the space race and Apollo moon shot missions, sadly now abandoned but one of the dishes is at Tinbinbilla.

We headed back the long way to the splendid Mount Ainslie lookout with grand views over the Parliamentary Triangle and lake, so impressive the way the city was designed and laid out.

From here we each went our own ways for a couple of hours before our last full dinner together as a group, as some were due to head home the next day.

For our last full day in town (Day 7) we started off with breakfast with a most of the group, joined by one of our friends from E30 Racing that lives in Canberra. Great catching up and chatting about cars and life in general.

Some went to the National Library for a coffee and a look around and bought some books for the grand kids. Went for a walk around the lake front and enjoyed the sunshine on such a lovely day.

A visit to Canberra is incomplete without a visit to Parliament House where we wandered around and discovered parliament was actually in session. No photos inside the house, as you can’t take anything inside, no phones, cameras, even smart watches. After watching the kindergarten (sorry, Question Time) for a while we left to go up on the roof and take in the views. It really is a magnificent building. Well worth the visit.

Trent visited the Royal Australian Mint for a look see and managed to grab us some of the just released that day, gold and silver commemorative poppy coins marking 80 years after WW2. So very thankful to Trent, as we missed out in the pre release ballot for the limited edition coins, so thank you Trent.

We tried to go to Black Mountain Tower (best known as the Telecom Tower) to take some pics, but it is all closed up, forlorn and deserted looking, pretty sad really for such a prominent spot. You couldn’t see out much for the trees as even the lower area of the tower is all fenced off. Looks like it is only used as a drift park these days. Probably pretty lively at night with the local lads judging by the tyre marks in the car park.

An early start to Day 8 so we could be packed and loaded up ready to head off at 9 as we had a bit of driving to do today.

We said farewell to Canberra and headed for our first stop at Braidwood. NSW’s first heritage listed town. Lovely old town, we had a short stop for coffee and a comfort break, quick walk down the street then off to the coast.

We arrived in Bateman’s Bay (made accessible by forst a punt ferry and then a succession of 2 bridges) with time for a half hour wander around, look at the shops and the foreshore before taking the scenic route on to our lunch stop at Narooma Golf Club.

Lovely lunch, very picturesque location with delightful views along the coast and out to sea.

We left here around three and headed to our overnight stop at Merimbula.

Once checked in to the motel, some headed to the bowls club for dinner, some had something more simple.

After a lovely night in Merimbula Day 9 saw half the crew were up early to take a longer inland jaunt through the Snowy Mountains to tonight’s final stop at Lakes Entrance. The rest took the very scenic coast road with time for a leisurely wander around Merimbula before heading off

First stop on the coastal run was Eden, with a visit to the Whaling Museum and then a bit of a tour around town.

The Museum was very interesting, lots of memories of the old days of catching and carving up whales here. Brought back my own memories of a visit to the Whaling Station at Albany in WA, when I was a teenager, whilst it was still operating. If ever you have been there you will know why it sticks in your mind. I can still remember the smell and the blood and the sharks trying to climb the ramp to get scraps from the butchering. Most of all the smell though! Very happy they don’t do it any more!

From there we headed down the coast, back across the border into Victoria, then on to lunch at Mallacoota.

Awesome road into Mallacoota, by the way, and so great we got to do it again on the way out!

We chatted to some locals that run the cafe in town and the young bloke recommended we head down the coast a bit and stop at some of the lookouts, as there were still a few Whales coming past. So we did and managed to see some breeches in the distance. On our way back out we met the first rain we have had since Tuesday in Canberra. We have been blessed this whole trip with perfect weather, so a little rain whilst driving didn’t really upset anyone.

Our next stop along the coast, other than a couple of lookout stops, was at Marlo Pub for an afternoon coffee and sit in front of the fire. Perfect for a slightly wet afternoon!

Back on the road again for the final run to Lakes Entrance and by the time we got to the motel it had stopped raining so we could unload and rest up before dinner.

Our last dinner together as a group was just delicious! Perfect spot on the waterfront to end the last full day together.

The group presented Jo and I (and Peter) some lovely gifts and a thank you card that touched our hearts. So thank you all.

We still have a fair drive home tomorrow yet to come, and some great roads to enjoy and things to see, but this has been such a wonderful time away with a truly lovely bunch of people. We have loved every minute of it.

Thank you all for coming and we both hope you have all enjoyed it as much as we have.

But before departing on Day 10 there was time to explore Lakes Entrance a little and have a casual breakfast.

We found a lovely cafe for breakfast then wandered around and took a few pics and explored a lovely antique/brick-a-brack store for some bargains before heading back to the hotel to meet everyone for the trip home.

Our group has been shrinking almost each day, with some heading directly home from Canberra, one heading home last night and a couple staying in Lakes for an extra night.

So we are now down to 7 cars in convoy this morning. We headed to Bairnsdale, with a stop at the lookout over Lakes Entrance, then off the highway again to Heyfield for a lovely lunch in a family run cafe.

Again a couple left for home direct from here whilst the rest of us stopped by Cowwarr Weir for some pics and our last stop together. Lovely spot, lovely roads to get here too so we might have to come back again for a visit.

From here we started splintering off and finding our own way home.

It’s been an awesome time away, so many amazing roads to drive, sights to see, all with a great bunch of people.

Thank you all for coming and enjoying it as much as we have.

Thanks to Peter for all the organising of the original route and trip notes.

Most of all, thanks to Jo for all the planning, booking, checking, confirming, rebooking, hearding cats, endless calling of pot holes, tight corners, debris, oncoming vehicles, dips, jumps, mud, water on road, echidnas, wild brumbies, road kill, and commentary along the road. We’d be lost without you!

Thank you all for following us on tour too.

If you love our stories and pics, come and join in!

We have a lot of fun away on tour as we do on all our drives and events. Watch out for the next one!

Graeme Bell #1

Sandown Historics

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 07:44:09 GMT

In the absence of any committee members (Canberra trip) Simon Wilkins kindly agreed to lead this event - demonstrating what great members we have.

Sadly the event organistion was not quite up to the task and there was some confusion over our display space.

Nonetheless, we had a decent display with a grod cross-section of models, including Marcus Mimmo's superb WTCC/BTCC Super Touring replica, and enjoyed the classic racing which included an M3 in the Group C & A Tribute.

An update from the President | October 2025

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:24:03 GMT

As a very busy October draws to a close, I’m proud to reflect on another action-packed month for our club. From winding roads to heartfelt fundraisers, we’ve shared some truly memorable experiences together.

Events Completed

We kicked off the month with our Twisty Roads Drive, a favourite among our driving enthusiasts. The October “Donut Replacement” Coffee Night brought members together for relaxed chats and mutual car admiration, followed a week later by a well-attended Members Meeting at Brighton BMW, where we shared updates and welcomed new faces.

Our Wonthaggi SES and Coal Mine visit, preceded by a scenic drive, was both educational and enjoyable—thank you to our hosts and all who joined. I for one could have spent a lot more time at the SES and the Coal Mine, both were very interesting, and we will have to go back again to both.

The AGM at the German Tivoli Club was a great opportunity to connect with our members and celebrate our shared passion. The Executive committee was re-elected, unchanged from last year. We also announced a new initiative where we are bringing on more people to help run the club. Whilst not official committee positions, each will have a job to do to help us run the club and share the load the Executive jointly carry. Positions like Dealer Liaison, Assistants in running events, marketing, and social media are all areas where we would love more people to help out. So, if you have some particular skills or areas of expertise and you’d like to help run our club, send us an email at info@bmwdcm.com.au and we’ll get you involved.

A special highlight of October was our Pink Ribbon Morning Tea at Black Rock House, where we raised over $2,000 through raffles and generous donations. Nearly everyone went home with a prize, and the spirit of giving was truly inspiring.

We also had members attend Superfest 2025 in NSW, representing our club with pride, and wrapped up the month with the Geelong Area Mid-Week Twilight Drive and Dinner, a perfect blend of driving and dining.

As I write this, we’re gearing up for our Week-Long Trip to Canberra, starting 31st October. It promises to be a fantastic journey filled with camaraderie, culture, and of course, plenty of driving.

Upcoming Events

Mark your calendars—November is just as exciting:

· Oct 31-Nov 9 – Canberra Week Away
· 7-9 November – E30 Racing final round at Calder
· 9 November – Sandown Historic Car Display
· 22 November – Challenge Bathurst
· 28 November – Twilight Drive to Panton Hill Hotel
· 30 November – 2025 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island

Save the Dates

Looking further ahead, don’t miss these key events:

7 December – Christmas Show & Shine Family Picnic
25 January – Australia Day Eve Drive & Dinner in Marysville
12 February – Bathurst 12 Hour
26 April – Variety Stars on Track – Passenger Ride Day (More information below)
2 May – Club’s 8th Birthday & Presentation – 1920s Murder Mystery Theme

A little about the Variety Stars on Track event. We have partnered with Variety Victoria to bring some fun and excitement to the kids and families of kids battling illness, by putting on passenger rides around Sandown. We will have a wide variety of cars on hand to take kids and their families for some hot laps around Sandown, all at no cost to them. The day is about bringing some fun back into the lives of families impacted by illness and maybe just for a day, forget about their troubles and have some fun.

We will need drivers and cars and lots of helpers for this event, so keep an eye on your emails and come and help us make the day a great success. All volunteers will need Working With Children checks so please update you officials details with this import and necessary addition and make sure BMWDCM is linked to your WWC registration via the WWC website.

Thank you to all our volunteers, sponsors, and members who make all of our events possible. Your enthusiasm and support continue to shape our club into something truly special.

See you on the road,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Geelong Area Mid-Week Twilight Drive

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

What better way to spend a Wednesday evening now daylight saving is here than a scenic drive via a not-so-direct route to the Royal Hotel at Meredith.
A lovely selection of cars from nearly old to nearly new and one which is not even nearly a BMW!
A lovely meal served efficiently but with humour invoked many great chats and discussions. Were it not for the staff wanting to go home we may still be there!
Great to see a couple of prospective new members come along and be made very welcome by the whole group.

We were lucky to enjoy a huge improvement in the weather after last week’s cancelled event.

The picturesque and very pleasant drive set the tone for a relaxed and enjoyable night, followed by a delicious meal and, of course, the best part—sharing it all with such good company.

Looking forward to the next one!

Kind regards

Terry and Anne Lane #965 and #1112

Pink Ribbon Morning Tea at Ebden House

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 03:00:00 GMT

A Morning of Hope and Generosity

On a beautiful morning at Ebden House, the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne community came together for a heartfelt cause—our annual Pink Ribbon Morning Tea in support of breast cancer awareness and research. The event was a resounding success, raising an incredible $2,000 so far, with donations still coming in.

Raffle Joy and Generous Spirits
Guests were treated to a delightful spread of morning tea, surrounded by laughter, warmth, and a sea of pink. The raffle was a highlight, with a stunning array of prizes generously donated by our sponsors. From luxury hampers to automotive goodies, nearly every attendee went home with a smile—and a prize in hand!

Gratitude to Our Sponsors and Supporters
We extend our deepest thanks to all our sponsors whose generosity made this event possible. Your contributions not only filled our prize table but also helped us create an atmosphere of celebration and community. To every attendee who donated, participated, and shared in the spirit of giving—thank you. Your kindness fuels the impact we can make together.

A Community United
It was truly moving to see so many members, friends, and supporters gather in solidarity. Whether you baked, brewed, donated, decorated, or simply showed up with a smile, your presence made a difference. Special thanks to our volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly.

We’re proud to stand together in support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and look forward to continuing this tradition of compassion and connection.

Jo Mawson #2

Wonthaggi Drive: Damp Start, Sunny Smiles, and Coal Mine Delights

Sun, 19 Oct 2025 03:41:02 GMT

What began as a misty morning at Caldermeade McDonald's quickly turned into a day full of laughter, learning, and scenic driving as BMW Drivers Club Melbourne members set off for a memorable journey to Wonthaggi.

Despite the drizzle, spirits were high and attendance was strong proof that a little rain can’t dampen the enthusiasm of our incredible community. As we hit the road, we were treated to the sight of countless bikes heading to Phillip Island for the MotoGP. While the spectacle was impressive, we were all quietly grateful to be cruising in our warm, dry cars!

Scenic Roads & SES Visit

The drive itself was nothing short of stunning—rolling hills, coastal glimpses, and winding roads that made every kilometre a joy. Our destination: the Wonthaggi State Emergency Service (SES), where we were welcomed with an informative and engaging presentation. The SES team shared insights into their operations, equipment, and community impact. We could’ve stayed for hours soaking it all in!

Lunch at the Coal Mine

Next stop: the historic Wonthaggi Coal Mine café for a delicious lunch that had everyone raving. The food was hearty and satisfying—perfect after a morning on the road. Some members ventured underground for the guided mine tour, while others explored the grounds and museum exhibits. Both options offered fascinating glimpses into Victoria’s industrial past and the lives of those who worked below the surface.

Missing Peter, Sending Love

We missed our dear Peter, Williams who’s currently recovering from knee surgery #2. He’s doing well, and we’re counting down the days until he’s back behind the wheel with us. The roads aren’t the same without him! He had, however, put together another stunning route combining scenery and entertaining driving.

Tourboss & Sunny Roads Home

A big thank you to everyone who used our Tourboss app—it kept us on track and made navigation a breeze. As the clouds cleared, we were treated to a glorious sunny afternoon and some of the best driving roads on the way home. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

To all who joined us—thank you for your smiles, your stories, and your company. Days like this remind us why we love what we do. Until the next adventure!

Jo Mawson #2

As part of the informative visit to the marvellous Wonthaggi SES we learnt about a subject dear to my heart, the computer tablet Crash Recovery System. This is a replacement for the paper based, " Airbag guide " more properly known as the Emergency Rescue Guide or Road Resecue Guide, which I supervised the compilation of for several years. Both these products guide the rescuers on how to safely deactivate the vehicle (including the high voltage batteries on hybrid and electric vehicles) and avoid cutting into the airbag detonators, and more. Detailed information on each and every car model. This used to be updated every 6 months with a print run costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, one thick book per rescue truck across Australia. Now, updated daily at no extra cost and much quicker to search.

Lawrence Glynn #3

Brighton BMW

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 22:17:31 GMT

What a fantastic evening we had at Brighton BMW! With over 70 members in attendance, the showroom was buzzing with energy, laughter, and the unmistakable hum of shared passion—for cars, community, and connection.

From the moment the doors opened, it was clear this was going to be a special night. Stunning BMWs lined the space, each one a conversation starter and a testament to the brand we all love. Members mingled over delicious food and drinks, catching up with old friends and warmly welcoming new faces into the fold.

Welcome to Our New Members!

One of the highlights of the evening was signing up a brand-new member right there on the spot—what a way to kick off their BMWDCM journey! We also had the pleasure of meeting several other new members who joined us for the first time. Your enthusiasm and smiles were contagious, and we’re thrilled to have you with us. We can’t wait to see you out and about at future events!

Friendship, Food & Fabulous Cars

It wasn’t just about the cars (though they were spectacular)—it was about the people. The conversations flowed easily, the laughter echoed through the showroom, and the sense of belonging was unmistakable. Nights like these remind us why our club is so special: it’s not just a place to share our love of BMWs, it’s a place to build lasting friendships.

A Huge Thank You to Brighton BMW

We’re incredibly grateful to the staff and management at Brighton BMW who stayed back after hours to make this event possible. Your generosity and hospitality helped create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that made everyone feel right at home. Thank you for going above and beyond!

To all who attended—thank you for making the night so memorable. Your presence, positivity, and passion are what keep our club thriving. Here’s to many more nights like this—filled with great cars, great company, and great memories. See you on the road soon!

Jo Mawson #2

So much to see with all the beautiful BMWs on the floor and Mini and Motorrad upstairs, something for everyone indeed.

Great meeting some new members joining us and catching up with lots of regulars as well.

Make sure if you are in the area looking for a new BMW or get your car serviced here that you mention you are a DCM member. Always good to let our club sponsors know you are a member and say thank you for supporting the club.

Twisty Roads Drive

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT

The day started at picturesque Lillydale Lake, which helpfully had a coffee cart in attendance. There were around 30 people in 21 cars, so it was an excellent turn-out for a full-day drive. There were quite a few new members along, clearly looking forward to exercising their BMWs. Unusually, we ran the convoy as one single group, which was only possible thanks to the TourBoss app we rely on these days.

We started with a routine cruise to Yea and a short break, then cruised to Alexandra. From there, we took the winding Skyline drive, with spectacular views (for the passengers, at least) across Lake Eildon and the mountains beyond, all the way to snow-capped Mount Buller. That brought us to a leisurely lakeside stop at Eildon. The main event was the Eildon-Jamieson road - 60km of mostly 2nd and 3rd gear twists, where many of the drivers had lots of fun - not so much some of the passengers, but at least they could enjoy dramatic views over the lake from the heights of Mount Torbrek. The tightest parts of the road better suited the smaller, lighter BMWs, but everyone was able to take their own pace at which they felt comfortable and safe. We regrouped at the end of the road and had an impressive line-up of cars. We then cruised on the sweeping road into Mansfield for a good lunch at the Delatite Hotel. A few people also sampled the coffee from the coffee specialists next door.

After lunch, many people headed directly home, but seven cars took an excellent back-road route to Yea. Someone correctly said that these roads were more suitable for BMWs, with sweeping curves and dramatic elevation changes - so you can expect us to set a drive using just these roads at some stage in the future. We finished up at Yea, said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways home. Overall, it was an excellent day with good company and plenty of friendly chat along with very enjoyable driving. This is why we own BMWs.

An update from the President | September 2025

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 08:18:02 GMT

As September turns into October, we’re eagerly awaiting the return of spring sunshine to fuel some fantastic driving days ahead. Despite the unpredictable weather, it’s been a month full of camaraderie, motorsport, and memorable moments.

Events Recap

3 September – Pro Racing Simulators Night (and a Birthday!)

We kicked off the month with a thrilling evening at Pro Racing Simulators in Hastings—an exciting new venue for our club. The racing was fierce, the battles close, and the energy high. A special thank you to Jo for organising a birthday cake to mark my special day—it was a lovely surprise! Thanks to everyone who came along to celebrate and race and eat cake.

17 September – Geelong “Donut Replacement” Drop In

Lawrence hosted another successful Drop in Donuts night in Geelong. These casual catchups continue to be a hit—great cars, great coffee, and even better company.

21 September – Spring Drive through Historic Towns

We had a fantastic turnout for our Spring Drive, with two large groups navigating via Tour Boss. Huge thanks to Peter and Jo for organising this popular event. Although Jo was unwell and couldn’t attend in person, she still coordinated everything from home—true dedication!

3–5 October – Victorian State Racing at Phillip Island

Our racing members hit the track with E30 Racing. On Friday afternoon there was a Track to Town Drive and display for the race cars from each category too.

Upcoming Events

October is going to be a very busy month!

5 October – Twisty Roads Drive

Get ready for an adventurous cruise through some of Victoria’s best driving roads. This one promises to be a highlight!

8 October Geelong “Donut Replacement” Drop In

8-13 October, quite a few of us make the pilgrimage to Bathurst for the Bathurst 1000. If you are watching the telecast, keep your eyes peeled for some of our members officiating in pit lane or around the track.

Thank you to all of our members that do spare their time to officiate at Motorsport events, none of these events can run without the army of officials that give of their time and energy to help them run so well. As always, if you are interested in becoming a Motorsport Official speak to Jo or myself to find out more. We are always happy to get more people involved as officials at any level of motorsport, from club days to Supercars and even F1. Ask anyone that does it, it is the best way to get up close to the action on track without spending a lot of money on a race car!

15 October – Members Meeting at Brighton BMW

We’re thrilled to host our first meeting with Brighton BMW, one of our newest dealership partners. Don’t miss this exciting night—registrations are still open.

18 October – Wonthaggi SES & Coal Mine Tour

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible work of the Wonthaggi SES, followed by a tour of the nearby Coal Mine or a relaxing lunch at the café. This event supports vital SES fundraising efforts—please register if you haven’t already.

23 October – Club AGM at the German Tivoli Club

Our Annual General Meeting is a cornerstone of club governance. Join us for dinner beforehand (book directly with Tivoli Club) and register for the AGM via our website. This is your opportunity to have a say, get involved, and help shape the future of our club.

26 October – Superfest NSW & Pink Ribbon Morning Tea

It’s a double-header! Superfest returns in NSW, and locally we host our sold-out Pink Ribbon Morning Tea at Black Rock House to raise funds for breast cancer research. Raffle prizes galore! Donations are still welcome via our fundraising page.

Jo is also undertaking a personal challenge—a 58km walk for breast cancer research. While Jo doesn’t have breast cancer herself, she’s walking in honour of loved ones affected by this disease. Please consider supporting her journey with a donation. Well done, Jo!

31 October – Canberra Road Trip

We’re off to explore the Capital! A 10-day adventure awaits, and there’s still time to join. Be sure to register and book accommodation early. Follow our journey on Facebook!

Save These Dates

9 Nov – Sandown Historic Car Display
22–23 Nov – Challenge Bathurst (spots and officials needed—contact Jo)
28 Nov – Twilight Drive
7 Dec – Christmas Show & Shine and Family PIcnic
13 Dec – Bell Motorsport Christmas BBQ
25 Jan – Australia Day Eve Drive & Dinner
8 Feb – Torquay Motor Show
12–15 Feb – Bathurst 12 Hour
2 May – Murder Mystery Presentation Dinner (early bird ends 31 Dec)

6-8 June – Echuca Long Weekend

As you can see, our calendar is packed! The 2026 schedule is already filling fast, so mark your diaries and don’t miss out.

Sponsorship Season Is Here!

As we gear up for an exciting 2026, we’re inviting businesses who share our passion for community, motorsport, and connection to come on board as sponsors of BMW Drivers Club Melbourne.

If you're a company interested in supporting the club and we haven’t yet reached out to you, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact Jo at v.president@bmwdcm.com.au she’ll be delighted to chat about the many ways you can get involved and showcase your brand to our vibrant and engaged membership.

Let’s make 2026 unforgettable—together!

Club Updates

Peter Williams is heading in for surgery to have his other knee fixed—wishing him a smooth and speedy recovery! In the meantime, we’ll need extra support with lead and tail drivers for upcoming drives.

New stock of our soft-shell jackets is now available online, and our sports overnight travel bags make perfect Christmas gifts.

We’re also seeking nominations for non-executive “committee” roles at the AGM. These are flexible, voluntary positions—perfect if you’d like to help out at one or two events without the hassle of monthly meetings. Every bit of support helps lighten the load.

Our welfare team continues to work quietly behind the scenes, and we’re pleased to share some good news about a member who’s been unwell—Jo has been in regular contact and offering support. If you or someone you know needs a hand, please reach out. We’re more than a club—we’re a family.

As we approach the festive season, let’s be mindful of those who may not have company. If you have room at your table, consider extending an invitation, it could mean the world to someone.

Drive safely, enjoy the warmer weather as the days get longer, and thank you all for making this club the vibrant, welcoming community it is.

Warm regards,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Historic Towns Drive

Sun, 21 Sep 2025 07:47:58 GMT

We gathered at BP Calder Park services on the Calder Highway under cloudy skies. Obviously a popular spot as bioth the Lotus Club and the BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria were there. We had a really good collection of different models that were split into two groups 15 minutes apart. Jo & Graeme did not make it Jo was not well, and we thank her for organising the event.

We were in the first group so left 15 minutes ahead of the second group with approximately half the cars and we had a really good group of varied cars from a 316i to a lovely 740 together with the old and new M2 so it was a pleasure travelling in this group as we headed initially for Gisborne and we did a lap of the historic area. When we got back to the roundabout TourBoss wanted us to do another lap but Peter, knowing the way, indicated to go left instead of right and we were off to Trentham where we had a pitstop next the to lake. Some of us went up the street for a wander to get some morning tea. Not long before we left the second group turned up. We headed to Trentham Falls which were impressive and worth a look. The group wandered down the hill a bit to have a look but Trent ever adventurous investigated going down to the very bottom but decided better of it.

We then headed to Malmsbury for our next stop at the botanic gardens which looked like they were a little dry, but Peter pointed out the stone viaduct which had been built in 1860 for the railway opened in 1862 from local stone. Still in use. The viaduct was impressive and there were some huge pine trees in that part of the gardens. It started drizzling and this would follow us for the rest of the day. There was also a market on over the other side of the road so some members went over to take a look.

After we congregated back at the cars, we headed off to Kyneton to have set menu lunch at the Shamrock Hotel. After lunch we had time to have a look around town but most of the shops were closed.

When we made it back to the cars about half the group decided to go their own way from there, as had much of the second group, so all the remaining cars travelled in one group down to Lancefield. At this point more headed home on their own. Peter, Trent and us continued down to Wallen to get back on to the freeway and head home.

We would like to thank Peter & Lawrence for running he day and everybody that took the time to enjoy the drive and banter over lunch.

Adrian White #606

We had a great day!

Darren Muldoon #1362

We would like to congratulate you on a very enjoyable drive. Yes, a pity about the weather but it did not detract from the experience. It was particularly unfortunate that it decided to rain as we approached the market, which would have been fun to explore.

Thank you for all the hard work which you very obviously put in when organising these events.

Terry and Anne Lane #965 and 1112

Thank you for a great day, once again. The weather is what it is, but summer is just around the corner!

Marius Schreuders #1122

Wheels and Sunday Roast - Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 10:00:00 GMT

For the second weekend in a row we hosted a Sunday Lunch.

This time a casual Sunday roast lunch and meet up at the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron rooms.

The weather turned out to be great after a few days of not nice weather.

Great location, amazing cars on display and fantastic group of people to spend the afternoon with.

Even a surprise (and premature by 3 days but who's counting) birthday cake for our President.

Thanks to all that came along and joined us

An update from the President | August 2025

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 07:28:48 GMT

As we roll through the second half of the year, August has proven to be one of our busiest and most exciting months yet. From high-speed karting to scenic drives and championship racing, the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne continues to thrive with passion, camaraderie, and unforgettable experiences.

August Highlights

9th August – Go Karting at Karting Madness, Braybrook

A thrilling day of family friendly competition and fast laps. Members showed off their skills and had a blast on the track.

13th August – “Donut Replacement“ Drop-in Meeting, Geelong

A quirky but essential gathering of car loving members but no longer at a donut café.

21st–24th August – E30 Racing at Tailem Bend, SA

A standout motorsport weekend with our E30 racers representing the club with pride and performance. Great having a few of the South Australian Club members drop in over the weekend for a chat and to watch some of the Racing.

24th August – Sunday Lunch Drive: Geelong to Castlemaine

A picturesque cruise through regional Victoria, capped off with a relaxed lunch and great company.

31st August – Dual Events:
Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship – Round 7 at Broadford

Competitive spirit was high as drivers tackled the technical Broadford circuit, the weather held off for a fun day on track with our friends from AROCA

Wheels and Sunday Road at Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron

A stylish showcase of BMWs by the bay, blending elegance with community spirit. A delicious lunch and a great show of members cars at one of our now favourite locations.

Looking Ahead – September & Beyond

3rd September – Pro Simulator Night & President’s Birthday, Hastings

Join us for a night of virtual racing and celebration—cake and competition guaranteed!

21st September – Historic Towns Cruise

A scenic journey through Victoria’s charming heritage towns. Bring your cameras and your cruising spirit.

Events to Remember

15th October – Members Meeting at Brighton BMW

A chance to connect, check out the Dealership and catch up with your friends from the Club

23rd October – BMW Drivers Clubs Annual General Meeting

Your voice matters—come be part of the club’s direction and decisions, we are looking for people to put their hand up and come and help the club be as great as it can be with your input and help.

26th October – SuperFest: Show & Shine & Super Sprints, Sydney

A national celebration of BMW passion. Whether you're showing off or sprinting, it’s a must-attend.

31st October – Canberra Trip Away

A weekend or week long escape with scenic drives and cultural stops, some history and even a catch up dinner with the Canberra Club

22–23 November – Challenge Bathurst

The ultimate test of driver and machine. Still spots available for both drivers and officials, come and join us and members from all over the country at this awesome event

7th December – Christmas Show & Shine Family Picnic

Celebrate the season with food, fun, and festive BMWs.

12–16 February – Bathurst 12 Hour Corporate Suite

Premium motorsport viewing in style—an unforgettable experience awaits.

2nd May – Birthday Presentation: 1920s Murder Mystery Night

Dress to impress and prepare for intrigue. A glamorous evening of mystery and celebration. See the event notice for more information on this event, it will be a lot of fun!

Thank you to all our members, volunteers, and partners who make these events possible. Your enthusiasm and support continue to drive the club forward. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Our membership continues to grow and it’s great seeing new members coming along to events and seeing why our club and events are so popular.

We will have some exciting news coming in the next few weeks about a new event we are planning for next year. Keep an eye out for this when it is released, it will be in April and we will need lots of people to help out running it.

Spring is my favourite time of the year, the days grow longer and warmer and we can start getting out and doing more drives and events, so look forward to seeing you out at one of our events in the coming months.

Until then, take care on the roads, see you soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Sunday Lunch Drive to Castemaine

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 06:49:14 GMT

We enjoyed the scenic roads with a bit of driving pleasure on our way from Geelong to Castlemaine, stopping at the Hepburn Springs reserve, where one can sample natural sprint water via bubblers. Whilst all the waters are safe to drink, they don't taste like it!

We had an interesting collection of cars ranging from a E23 7 Series through various M cars and the rather hard to miss McLaren.

Lunch was at the Cumberland Hotel with excellent food, fabulous service and were able to adapt a dish for dietary requirements without fuss. Top marks.

Best of all was some great company and lots of good conversations.

Lawrence Glynn #3

We had a great day, and yes, lunch was very good!

Darren Muldoon #1362

The whole day was great.

Sydney Teeuwsen #1010

A large "Thank you" for creating the day and leading us to the Cumberland where I and others had good lunches and conviviality befitting the day. Even the weather as ideal. Not sure how you fixed that.

Peter Kelly #57

Terry and I would like to thank you for organising a very enjoyable day out. It was a scenic route enjoyed with glorious winter weather.

We both remarked on the exceptionally good food and great company.

Anne and Terry Lane #1112 and #965

Donut Replacement drop in

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:30:00 GMT

From time to time I organise a casual "drop in" style get together in Geelong for our members in that area.

We used to meet at Daniel's Donuts in Belmont as there was a covered but outdoor seating area right by the parking area, so we could see, walk around and talk about our cars or not, as the mood takes us.

Sadly Daniel's has closed at that venue so the hunt was on for somewhere similar. Hence "Donut Replacement". Which threw up the rather unglamerous services on the Geelong Ring Road.

This actually turned out to be a very good spot.

I confess to forgetting totake any photos but Reinhold did - thanks.

We had a good turn out and a few bonnets went up, windscreen arm wind defelectors compared and a lot of general chat.

Lawrence Glynn #3

Go Karts

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 07:01:41 GMT

Behind the helmets there is some steely resolve, and a degree of hope of not coming last by too much!

Karting Madness at Braybrook has a great track layout allowing for some good speed but not allowing for a complete lap at full throttle all the way around. Overtaking takes a bit of skill too.

The format was one qualifying session for each of the two groups. From that two races groups were created, fast and, er, less fast. The standing start from a grid formation put a premium on quick reactions and clean pass through the first couple of bends.

I started 4th and finished 3rd without knowingly overtaking anyone - which sounds like an intelligence test puzzle but a unseen spin out in front of me gifted me a place.

For reference, the outright lap record is 34.4.

Regardless of ability, everyone had a great time and came away with pride intact.

Some of our members. myself included, brought some Juniors along who did very well in a separate "Rookie" session in lower powered rookie karts. 1, 2 and 7 being "our" Juniors. Lap record for rookie karts is 44.4 seconds.

Lawrence Glynn #3

An update from the President | July 2025

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:25:53 GMT

Winter is here in full swing now, but we have still managed to enjoy some amazing Winter Driving days.

6^th July was our Christmas in July drive with the drive leaving from two start points and having the group all meet up in one central point to finish the drive to Russo Winery for an amazing lunch and some great Christmas jumpers and outfits to judge. Nearly everyone went home with a raffle prize, which was amazing. Great day had by all. The raffle raised $416 for Prostate Cancer.

12^th July was our Sandown Introductory Super Sprints and Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try day. This was again in beautiful winter sun and we had a brilliant turn out. Such a fantastic day. We finished the day with the final session starting under Full Super Sprint rules with a grid start, and this was a bit of fun for all.

A sad note from the day was our Jo has waved the flag for the last time as our Motorsport Secretary. Read Here. Time for some new blood to fill those very big shoes of hers. Well done, Jo. She will be around to mentor the new person if they need help, otherwise enjoying the events from the other side of the desk.

Don’t stress she is still VP and will be doing our events as per normal, just one of her many hats will be hung up to rest for a while.

20^th July we celebrated 50 Years of the 3 Series with what was one of our biggest drive days ever. So many fantastic cars turning up to join us on a drive through the Mornington Peninsula to end up at T’Gallant Winery for a lovely lunch and catching up with old and new members who joined us for the drive and lunch. And what about the weather! It almost felt like Spring, such a perfect sunny day.

27^th July Euro Swap Meet was held by our friends at the VW Club of Victoria, and it was a great turn out. I know some of our members picked up some bargains. Be great to check out the next one and maybe take some of my collection along to part with.

The month ahead is looking a little quieter as the months get cold but still some fun events to attend.

13^th August is the next Drop-in Meeting in Geelong – this is always a great informal night for members to just drop in have a chat. Join us if you fancy a chat.

24^th August Drive and lunch at Castlemaine- Great driving road with a fantastic lunch time destination.

31st August - 2025 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Round 7 – join our friends from AROCA for a fun track day at Broadford.

31^st August - Wheels and Sunday Roast - Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron – our last car meet here was hugely successful, so we will be doing these as a regular car catch up – club meeting. Join us for a scrumptious roast lunch by the fire in the club house. Then enjoy the cars after in the car park.

3^rd September we will be holding a Simulator night at Pro Racing Simulators in Hastings. As this will also be on my birthday I am told there might even be a birthday cake. Check out the event notice for more details.

Events to mark in your diary.

23^rd October – BMW Drivers Club Melbourne AGM at the German Club Tivoli

31- October – 9^th November – Canberra Trip

22^nd- November – Challenge Bathurst

7^th December – Christmas Show and Shine/Family Picnic

12^th February – Bathurst 12 hour – spots filling quickly

2^nd May- 8^th Birthday – 1920s Murder Mystery presentation dinner

Now you might think this is a bit early to have this event released but we are offering an early bird deal for those who register and pay before the end of the year. This also gives you time to book your accommodation, find a 1920s themed outfit and get ready to solve the murder. WHO WILL IT BE? Well, you need to be there to find out.

We have added a section on our website regarding HOW TO USE TOUR BOSS. It is very important that if you are coming on a drive, you have this app downloaded prior to attending and follow the instructions on how to use it. It is an amazing tool for navigation and allows members to go at their own pace without the worry of getting lost. Read here https://www.bmwdcm.com.au/TourBoss-Instructions to find out more.

We have had a great response from our new Soft-Shell Jackets which almost sold out again at the first event we had them at. At the time or writing we have two left with another order being placed soon so be sure to watch the STORE for updates.

We also have had an amazing response with the limited edition 50 years of 3 series t shirt . Stocks are still available but once we sell out, we will not be reordering.

Membership is going great with a steady flow of new members joining each month, welcome to all the new members and we look forward to seeing you out and about at an event soon.

Our welfare team are doing a great job behind the scenes and remember if you need to chat, give one of them a call and they will be only too happy to support you or find someone who can help if they cant.

Our AGM will be soon on us and nominations will be coming out in the next month or so.

We will be doing something a little different this year and having non-executive positions available to be filled as well.

Watch this space for a list of positions you can nominate for to help your club grow and become even better than it is now. It is your club, so put your hand up and get involved.

I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon, just remember to be careful and drive safely on the roads, especially with the weather we are having currently.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

50 years of 3 series Peninsula Drive & Lunch

Sun, 20 Jul 2025 07:07:38 GMT

Ridin' down the highway
50 years ago
Enjoyin' all the byways
Its the only way to go

Cruisin' here
Sprinting there
Joy to drive
Everywhere

It's been a long time, at the top, that's what you gotta know.

An amazing collection of 3 series and other BMWs joined in our 50 years of 3 series celebration drive followed by a fabulous lunch at T'Gallants

Apologies to Angus Young, Bon Scott & Malcolm Young.

JO’S TRACK EVENTS CHEQUERED FLAG

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 08:45:53 GMT

After over 11 years of organising track events Jo is waving the chequered flag and taking a break from track events.

Track events are the most complex events that car clubs can run and attention to detail may literally mean the difference between life and death. The paperwork is considerable, the demands of participants can be relentless and all the volunteers need to be organised. The entire event needs to be controlled and coordinated.

For many of our track events Jo has been the admin and the race control, dealing with helmet hire, registrations on the day, allocating numbers, coordinating with timing, assigning marshal jobs, controlling the track access and session start/stop, watching for track infringements and disciplining those who transgress, chasing up those without numbers on their car (or the wrong numbers) and more. All while keeping everyone happy and a (safe and sensible) party atmosphere.

For all of this over a sustained period Motorsport Australia recognised Jo with a Service award in 2021.

Although we now have a fabulous team who take on much of this work on the day, there is still a lot that falls to Jo both in the days and weeks beforehand and on the day itself.

Understandably, all this has taken its toll and now is the time to step down from organising track events (but not other club activities) – maybe not forever and, knowing Jo, not completely however much that may be the intention!

Thankfully Jo has built an amazing team and we are confident of a successor, so BMWDCM track days may not come to a halt (although the challenges of getting enough out on track given the costs and living expenses remains).

As a close observer of what happens on a track day (and pitifully small helper), on behalf of the club, thank you to Jo for creating an environment where so many people have had so much enjoyment at so little cost, and for encouraging and mentoring so many into the various roles involved in running a track day.

Read on for Jo’s announcement and some comments from others from the most recent track day event at Sandown on July 12, a combination of the Kaos Custom Bikes Come a Try day and Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Supersprint.

Lawrence Glynn

Treasurer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday we had some great experiences, ranging from entrants who had never driven before to a classic car getting a shake down for the first time on the track.

We hope you all had a great day and for the Come and Try group, we hope you learnt more about yourself, your car and driving in general.

Our dedicated instructors worked very hard yesterday and we could not hold these days without them so I hope you enjoyed this experience.

Sadly this will be my last event as (Motorsport) Event Secretary as I am mentally and phyically exhausted and need to take a step back and hand over the baton.

You will still see me around and I will be helping whoever takes on this role and I am sure the events will be even bigger and better than before.

Watch out for updates on who will be taking over and I hope you give them the same respect and support as you have given me over the years.

Jo Mawson

#2
______________________________________________________________

Dear Jo,

On behalf of all of us officials, I want to sincerely thank you for everything you’ve done, not just at last week’s event, but throughout your many years of dedicated service to motorsport and to our community.

Your journey, from stepping in to help at Winton in 2014 to becoming a cornerstone of the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne and a mentor to so many, is nothing short of inspiring. If only there were more people like you in our sport! The passion, skill and generosity you’ve brought to every role, even while facing your own medical challenges, speak volumes about your strength and resilience. You’ve continued to give your time, energy and heart to both the sport and the people around you, showing what true dedication looks like. Whether as Event Secretary, trainer, coach, VSOP member or flaggie, you’ve left an indelible mark on the sport and on all of us who’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside you.

It’s clear you’ve given so much of yourself to ensure others could learn, grow and enjoy these events and it shows in the countless officials you’ve trained and inspired along the way. While we’ll all miss your steady hand at the helm, organisational skills and commanding voice, it’s great to know that your legacy will continue in the many people you’ve mentored and the incredible BMWDCM you helped build.

I also share your feelings about the challenges officials face and will continue advocating for the recognition and support we all deserve; we can only hope that Motorsport Australia can get the formula right someday.

Jo, thank you for your leadership, friendship and tireless contribution to the sport. We wish you the very best in your next chapter and we look forward to catching up with you at future events, hopefully with a little less admin and a little more time to enjoy the track!

Warm regards,

Mark D Thompson
Victorian State Officiating Panel - Chair
Victorian State Council - Deputy Chair
______________________________________________________________

Wow, what a fantastic day we were treated to. And whilst I was called to the Steward’s office with a rookie error (reversing into the garage, I admit it was nice to have an excuse to go up and take peek!

It’s such a great community to be part of, full of friendly, approachable people and keen to help one another. Including your good self!

I am sorry to hear that you are stepping back, at least for now, though I am sure anyone that has even an inkling of all that you are covering off can understand. I do hope to see you at upcoming events and I am grateful for all that you have done to make us feel welcome (and to make sure we are in the right place at the right time!).

Best wishes,
Mark Foxwell #1190
_______________________________
Dear Jo
I just wanted to say a big, heartfelt thank you for everything you’ve done – for the club, for the sport, and for all of us lucky enough to have crossed paths.

You’ve been the heart and soul of so many events, always bringing your boundless energy, calm head, and that warm smile that somehow makes even the most chaotic day feel like it’s under control. Your dedication has been extraordinary – and even if I haven’t said it every time, I’ve always appreciated everything you do, both on and off the track.

On a personal note, you’ve been my motorsport mum – even though you’re far too young for that title (let’s just say it’s honorary ). You always took time out of your incredibly busy schedule to check in on me and make sure I was okay – even when you had a thousand other things going on. I’ll never forget you taking me to the doctor and staying with me after my Phillip Island crash – that was above and beyond, and something I’ll always be grateful for.

You didn’t just look after me – you also kept Scarlett entertained and feeling part of the action when she came along as my pit crew and didn’t have much to do while I was out on the track. It meant the world to me knowing she was in such kind and capable hands.

I’m sure you won’t be away for long – we all know motorsport doesn’t let its favourites go that easily – but I really do hope you take this time to look after yourself and enjoy a well-deserved break. You’ve more than earned it.

Thank you again for all the laughs, all the support, and all the quiet things you’ve done that made such a huge difference. You’ll be sorely missed but never forgotten – and your impact will keep racing on well into the future.

With enormous appreciation and much love.

Kind regards Adam Sleep #421

__________________________________________
Hello Jo

Wishing you all the best for a relaxing break from the hectic event secretary role.

I have immense gratitude to you and the team for such great organisation and giving folks like me a chance to take up grassroots motorsport.

All the best, hope to see you soon at the track having a relaxing time!

Cheers

Drew Matthews #903
__________________________________________
Congratulations Jo. On your wonderful career and many achievements with the Club, and feel especially privileged to meet such a dedicated person working tirelessly for the Club and your beautiful family.
Danny O'Callaghen #721
__________________________________________
Hello Jo,
Thank-you again for accomodating me and “my” very old car at your parade laps. I appreciate the efforts of all BMWDCM members to make me feel welcome and supported as I had my first real drive in the Austin 7 race car. It was wonderful to meet so many people interested in the little car. My drive experience was one of learning, the car steers quite well at the low speed I was driving at and I’m keen to go faster however the temperature gauge started reading hot and I was told to drive faster to help keep the car cool unfortunately a strange knocking sound come from the engine bay at a speed I estimated was about 60kph (the car doesn’t have a speedo) I was left wondering if I was cooking the car or the engine was going to throw a rod. The Austin hasn’t been driven for about 5 years so i have a few things to check out. I have ordered a helmet and I’ll be getting a speed licence then i will need to upgrade the harness to pass scrutineering, I may never be fast but I will certainly have some great fun.

Thank you again.
Michelle Scurr
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Congratulations on your well earned rest Jo !!!
Thanks for your amazing efforts putting all these events together for us lucky folks.
Tim Wise #416
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We will miss you!
Angelo Carideo #294
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You have left huge shoes to fill.Good luck
Enjoy
Suz Arnott and Mick
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Thanks for all your hard work and the great track events you have brought to us all.
A well deserved rest I am sure.
Will remember forever fondly the early days when i joined. It is because of you guys I have had some of the best experiences in my life driving and flag marshalling.
Anyway, we'll see you still, looking forward to events continuing, i am sure it will all come together nicely!
Warm regards and much love to you and Graeme.
Mike Skomina #958
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Thank you Jo!!
It wasn’t my first motorsport event, however, it was my first event with the BMWDCM and what a wonderful day we had!!
So thank you for all your efforts in ensuring it ran like a well oiled machine.
Hope to see you around at any future events I tag along to!
Andrew Huynh #1434
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I really enjoyed yesterday!
The Parade Laps exceeded my expectations, it was great to get an opportunity to stretch Bertie (the E30) on the track.
The Safety car driver gave us a chance to get up to quite high speeds and get a feel for track driving. Loved it!
I especially wanted to thank you again for organising the fast laps with Andrew in the Mustang. It was a really great experience for me…
I thought you and the other Volunteers did a great job, thank you….
Clive Meaby. #877

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Thanks the great day as it was my first time with you guys I didn’t know how things worked but everyone was very friendly and accommodating. For me it was a special day as you would have noticed I walked with a pretty bad limp due to the fact that I have MS (multiple sclerosis) and MMN (multifocal motor neuropathy) so I have limited use of my left arm and leg, I had been diagnosed with them 24 years ago to that day, as you could see on the day I have never let that slow me down!
Stuart Wishart
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Thanks for all that you have done to help us all get into club motorsport.
That you did it while battling adverse health made it all the more impressive!
I hope you pass the workload on to someone else now and just enjoy your time at the track - as little or as much time as you like.
All the very best to you and Graeme.
Ben Fenwick #547
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Hey Jo,
Just a note of thanks for everything you’ve done for our Club, you’ve done a tremendous job to which I personally am truly grateful.
I look forward to seeing you at future BMWDCM events, most likely of course for me, Motorsport.
My best wishes until then & once again a heart felt thank you.
Cheers, Simon Meens # 45

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Hi Jo,
Although I’ve only been an official for a short time, I can already see the impact you’ve had on motorsport as a whole. Many of us know that being an official is not exactly a glamorous job, but it is one we each love for our own reasons. Your decade of involvement so far, the qualifications you’ve achieved and the success of events such as the one at Sandown shows how deep your passion for motorsport is, and I hope that the accolades you’ve been awarded in some way serve as a form of thanks.
I know your impact on individuals is also felt far and wide. Your allowances so Michelle could get the Austin 7 on track have had a significant impact; I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so eager to say thank you and then send a written thank you as well. Oh, and rest assured that when I eventually find that ever elusive Dixi I will do everything I can to get it to a BMWDCM event.
Thank you for all your amazing work organising events, and I hope that this is just a small step backwards so you can join us on a flag point some time soon, and not a total retirement from officiating.
Take care,

Michael Lambert

Sandown Kaos Custom Bike Come and Try and Yokohama/Traction Tyres SuperSprint

Sat, 12 Jul 2025 04:49:12 GMT

After a run of properly miserable days weatherwise Sandown was realatively cheerful and warm for our Come and Try day (brought to you by Kaos Custom Bikes) combined with a round of the Yokohama/Traction Tyres SuperSprint championship.

With lots of first timers the office was busy first thing, sign in, find out what to do, buy numbers, get officials briefed and more.

But pretty soon cars were rumbling down the pit lane ready to be released onto the track and explore what grip there may be with cold tyres on cold tarmac still a liitle damp from overnight.

Amongst the new comers there was a certain amount of white knuckle showing on the way out, and a lot of white teeth framed by a smile on the way back in.

By popular demand there were parade laps behind the Racer Industries pace car and a special one off "parade lap" for an Austin 7 special having a bit of a shake down run following repairs. The Austin 7 is, of course, a distant relative of BMW whose first car was an Austin 7 built under licence.

Highlight of the day for the more serious drivers was the chance to take part in a grid start (rather than the usual staggered despatch out of the pit line).

Thanks to all our volunteers including the Victoria Flagging Team.

50 Years of 3 Series

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 23:34:14 GMT

At the request of BMW Group Australia BMW Drivers Club Melbourne selected cars from each of the 7 generations of the 3 Series over its 50 years and made them available to videographer Pat James.

As requested we carefully selected an E21 and one M3 of each of the subsequent 6 generations. We were able to arrange to have the Calder Park Raceway available for filming thanks to Calder's generosity, with some additional filming during the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals also at Calder.

Thanks to our members for making their cars available and to those who had volunteered for the previous filming session aborted due to rain.

Xmas in July - Russo Estate

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 05:28:04 GMT

In true "rally" style our sunny Sunday Xmas in July drive had two starting points, roughly one East and one West (sort of) meeting at Woodend and then onto Diggers Rest along some brilliant roads carefully selected by our drive supremo Peter Williams.

With a bit of up and down, and some round and round, the drive was fun but not in a tyre squealing way. Some lovely views and scenery keept all occupants amused but not travel sick.

Our destination was Russo Estate for a lovely lunch and a friendly competition for the best Christmas outfit - which turned out to more of a race for 2nd place as the rest of us were comprehensively outclassed by an elf!

An update from the President | June 2025

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 23:05:57 GMT

Halfway through the year already and now Winter has really arrived, with lots of chilly days, which we experienced in earnest on our most recent Long Weekend Away! After a busy start to the year we have had a bit of a quieter month for a change.

June 7-9 a large group of us took off for a very enjoyable long weekend down the Great Ocean Road for the Monarch’s Long Weekend to Port Campbell and the Shipwreck coast. We experienced some very cold days, but this did not stop us all getting out and exploring the wonders of the coast. Check out the photos .

Was a great bunch of people to spend the weekend with and the roads travelled were, as always, fun and interesting, thanks to Peter’s navigational planning. The motel was great too, walking distance to the two different venues for dinner on the two nights, great selection of both accommodation and dining across the weekend, thanks to Jo’s planning and organisation.

June 29 lots of members met up at the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron for a Wheels and Coffee morning, with egg and bacon rolls supplied by Bell Motorsport and the Club, and all donations will be going to our charity. Thank you to Matt, Bruce and Simon and gang for recommending this great venue, we will be holding a few more events here from now on, so watch this space. One of our new members, Julie, is the events coordinator for them too, so we will be chatting with her from now on to arrange some great events for you all. Thanks to the boys for helping me cook the eggs and bacon, this was a brilliant morning, and we look forward to making this sort of morning a regular event, have a look at the photos, it really is a perfect spot for a casual get together on a Sunday morning.

July will be a busy month, starting with Christmas in July on July 6, this event is fully booked now but we are sure all who attend will have a great time and there will be some great raffle prizes for all to hopefully have the chance of winning. If you are coming, don’t forget to wear your best Christmas costume and join in the fun.

July 12 we will be at Sandown, with a few events running concurrently.

Introduction to Super Sprints

Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try/Driver Training

Racer Industries Parade laps

Spots are filling fast, so be sure to get your registrations in a.s.a.p. and make sure all your documents are sent back to make sign in an easy process. It will be a great day and a great way to stretch the legs of your BMW (or non-BMW) without risking a speeding ticket!

July 20 we will be celebrating all things 3 Series with a special ‘50 years of 3 Series’ drive on the Mornington Peninsula with lunch after at T’Gallants. This will be a later start than normal to give you all a nice sleep in, so put it in your diary and bring out your 3 Series.

Don’t drive a 3 series? That’s fine, all are still welcome, we would just like to have a convoy of 3 Series at the start of the group.

Remember we also have the limited edition 3 Series t-shirts which are available for sale at this event as well as in our on-line store . These were so popular at the Nationals that we had a second batch made, so get in before they are all gone again.

July 27 is the EURO Swap Meet in Moorabbin. This is not a DCM run event but one we are endorsing. Head along and see if you can pick up some bargains, or if you have a lot of parts to sell, you can always book a spot and sell some parts too.

The year is moving along fast now and to think we are in the second half of the year is just crazy. This has been such a busy year, running the Nationals as well as all our usual events, but still lots to come and we are always adding events to the calendar, so keep an eye out for your event emails and come and join us when you can.

There are lots of other events coming through the rest of the year, Challenge Bathurst entries are open as well as the Melbourne Cup Week Away, this time travelling North to our Nation’s Capital, Canberra, will be a great trip again.

We also have limited stock of our new weekend travel bags in our on-line store, which have been a great success. Get your orders in soon.

We have now set up a sub committee to help organise and run our events, as it is too much for one or two people to do on their own. If you would like to be more involved in our events and organising them, send us an email via events@bmwdcm.com.au and come join the team.

Membership is still growing, great to see so many new members coming along to events, welcome to the Club, we hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of your membership.

Our Welfare Team have been busy in the background helping out or lending a shoulder or an ear to our members in need. If you ever need someone to talk to or have a problem we might be able to help with, reach out. A problem shared is a problem halved and sometimes just talking to someone helps enormously. Of course, anything you say or help you need always remains between you and a select few on the Welfare Team, so don’t think everyone will know about it. We are just here to help if we can.

We now have an extra Club Permit Signing Officer, for renewals only, in Glen Iris. To save you coming to Hastings or Geelong, Stephen Mattingly can sign your renewals if you live closer to the city or inner suburbs. Steve is available by appointment and his number is on the Club Permits page of our web site. Just make sure your membership is paid up before you meet him, or any of our signatories, as it makes it so much easier and Steve won’t be able to take membership payments on the spot. Thanks for coming on board Steve, great having someone closer to the city to save people venturing out our way.

I hope you are enjoying your membership experience, and I look forward to seeing you out at an event somewhere soon,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Wheels and Coffee - Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 04:30:00 GMT

Perfect morning for our wheels and coffee morning at Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron.

Great location. Lots of people dropped in for a coffee and an egg and bacon roll all courtesy of the club.

King's Birthday Long Weekend Drive to Port Campbell and Shipwreck Coast

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:11:53 GMT

Persistent rain and strong winds were a feature over our King’s Birthday ling weekend drive to Port Campbell and the Shipwreck Coast but this did not pour cold water over our enjoyment.

Read our member's reports below.

1. Lawrence Glynn #3

Peter Williams produced another set of fabulous roads where we could enjoy driving our cars without falling foul of the law or risking life and limb. Jo Mawson organised excellent dining spots where we could enjoy some food a bit different from usual pub fare and, perhaps most important, each other’s company.

The scenery was spectacular even when viewed from the shelter of a car, but most of us braved the elements for an even better view and a bit of a laugh as we were blown around.

We met up (close to my home) at Geelong we made our way in a zigzag tour to a delicious lunch in Colac. Travelling on through Forrest we joined the Great Ocean Road after the stretch frequented by most tourists and thus a lot less “cluttered”. We passed briefly explored the overly full car park at the 12 Apostles on our way to Port Campbell, elected to leave that for Sunday when plenty of time, and hopefully better weather, was available. Dinner at the 12 Rocks. Lovely meal again and even better with a great bunch of people to spend the weekend with.

Sunday did not have any scheduled activities and a bit of a lazy start for most of us before spreading out and exploring the area.

Some went East some went West and some stayed in town.

Bit of a damp day, but that doesn’t stop us getting out and enjoying the day.

The day ended with another lovely meal together, this time at a different restaurant. Another great night had by all.

Monday started with a photo shoot in the car park at Port Campbell before we headed off to the Bay of Islands for visit before starting our winding way back towards home along some more lovely driving roads with a couple of stops to admire the scenery and more group photos.

After lunch at Camperdown some took a direct route to the Queenscliff ferry and the rest enjoyed exploring the Lake Corangamite area and the Red Rock volcanos.

‘Twas another fantastic weekend away with an awesome bunch of people, lots of laughs and fun and interesting places to visit.

Thanks all for coming, or following along and thanks again Jo and Peter for the faultless running of these events. It takes a huge amount of organising, and you do it so well.

2. Adrian White #606

After travelling down to Port Campbell on Saturday, Sunday was a free day which allowed the group to do whatever they wanted to do.

Sunday started off wet and windy. John and I had spoken about what was likely to happen the night before so when he called after breakfast it was time to call at Graeme & Jo's room to collect a travel snack bag and head off.

We decided to head to Warrnambool so the first stop was London Bridge. London Bridge is close to the road so we donned our coats and took the short walk to the look out. It was raining and windy with an angry ocean and waves breaking over the neighbouring point. It was interesting watching the ocean and the waves breaking. We had talked about having a coffee before we left but John mentioned that he was refreshed after being at the lookout and didn't need the coffee.

We moved on the short distance to the Grotto carpark. This time the walk was 700 metres down into the grotto. The section after the board walk was potholed gravel which meant dodging or trying to dodge potholes but the final section was boardwalk again before going down the steps to the Grotto. It was raining and the waves were crashing into the coastline. A couple of times when we were at the viewing point waves crashed into the bank and filled the grotto with water and water splashed over the top in our face. After walking back John was now completely refreshed!

We then moved through Peterborough to Warrnambool and by which time the need for caffeine and coffee was more urgent. Service station or takeaway store coffee was not good enough, boutique coffee was required. We passed through Warrnambool without seeing a real coffee shop but when we started driving out of town John turned around and we headed back to try again. I got on trip adviser and found that some of the more highly recommended shops were on Kepler St. Tour Boss had taken over John's Sat Nav and google wasn't working so we found our way back off my phone. This is something that would plague us for the afternoon but for now we found Kepler St and in a quieter area after the main shopping strip we found Bohemia.

We were fortunate to get a park and although we were there before 12 there were no tables left so we knew our choice was correct because the locals were supporting it. John confirm ed this when his coffee arrived. We had some lovely chicken and corn soup for lunch then started heading back to Timboon to visit the distillery.

On the way John mistakenly turned left before the map instruction which started a small adventure inland. Google was working now and re-plotted a route which turned out to be main road, then single lane bitumen, then gravel roads before entering Timboon. When we got to Timboon I took over as I knew where the distillery was. We arrived travelling past the Railway View Hotel and met Paul & Jo at the Railway Shewd distillery who were enjoying a tasting flight.

After talking for a while John ordered Tom's flight and I ordered Jim's flight . John's was various types of Whisky, which I had tried the night before, and mine was Gin, Lemon spritz and Strawberry schnapps. Paul & Jo left heading to the cheese factory and we finished our flights. John left with a bottle of Christie's Cut whiskey under his arm.

It was about quarter to three and when I looked on my phone we saw that the Schulz Organic Creamery was closing in 15 minutes. We made the 6 minute drive just in time and had a look at their selection which included mainly soft cheese like camembert to quark. I got a tub of quark before we headed to the Apostle Whey Cheese factory which was still open.

Paul & Jo were still there but about to head off. We did the sampling and both John and I purchased some camembert which really expensive. I had some sorbet as we headed back to Port Campbell before going out to dinner. Looking at John's WhatsApp message last night John's purchases may be gone already!.

2025 Southern Cross Cannonball Classic

Fri, 30 May 2025 02:19:02 GMT

Our club were proud to support the 2025 Southern Cross Cannonball Classic as part of March’s Phillip Island Classic Festival Of Motorsport by “buying” premier display spots and parade laps.

The 2025 Southern Cross Cannonball Classic is a 4,300 km journey from Darwin, traversing the spine of Australia, all the way down to Victor Harbor in South Australia riding vintage pre-1949 motorcycles for the 14-day voyage. With support crews, of course.

But it’s not just for fun (fun?), the event also raises funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. In 2025 the event raised over $94,000 to support Flying Doctor Wellbeing – a crucial service that offers mental health support to rural communities

So, why were we involved?

Well, our very good friend at Shannons Insurance, Belinda Douglas who helps us out in many ways, took part in the event and through the Shannons sponsorship of the Phillip Island event arranged the display and parade lap spots.

Here is her report on what must have been an exciting but gruelling trip.

Initially our (Team Shannons) goal was $3000. To date we have raised $3,189.00 this is a result of the direct support of Shannons and the VHRR Phillip Island event. I sincerely thank everyone for their generosity including the VHRR who donated $1000 as part of that.

The VHRR have supported our fundraising causes for a number of years now, in the past being Life Line Gippsland & this year the Royal Flying Doctors Service focussing on mental health.

I also as part of the event had to set up a fundraising link as participant #37, to date we have raised $1145, I’m extremely chuffed by the support given, the encouragement & enthusiasm by everyone who took the time & were able to contribute to our cause.

The Total: $4334 ❤ This is awesome

Now a little bit about our journey. I was riding a 1937 Triumph T70 250cc motorcycle I purchased off an amazing young man called Sir Ken Lucas OAM. Sir Ken was very well known in the historic motorcycle racing scene racing under #37 Sir Ken wanted everyone to have a go & when I bought this bike off Sir Ken before COVID he made me promise that I would ride it & not just look at it! Sir Ken road his last track at 90 years of age at Winton Historics & was at the time, the oldest motorcycle racer in the world, qualifying at the front & starting from the back was how Ken rolled ❤ . Click the link to meet the legend that is, Sir Ken Lucas OAM

It was a privilege to know him.

Sir Ken passed away in December 2024 at the age of 94, our adventure was in honour of Sir Ken Lucas OAM.

We travelled over 4300kms from Darwin to Victor Harbour, everyone was a little sceptical how on earth I thought I was going to ride a little 250cc all that way & finish. Well we did and I am proud to say we WON, the 500cc & under category on Sir Kenny 37.

I thank everyone very much for their support & contribution to The RFDS.

Click on the link to the Shannons Club article about our event, I have uploaded some short ride videos & pictures.

Belinda Douglas Shannons Insurance

An update from the President | May 2025

Thu, 29 May 2025 23:45:23 GMT

After such a busy start to the year, planning and running the Nationals, as well as everything else we do as a Club, it has been a somewhat slower month in May, but still some great events attended by our members. After a hectic April it was nice to return to a much slower pace or normality lol.

10^th May - Round 5 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown, always a fun event and well attended by our members.

16-18 May – E30 Racing Round 3 at Phillip Island with a fantastic field and lots of DCM members driving and attending all weekend to watch and help out as either crew members or just general support, and of course those officiating too.

18^th May - National Motoring Heritage Day had 2 events, 1 in the style of a coffee and cars at the Manhattan Hotel and 2 was a Cavalcade in the Geelong area. Great events and also well attended by our members.

24^th May – Healesville Sanctuary Drive and Family fun day – was fantastic with the sun out all day and a large group attending. Lots of fun had by all. Sadly, we had to pull out at the last minute with some family goings on to attend to.

Jackets and Limited Edition 50 Years of 3 Series T shirts

We have just over 1 more week of pre orders for the limited edition 3 series T shirts and jackets, so please place your orders at our online store asap as to not miss out. These were so popular at the Nationals, we decided to do another run, so if you want one, get in quick, as once we close the orders, that will be it!

Winter is nearly here, and we have been so blessed with such a fantastic mild Autumn.

June starts with a weekend away down the coast.

7 – 9 June Monarchs Long Weekend – Port Campbell Shipwreck Coast

29 June - Wheels and Coffee – Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron

There are a couple of other special events lined up for June which are yet to be confirmed so watch out for your event emails and get in quickly when they are released!

Other events to look out for:

Christmas in July – 6^th July

Sandown Introductory Super Sprints & Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try Day - 12^th July

Sandown Parade laps – 12^th July

BMW Drivers Club AGM – 23^rd October

Canberra Trip Over Cup Long Weekend 31^st October – 9^th November

Challenge Bathurst 22-23 November.

All these events are open now, or will be soon, so keep watching your emails for updates.

Our Wheels and Coffee morning is a BYO breakfast option with limited egg and bacon rolls for sale on the day. Great BBQ facilities there and free coffee too. Local coffee shops nearby for those who want something a little bit more special on a cold June morning.

Sadly, we had to cancel our Come and Try Day at Broadford in May, due to low registration numbers. If you are wanting to attend these types of events you must register early as we can’t run an event on a promise and we need your support and commitment early, rather than at the last minute. It is hard to plan and run events when people say they want to come but then don’t register or enter. We do only have limited resources and track days are not cheap to run. So, if you want us to keep running these days, we need you to support us and come along.

Our next Come and Try day is at Sandown in July, so get your entries in and come and have some fun. Sandown will be both a timed Sprint and a Driver Training Day/Come and Try type event, so there will be something for everyone, no matter your level of experience.

With Winter arriving we put our show cars away and look forward to drives, casual catchups and weekends away, so if you have any amazing places, you think we should visit on a drive or meet up for a gathering, let us know. Quite a lot of our events have stemmed from suggestions we should go somewhere, like the Beaumaris Yacht Squadron event, it came from a member suggestion and promises to be something interesting and different.

Running a club as active and diverse as we are, takes a huge effort from a small group of volunteers, and as this is National Volunteer Week, I’d like to thank those that give so freely of their time and energy to make all of our events and indeed this club as great as it is. None of us get paid to do what we do, and this club continues to be one of the best in the country, and it is all due to our band of committed and dedicated volunteers.

So, from me, Thank You All!

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

An update from the President | April 2025

Mon, 05 May 2025 23:24:27 GMT

What amazing driving weather we have been having, and April was no exception.

6^th April saw a large group of us attend the GT Racing and Shannon’s Speed Series at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Great weather but a little nip in the air kept the jackets on but some great racing was had all day. Great fun had by all and some amazing racing. It was good to have some of our members up in race control, March and April has been very busy for our race Officials with track events on pretty much for 7 weeks in a row. Well done guys.

18^th April Good Friday appeal and WOW we filled the car park and had cars out on the road. This was a huge day with the sun out again. Great raffle prizes to be had and a nice figure of $1200 was raise for the Children’s Hospital. Thank you to all who attended, helped out and presented their cars in such an amazing fashion.

23-27^th April was our big event at Caroline Springs and Calder Park - BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. Some of us arrived on the Wednesday to start set up and get ready to start this fantastic event. We had a dinner meeting and lots of laughs then straight to bed ready for what was a huge but fantastic weekend. Check out our photo link to see some of the amazing photos taken over the weekend, with more coming in daily.

It was so good to welcome all our national friends to our event and all over the weekend there were lots of smiles from all who attended.

The event started on Thursday with Registration and Check In and those who registered using the Nationals Package received some great gifts which were paced in their rooms.

Thursday evening, we all met in the foyer to be coached in to Melbourne BMW for what was an outstanding cocktail night and presentation from Brendon from BMW Group Australia and Daniel from ASG and Melbourne BMW.

Lawrence and the team had set up an amazing display of 3 series with a car from each series through all 7 generations. They looked amazing, both Jo and I and I am sure everyone who attended were just thrilled with how they all looked.

Once the event had finished our members went back on the coaches and were safely taken back to our WestWaters Accommodation for a well-deserved sleep after quite a few of our guests had been driving for a few days to be with us.

Friday morning was forecast to be a bit wet but when we woke the sky was clear and it was quite warm and still . Jo mentioned to me it was the first dawn service in Australia that she was actually warm. It was lovely to see so many young people attending and so many of our members were up early to show their respect.

After the service they did a gun fire breakfast BBQ which was brilliant and then some Two Up which I must admit I have never played but it looked like a lot of fun.

Friday, we had 2 x guided drives which were very popular, both using TourBoss.

Friday Night was our 70s theme night. I will leave the photos do the talking for that, but I might say, the Trivia was brilliant and lot of fun had by all.

Saturday was the big day at Calder and sadly the weather did not stay nice for us. Some drizzle which then turned to light rain.

This did not dampen our officials or members who all showed up and again I will let the photo tell the story, but what an amazing day was had by all. Great stalls and trade stands. Thank you to all who attended this and made it such and amazing day.

Saturday night was our presentation Dinner with special guest Speaker Bruce Stewart from WAUR (Walkinshaw Andretti United Racing)

Wow I knew Bruce was good, but his presentation was so powerful and made us all feel inspired to get up and achieve our goals. Great presentation.

After that I did feel a little sorry for Professor Tony Walker for Prostate Cancer Foundation who followed with his presentation but also a powerful presentation and I think touched home to a few in the audience. Thank you to both these busy gentlemen for giving their time to make our night better. Something Bruce said in the night which is very true, our Jo is a powerhouse and anything she asks for she usually gets and not many people say no to her as they know what she does, she does well and it would be worth their free time.

Silent Auctions and raffles on the night raised $3150.10 which all went to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Thank you all for giving so generously.

After the night was over and we stayed behind to pull down the decorations, some of us who had been a very important part of this event sat and breathed a sigh of relief that the event was nearly to an end and had been such a huge success. We had so many people complimenting us on the weekend and it was all worth it in the end. It has been a long journey but to see so many happy smiling faces is what it is all about.

Sunday morning saw us at our farewell breakfast spending the last few hours with our old and new friends before they headed back to their homes or off on some more travels around Victoria.

To BMW NSW who will be hosting the 2027 Nationals we would like to congratulate you on you bid and wish you all the best with your preparations for this event. Be sure to have a great leader and a great team to assist you along the way.

As for a great team, ours was amazing, some only coming on at the last week which really counted and others working tirelessly for the past 18 months to make this event as successful as it was. I will not name you all as I am bound to forget someone, but you know who you are and I thankyou all from the bottom of my heart.

Events to add to your diary:

10^th May Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 5 at Sandown

24^th May Healesville Sanctury Drive and Family outing

31^st May Kaos Custom bike come and Try / Drivers Training – Broadford

7^th June Monarchs Long Weekend: Port Campbell and Shipwreck Coast

6^th July Christmas in July

23 October AGM

31 October – 9^th November Canberra Trip over Cup Long Weekend

22 – 23 November – Challenge Bathurst

At the Nationals we had a great 50 years of the 3 series T shirt which sold out within 1 hour.

We will be doing a rerun of this with pre orders. Sizing is true to size so be sure to pick the correct sizing.

We also had a beautiful Soft-Shell jacket which was very successful as well and also sold out.

This will also be on pre order with both our club logo and the Nationals logo versions on offer. This is a little snug so order 1 x size larger to not be disappointed.

We made quite a show of the 50^th Anniversary of the 3 Series at the Nationals and at Phillip Is, as we will for all of our display events this year. So, order a T-shirt so you can join in the celebration of the 3 Series.

It has been a huge month, with the Nationals and everything else we normally do, so now we can take it a little easier and get back to our normal routine.

The Nationals was also great for our membership growth, we are very close to breaking through 1000 members, truly amazing! Welcome to all the new members joining us either through the Nationals or wherever you have found us. Remember, this is your club so make the most of it. We run a wide range of events to suit everyone’s taste, so take a loo at the calendar or check the event emails and come and join us.

Our edition 7 idrive magazine was released at the formal dinner at the Nationals too, so hopefully by now you have received your copy.

As always it is a fantastic publication and a credit to Jo and Jess’ efforts in gathering stories and putting it all together. We are always looking for stories for the website and for idrive, so if you have a story to tell send it in and it may just appear in the next edition.

Just to finish off, thank you again to everyone that helped make the Clubs Australia Nationals a huge success, definitely the best Nationals I have been to, especially Jo, who not only Chaired the Nationals Committee, but worked tirelessly for 2 years to plan and pull it all together. Such a huge job and one we can all be very proud of.

I look forward to seeing you out at an event somewhere soon, until then, take care on the roads, winter is coming and with it changeable driving conditions.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Nationals Report 23- 27th April 2025

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:45:41 GMT

The BMW Clubs Australia Nationals 2025 were held in Melbourne, hosted by BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, over the ANZAC Day long Weekend in April.

Check out our photo link to see some of the amazing photos taken over the weekend.

It was so good to welcome all our national friends to our event and all over the weekend there were lots of smiles from all who attended.

The event started on Thursday with “Registration and Check In” at WestWaters, and those who registered using the ‘Nationals Package’ received some great gifts which were placed in their hotel rooms before they even arrived.

Thursday evening, we all met in the foyer to be transported by coach to Melbourne BMW for what was an outstanding cocktail night with presentations from Brendon of BMW Group Australia and Daniel of ASG, owners of Melbourne BMW.

Thank you to the team at Melbourne BMW for putting on such an amazing event as our opening night and thank you to Ross from Cellabrations Cellars for supplying the drinks.

Our Club Treasurer and Car Display aficionado, Lawrence Glynn, set up an amazing display of 3 series with a car from each of the 7 generations and had prepared some information sheets for each car, two informative “50 Years” pull up banners and two flags to match the theme. Club member Tim Wise spent quite some time and effort carefully applying our “50 Years of 3 Series” windscreen banners. The total effect looked amazing, and I am sure everyone who attended were just as thrilled with how they all looked.

It was a great night for members to informally catch up with their friends from other states and meet new friends throughout the night.

Once the event had finished our members went back onto the coaches and were safely taken back to our WestWaters accommodation for a well-deserved sleep, as quite a few of our guests had been driving for several days to be with us.

Friday morning, ANZAC Day, was forecast to be a bit wet but when we woke the sky was clear and it was quite warm and still. It was the first dawn service in Australia that we can remember which was actually quite warm. It was lovely to see so many young people attending too and so many of our members were up early to show their respect.

As a club, we arranged for and laid a wreath to remember those fallen.

After the service the RSL did a gun fire breakfast BBQ, which was brilliant and then some Two Up which I must admit I have never played, but it looked like a lot of fun. Again, great to see so many BMW Club members from all over the country attending this, with all the proceeds going to the RSL.

Friday, we also had 2 guided drives, which were very popular, both using the TourBoss navigation app, but with a comprehensive road book as a backup. One was a half day drive, leaving time for the all-important Show and Shine preparation and the other was a full day drive. Both covered some beautifully scenic and enjoyable driving roads using routes devised by Club Secretary and Drive Coordinator, Peter Williams.

Friday Night was our 70’s themed night. A lot of fun retro costumes and the inter-active Trivia Quiz was brilliant, rewarding both accuracy and speed. So proud that 99% attending made the effort to dress up and all had lots of fun. Makes the hard work behind these events worth it to see attendees appreciate our hard work and join in. I thank our team of workers who dressed the room Disco style to make the atmosphere even better.

Saturday was the big day at Calder and sadly the weather did not stay nice for us. Some drizzle which then turned to light rain with brief bursts of heavy rain. You can’t plan the weather, but it was still a fantastic day.

The rain did not dampen our officials or members spirits, who all showed up, and an amazing day was had by all. With the Show and Shine, Car Display featuring 50 years of the 3 Series, and Sprints all in one location and the addition of some great stalls and trade stands made for a real carnival atmosphere.

We were also joined by a large group from the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria, who put on a display of BMW Motorbikes in celebration of their Club’s 50^th anniversary. Great seeing the bikes come out on the day, even in the inclement conditions.

Thank you to all who attended and made it such and amazing day. We are very proud of our officials who stood out in the weather and did not falter all day.

We are very lucky to have a great association with the Victorian Flag-Marshalling Team, and they are all very professional in their approach to officiating. Our senior motorsport officials are all Motorsport Australia accredited and do a fantastic job. Did you see the amazing M3 Competition Touring we had as our Course Car? Wow just Wow, what an amazing car to drive. Thank you so much to BMW Group Australia for your support of the Nationals and loaning the amazing M3 to us, again.

Saturday night was our presentation Dinner with special guest Speaker Bruce Stewart from club sponsor, WAUR (Walkinshaw Andretti United Racing)

Wow I knew Bruce was good, but his presentation was so powerful and made us all feel inspired to get up and achieve our goals. Great presentation, thank you Bruce.

After that I did feel a little sorry for our second guest speaker, Professor Tony Walker from the Prostate Cancer Foundation, who had to follow with his presentation. He also gave an inspiring presentation which I think touched home to quite a few in the audience. Thank you to both these busy gentlemen for giving their time to make our night better.

Silent Auctions and raffles on the night raised $3130.30 which went to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Thank you all for giving so generously and thank you to our Sponsors who helped this night by donating gifts for us to Auction.

Each table had a 1:18 model 3 series, to keep in the theme of 50 years of the 3 series, which were also part of the silent auction. These all went on the night, with some grabbing great bargains.

At each Nationals an award is made to the “Club of the Nationals”. Previously this has been on a points system calculated from the number of members from a club, the number of events attended per member of that club and the distance from the club’s base to the Nationals. This is designed to reward the effort a club has made to attend.

This time we adjusted the formula to use the fraction of the club membership attending, rather that the raw number of members. We feel this more fairly represents the effort a club getting, say, 20 members to the Nationals, which represents, say, 10% of their membership deserves more reward than if it presents 2% of the membership.

The results were:

Club Distance Attendees Size Num of Events = Score

BMWCCV 30 23 948 40 1.27

BMWDCM 97 116 826 327 38.40

BMWDCNSW 875 20 1118 113 88.44

BMWCCC 661 12 297 42 93.47

BMWDCSA 704 19 557 124 156.73

BMWCCWA 3307 1 132 8 200.42

BMWCCQLD 1774 19 518 132 452.06

BMWCCGC 1710 5 69 28 693.91

On that basis BMW Car Club Gold Coast won the 2025 award.

Sunday morning saw us at our farewell breakfast, spending the last few hours with our old and new friends before they headed back to their homes or off on some more travels around Victoria.

There were a few groups who joined our guided drives back to the boarders, which we again used the TourBoss app for safe and accurate navigation.

We are very proud to be the first BMW Clubs Australia Nationals for many years who have had representation from all of the BMW Clubs Australia affiliated Car Clubs attend. This was a huge effort from all attending clubs, and we would like to thank you all for promoting our event and making the trip to our great state to enjoy everything we all love about BMW.

We are nearly finished our financial report which is looking great. Our aim for this event was not to worry about making a loss or profit but to ensure the enjoyment of all who attended. We think we are going to make this event just about a break-even Nationals, and we are very proud of our team for achieving this. Everything we did over the weekend was to make our attending members experience a joyful one and we think we achieved that.

As for a great team, ours was amazing, some only coming on in the last week, which really counted, and others working tirelessly for the past 18 months to make this event as successful as it was. We will not name you all as we are bound to forget someone, but you know who you are, and we both thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

We were pleased to welcome many non-club members and even a few non-BMW owners to some parts of the weekend. We see this as an important way to expose the BMW Club movement and the BMW range of vehicles to new audiences. Welcome to all the new members joining us either through the Nationals or wherever you have found us.

For all updates on the winners of Show and Shine/Super Sprints please go here.

To BMW Drivers Club NSW, who will be hosting the 2027 Nationals, we would like to congratulate you on your presentation and wish you all the best with your preparations for the next BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

Lastly, we acknowledge and thank our Sponsors for their help in making this great event possible:

BMW Group Australia

BMW Clubs Australia

Calder Park

Mercure Hotel - WestWaters

Shannon's Insurance

Melbourne BMW

Bell Motorsport

Southern BM

Cellarbrations at Clarinda Cellars

Sirene Sea Pearls

Sonax Australia

Grip Auto Timepieces

Smash Property Investing

Tourboss

Kaos Custom Bikes

Motorola Rental Solutions

SD Pics Ben Potter Photography

Victorian Flagmarshalling Team

Eurospec Diecast Models

Prunela Castelino Professional Makeup Artist

Independent Car Parts Pty Ltd

Now onwards to 2027 and the next BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

Thank you.

Graeme Bell Jo Mawson

President Chair - Nationals Committee

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc

Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal coffee and cars

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 00:08:40 GMT

Every year we hold a coffee and cars get together to raise funds for the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

Flavours Patisserie in Beaumaris is the coffee part of the equation, as well as some simply irristable pastries and cakes. The owner and club member Christopher seals off the adjacent car park for the cars.

A few shakes (OK, quite a few shakes) of a collection bucket and some enthisiastic raffle ticket selling collected $1,200 donated to the RCH GFA.

It was a relaxed and fun morning with some very diverse vehicles turning up, not all BMWs by any stretch.

GT Festival Phillip Island, part of the Shannons SpeedSeries

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 23:44:34 GMT

The GT Festival at Phillip Island, which is part of the national Shannons SpeedSeries, featured rounds of Monochrome GT4 Australia championship and the GT World Challenge Australia championship (part of the global GT World Challenge with sub-championships in each region). In a packed programme there were also races for Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Australasia, First Focus Radical Cup Australia and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge.

Although BMW have won 3 out of the 5 opening rounds of the global GT World Challenge they did not feature in the Phillip Island round.

In the Monochrome GT4 round the best the 7 BMWs could do in race 1 was 7th improving to 4th for race 2.

However, the was some great racing and a lot of fun.

Our car display was visible on the TV coverage and proudly represented both our club and the brand.

An update from the President | March 2025

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 11:37:39 GMT

Summer is officially gone but boy I love Autumn. Cooler nights but still amazing days, great for running events and getting behind the wheel of our BMWs.

8^th March- March started off with one of our Favorite events Phillip Island Historic Racing,

where we had a great display of cars on both days with some of our members getting the chance to do some parade laps of the track thanks to Belinda from Shannons Insurance. Thank you to Lawrence for all your hard work setting up this event but sadly LG’s car had some issues, and he was unable to attend. But with the great members we have, the event still went ahead, and all the members and cars enjoyed the weekend.

7^th-9^th March was the first Round of the E30 Racing Championship

at Winton. It was a fantastic weekend of racing with one of the biggest grids of E30s for some time. Lots of our members out having fun with the rest of the E30 Racing group. Well done to Royce Lyne, starting off the year qualifying on pole then winning all four races over the weekend. I had a little mishap unloading a car out of the trailer and ended up at Wangaratta Hospital on Friday afternoon and some lovely new crutches to bring home. Thankfully it was only soft tissue damage, and my foot was well enough to spend the following week walking around looking after F2 and F3 cars at the Melbourne FI Grand Prix.

12^th March – AGP display.

What an amazing turn out of cars for the start of our story of the 3 series 50^th Birthday. They looked fabulous with our new windscreen banners, specially printed for this year to celebrate the 50^thanniversary. We had 1 of each series from E21 to G20 and a couple of early cars which also were an important part of this history. Lawrence and Jo attended the display area most of the weekend and they estimated over 3000 people stopping to read the information cards and take the time to chat with them both and also our members who attended the display days too. Many more took great interest in our display as they passed by. Great start to the celebration of this great car, watch out for more to follow.

We had a number of members officiating at the Grand Prix

from Flaggies to Scrutineers and even a few up in Race Control. Thank you all for your efforts over the Grand Prix week. It is a huge commitment and very long days in everything from 38-degree heat to pouring rain… it was fun though! Personally, I love it, being a part of the top level of motorsport in the world is quite amazing and getting up close to the cars and the stars is something only Officials can do. If you want to learn more about becoming a Motorsport Australia Accredited Official drop me a line or have a chat at an event. We are always looking for new Officials, as long as you are over 16 you can be involved.

19^th March – Geelong Area mid-Week Twilight Drive

was well attended and everyone who stayed for dinner enjoyed the drive and dinner which is always a bonus at the end.

21 March – Mornington Peninsula Twilight Drive

This left from Mornington BMW which was also well attended and a fantastic evening for a drive to watch to sunset. Thank you, Mornington BMW, for putting on refreshments for our members to enjoy before the drive. These were very well appreciated and kept us all going till the end.

28-30 March – E30 Racing Round 2 at Calder Park

This will be a great weekend of racing with a lot of DCM members attending as drivers, pit crew, Senior officials and general officials. It will be great to see so many of our members at this great historic track and also great to see both Jo and Scott holding senior roles over the weekend. Well done all.

April will see the Easter Bunny visit some of our members and we ask you to make sure you don’t eat too much chocolate and share with those who are less fortunate. If you are sneaking off for a break over Easter, take care on the roads and enjoy your time away.

April 18 Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal – Coffee & Wheels morning

This has always been held in the car Park near Flavours Patisserie in Beaumaris, we have reserved parking thank you to Christopher George, the owner of this amazing coffee shop. Please if you have not registered yet, do so here and give so they can live.

We will be doing an Easter raffle on the day, so bring coins so you can buy raffle tickets, but we will also have a portable EFTPOS machine there for your convenience.

This is event is not just for BMWs or cars. If you have something special hiding in your garage, please bring it out so we can all enjoy it.

24-27^th April. BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

This is a 4-day event, BUT you do not have to attend all the events. Pick which suits you or come to them all. We have some great sponsors on board, and we thank them all. This is going to be the highlight event of the year for our club so please come join us. Entries officially close on the 31^st of March so if you have not registered you may need to pull some strings with people in high places to get in now.

Save the dates:

31 May – Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try Day – Broadford – (entries open soon)

7 – 9 June Monarchs Long Weekend – Port Campbell and Shipwreck Coast

9^th July – Christmas in July

12 July – Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try Day – Sandown (entries open in June)

23 October – BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Annual General Meeting – German Tivoli Club

31 October – 9 November – Canberra Trip over the Cup Day long weekend

22 November -23 November – Challenge Bathurst

7 December – Christmas show and Shine annual picnic – Cruden Farm.

CPS – we will soon have an additional CPS officer, possibly starting in May, who lives in Hawthorn East, to make it easier for city dwellers to have their club documents signed. He will only be doing renewal signatures at this stage, but we will inform you if he starts to do new registrations. This is great news. Watch this space for updates. We are still doing online CPS renewals for those who can’t make it to events or to our office.

Membership is going through the roof we will be over 900 very soon. Welcome to all the new members joining us, this is your club, so join in and make the most of everything we offer.

Merchandise is selling well go to our on line store to purchase something you want for the cooler months. We have quite a bit of stock on hand, so have a look at the web site and order away.

Once again, I hope to see you come along and enjoy the BMW Club Nationals we are hosting in April, there will be something for everyone, so go to our dedicated Nationals web site and have a look and join us. https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/

Take care out there and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Geelong Area Mid-Week Twilight Drive

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 06:29:25 GMT

Photo Lawrence Glynn

Well, we called it a "Twilight Drive" but the Geelong Area Mid Week drive certainly was a "sunset" drive. A spectacular sunset very accurately aligned with an 11 km run straight into it! Could not have lined it better if we had tried!

Photos Stephen Wesson

Apart from a pleasant drive (not too many twisty roads around here) and a very nice dinner at the Beeac Farmers Arms, we had some lovely cars and great friendship. Which is really what these events are all about.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport 2025

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 12:39:38 GMT

Photo Simon Wilkins

Our weekend at the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport did not get off to the best start as my car “failed to proceed” en route to the meeting point where I was to hand over the entry passes.

To make things worse I was not on the route our members would be taking to get there, having taken the sensible precaution of staying on the Island overnight.

But time was of the essence for those wanting to do the parade laps as they had to be at the track by 7:30 am.

Thankfully Simon Wilkins was staying overnight at San Remo and was able to collect me from the roadside and take me (and the passes!) to the meeting point. From there the parade lappers set off in haste to meet their deadline and Chris Allen offered to sort out the display area pending the return of the parade lappers.

Between them they got our display organised, flags up and everything sorted.

Great work.

I had not planned to attend day two due to another commitment but Daniel Roberts had agreed to be my pass distributor on Sunday. Simon would look after the flags etc.

Meanwhile Danny O’Callaghen offered to drive me back to my stricken car to await RACV, stayed until a tilt tray became the solution and generously offered to store my car at his house (within the 100 km towing limit) pending resumption of business on Tuesday after the long weekend. An offer he then extended to driving me home to Geelong for which I was very grateful.

What a brilliant group of members we have who can, and will step in and help out. Absolutely blown away.

I am very grateful to all who pitched in to make the weekend work despite everything.

Read on for some summary comments by those who did make it to the track!

Lawrence Glynn #3

Thank you and everyone who organized such a brilliant event.

To say that I had a great time is an understatement. I haven’t had so much

fun since my trip to Nurburgring. Looking very much forward to a similar

event. Thank you very much again.

Albert Kuperman #580

We enjoyed the classic it was great. I’m sure you would’ve liked to of had enjoyed it yourself. Always next year.

Daniel Roberts #844

Very good to hear that you were able to sort things so your week end wasn’t a disaster.

Hope the JPS car will be ok.

Very heartening that club members were so supportive.

Thank you for your organisation for Saturday, the laps were great fun and the rest of the day went well.

Best Regards

Clive Meaby #877

Presentation Cocktail Night 2025

Sun, 09 Mar 2025 05:57:20 GMT

It’s been some time now since being awarded the New Member of the Year for 2024 {awarded at the Presention Cocktail Evenig Feb14 2025 - ed) and yet it still doesn’t quite seem real, nor have I been able to find the words to aptly describe how wonderful it was to receive. I accept this award totally, it’s genuinely been a real pleasure to be a part of such a fantastic, welcoming club and join in on the amazing events that have been on offer during this time. To those who have joined the club more recently than myself, needless to say you are all in for an absolute treat and I thoroughly look forward to passing on the baton for next year’s deserving winner.

A heartfelt thanks must go to Jo, Graeme, Lawrence and everyone involved for their time and effort in putting together these events and making them an absolute riot in which to take part, I absolutely cannot wait to be there for many more to come.

Brayden Burnett #1044

Note - the New Member of the Year award is given to the member who accrues the most membership points (for attending events, providing articles etc) in their first full year of membership. Members joining during 2023 accrue points in 2023 and 2024, with the "2024" award presented in 2025.

An update from the President | February

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 08:02:59 GMT

Dear members,

With 2 months down into 2025 we have covered so many events already.

The month started off with a huge bang with a 1-2 win from BMW WRT Team at the Bathurst 12 hour. We had a great group of our members attending this event and some from interstate as well. It is always great to share our events with our fellow club members from across the borders. Read Jo’s article in our next edition of idrive which will be out late April.

4^th February we did something a little different with a nice group doing a mid-week trip away to Halls Gap for a Fire Recovery Trip to help inject some much needed funds into the fire ravaged areas of our stage. This was a huge success, and the locals welcomed our members with open arms.

8^th February Pre Torquay Motor Show Drive – always a great event and the drive prior is a nice way to catch up with members before the display day with a plesasant drive and dinner after. Greatly appreciate all who attended.

9^th February Torquay Motor Show – what do I say? some amazing cars on display and we always thank our members for attending and making a huge effort to present their cars so beautifully. The weather was a little windy, but this didn’t spoil everyone having fun. One of our members, Andrew Brown, won $1000 gift voucher from Hello World which was well received, and Jeff Palmer won 2^nd in Class in the MG group. Well done again to all who attended, all who visited our display said it looked amazing.

9^th February had a few of our members attend Round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Rob Roy, put on by the MG club and part of the Motorsport Australia Interclub Challenge. This was a lot of fun, and I even got out there and had a drive too. Been too long for me and I really enjoyed the day. It was also great to see some of our non-competing members come along for part of the day to support those who were out there having lots of fun.

14^th February was our Presentation dinner at Waverley BMW, which, as you all know, was a little earlier this year due to us hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals in April. Fantastic night. Thank you to all the staff from Waverley BMW, Guest speaker from BMW GA Daniel Silverwood, for doing an amazing presentation, Bailey Gifford Chair of BMW Clubs Australia who also did a short presentation on what BMW Clubs Australia’s role is.

Thank you to Grip Auto Timepieces for donating the watches as prizes this year for our Show and Shine. These were well received and looked great on the night.

We had some well deserving winners from 2024, Shannon Cooper taking out the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, and class B Championship as well, and to top it off he was awarded Member of the Year! It was lovely to have all his family there to enjoy his awards with him.

We will have the list of all our winners in the next edition of idrive as well so make sure you read this when it arrives at your door in April.

I would like to thank Nella and Emma who worked tirelessly serving drinks all night, keeping everyone well-watered.

Jo had been unwell the week before and we were worried she would not attend but in true Jo fighting spirit she was there, well maybe running on 40% but was there to guide us through the night.

Massive thank you to Ross from Celebrations Cellar in Clarinda for helping us out with the drinks on the night. Please call past and buy your drinks from them as support for all they do for us. Let them know you are a member of our club too, so they know we are supporting them too.

16-17^th February was the BMW Clubs Australia AGM held in Melbourne. You can read my report here.

Most of you would know, being an Official BMW Club we are a part of the worldwide network of Official BMW Clubs. Our immediate overseeing body is BMW Clubs Australia, and as Delegate, I attend the Clubs Australia AGM each year to catch up with all the Delegates from the other 15 Official BMW Clubs in Australia to share ideas, learn from each other and then spend a day at BMW Headquarters in Mulgrave to talk with BMW Australia about the year gone and the year coming. We are very lucky, as we do get a lot of support from the BMW Group. Not many manufacturers support their supporting clubs like BMW do. In fact the BMW Club network is the biggest manufacturer supported Club Network in the world, with over 800 Official Clubs spread over every continent, except maybe Antarctica.

21st February was our Twilight Drive and Dinner Northwest. Great attendance again and great driving instructions using TourBoss. This app has been a great addition to our drives, making the navigation much easier and safer, as well as more environmentally sound, as we no longer need to print out and distribute maps and written instructions. Lots of trees saved!

23^rd February was Round 2 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. Again, greatly attended with fantastic weather. Not too hot and all our cars had a great time with everyone leaving the track with huge smiles on their faces.

23^rd February also had some of our members attending the Shelford Duck Race, a fun day out which included a car display. Great attendance with lots of interest in our club and cars. None of our members won but at least the charity did.

What a busy month for the shortest month!

March and April will also be huge months with already jammed pack events coming up.

8 March – Phillip Island Classic Car Display

8^th 10^th March E30 Racing Round 1 – Winton

12^th March – AGP Car Display – (Event Full)

18^th March – Geelong area Mid-Week Twilight Drive and Dinner

21 March – Twilight Drive Mornington Peninsula – Leaving from Mornington BMW.

30^th March Round 3 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship – Bryant Park Haunted Hills.

Dates to remember –

24-28^th April – BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

7^TH June – 9^th June – Great Ocean Road – 12 Apostles Long Weekend (EVENT NOT RELEASED YET - SAVE THE DATE)

6^th July Christmas in July – Russo Winery.

31^st October – 9^th November 10-day trip away to Canberra. (EVENT NOT RELEASED YET SAVE THE DATE)

22^nd November Challenge Bathurst

7^th December – Christmas Show and Shine Annual Family Picnic.

We are looking at a family fun day somewhere but have not locked in a date yet.

Our BMW Clubs Australia Nationals is coming up fast and for all of those who have yet booked, please make sure you go here to register. Registrations close at the end of March. Don’t miss out!

Membership has gone through the roof which is fantastic. We are heading toward 900 members, just amazing! Welcome to all the new members, we hope you enjoy your experience in the club and remember it is your club, so get involved. It is as great as it is because of the people in it, you all included.

Our welfare team are still working in the background to help some of our members through some hard times. Personally, I can say it is wonderful to have the support of friends from the club when you are going through tough times. It was wonderful to have so many people call and visit whilst I was recuperating. Very much appreciated indeed. Thank you all.

With so many events coming up and new things being added all the time, keep an eye on your emails and the club socials for upcoming events you might like to come along to. As always, if you have an idea for an event you think others would enjoy, drop us a line, we are always looking for new ideas for events and places to visit.

I look forward to seeing you out at an event somewhere soon.

Take care,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Shelford Duck Race

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 11:51:37 GMT

A Day at the Shelford Duck Race

An Unforgettable Sunday Adventure

On a very blustery (but sunny) Sunday, we embarked on an interesting journey to the Shelford Duck Race, located 46 kilometres from Geelong. This annual fundraising event promised a day full of fun, and it certainly did not disappoint.

Our adventure began with participating in a show and shine, where we proudly displayed our vehicles alongside around 90 other makes and models. The variety of cars was astounding, each with its own unique charm and history. It was fascinating to see the enthusiasm and care that each owner had put into their pride and joy.

As the day progressed, we indulged in a great display of food. The food stalls offered an impressive array of options, (but not forgetting the traditional sausage sangar!) To complement our meals, we could sample local wines and craft beers.

Entertainment was abundant throughout the day, with live performances from the “kilted” Police Pipe band and to ladies demonstrating their proficiency at delivering excellent covers of ABBA classics and many other songs. The market stalls were a treasure trove of unique finds, offering everything from handmade crafts to vintage memorabilia.

For those seeking more interactive experiences, there were demonstrations showcasing various skills and crafts such as the SES attempting to demonstrate the “jaws of life” cutting open a crashed car. Children and families enjoyed the amusement rides, their laughter and excitement adding to the festive atmosphere. The colourful rides providing thrills and joy to the little visitors.

The highlight of the day was the famous Duck Race at 3pm. Spectators gathered along the riverbank, eagerly anticipating the start of the race. As the 1250 ducks were released into the water, cheers erupted from the crowd. The sight of the brightly coloured ducks bobbing and floating down the river brought smiles to everyone's faces.

The Shelford Duck Race is a fundraiser for the village school, the cricket club abd the local Progress Society. It is more than just an event; it was a celebration of community, creativity, and joy. It was a day well spent, and we look forward to returning next year for more fun and excitement.

Anne Lane #1112

Clubs Australia AGM Report 2025

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:12:02 GMT

The BMW Clubs Australia (BMWCA) AGM this year was productive and some good information and ideas.

Some things to come out of the Sunday group discussions:

· BMW Drivers Club New South Wales (DCNSW) will run the next Nationals in 2027, proposed to be at Bathurst date to be confirmed, we suggested over or close to the Challenge Bathurst weekend, so there could be some form of Motorsport. See what happens.

· BMW Classic, BMW Group Australia (BMWGA), BMW Ag and BMW CA all want digital copies of all club's magazine each year but not paper copies.

· We will be having quarterly Zoom meetings, probably cars only, with the Executive and cars delegates, starting in April

· BMWCA will be sending out a quarterly magazine and want content.

For issue 1 they want a short history of the club, plus Steve’s story about winning the International Club of the Year Award.

· Most of the clubs have issues getting and retaining volunteers for events and for committee roles. Some clubs actually pay people to support most of their key roles and are looking at how to reduce their overheads. Some have paid helpers for treasurer, secretary, social media, graphic designer for the magazine to name a few.

· Common theme is lack of communication from BMWCA about anything, and interaction and sharing of ideas between clubs is lacking. I put as number 1 on our list, as not having the view of other clubs as rivals and we need to work together more.

· Side discussion with Craig Florence (SA) about the corporate program and how they make new members joining for the BMW Corporate Program ( - to get the 3 year BMW Service Inclusive at no cost offered by BMWGA to BMW club members) to sign up for the three years of the program. Their dealer pays the membership and tacks it onto the price of the car. Something we could look at, or a three-year corporate program option on the membership page, that would have to be taken up if they want a letter confirming membership for the corporate.

· All agree it is very hard to run motorsport days without combing with other clubs, cost of track hire etc..

· Also lack of facilities to use for motorsport and driver training in some states

· All clubs are supporting Charities in similar ways

· Most clubs up on membership, 3 or 4 losing a little, membership up as a whole.

Monday:

· CEO of BMWGA Wolfgang Buechel is very much in favour of having a close relationship with BMW Clubs and now that BMW Classic is under the control of Marketing instead of corporate, we should see a lot more interaction between BMW and clubs.

· We can request a letter directing BMW Dealerships to engage with and support clubs and it will be signed by the head of BMW Classic.

· Seems we have come full circle, and BMW recognises we are their best salespeople instead of just consumers. His words were ‘Clubs are more important than ever’

· BMW no 4 in ev sales last year 7,700 ev’s in Australia

· BMW sold 29.6% of ev’s sold in Australia: more than Volvo, merc, Audi, Hyundai, GWM, Porsche, Lexus, combined

· Next generation of batteries will see 900km range coming end of 2025

· I asked about long term ownership and second/third owners, did BMW have a strategy for long term ownership of ev’s or were they designed to be recycled in say 15 years? Answer was good, BMW batteries can be replaced as modules, so if you have one module fail in 15+ years you can replace the one module at hundreds of dollars instead of the whole battery pack at many thousands of dollars. Current generation batteries are expected to last 15-20 years, even old i3 batteries are still only showing roughly 3% loss of capacity/use, far exceeding what they expected when they built them. Due to the quality of the materials in the batteries they use apparently.

· All ev m3 next year with 1500+ hp, 4 electric motors and so much torque it can’t be measured, so they reckon. The numbers are ridiculous they reckon, and computers will control everything to keep it on the road. But there will still be an ICE version of every M car as well.

· 1 in 5 BMWs sold in Australia are M cars

· Very interesting chats at BMWGA with the BMWGA people we saw at Bathurst. All of them want us to be involved with the GT4 series at Phillip Island in the Speed Series at Phillip 4-6 April, to do a display and support the BMW GT4 cars, apparently going to be 7 racing. No details yet.

· BMW looking to be even bigger at Bathurst in 2026 and they want a club display up there. Asked about the possibility of laps on the Monday ride day, they only had 2 cars up there this year, the journalists took all the track time driving the new M3cs touring and M5, next year they said they would have a truck load. Hoping to have some rides to give away. We talked to NSW and Canberra about a club display up there next year. See what they do.

· Bikes do some training at a place up near Myrtleford that can accommodate cars too. Probably x5’s or X cars, as it is dirt roads to get there. I’d love to do an X drive; this could be an interesting option. Vic Bike club do about 6 training weekends there each year.

· Most of the bike clubs report that club meetings have transitioned from at someone’s house or business looking at how to fix things on bikes or tune them up to how to diagnose them with a computer and fix electronic issues.

· Bike sales pretty static in 2024

· All clubs report membership fees static

· BMW is allowing Dealerships to hire out floor stocks of bikes for weekend rides, apparently this is huge in Europe.

Clubs International Report

· BMW Classic now run as part of Marketing Dept

· Most challenging time for BMW with emission targets coming, so far they are years ahead of the curve, ev sales helping this.

· You will see more use of heritage cars in BMW ads, and more of a heritage focus and closer ties with clubs.

· Social media very important to have a presence and link to BMW

· BMW love Instagram in EU, more facebook in Australia

· BMW have 9 lawyers chasing trademark infringements and illegal copies of parts but none chasing people or clubs using the roundel wrong.

· Whilst they frown upon wrong use of the roundel etc, they won’t chase you unless you are making money from it.

· They have allowed some huge online ‘clubs’ to keep using the BMW name even though they aren’t official clubs, as long as they don’t bring disrepute.

· 50^th anniversary of 3 Series very important to BMW and want us to focus on it.

· Will run awards for best promotion of 50^th Anniversary

· BMW Clubs International Council (CIC) put out 2 electronic newsletters a year.

· New BMW CIC website up and running, but still being built, so some areas not working yet: https://bmwcic.org/

· BMWCA are starting a quarterly newsletter to go to clubs/members… they want content about major events etc.

· 5^th May is declared the actual 50^th birthday of 3 Series and BMW will be doing 50 Days of the 3 series around that time. We should too.

Summation

· Overall, a pretty good weekend.

· We got to drive some cars to teach the clubs about TourBoss, CCV not using it yet, but Tony W wants to. Jo and I took a full ev x2 ixe, I was pretty impressed with it, on the return we had a 118i, comfortable M seats and nice as an introduction to BMW,

· There were some questions about what happens if BMW stops paying for the licence for TourBoss and some were scared they would get to love it and then be left holding the bill.

· It was accepted by most though I think.

· BMW are paying $13500 odd for the corporate licence. An individual club would be way less than that,

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Torquay Motor Show 2025

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 11:29:38 GMT

Even though it was not actually blowing a gale at the Torquay Motor it felt like it.

Nonetheless our members turned out and enjoyed the day. This event always has a great variety of vehicles ranging from 1913 to modern supercars.

Continuing what seems to be a tradition the only prize winner in our group was a non-BMW, Jeff Palmer with his MGB V8 GT.

Andrew Brown, spectators but not displaying, won a "luck door' style prize for submitting a people's choice vote, - $1,000 voucher from Helo World Travel. Nice pick up.

Lots of interest in our member's lovely cars - thank you for bringing them along and braving the wind.

We even made it into the local newspaper!

Also at the show was one of our menmbers, Chris Houghton-Allen (#770) with a fellow LandRover owner.

He reports

We met at Flagstaff gardens and travelled together to Torquay where we joined a queue at 8:15 am to enter the show area at Elephant Walk.

The 2 vehicles parked next together and immediately spectators were asking questions with Mark having a steady line of people to talk to about his magnificent Series 2A.

It was amazing that the Series 2A made it to the show as, on Friday night, Mark and his trusty helper started, and completed by midnight Saturday, a swap of the transfer case. No leaks and a short test and he was ready for Sunday!

There were nearly 400 cars of all makes and varieties on display. The wind was quite full on and the expected 26o was not met during the day bit it did get a little warmer by 2:30pm.

We waited for the results and while none of us won a major prize, Mark’s series 2A was declared the LROCV winner.

After a very enjoyable day, with much chatter from many spectators and other exhibitors, we were glad to head home in the warmth of the cars. We look forward to the next show!

Lawrence Glynn #3

Treasurer

Halls Gap "fire rescue" trip February 2025

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 08:29:30 GMT

After much of the Grampians National Park was devasted by fire in December, the trip was organised to inject some cash into local businesses that were hit hard in what should be their peak season.

Yet, with even more fires starting in the Park in January, the trip was in doubt right up to the day before departure. But with Halls Gap in the clear, we went ahead with a slightly modified itinerary.

On a scorching summer’s day, the group started their convoy from Ballan and I joined just west of Ballarat. First stop was Ararat for lunch followed by a tour of J Ward, Ararat's Old Gaol and for over 100 years a lockup for the criminally insane. The facility housed Bill Wallace from his age of 44 until his death at 107 and 11 months, a world record as the oldest prisoner. It was an eye opener to see the conditions and treatment of those incarcerated.

Next Trevor led us on a short drive to One Tree Hill Lookout, up a hill climb track that is recognised as the hardest and steepest on the Victorian Hill Climb Championships circuit. After a spirited ascent, the summit revealed some amazing views of the region and the Grampians, well, those parts that weren’t blanketed in smoke haze.

Then a leisurely drive to Halls Gap, with the only hazard being an echidna that was making its way slowly across the middle of the road in front of our convoy, thankfully dodged by all. After settling into accommodation, some sampled the local brewery, and later we all caught up for evening meal. Our outdoor dining experience included views to smoky skies that masked a red blazing sun, and small flecks of ash falling onto our pizza which just added to the earthy flavour.

Next morning the wind change had replaced all the smoke and we were greeted by clear blue skies. Most made their way to the Halls Gap Zoo, while I got some work emails attended to. I rejoined for lunch at Pomonal Estate, a winery and brewery. Excellent food was served up and some wine and cider tastings went down a treat.

With so many road closures given the ongoing fire, our plans for some twisty road driving had to be dropped, so a free afternoon was then spent lazily taking in the scenery or enjoying the motel facilities. For evening meal another great dining experience at the Kookaburra Hotel.

The hospitality staff at all venues were so fantastic and very appreciative of our custom.

On our last day I took the long way home with a drive south from Halls Gap to Dunkeld through the length of the Park. The vastness of the fire devastation was evident as kilometre after kilometre repeated a blackened forest. Here’s hoping for a quick recovery of the environment and that not too many little creatures were lost.

A great trip and a huge thanks to the organisers, and to all attendees for their great company.

Drew Matthews #903

BMWDCM recently organised a short 4-day trip with 2 (over-night) stays at Halls Gap, after becoming aware of the severe damage to tourism caused by the recent fires. The purpose being to inject some much-needed tourist dollars on which the town relies after the mass cancellations the town suffered.

The residents of Halls Gap had faced a close call as a bushfire raged perilously close to the town's outskirts. The fire, fuelled by the dry summer conditions and strong winds, threatened to engulf the serene landscape, turning the peaceful haven into a scene of chaos and destruction. Thanks to the swift response of firefighters and volunteers, the flames were contained just 200 metres from the town’s edge, sparing it from devastation.

On arrival, we discovered that the motel we were had booked into suffered some severe plumbing issues, therefore we were all upgraded to a very up-market motel minutes away at no extra charge. This motel was almost full of fire fighters with their trucks from every imaginable part of Victoria. (a rig from Tasmania was also spotted).

Dinner the first night was enjoyed outside on a restaurant’s forecourt, with flakes of ash temporarily descending on us and our food. The sky was black with an orange tinge but with a change of wind direction, it all cleared away by the time we had finished our dinner. (phew!).

The clearings around our motel were a sanctuary for kangaroos and emus, which graze peacefully, seemingly unfazed by the presence of humans. The air was filled with the sounds of the Australian bush, from the raucous calls of cockatoos to the melodic songs of magpies. The rich biodiversity of the area is a testament to the thriving ecosystems that flourish in the Grampians and this wonderful scene was very much appreciated by us all.

Day two was spent at Halls Gap Zoo. It is a 53-acre zoo located about 7 kilometres from Halls Gap. From the zoo you can see Grampians National Park. It is Victoria's largest regional zoo, holding over 120 native and exotic species. It was a very pleasant day, walking for 2 ½ hours (and catching some sunburn by those of us prone to this problem). We all commented how much we learned about wildlife when reading the stories of the animals and birds we encountered along the way.

Lunch was an extraordinary experience at Pomonal Estate, which is a newly established Winery, Microbrewery and Cider House located in the picturesque town of Pomonal, 10 minutes from Halls Gap and nestled alongside the Grampians National Park. We all enjoyed some amazing wine tastings, great food and then an opportunity to purchase from a great display of local produce. A very congenial dinner was arranged for day two, the food was great and enjoyed in very pleasant surroundings, in walking distance from our motel.

Day three was time to book out of our motel and think about heading for home. All our amazing firefighters descended on the same café where we had planned to have breakfast, so a trip back to our motel restaurant paid dividends as we were the only patrons there.

With some reluctance we finished this very enjoyable get-away, the trip was exceptional and all thanks to our Treasurer Lawrence Glynn, who made sure that every moment was organised to perfection.

Anne Lane #1112

Photos : Lawrence Glynn, #3 Treasurer

Triumph and cheers at Bathurst: Team WRT celebrates an impressive 1-2 result with the BMW M4 GT3

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 04:45:16 GMT

Bathurst. What a race, what a victory!

Team WRT achieved an impressive 1-2 result with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Brothers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde (both RSA) triumphed alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) in car #32. Following them, Valentino Rossi (ITA), Raffaele Marciello (SUI), and Charles Weerts (BEL) in the #46 BMW M4 GT3 secured second place.

It was the first victory for BMW M Motorsport in the GT3 era at the Mount Panorama Circuit. The last triumph dates back to 2010 with a BMW 335i.

Team WRT remains undefeated in the 2025 season after successes at the 24h Dubai and the 6h Abu Dhabi (both UAE). On the sidelines of the race at Bathurst, the new BMW M3 CS Touring celebrated its world premiere.

The iconic racetrack provided the perfect stage for the debut of the latest BMW M special-edition model in the high-performance sports car sector. A 405 kW/550 hp six-cylinder in-line engine, bespoke chassis tuning, exclusive design features and weight savings resulting from the use of numerous carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components provide the ingredients for an unadulterated racing-car feel.

Team WRT owed its 1-2 finish primarily to a perfect race strategy. Throughout the race, the two BMW M4 GT3s consistently gained an advantage in fuel consumption, which ultimately decided victory or defeat. While most competitors had to pit for refuelling just before the end, both BMW M4 GT3s were able to continue without stopping.

Read the full article here

An update from the President | January

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Welcome to 2025!

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New Year break and is looking forward to the coming year as much as I am.

Is it now only just the end of January, yet with so much already happening within our club it definitely feels later.

But what a great start to the year we have had so far.

10 January we had over 80 members attend our twilight drive up through the Dandenong ranges ending with coffee and donuts at Krispy Kreme. It was great to all meet at Ringwood BMW and have a chat to the staff there before the drive. Unfortunately, Jo and I were unable to attend as we both contracted COVID early January. Great turn out of members but also fabulous to see so many non-members attend then become members after the drive. Welcome all. Again, using TourBoss for this drive it made such a large group much easier to control having 2 lead cars and the digital navigation guiding all through the evening to watch a fabulous sunset at the top of Mt Dandenong.

19 January had a large group of BMWs displaying at Cruden Farm for the Festival of Motoring. Great weather, beautiful cars and lots to see and do through the day. This is a brilliant event and one you need to watch out for each year.

26 January was our annual Australia Day drive which started with lunch at Yarra Valley Lodge, again a huge turn out with over 70 attending with some amazing cars, from historic registered cars to the latest models. Great to see the diversity of our club members cars. The one thing that makes both Jo and I proud is the families who bring their children young and old to these events. We are a family, and this shows. After lunch we headed off again using Tourboss with two groups again for ease of driving. Great roads, fantastic navigation and like the twilight drive we finished the drive at the Pancake Parlour in Doncaster and might I say, we all enjoyed some the of nicest pancakes I have had in years. This event also had members and non-members attending which makes us very proud.

30 January a large group of members are attending the Bathurst 12 hour. As with all our events we invite members from all the states, and it is wonderful to say we have members attending this year from NSW BMW Drivers Club as well as Melbourne. There will be some of our club members camping as well and they will be joining us in the 12-hour suite for some of the exciting BMW experiences Jo will produce for us. Watch out on FB over the weekend for photo updates from me and the others attending. We also have members officiating over the weekend as well as racing too so watch your screens and see if you can spot some of our members live on TV.

We took a different route up to Bathurst this time, heading East through Gippsland then North up through the Snowy Mountains, with an overnight stop at Cooma, on through Canberra to Bathurst. It was a much nicer drive that the usual Hume Highway trip and we will head back that way too after the weekend’s fun.

Jo had an email from Sunil Vohra, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport Australia, who is also a club member, and he will be putting in a guest appearance over the weekend as well. Jo always manages to pull some surprises out of her hat, so let’s see what she has instal for us all this weekend.

I’ll give a fuller report next month but so far we have had visits in the suite from other BMW club’s members, dropping in for a chat, as well as other people we know. We had a visit today by Craig Lowndes dropping in to tell us about the Prostate Cancer Foundation that they are supporting with their entry in the 12 Hour. We managed to raise $1500 in donations whilst he was there, so thank you to those that donated on the spot. Very proud our members support a charity that has a lot of meaning to me personally, having just gone through the prostate cancer surgery. Bruce Stewart from Walkinshaw Andretti dropped in for a visit too and shared he also has just undergone Prostate Cancer surgery, so it is very fitting we are supporting such a great cause.

The month ahead

Upcoming events, always lots going on and something for everyone!

4 February is the Midweek Halls Gap Fire Recovery 2-night trip away. With the devastation of the bush fires our club is very passionate about giving back to the local communities and this is one way we can help, by going to the regions most devastated and injecting some much need cash into their economy. Spots still available if you are retired or can manage a few days off.

8 February is the Pre Torquay-Motor Show Cruise. This is always a fun drive and a great way to meet the members who will be attending the display on the Sunday.

9 February Torquay Motor Show. Join us for this great display of cars. There won’t just be BMWs but cars for all marques around the world. See if our David Pye can take our best European car of the display again.

9 February our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship will start with a hill climb at the iconic Rob Roy Hill climb. MG Club have spent thousands of dollars resealing the track and updating the facilities, so be sure to join us and our members at this great track. Even if you are not competing, come along and support those who are. Entries are open now. This event is also part of the Victorian Inter-club Hill Climb Championship. It would be great to get a lot of BMWs there to try and get lots of points for the interclub challenge.

14 February Presentation Award Night at Waverley BMW. This is going to be an awards night a little different from most. Seeing that we are hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals this year, we thought we would do a more relaxed night at the newly renovated Waverley BMW. If you have not been through the new dealership, make sure you register, as its amazing. State of the art facility with all the latest technology. Come support all our members who will be awarded their trophies from 2024. Thank you to Grip Auto Time Pieces for sponsoring the Show and Shine awards.

21 February is our Twilight Drive North-West and dinner. This is bound to be another great drive with dinner at the end at Carolins Springs West Waters Resort.

23 February Traction Tyres/ Yokohama Drivers Championship round 2 at Sandown. Entries are open so be sure not to miss out on this event too.

Wow! I am exhausted just typing what we have on for February, its going to be a full-on fun filled month with events to suit all our members, nearly every weekend! Jo and I will also be attending the Clubs Australia AGM in February, to catch up with all the national goings on and meet with BMW Group Australia as well.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

Early this month Jo sent out a Save the Dates calendar which I would urge you to hold onto and diarise some of the major dates, so you have an idea of what we are doing and what you want to do for the year. There will be more events added to this, and we will update it as we move forward.

2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals

The biggest event on this year is of course our BMW Nationals which will be held at Caroline Springs over the ANZAC Day long weekend. 24 April – 27 April. Visit https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ for full information on this event please go to our designated website. We are lucky to have some fantastic sponsors on board who are all listed on the website.

Want to be an official for this event? Contact Simon on officials@bmwdcm.com.au and let him know what you are interested in doing over the weekend and your skills. We will need photographers for all the events, so if you have a keen eye for a good photo please let Simon know you will be able to help out there.

Accommodation is filling fast. If you are coming and want to stay at the Mercure WestWaters, please go to our national’s website and use the link which will take you directly to the discount booking form.

What are the Nationals you might ask?

Each year BMW Clubs Australia clubs converge on the host state to meet and enjoy events put on by the host state. Even years are BMW Motorcycle clubs and odd years are BMW Car clubs.

BMWDCM were invited to bid for the Nationals back in 2023 and Jo and her band of very eager helpers have been busily planning this event since.

We have lots planned for this years Nationals from cocktail party at Melbourne BMW to ANZAC dawn service and Gun Fire breakfast. Followed by 2 drives. One long all-day drive and a shorter drive for those who want to be back to clean their cars ready for the show and shine on the Saturday.

Friday night will be a great fun night with our 70s themed trivia night, fancy dress is optional, but we would like you to try to make an effort. Be sure to have your phone fully charged as the trivia will be using an app to ensure we are eco friendly with no paper wastage.

Sonax Australia will be at Calder Park with their wash station to help any who want to get their cars ready for the show on Saturday and this cleaning area will be available both Friday and Saturday.

Saturday is going to be the Main Event with the Southern BM Super Sprints which is part of our club Championship.

Shannons Insurance 3 Series Car display and of course if you are not entering the show and shine you can also put your car on display it does not need to be a 3 series. We are hoping for a huge 3 series display, as 2025 is 50 years of the 3 series and this is, of course, one of BMWs most popular model ranges.

Sonax Australia Show and Shine will be outstanding, we have already got some amazing cars registered. Bring your car and put it in the competition. Remember this is not a concourse but a show and Shine. The car needs to be clean, scratches and dents which can’t be cleaned out do not lose points. We welcome all BMWs to join us for this show.

There will also be trade stands for you to browse through and of course you are more than welcome to watch the super sprints while your cars are being judged or admired.

At the end of the track event, we will be doing the Racer Industries Parade Laps, which all are welcome to join as long as you have registered and signed a disclaimer. Make sure to complete this before the day to avoid missing out. No, you don’t need a race licence or a helmet. These are controlled laps around the full track including the Thunderdome.

We will be doing some photos, time permitting, of the group going around the track, which will be available for all after the event.

Saturday night will be our formal awards nights sponsored by Grip Auto Timepieces. This night will be time to catch up again with your old and new friends and congratulate all those who have won their events over the weekend. There will be some great prizes given and also some great silent auction items to bid on through the night. All proceeds will go to our charity Peter Mac Cancer Research, which you can make a donation beforehand if you are not attending using this link.

We are still in discussions with our guest speaker, but Saturday night should be one you will all remember.

Sunday, most will be heading home to your respective states or heading off to enjoy some of our wonderful state with some great driving roads the Peter has prepared.

Our last official event for this weekend will be the farewell breakfast. This is an informal morning wishing our friends and members a safe trip home and we will look forward to catching up with most of them at events through the year we hope.

Peter has put together an amazing Nationals Booklet which all attending will receive. This is full of exciting details which you will want to take back to show all your friends and family.

All attending and booking with the Nationals Package will receive a fantastic welcome pack which I am sure you will all love and use for years to come.

Merchandise is available for you all to order also, on the website, and all officials will receive an officials shirt for free.

Remember go to the website https://bmwclubnationals.com.au/ to make your bookings.

In other news

A lot of you have seen me out and about at events and it is heartwarming all the kindness and beautiful messages both Jo and I have received regarding my health. I am on the road to recovery now and very happy that my first PSA test since the operation has come back with flying colours so I must be doing something right.

Memberships have gone through the roof this month and I feel it is due to all our great events which are already happening this year. Welcome to all the new members that have joined recently, I hope you enjoy your club as much as we do.

Check out our calendar here. There are lots of events there already and we often add more in as well, so go back every now and then to see if anything new is coming up that you might like to attend.

I will finish here as I have said a lot, but we do have a lot on for you to enjoy. It will be a very busy year, so join in and enjoy what we have to offer. If you have any suggestions, we are always open to new ideas too. Get in touch with Jo or the committee if you have an idea for an event you think others might enjoy.

Take care out there, drive safe and see you at the next event.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

An update from the President | December

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

I can’t believe we are at the end of the year and about to start a new and exciting year. I hope you have all had a great year, if not 2025 promises a new start with lots to look forward to.

Reflecting on December

1 December - We started the month with the last round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. It was a great day and as usual, everyone had a fantastic time.

8 December – Christmas Show and Shine and Family Picnic at Cruden farm saw some amazing cars out to join in the fun, with some entering the Show and Shine, others putting their cars on display and some just attending for the fun of the day. We had a visit from the big man in red which was exciting for big and small kiddies. Raffle prizes were donated by Bell Motorsport and nearly everyone went home with something. Our raffle and egg and bacon breakfast raised nearly $900 which has been paid into our fundraising account for Peter Mac. Thank you to all who donated, bought raffle tickets, attended and most of all volunteered to help us out. This was my first official event out with the club after my surgery and by the end of the day I was getting very weary.

14 December - many members attended the Bell Motorsport Christmas BBQ and thank you lunch for Bell Motorsport's customers, and BMWDCM's member and volunteers. Thank you again for all those who came and helped out. Jo was only 3 days out of hospital from recent shoulder surgery, so all the helpers made things much easier for both of us.

The Christmas break

We really enjoyed Christmas day with our family, I hope that you had a fantastic day, whatever you did.

Your hard-working committee are taking a few weeks off and will be back in the swing of things after 13 January. Any questions, please email info@bmwdcm.com.au.

Planning ahead

Jo and Peter have been working on events for 2025 already and the year is looking very exciting. We have a draft calendar for you to mark some save the dates. This is subject to change and some events confirmation, but we will do our best to keep it as is.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed below.

10 January is our first drive event. Another Twilight Drive, this time through the Dandenong Ranges, starting at Ringwood BMW. We will be using TourBoss, as with all our drive events from now on, so be sure to download the App for full drive instructions once the event code is sent out.

19 January is the start of the car show season for 2025, with AOMC Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm. Be sure to pre-register to enable you to enter with the rest of the group, our pre-meet location will be sent to you if you pre-register.

On 26 January we will be starting with lunch in the Yarra Valley then doing an afternoon drive for our annual Australia Day drive. Look out for the event notice in your emails.

30 January is our Bathurst 12-hour suite. There are possibly only 6 spots left with this event, so don’t miss out and get your bookings in ASAP. There is no better way to watch this world class event and get all the private tours and special extras we manage to organise, than to join us in the BMWDCM suite.

February, March and April are full of great events too. Check out the yearly calendar. Some of the events are not ready to register with yet but you can save the dates for when the event notices are released.

2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals

24-27 April is our big event for the year with the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. Registrations are going well and accommodation is filling very fast, so be sure to book in at WestWaters Caroline Springs and complete your registrations for events.

Other News

We have lots of stock in our merchandise store for you to get ready for 2025. Head on over to our store to place your order.

I thank you all for your ongoing support of our fantastic club and welcome all the new members who have joined our club in 2024.

To the sponsors who have supported us in 2024 and are coming back on board for 2025, thank you.

All our volunteers and officials, I thank you too. Our events would not be as great as they are without your help.

As we start a new and exciting year, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday time with your friends and family and remember some of our friends may be alone, so give them a call or just drop in if you are in their general area.

Take care and I look forward to seeing you all in 2025.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

An update from the President | November

Sat, 30 Nov 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Wow December already! We are now heading into the festive season, and it will soon be Christmas. Where has the year gone?

As most of you know I had my surgery on the 25 October and had to have an extended stay in hospital, with even an unexpected stay in ICU for a couple of days. A bit of a scary time for Jo and my family and we really appreciated all the kind messages and well wishes, it really did help.

I am now home and slowly mending but this has really been a long slow journey and will take me a few months to be back to my normal self.

Reflecting on November

November started with our group touring Tasmania which started in late October but went over to November over the Melbourne Cup long weekend. This event is always something our members love to join, and we were sad not to be there. We used TourBoss with this group which was great for us at home to be able to watch were the group was and for Jo to help with booking lunches, know accurately what time the group would be there etc. TourBoss is a great addition to our club drives. You can see some fantastic photos in our photo gallery from the trip and also read about some of their stories from our members on our blog.

9 November saw a large group of members join us at Sandown Historics for a display and to watch all the action on track. This was a picture-perfect day weather wise and had a great turn out of cars to watch the Historic Racing. Always a great event and well attended.

Sadly, due to my ill health we had to cancel our hill climb planned for this month. Watch out next year though, we are hoping to add more hill climb events to the calendar. We are also looking at ways to combine with other clubs to lessen the risk to our club when running high-cost events, like track days, where we have to hire a venue to run events.

14 November was our AGM at the German Tivoli Club. This is one of those events which is a necessary evil, but we are proud of the attendance, and we had a packed house with over 50 members attending for dinner first then the meeting. We have a new committee which is the same as the previous committee, so I would like to thank and congratulate our hard-working committee for a fantastic year in 23/24 and we look forward to an even better 24/25. With all committees you have others working in the background to make this well-oiled ship sail so smoothly. Also, a very special thank you to all those that help run the club and events, whether on the elected committee or you volunteer to help us out. It is a testament to the club that we have so many willing to help, thank you.

23-24 November was Challenge Bathurst, with a great team supporting BMWDCM from 5 states in Australia. We are very proud to have been invited to this event again and to represent BMW as a group of members from all over Australia. We also have officials who have also travelled from all parts of the country to help run this event and these guys and girls I thank so much as this is what makes the event tick. The event was run under amazing weather conditions with all cars getting out there at some stage over the weekend. There were a few mechanical gremlins, but we are so lucky to have a great team up there who all rallied around to help each other get their cars on the track to all enjoy. There will be photos up in our gallery soon so watch this space.

23-24 November also saw some of our members displaying their beautiful cars at Motors and Masterpieces. This is a new event which has taken over from Motorclassica and we hope our members out there enjoy the event and we look forward to seeing lots of photos and hearing about the event. Jo did help the curators find some very special BMWs in the club and they were very appreciative of her help.

29 November was our first Twilight Drive for the season, this time to Sky-High, Mount Dandenong. A great turn out and again we used TourBoss for this event for safe easy navigation for all attending.

The month ahead

December is here and the big man in red will be some coming down your chimneys or through the back door. Take time out this month to think of those that don’t have anyone to spend time with. Pick up the phone or drop in and visit someone you may not have seen for a while. It can make such a difference to someone’s day if we just take the time to call or visit.

As we wrap up this brilliant year, we invite you all to join us at the end of year Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm on 8 December. Santa will be there, I am thinking around 11ish, so bring the kids and grandkids. Our friends and sponsors All Commercial/all Residential Real Estate will be cooking the breakfast BBQ again, with food donated by Bell Motorsport (us) as a thank you to all our members. All we ask is a gold coin donation for the egg and bacon roll and all money raised will go the Peter MaCallum Cancer Research and help us reach our $20K target for the Nationals in April 2025.

If you don’t want to put your car in the show and shine but want to display, there is an option for that too, or just park in the car park and join us all for some fun times. There will be some great raffle prizes too, so be sure to bring your cash for the raffle, again all proceeds going to our charity.

14 December is our Bell Motorsport end of year BBQ at the club rooms, 10-4ish and we would love to see you there for a sausage in bread and a chat over all things BMW and life. 213 Marine Parade, Hastings if you are attending, please email jo@bellmotorsport.com.au to let her know for catering.

Looking ahead

Some events to remember:

30 January / 3 February - will see us back up at Bathurst for the Bathurst 12 Hour. There is only 2-3 spots left in the suite so if you are wanting to join us, you will need to book and pay asap, as I know it will close soon. It is a fantastic event and great way to watch a world class Motorsport event.

24 April – 27 April - BMW Clubs Australia Nationals Hosted by BMW Drivers Club Melbourne be sure to book in for this as it is filling up quickly.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

There will be more events coming but our 2025 calendar is still being worked out so watch your emails for upcoming great events.

Thank you

I mentioned our AGM and our returning committee but there is more to the club than just us 4.

Let me thank some of those who make this club so great, and I know I will forget some, but I will try to remember everyone.

Jess Bell, who makes everything look so great on our website and edits and publishes our fantastic idrive each year. This is not all she does, but I know you know she is an integral part of making us look great and always complying with BMW CI. Thanks Jess.

Scott Long and Nella Santisi, they have taken over a lot of the social media posts which our Jo was doing amongst all the other things she does. This has been great to watch and see how younger minds do things. We are loving the regular updates and reminders they are putting up. Thanks guys.

Jenny Rose, who has been updating the photo gallery for some time now and this is current and fresh with some great photos from our past events for everyone to enjoy. Another job Jo used to do but it is great that Jo has managed to find helpers to share the load. Remember, if you have some great photos from an event, please share to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and Jen can get your photos up there and you never know Jess may use them in the next edition of idrive. Thanks Jen.

Cassie Carideo is a new edition to our team and has been helping Jess with the Newsletter. Cassie is the daughter of Angelo and Sam Carideo and volunteered in July to take on this role and we are loving the great work and issues which are coming out. Welcome Cassie to the team and we know she will be a great contributor to our club. Thanks Cassie.

Paul Holliday who has been responsible for some amazing photos along our journey and you can see how he has matured as a photographer and his skills are growing with each event we do. We really appreciate the time and effort Paul puts into making our club look great with the great photos he takes. Thanks Paul. (and Jo H for allowing him to do this)

Paul Kertes who does our Super Sprint Stats, these are worked out after each round and sent to Jess to publish for all to see. Paul devised a fair and correct formula to make it so that it is not a one-sided championship and allows all the chance to be a winner. Thanks Paul.

I will group this lot as this is where I will slip up and miss someone so I will thank you all in a group - our motorsport officials who work so hard to make our events so great and enjoyable for all our members. From COC to the guys in pit lane. Your jobs are all so important and we can’t thank you enough for all you do. We did take on a new roll in our motorsport team which is chief instructor being John Beck under the guidance of myself. Jo has designed and we have ordered new blue hi vis shirts for all our instructors, so when you are next at a come and try event, you will be able to easily pick out the instructors and head coaches by their colour. We thank all who give up their time to help our inexperienced drivers to gain knowledge on the track. This is a huge passion of both Jo and me, to grow our motorsport officials’ team and to also teach all our members to be safe and better drivers. Thank you team.

Of course, I will not finish without thanking Peter Williams who has been our club Secretary for over a year now and for all his hard work planning and leading our drive events. This is not a 5-minute job, even though Peter makes if feel this way. The time and effort put into these events is a testament to his dedication to the club and the enjoyment of all our members. Peter is also part of our welfare team and he has helped me through my recent journey and I am sure if you need a shoulder to cry on, he will be there with a kind and listening ear. Thank you, Peter.

Lawrence Glynn who, like the rest of us, wears many other hates in his roll now as Treasurer, CPS officer, membership officer, club displays, drives, web assistant, merchandise and much more. Lawrence has been with us since the inception of the club and his knowledge and expertise has been invaluable to making us what we are today. Thank you, Lawrence.

Jo Mawson also was with me when we started this great club and has worn pretty much every hat there can be in the club and has done it while battling ill health but never wavered. As Vice President she is my right and at times left hand too, helping Jess with sourcing articles for idrive, liaising with the sponsors, which has gained us some great sponsorship deals over the years, co-ordinating with Peter on drives and weekend trips and booking all the accommodation and meal venues, etc. Some of Jo's roles are, membership, CPS officer, events coordinator, sponsorship officer, merchandise designer and co-ordinator, senior motorsport official, welfare officer and MUCH more but I won’t go on. Thank you, Jo.

All the members who help out at events with set up and pack down, way too many to mention and again as I said previously, I would offend someone if I tried to name you all. You know who you are, and we thank you, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Next but by far not least are all our sponsors, who have been loyal to us for so many years and play such an important role in making us who we are. We thank you all and as members the way to thank them is to use their services. Please go to the back of your idrive or to Club Partners on our website and let them know you are a member of BMWDCM and you will be rewarded with some great discounts too.

Talking about Sponsors, if you have a business that you think might interest our members, contact Jo - v.president@bmwdcm.com.au as she is busy at the moment securing sponsors for 2025 and we would love to have you on board with us.

In other news

It was brought to my attention that some of our newer members are not aware that we were awarded the International Club of the Year in 2021. There is a great article about this which I am sure will make you all be so proud to be part of this fantastic club, which we will add to the website shortly.

Again, I have mentioned TourBoss in this report. This is a great new app we are using for all our drives from now on. This enables the driver, solo or with a navigator, to see the instructions on either their phone screens or car screens for clear safe and updated navigation. We will still be doing group driving, but for those who want to meander and get to the destination at their own pace, you can still use this app and get there safely. There are some really great options on the app, like calling the group or drive leader, SOS if you breakdown, plus more. We discover more and more each time we use it. It’s the way of the future and we have it on board to insure that our drives are safe and comfortable for all attending.

Membership is still growing weekly, and it staggers me how fast we have grown and how great our events are. I am truly honoured to be the President of such a fine club.

We have updated stock numbers in our online store for you to get some great Christmas gifts for your loved ones. If you are wanting something for Christmas, get your orders in early as Jo and I are not at the office full time at the moment, so please add to the “note” Christmas present, so Jo know it an urgent delivery.

Talking of Jo, she will be back in hospital on the 11 December to have some re work done on her right shoulder which was replaced in March 2023 but has not given her the relief they were all hoping for, so back in for a day or two to hopefully have her pain free again. Send her some kind wishes, and I am sure she will update you all on socials, on her progress, as she did with my stay in hospital.

Thank you all for your support through 2024 and enjoy the festive season but stay safe out there.

I look forward to getting back out to events soon and seeing you at one somewhere.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

From Petrol Panic to Paddock Passion: My Unexpected Journey into Motorsport

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 07:24:37 GMT

For anyone who's ever been dragged to a car race by a significant other and thought, "This isn't for me." Buckle up because I'm here to tell you it might surprise you!

Let's be honest, attending my first motorsport event was nerve-wracking. My partner, Martin, loved it, but for me, the noise, the speed, the whole "unknown" factor felt far from fun. I pictured crashes and chaos, but what I witnessed was a world of controlled adrenaline and a surprising focus on safety.

Seeing these incidents firsthand, rather than just imagining them, was a turning point. Witnessing the measures in place – the briefings, instructor presence, and organized track groups – calmed my nerves. It was clear this wasn't just a bunch of daredevils; it was a well-oiled machine focused on safe enjoyment.

This shift was a revelation. Instead of fretting on the sidelines, I wanted to be part of the action – part of the village that keeps these events running smoothly. So, I undertook Motorsport Australia’s online flagging course and volunteered at my first event; a come and try day with BMWDCM. As a motorsports novice this gave me a behind the scenes look at the considerable planning effort that went into these events. It was comforting to understand that the groupings for track sessions considered driver experience and car ability. Every consideration with safety first, which maximised track time and therefore the driving fun.

My first flagging the experience was exhilarating! Being closer to the action not only gave me a deeper appreciation for the sport's complexities, but also put my concerns for my partner's safety at ease. I was posted to a flagging point for half the day and then start/finish, with a different buddy to train me at each. They were fantastic in sharing their vast experience, their guidance rapidly building my confidence in key observations and standard radio-calls. The day literally raced by! When once I’d have thought being closer to the action would be scary and noisy, I found it engaging and fun. Needless to say, I’ve since flagged several events, refreshing my flagging knowledge before each event and finding each event offers something different to observe.

I have seen many cars spin off the track or miss the turn and mow the grass. All of them came with comfort of quick responses by the track team and drivers all ok. Cars bumping other cars, cars losing parts on the track, bonnets flying up, vehicles catching fire. All with faster responses than I’d encounter on any of my drives and all with safety gear and training in place. One race, I saw Martin "tap" a wall. My heart lurched, but thankfully, it was a minor incident. He emerged unharmed, and a strange sense of relief washed over me. This wasn't some reckless activity; it was a calculated risk with safety protocols in place.

My journey didn't stop there. Flagging, timing, secretary, track-day support and other BMWDCM club volunteering items like navigator on club drives, I’ve been part of it all in only a year!

I would always see our club Vice President, Jo, busy at events, especially at the driver sign-on. So, I offered to help there, I don’t think Jo could have said “yes” any faster. The next event I joined Jo and Sam in driver registration where they doubled-up with fast paced registering and guiding me as I learnt on the go. It was fascinating to see the array of preparedness by the drivers, from perfectly filled and ordered forms, to not knowing where to start. The one thing the drivers had in common was a keenness to get registered and back to their vehicles. Jo, Sam and I matched our attention to detail with pace and the three of us nailed it super efficiently. It was great fun with Jo and Sam, some banter in between jobs it was more a sociable event then an admin chore. It was also enjoyable to see the array of drivers, all ages and genders, from all walks of life, sharing the same passion for a fun weekend.

With the sign-on experience under my belt, I was able to give similar help at more club events; more sign-ons, logging, general gopher, traffic marshal. It was completely different to flagging, where I was close to the action all day, this area of the volunteering gave me interaction with so many people, drivers, crew and other officials and offered time to be able to watch a whole race – often from great vantage points! Sometimes it was just those first few hours that made all the difference and then I could spend time elsewhere. It was one of these occasions I discovered timing.

Timing was another online course I’d undertaken from Motorsport Australia, mostly out of curiosity when I was brushing up on my flagging. When Jo heard this, she sought an opportunity to introduce me to Darren from MUCC who was leading the timing at the event we were at and I was given the opportunity to observe and learn. Darren, like all my tutor buddies thus far was more than happy to share his knowledge. I learnt all about the timing system and how it had transformed from the days of multiple spotters to being an easy 2-person job. The timing system was written in the 80s, perfect for me having grown up in an IT family during that era. The old-fashioned display seemed familiar and I picked up the functionality pretty quickly, enough to be given a trial at helping the next day. Darren was a patient tutor, helping me remember little things and their rationale to keep the accuracy of the results streaming live to race control and you-tube.

Darren was also great at explaining anything cars and racing. Car models are still mostly a mystery to me, I couldn’t tell an E30 from a Range Rover and certainly not an Improved Production from a Toyota Corolla (my first car). I’ve always used “red hatch” or “black wagon” to describe cars and now I’m quite proud when I can identify cars that fly past the timing booth, even if it’s only a few of them. From our vantage point we could see most of the track and hear the control tower radio calls. I started piecing together my flagging role and how this fitted with those calls, with any gaps filled in by answers from Darren to all my novice questions. It’s safe to say he answered happily, as I was invited to help with timing on more weekends where my learning of both timing and motorsport continued.

One of my favourite times was the Motorkana day with BMWDCM. If you’d have seen me you’d have thought I was miserable; it was pouring rain and I was standing out in it in my wet weather gear. I was having a fantastic time! I had no idea what Motorkana was or what I’d be doing in volunteering but it was brilliant. Mini car obstacle courses set up, cars divided into groups to tackle one obstacle for a few tries and then two timed goes before moving onto the next. We had two volunteers at each course, we had to brief the drivers, fix the cones when they got knocked over, time them and keep it all moving. It was surprising how much fun it was and it was a bonus to see each driver improve each time they tackled the obstacles. The more one-to-one driver contact allowed some great banter and cheering on. There was also a lot of appreciation, which I’d had at flagging with waves and lights flashing, but up close to hear the thanks was extra nice and certainly outshone the dark clouds throughout the day.

Over time, familiar faces became friends, and I realized I wasn't just attending events as my partner's plus one. I had become a fixture in the motorsport community, an asset to the club, and someone who genuinely enjoyed being there. The opportunities to volunteer in different roles had not only given me different experiences, but different perspectives of motorsport and an appreciation of how all the volunteering fitted together in this well-oiled machine. I am Inspired by the camaraderie. The term ‘petrol-head’ is not one I can associate with anyone I’ve met through motorsport, people filled with warm welcomes and a genuine passion for all things automotive.

This journey has been about more than just cars and races. It's about embracing new experiences, discovering hidden passions, and finding a community that welcomes you with open arms, regardless of whether you can tell a BMW from a Subaru.

So, the next time you find yourself at a motorsport event, take a closer look. You might just discover a hidden world waiting to be explored, and a place where you, too, can belong.

Behind every car is a driver. Behind every good driver are volunteers: ambos, scrutineers, flaggies, timing, secretary, marshals, officials, spectators. Behind all the volunteers is a club with a structure, organisation and support.

Jennifer Rose #887

Historic Sandown 2024

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 08:27:45 GMT

Though on the other side of the pits and Armco barriers from our spectacular Championship Round 5/Come & Try day there some months ago, I can still think of no other place I would rather have been than at Sandown for what is without doubt a fabulous auto show on a gorgeously sunny, albeit slightly toasty, day.

Such a vast and diverse array of cars, old and new, it was a real testament to this humble passion of ours as well as being a great way to celebrate it and engage with other like-minded people.

The races themselves were pretty brilliant as well, if a wee bit dicey at times. In fact within a mere 10 or 15 minutes of parking up on the hillside, one of the drivers during the morning practice had spun off at turn 9 which was certainly a spectacle to behold and quite the welcome to our day there.

All in all though, I felt genuinely privileged to be a part of such an amazing event on Saturday, and I extend my immense gratitude to all of those involved in making this happen. I very much look forward to the next Historic Sandown this time in 2025.

Brayden Burnett # 1044

From Facebook

The car display season opend for us on Saturday at the Historics Sandown race meeting tun by the VHRR.

We had a very healthy turn out of 20 cars, a nice variety of ages and models generously brought along by a very friendly group of our members and a couple of potential members.

Lovely weather, some good racing, plenty of interactions and a great atmosphere made for a very enjoyable day out at very little cost.

It was worth it just to hear the F5000s thunder away from the rolling start! We even had some V8s in our group, including a non-BMW one we are only too happy to include.

Before you ask, the grass cutting was not done by our aero efficient front splitters - would have nice to have beena bit earlier and a bit tidier but we managed.

Thank you to our members who came along to make it such an enjoyable day.

An update from the President | October

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

October has come and gone and we now have daylight savings, which is great for getting out to enjoy our cars.

The month that was

On 8 October we met at Advanced Detail for a very comprehensive lesson on the best way to look after your BMW and other special vehicles. There were also some great products to purchase with full instructions from the staff on which to use for your daily and show needs. We have been offered discounts on detailing and products which will be shared soon on social media.

10-13 October was Bathurst 1000 where we had several of our members take the long trip to Bathurst to help run the event. Thank you to all the volunteers, without your support these great events do not happen.

Young member, Royce Lyne, scored a Toyota Gazoo Racing Scholarship drive in one of their amazing factory cars. This was the first time Royce had driven the car and also the first time at Bathurst, so a huge achievement for him and a very exciting time for him and all his family. We were all so proud of how he drove over the weekend and if you managed to watch you would have seen him out there doing us all so proud.

On 19 October we had a lunch meet then a nice drive through the Yarra Valley. We met at Elevations in Emerald for lunch, heading off after our drivers briefing using the TourBoss app for the first time as a full group. All who attended had the app, which was really handy. If you have not yet downloaded the app, please do, as this is the way of our future drives - safe, efficient and environmentally better, as there is no need for paper navigation instructions.

After a few stops along the way to stretch our legs and to check all were happy with the app, we were back on the road to have our final stop at Hardorf Chocolate Café in Montrose. This was a real gem with lots of different chocolates to purchase and great gift ideas. If you need something nice for your loved ones, it is worth a drive to get something special. Thanks again to Peter Williams for the drive and fantastic venue stops. This event was well attended with over 40 cars on the road with us.

25-27 October was the final round of E30 racing, with quite a few of our members in attendance. Jo managed to secure a new M3 touring for the course car and of course the Racer Industries Safety car was there on track as well. We had Scott Long as Clerk of the Course, which was a great achievement for him running his own race meeting, which we're very proud of. Scott had come in the last few years of mentoring by us and other heads of motorsport. There were a lot of our other members out there officiating, but I can't name them all. I can say that we're all very proud of our members who do consistently put in and volunteer at motorsport events.

Racing at the event went off without any hitches, with Royce Lyne taking out the championship which is just amazing. We are all so proud of him and what he has achieved at only 17.

On 29 October a group of intrepid members went off to Tasmania for a 10-day touring trip. They are still there, so watch our social media post for updates on their trip, it is looking like a great event again planned by both Peter and Jo who do an amazing job with all these social outings.

Sadly, Jo and I didn't get the opportunity to attend this trip as I had my operation on the 25 October and will be out of action for at least 6 weeks. For 3 weeks I'll be pretty much house bound with bed rest, but after that I'll gently returning to day-to-day life activities. Thank you to all who have sent messages of support while I have been in hospital. Things went a little sideways on Friday and for a long-time Jo did not know where I was and what was happening. A 24 hour stay in ICU and then up to the ward was not what we were expecting but the care I have been given has been amazing. Jo has been with me day and night only leaving to get freshened up, get clean clothes and back in she comes.

The month ahead

November is here and it is a little scary that we are nearly the end of the year. The big man in red will soon be visiting.

9 November is our car display at the Sandown Historics. There are still spots available if you want to attend.

10 November was our Hill Climb event but unfortunately, we had to cancel this due to me being in hospital and Jo having to care for me. Don’t stress we will try to get something booked in for early 2025.

14 November is our Annual General Meeting; this will be held at the Tivoli German Club and we welcome you all to attend and come early for some great German Food. If you are unable to attend, please send through a proxy vote to secretary@bmwdcm.com.au so the voting can be successful. Proxy forms should have been sent out but if you have lost yours contact Peter at secretary@bmwdcm.com.au and he will be happy to send you a form.

12 November has us up at Challenge Bathurst again with a great bunch of drivers and their crew. This is a 2-day event for us but the event runs from Thursday till Sunday so if you are available to officiate over some of the days, please let us know, so Jo can make the correct arrangements. It is great to see members joining us from most of the clubs in Australia, we have Melbourne of course, Victoria, Canberra, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australian members all attending. We love these interstate events, they bring all the BMW Clubs Australia members together and make a harmonious event. Jo and I are hoping to attend this but at this stage we are just doing day by day, it will all depend on my health and if I can get clearance from the medical team.

12 November also sees a few selected cars attending Motors and Masterpieces which is a re vamp of Motorclassica. This should be a really good event and even if your car is not on display be sure to pop out and check out all the wonderful vehicles on display.

We will finish the month on 29 November, our first twilight drive for spring. Peter is taking us for a drive up to Mount Dandenong to enjoy the sunset at the top of Sky-High Restaurant. We are not sure if the café will be open when you get there so if you are attending, grab something to eat before you head off from the roadhouse. We will be using TourBoss again for this event, so have this downloaded ready for a seamless drive experience.

Looking beyond November

Dates ahead to remember:

8 December - Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm
30 January - Bathurst 12 hour (nearly full)
24-27 April - BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

2025 Clubs Australia Nationals

We are very happy with the registrations that have come through so far for our 2025 Nationals. If you have yet to book, please get your registrations in as accommodation if filling quickly, so be sure to get your reservations done before the end of the year and also grab the early bird special pricing on events.

We have a few of our members, including me, who have been under the weather and our welfare team have been helping them behind the scenes which is fantastic, and I personally thank them for their support.

Other news

We have plenty of merchandise in our store which you can order at any time.

Nationals merchandise is on the nationals website, so have a look and get your orders in.

We are getting to that time of the year where Jess, our editor of idrive and all things wonderful, will be starting to put together our next edition of idrive. Jo sent out emails asking for articles and if you have any life experiences with your BMW, please share with us through an article to editor@bmwdcm.com.au.

Any great photos you take at events, please send to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and this will go up on our website and also may make it into the next edition of idrive.

Lawrence and Shaaron are now back for there trip to Europe, where they had a great visit with BMW Classic and also did some fantastic tours of their facilities. I am sure Lawrence will be doing an article for the next idrive for us all to read about. Be sure to let us know if you are planning a trip to Munich, with plenty of notice so we can put you in Contact with the correct people for you to get some behind the scenes experiences.

This will be all from me as I am not really writing this month’s presidents report, but my loving nurse Jo is typing while is dictate from my hospital bed.

Until I see you again, take care and thank you for the kind words to both Jo and I and my children as this has been a troubling few days/week for us all.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Yarra Valley Drive October 19

Sat, 19 Oct 2024 00:35:32 GMT

After the weather we endured the day before the planned BMWDCM run I was sceptical about the conditions we might encounter such as trees and debris on the roads we would be cruising on.

I was also really looking forward to the new navigation system “Tourboss” being used for the first by myself as well as the BMWDCM club. My wife Merilyn was away celebrating her daughters 50^th birthday along with her granddaughter, also in Olinda for the weekend.

This left Mac (my 6-month-old Staffie pup) and me to do the drive. Just for the record when the BMWDCM have a scenic drive day Merilyn looks forward to attending, however when it is a drive day, she rather stays home! Something I simply don’t understand, why wouldn’t a person jump at the chance to enjoy a day out with fellow drivers!

Arriving at the restaurant carpark, yes, it was a steep ascent, I heard a few “scrapes” as cars came in off the main road, fortunately no-one seemed to suffer any damage. Inside I caught up with some fellows I had met at previous meetings and ordered a bite to eat. I thought a pizza would be an easy meal, but when it came out it was HUGE! Four of us had ordered pizzas and we all just looked at each other when they were put on the table. Only one of the four was “sensible” and had ordered a pizza to share between two, BUT they had also ordered a serve of chips, just in case! Three ate most of their pizza and were planning to get “doggy boxes” but I didn’t like the thought of a “doggy box” rolling around in the car, so I ate the lot!

Once the debrief was over and we headed out in the two groups, the weather was looking good, the roads weren’t as bad as I thought we were going to have to address, there were a few areas where debris and erosion had washed over some areas, but in general it was a good run.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day, it is a credit to the BMWDCM the way your runs are put together, they cater for all needs. The “Tourboss” system looks like a great system so far, each vehicle can be tracked and identified during each staged section, I found that the “road speed” limit and the “speed” we travelled at a bonus, also the time lapse for each staged section beneficial.

I look forward to participating in many more events, at this stage my cars may be wearing the wrong badge, but if its any consolation, they are all from the same country! (We prefer BMWs but we are not fussy - Ed)

We do have a number of BMW’s in the family, my boys, one has a BMW 120 M and the other bought my 1985 BMW 735 E which has been in the family since 1990.

Thanks again for a well organised and most enjoyable event.

Marius Schreuders #1122

October meeting at ADVANCED DETAILING

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 03:04:18 GMT

I love cars, to everyone who knows me that is quite obvious. What I REALLY love is CLEAN cars. Often I will see a beautifully maintained car on the road and think the owners must truly love their cars, just like me. Their pride of ownership is on dlsplay for all the world to see.

It would be over 50 years since I first took it upon myself to be responsible to maintain my families two cars. My father's Falcon Wagon had a lot of square footage for a keen teenager to try and keep on top of, especially during the Locust plague of the early 1970’s, where it wasn't unusual for the whole front of the car to be covered with the remains of kamikaze Grasshoppers, and the only way to get it off was to to use plastic flywire folded many times to form a scouring pad. Thinking back now it turns my stomach to think about the scratching I would have caused to the paint finishes on the front, but it was only a company car and would soon be replaced with a new one anyway, as that happened religiously every 18 months. I also remember fondly my mum's beautiful Burgundy Wolseley 24/80, which I used to cut and polish annually without exception. I still recall quite clearly that when i had finished, the polish cloth had more “Burgundy” on it than the car itself.

Having fought to try and maintain cars for over half a century, I took advantage of the chance to learn more about general automotive cleaning and paint maintenance in the current times, and try and get some pointers from the experts.

Our BMWDCM October meeting at Advanced Detailing, Cheltenham was that perfect opportunity to learn of the new age products and some simple car washing and detailing tips.

The evening was extremely informative, in their new pristine premises. You truly could have "eaten your meal off the floor". We all watched attentively as club member and Advanced Detail cohort “Micheal" gave us tips as he worked on his own newly acquired E92 M3. Some of the tips may have been somewhat obvious to some of us, from soaping the entire car over first, to working from the top of the car downwards, remembering to constantly rinse the wash mitt, and so on. But, I was especially intrigued by the "two bucket wash method” something I have been yet to try, probably the main reason for not doing so is that i am to miserable to go and buy a second bucket.. Of course the idea of two buckets is a very sensible one, to keep the wash mitt free of dirt and grit from the car, and anyone who is fair dinkum about caring for their cars paintwork should use this simple but affective trick.

Watch the video here.

The thing that struck me most on the night was the fact that even brand-new cars also require the “Advanced Detail’ touch. Within the confines of their premises was a brand-new red M2. Only under the luminous bright lights did it become blatantly obvious that finishes on a recently delivered new car can often leave a lot to be desired - paint blemishes, fine scratches and poor presentation of external plastics may leave a bad taste in the mouth of it’s new (but no doubt very proud) owner. It was distressing to be told “most" new cars (regardless of the make) are presented to unsuspecting owners with "paint in somewhat similar condition to this”. Hardly what any new car buyer would expect, me thinks. But don’t despair, I had no doubt that the owner would have been delighted with the finish once the “wizards" have performed their magic on this red fire breathing 2 door beast.

It was also fascinating to learn more about the benefits of "ceramic coating”, and how this product provides an enviable shine that can last for many years, while also making it easier to keep cars clean on a regular basis. Products such as this seem to have come along way in the relatively short space of time, a far cry from all the cutting compounds and polishes that still adorn the shelves in my garage.

To the the guys at "Advanced Detail”, thanks for an informative and enjoyable evening. For me it was well worth coming along to watch, listen and learn. So there you have it, it seems you actually still can "teach and old dog new tricks".

Steve Garth #40

An update from the President | September

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 07:01:00 GMT

Dear members,

Spring is here and the weather is finally starting to turn good for our drive days and members meetings.

The month that was

8 September saw a few of our members attending the NSW Superfest. This looked like a fantastic event with lots of great cars and trade stands.

17 September was our monthly meeting with our long-standing sponsors Zagame Auto Body. For those who missed this event, it's a shame that you did. This facility is larger than the MCG under roof top and houses some really luxury cars.

21 September was a night with a twist. We attended the Black Rock House Paranormal Investigation tour for a very different night. We booked out both evening sessions, some experiencing signs of interaction with the spirits living in the house. Jo experienced the spirit 'Thomas' calling out to Jo several times and moving through her, which Jo said was an odd feeling. Peter P also had some communication, which was interesting. Apart form the spirits, the house is a beautiful historical building to go and visit when you are next in the area. Black Rock house do tours on the first Sunday of each month, if it's something you're interested in.

29 September was the Distinguished Gentleman’s Drive. This annual world-wide event is run in support of Movember, a charity set up to promote awareness into men’s mental health and health issues in general, particularly prostate cancer, something that impacts more men than you may realise. It is important to say - if you or any of your loved ones are impacted by cancer, take the time to talk about it. You never know where you might find support in those around you.

Looking ahead

October kicks off with a large group of our members attending and participating in the E30 round at Phillip Island. If you have nothing on 4-6 October, be sure to pop down and say hi to the guys and gals and cheer them all on. We will be there too supporting our members both DCM members and E30 members. If you can’t get down to the Island you can always watch the action on BlendLine TV.

On 8 October we will be visiting Advanced Detailing which is owned by one of our club members. This looks like it is going to be a great night with already a lot of members registering for this. Registrations are essential to allow for catering.

10-13 October is Bathurst 1000. Sadly this year Jo and I won’t be attending as I have pending surgery and need to stay healthy and prepare for that. But we do have a few members up there officiating and our own Royce Lyne securing a drive in the Gazoo Toyota 86 round. Make sure you tune in and cheer Royce on!

On 19 October we are off to the Yarra Valley – starting at lunch time for a change and ending in the afternoon at a chocolate shop. Don’t miss this drive, it is going to be fantastic. We are also now using a new app for our drive events and want everyone that comes on our drives to download 'Tourboss'. It is a great resource for the club drive events and will help everyone to stay on track and safe on our drives. Check it out at https://tourboss.app/.

25 October is the final round of E30 Racing for 2024 at Calder Park. We have organised something very special on the track from BMW. Be sure to come check it out you will not be disappointed!

29 Oct - 7 Nov sees our group of intrepid drivers off to Tassie. Again, Jo and I will miss this one as well as this is a week after my surgery, and I will be laid up for a few weeks recovering. I have looked over the trip booklet and it looks like a lot of great places will be visited. Jo won’t be there, but she will be co-ordinating everything from home with our new Tourboss App, which all will be using again and on all of our drives going forward.

'What is Tour Boss?' you may ask. It is an app developed for ease of driving, safety and sustainability for all. Single drivers will love this as there is no need for paper navigation notes - it will all be on the app. If you are attending any of our drives this will be an essential tool because without this app, you won't get your navigation instructions.

Each car is also visible on the app and you can see where all the cars are and know who is driving in front or behind you. For any further information give Jo a call on 0412661900 and she can talk you through.

Date to remembers and put in your diary.

9 November – Sandown Historic Car Display
14 November – BMW Drivers Club Melbourne AGM
21–24 November – Challenge Bathurst - Officials required
21 November – Motors and Masterpieces
23–24 November – Challenge Bathurst - Still a few spots left
8th December – Christmas Show and Shine – Cruden farm
30 January – 3 February – Bathurst 12 Hour - only a few spots left
24 – 27 April – BMW Clubs Australia Nationals – Hosted by BMW Drivers club Melbourne

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

2025 Clubs Australia Nationals

We have been busily working and plannign for the 2025 Nationals. You can check out the website at bmwclubnationals.com.au. All of the event details and booking info is there. We have had so many sponsors come on board so far. I’d like to thank all of them for their support of what will be a huge weekend of all things BMW.

If you’d like to help us run an event at the nationals, there are links to register as a helper or official. Smash Property Investing have come on board to help cover the official’s apparel for the nationals. Thank you to Smash Property Investing we very much appreciate your support.

We also welcome BMW Group Australia on board with the promise of lots of support for the nationals. We are very proud of our close association with BMW and look forward to seeing that association bloom at Melbourne BMW on the welcome night and across the weekend with special vehicles and personnel on hand to enjoy the weekend with us.

Nationals merchandise is available for pre-order on the nationals website, so if you are planning on joining us, or would just like to order some of the event merchandise it is all there for pre-order now. Jo and I have been wearing the jacket and shirts on some of our recent events and they are great. I love the jacket, it's wind/weatherproof and warm for those chilly Melbourne mornings we could get in April.

Thank you to the nationals team for all their hard work so far, its going to be a huge event, one to really remember.

Club Permit Renewals

We always ask that you be as organised as possible with your Club Permit renewals and don't leave them until the last minute. However over the next month or so, we do ask you to be a little patient. Please plan ahead and don’t leave getting a signature until the last minute.

Lawrence is away in Europe for another month yet and I will be flat on my back for quite a few weeks, so please allow for it and phone first to make an appointment if you want to come down, as we might not be readily available, especially late October into early November. Your best option is post it to us or email the online form and we will get it back to you as soon as we can.

Other news

As I mentioned above, Lawrence and Shaaron are on a wonderful trip in Europe and we wish them all the enjoyment possible. We will get some great updates from them once they get back with them visiting BMW in Munich in October.

Membership going up all the time, welcome to all the new and returning members, we hope you get everything you expect out of our club, and remember, it is your club too, so join in and don’t be afraid to let us know if you have any ideas or places you think we would like to go to. Always looking for new events to add to our calendar.

Our Welfare team are working away in background. Thank you to those members that donate a little extra with their membership to help us help other members in their time of need. We help each other where we can, so if you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Team if you need support or help in any way.

Anyone with an article about any of our events, please be sure to forward this to v.president@bmwdcm.com.au along with any high quality photos you may have. Send them separate, please do not include the photos in your article.

As for photos, if you have great photos from any of our events, please send to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and we will add them in our photo gallery.

Finally, some of you would have heard I am not well. I have prostate cancer. The next little while will be hard time for Jo and I and our family, so I would ask you all to respect our privacy and if we do not reply to emails or messages straight away, we will, please be patient. Thank you to all that have sent me messages or calls of support, it is heart-warming to know we have so many that care about us. From 24 October I will be off air for a few days whilst in hospital then will convalesce at home for a few weeks.

I will be back on deck, hopefully sooner rather than later, and with all Jo's care, we are still hoping to be at Challenge Bathurst to help run the team at the end of November.

Thanks for being with us and I hope to see you at an event somewhere soon.

Take Care out there.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Zagame Auto Body Westmeadows

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 09:11:52 GMT

This organisation has many testimonials that you can find on the web as to the standard of workmanship and service provided to many car owners but unsaid, until we witnessed it first hand, was the very generous spread provided and informative welcome that was followed by a guided tour of the facility. Many models of cars in various states of repair kept all of us fascinated and the range of activities taking place on any day.

What testimonials don’t cover is the amazing work done on converting a multi level building designed to print the Melbourne Age into an automotive repair facility. Without doubt the spaciousness, the excellent lighting and cleanliness with all relevant equipment at each station makes it a place for employees to do their best. No better automotive workplace place exists in Victoria.

High standards of knowledge are part of the workplace expectations of each employee given these magnificent facilities and the challenges that each car can bring to bear.

On leaving I felt privileged to have been shown the company and was secure in the knowledge that should I have an incident there is a place that can return my wheels to me after a first class repair.

Peter Kelly

From the club's Facebook post

Great night tonight at club sponsor Zagame Auto Body. Such a fantastic facility. Thank you to Gabi and Andre for welcoming us and showing us around this amazing facility. Sadly, not allowed to take too many pics of the amazing cars and the work they do here but well worth the visit for everyone that came.

Scenic Drive to Walhalla: My First BMW Drivers Club Experience

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:22:49 GMT

As the sun slowly rose, so did my excitement—it was the day of my first drive with the ‘BMW Drivers Club Melbourne’, and it held special significance for me and my wife. For any BMW enthusiast, the letter “M” is a symbol of the “Most Powerful Letter in the world,” and in my case, “M” also stood for Melbourne— a new beginning in a new city. Having recently moved to the city, I was eager to connect with fellow BMW enthusiasts and, most importantly, experience my new BMW M340i in its full glory. This was not only my introduction to the BMW community, but also a perfect way to explore Melbourne and the greater Victorian region.

The day began early at the Pancake Parlour in Fountain Gate, Narre Warren. Meeting at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast, I was eager to connect with fellow club members and share in the excitement of the day ahead. Being new to the area, I found this gathering a great way to break the ice—there’s nothing quite like bonding over a love for BMWs. As I sat down with my coffee and pancakes, surrounded by fellow BMW enthusiasts, I knew the day ahead was going to be exciting.

By 9:30 a.m., the convoy of BMWs was ready to leave, and the thrill of hearing those high-performance engines start was electric. I felt the excitement of being part of this convoy. The line of BMWs, polished and gleaming, wound its way out of the city, turning heads as we navigated through the early morning traffic. Our first stop, at Blue Rock Lake , gave me the chance to get to know my fellow drivers and take in the views of Blue Rock. With new acquaintances made and stories exchanged, we set off again, eager to continue our journey to Walhalla.

The drive to Walhalla was everything I had hoped for and more. The winding roads, lined with lush greenery and spectacular views, were a dream come true for any driving enthusiast. The thrill of navigating those twists and turns, with the BMW purring beneath me, was an unforgettable experience. The camaraderie within the convoy only heightened the enjoyment.

We arrived in Walhalla around midday, greeted by the charming historic buildings and serene atmosphere. Our first adventure after grabbing some much needed lunch was a ride on the Walhalla Goldfields Railway, which took us on a scenic journey through the narrow canyon. Surrounded by dense bushland, the train journey offered incredible views of the valley, taking us back in time to the town’s goldmining days. Following the train ride, some of us opted for the underground mine tour, to explore the narrow tunnels and stories of miners long past. For those not on the mine tour, a leisurely walk along the old tramway provided great views over the town and its surrounding landscapes. Many took the opportunity to visit the local cafés, explore the historic buildings, or take a short bushwalk through the area. There was no shortage of things to do in Walhalla, and the charm of the town made it easy to lose track of time.

As the afternoon wore on, we started our journey back to Melbourne. The return journey was relaxed, with a sense of contentment. The day had been filled with history, beautiful scenery, and a real sense of adventure. Looking back, my first BMW Drivers Club experience exceeded all expectations. From the early morning breakfast to the historic train ride, every part of the day was memorable. The drive, of course, was the highlight—there’s something truly special about being part of a convoy of BMWs cruising through some of Victoria’s most scenic roads.

I can’t wait for the next club event, and for those who haven’t joined a drive yet, I highly recommend you do! After all, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of hitting the open road with "The Most Powerful Letter in the World" behind you.

See you on the next adventure!

- Venkat Nuthakki #1225

An update from the President | August

Sat, 31 Aug 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Spring is nearly here, and we have had some amazing sunny and warm days. Soon we will be looking forward to the return of our twilight drives, which I can’t wait for! I just don’t know where the weeks and months go, being such a busy club has a lot to do with that, I guess. There always seems to be something on to join in with all our friends and enjoy the Club’s activities.

The month that was

On 6 August we started with our joint members meeting at new Club Sponsors, Doncaster BMW, which was a huge success. We invited our friends from BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria to join us there too and we had a great turn out. It was so nice of Phill, Lydia and all the staff, to stay behind and put on such an amazing night. If you are in the area, be sure to pop in and say hi and let them know you are a BMW Drivers Club Melbourne member. They will be sure to look after you.

On 11 August we were at Sandown for Round 5 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. The weather was brilliant and not long after the gates opened all the cars flooded in and we had an at capacity event. Thank you again to all the helpers on the day and VFT for their flag marshals and officials who do a brilliant job. We had some very experienced drivers there with their sons too - welcoming Steve Richards, Clay Richards, John Blanchard and Harrison Blanchard. It was great to see the interaction between these well know drivers and their up-and-coming sons on the day. We also have a lot of our members who are parent and child teams, and this is a great thing to see at these events. We really like to see the next generation of drivers coming to our events and continuing their family traditions.

We also had our Racer Industries parade laps at Sandown, which attracted a large group and there were only smiles on the faces of all who participated in this event. Thank you to our sponsor, Racer Industries, for the loan of the course car, this always looks great on the day and attracts a lot of attention. If you need anything for the track, be sure to mention you are a member to obtain your club discount at Racer Industries.

23-25 August was Round 3 of E30 Racing Championship at Sandown. Again, we saw a great turn out of cars and members both participating and supporting the category. Thank you to all the members who joined us all over the weekend to cheer on the teams. BMW Drivers Club Melbourne are sponsoring the Driver of the Round this year for E30 Racing. The winners so far this year are:

Round 1 at Winton: Benjamin Munro
Round 2 at Phillip Island: Martin Taylor.
Round 3 at Sandown: You'll have to wait and see when we get to round 4 at Phillip Island on 4-6 October!

If you are thinking of heading down to Phillip Island to watch and would like to stay for the weekend, be sure to call Walter and his crew at Kaloha Resort, Cowes to get a great deal. Be sure to mention you are a BMWDCM member.

On 25 August some of our members headed up to Broadford for Round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. Our members love this track, and it was great to see them out there having such a great time.

26 August was a special Zoom link to meet and learn from one of BMW's Visionaries. Wow what a brilliant night. It was so great to see so many of our members log in and enjoy Sydney born Dr Stella Clarke, talk us through so much. What an amazing woman.

On 31 August we all met to start the day at the Pancake Parlour in Fountain Gate for a hearty breakfast, before enjoying one of Peter Williams’ fantastic drives through the countryside to Wahalla. Some of us joined the train ride which went for just on an hour, while others did the tour of the Mining tunnels. This is a beautiful old town, almost standing still from the effects from time. A real little gem and some of the roads to get there are awesome for our cars and drivers to enjoy.

Next months events.

On 8 September we have been invited to join our friends from BMW Drivers Club NSW at the NSW SuperFest. This is looking like a fantastic event with quite a few of our members already registered. Registrations are still open, so it is not too late to enjoy the fun of the Sydney Motorsport Complex.

On 17 September we join our long-standing sponsors for our September members meeting at Zagame Auto Body. This is a fabulous state of the art facility, and we will get a private guided tour throughout their workshops and display areas. Registration for this event is essential as you will need to put your car registration number on your booking form to be able to gain access to the venue. Don’t miss out this should be a brilliant night.

On 21 September we have our Black Rock Paranormal Investigation evening, which is nearly sold out. As I am typing this there is only 2 spots left for the 8.30 group. Lots of fun will be had on the night with two groups going through this beautiful historic building to enjoy the history of what is know as the second most haunted building in Melbourne with the old Goal being the first.

Date to remembers and put in your diary.

29 October - 7 November Tasmania Driving Tour. This is going to be a fun filled event with some great driving roads but also some time for you to explore the wonders of the Apple Isle. Registrations close on 7 September, so don’t miss out as once the ferry is full, you wont be able to register.
9 November - Sandown Historics Car Display.
14 November - BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Annual General Meeting – German Tivoli Club.
21-24 November - Challenge Bathurst (Officials needed).
21 November - Motors and Masterpieces.
23-24 November - Challenge Bathurst Regularity – 16 spots left.
8 December – Christmas Show and Shine – Family Fun Picnic.
30 January 30 – 3 February – Bathurst 12 Hour - only 4 spots left.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

2025 Clubs Australia Nationals

On 24-27 April 2025 we are hosting the 2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. The website is now live for you to register at www.bmwclubnationals.com.au.

Be sure to get your bookings in soon at WestWaters, Caroline Springs as rooms are selling fast. This is going to be a fantastic event with so much for all to enjoy and take part in. If you haven’t been to a Nationals event before, this is one you need to get to and see what the Nationals is all about.

We will be needing helpers and officials throughout the Nationals, as well as in the lead up to it, so please register your interest with Simon via officials@bmwdcm.com.au and let him know what rolls and days you will be available to volunteer or help out.

Other news

It is simply amazing to see the membership still growing, currently over 820, and even with the current economic climate, members are still staying so loyal to our Club, this makes me so proud. Welcome to all the new members, I look forward to seeing you out an about at an event real soon, I hope you enjoy what the Club has to offer, and you grow to love it as we do.

Don’t forget that if you are interacting with any of our sponsors or supporters, let them know you are a member of the Club, and that their support is very much appreciated. Also keep an eye on the Club partners page, so you can make the most of your membership and give back those who support our Club. We truly appreciate the support we have from our Sponsors, and we try and give them value for their support, so please do use them for any of the products or services they provide.

We are also trialling an exciting new app for our drives at the moment, once we have finished evaluating it and we take it up, it will take our drives to another level. Very excited to be at the forefront of using technology to make our events better, easier and safer for all involved. Watch this space. It will be a huge benefit to all that come on our drives.

Our welfare team is working away in the background, helping out where needed. Remember we are here for you if you need a friend, a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. We are very proud of our Team and the support they have, and continue to, give. Thank you to the Team. If you need anything, please reach out.

Lawrence and Shaaron have now headed off on a well-earned vacation for the next few months, so if you have any club permit renewals be sure to email them to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au or post them to 4/244 Marine Parade, Hastings VIC 3915 with a stamped, self-addressed envelope and we will process them and get them back to you as soon as we can. Do not post them to Lawrence’s address, as he won’t see them for some months!

I am not normally one to talk about myself, but some of you may have already heard that I am facing some health challenges at the moment. This may impact Jo and my ability to get to some of the club events over the coming months, but hopefully everything will be sorted out and we’ll be back at as many events as we are normally at in good time. Thank you for all the kind words and calls I have already received, the love and support you all offer is much appreciated and makes the journey much easier. Thank you all.

Take care out there and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

An update from the President | July

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

As I am sitting here writing this, ready for the end of month newsletter, I have received an email advising us of the passing of the immediate past President of the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria, Bob Leggatt, over the weekend. It's such a shock to hear. Bob was a lovely man, and as President had helped us to bring the Car and Bike Clubs together at some of our events.

Our very next event, in fact, is a joint event with the Bike Club at Doncaster BMW. Bob stood down as President at their AGM last month, after three years in the roll. It's very sad news and Bob will be missed by all who knew him. I have passed on our sincerest condolences, both personally and from our Club.

It is a reminder again, to hug those you love a little tighter and cherish the moments you spend together with family and friends. You never know what the future will bring.

The month that was

With July done we are not only a month into the second half of the year but also halfway through winter, so the days are becoming longer again and a little warmer, when the sun is out. It has been a cold and wet winter so far, but this has not stopped us and our members enjoying our cars.

We started the month on 6 July with Round 4 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. It was lots of fun and an unusually sunny day, for Phillip Island in winter! It was a great day out, as always and it was great to get out and check out the new surface after the track was shut for resurfacing works through May and June.

On 9 July BMW Group Australia invited Jo and I to the launch of the new M5 at their Mulgrave headquarters. It was a lovely evening and great to get up close and personal with the new M5 before it was released to the public. An amazing car, of course, 730hp, 1000nm of torque from its hybrid petrol/electric power plant through all four wheels, it’s just a pity we live in a nanny country where you can’t drive it like it should be driven. It will be great to see one on a track next year. Read more about it here.

On 14 July we attended Karting Madness at Braybrook with a large group, who enjoyed some fun inside and out of the cold with some great lap times and a lot of fun by all that came. Read Lawrence’s write up here.

On 20 July we had a weekend away with a great bunch of members for our Christmas in July at Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill. If you have never been, this is something young and old can enjoy. It is really spectacular. The weather even played along - although it was rather chilly, the light rain stopped in time for the light show. After the show we had dinner at the Robin Hood Hotel in Ballarat. We ran a raffle with some nice prizes, raising $275 for Peter McCallum Cancer Centre. Sunday then saw us explore the area before meeting up for lunch at the Lake View Hotel for a delicious lunch before heading off in our various directions home.

On 30 July we had our regular Drop in Donuts. This is always a greatly attended casual event with members joining together to just catch up for a chat about all things cars and donuts of course!

Looking ahead

August starts with a joint meeting at our newest BMW dealership partner, Doncaster BMW. On 6 August, BMW Drivers Club Melbourne and BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria will be doing a joint event at Doncaster BMW. This is a spectacular dealership which hosts BMW, Mini and Motorrad. Join us for a tour and to find out what great offers they will be sharing with all our members.

11 August is Round 5 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. This is a joint sprint and Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try Day, plus we will also be doing the Racer Industries Parade Laps again as this went down so well in March. Come and join us, whether you want to just do some gentle parade laps or go flat out against the clock. We will also have some of our E30 racing members on hand to take people for rides or chat about the series that will be racing at Sandown two weeks later.

23- 25 August is E30 Racing Round 3 at Sandown. Come out and support our members that run in this fun series at the Vic State Racing Championships. It’s a great opportunity to see a real race meeting up close and be a part of the action in the pits.

25 August is also Round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Broadford with AROCA. There will be a few members up there having a blast around the Broadford circuit too, so it will be a busy weekend.

31 August is our next family day out, this time a breakfast and drive to Walhalla, starting at the Pancake Parlour at Narre Warren. There are some awesome roads into Walhalla and then a narrow-gauge train ride and everything the old historic town has to offer. Always a great day out and it’s been a few years since last we visited.

Looking beyond August

Registrations for our next Tassie Trip – “the northern half” close on 7 September. If you want to come and have a blast around northern Tassie, get your registrations in ASAP. The last time we went to Tassie we had a ball and this one will be as much fun again. We already have quite a few booked in to come with us, so it will be another awesome week away.

Challenge Bathurst registrations opens to the public on 1 August, so if you want to attend, get your entry in now. There are a lot on the public Challenge Bathurst wait list, but we can get you in if you contact us today.

Officials are also needed too - you get free camping, 3 meals daily and a uniform. There are also hot laps on the Sunday after the event, weather permitted for first timers. It is a great event to attend as an official and a fantastic way to be a part of motorsport at this amazing circuit.

Our Bathurst 12 Hour private suite in February is nearly sold out. There is only one queen room left at the accommodation venue in town and only a few spots left in the suite. Again, this is an amazing event to be a part of and to do it in style in the corporate suite with all your food and drinks included is definitely the way to go.

Over the ANZAC Day long weekend in 2025 we are running the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. This is a must do event, so get it in your calendar and join us for a long weekend of events with BMW Club members from all over Australia. We are nearly ready to launch the booking site for registrations to each event over the weekend.

We will be needing lots of volunteers to help run the Nationals as well as sponsors to come on board and help us make this a fantastic event to showcase our club and Melbourne to everyone coming to join us.

Thank you to Melbourne BMW, Shannon's Insurance, Southern BM, Sonax Australia, Bell Motorsport, Sirene Sea Pearls, and Grip Auto Watches for coming on board so far. Your help and support is very welcome and will help us to make the Nationals an event to remember.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

In other news

The welfare team is still working away in the background, supporting those of us that need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. We are a family and are more than happy to lend a hand in any way we can, just reach out if you need anything.

Membership is still going strong. We welcome all the new members that have joined us this month and hope you enjoy your membership experience. The Club is yours, so join in and feel free to offer any suggestions you may have. We are always looking for ideas for events and helpers to run them, so drop us a line if you have an idea or want to put your hand up to help. We run a wide range of events, from casual catch ups to full on racing, so anything you want to do in the world of BMW you will find here. Please enjoy your time in the club.

Thank you for joining us and being a part of our BMW family, I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

BMW at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 03:47:19 GMT

The Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024, a storied event in the English county of West Sussex featuring a timed 1.86 km hill climb up the stately home’s drive, was ideal occasion for the world premiere of the new BMW M5 high-performance sedan in its seventh generation. It made its first public appearance as part of a spectacular line-up of vehicles that also includes the BMW M Hybrid V8 prototype endurance racer, the new BMW M4 CS and an array of classic machines from the motor sport history of BMW and BMW Motorrad.

In honour of designer Marcello Gandini, who passed away in spring this year, BMW Group Classic will also be presenting the BMW Garmisch. This coupé is a rebuild of a concept car that Gandini had designed for coachbuilder Bertone but that then vanished without trace following its premiere at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show.

Also produced in just a single example so far, the BMW Concept Skytop has an exclusive blend of aesthetic appeal and dynamic potency. This design study is making only its second ever public appearance, following on from its world premiere at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. An open-top two-seater, the BMW Concept Skytop symbolises the joy of luxury travel. With design details recalling classic models like the BMW Z8 and BMW 503 and a super-powerful V8 from BMW’s current engine line-up, it bridges the past and the present in hallmark Festival of Speed style.

Read the full article here

7th Generation M5 launched with hybrid power

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 02:18:10 GMT

The BMW M5 is powering into a new era. With 40 years of history under its belt, the legendary high-performance sedan is entering its seventh model generation. And the executive model from BMW M GmbH now has an electrified drive system for the first time. A model-specific version of the M HYBRID system gives the new BMW M5 maximum output of 535 kW/727 hp and peak system torque of 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft). The combination of a high-revving V8 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and an electric motor, plus power transfer courtesy of an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and M xDrive all-wheel drive, enables acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 seconds.

Read the full article here

Karting Madness July 14

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 00:08:38 GMT

Moving up in size from last month's slot cars 21 of us had so much fun racing go karts at Karting Madness Braybrook.

It was great to see a wide range of ages, inluding one Junior who was able to join a Junior only session (so no "motivated" adults blasting past) in between the adult sessions.

The format was two qualifying sessions and then two race sessions. We were split fairly randomly into the two qaulifying groups. Based on overall times for our complete group we were split into the two race sessions - one for the faster drivers and the other for the not so fast.

With a grid start for each race and plenty of chances to overtake, and even more to get it wrong! there were some tense tussles and a lot of big grins.

I was surprised to find myself P4 in the quicker race and even more surprised to make a blinder off the grid into P2 at turn one and going into turn two. Stupidly I went too defensive and tried a touch too hard resulting in a spin, causing chaos behind me for which I can only aplogise, and placed last by quite a margin coming out of turn two.

Ah, the thrill of the chase! Overtaking is very satisfying and I was able to claw my way back to P4 at the end.

Everyone had a tale to tell, a lot to laugh about and had a great time.

Outlaw Slot Cars

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:55:20 GMT

Back in the ‘60s my friends and I spent a lot of time and money on slot cars, a relatively new product at that time.

We started with out-of-the-box Airfix and Scalextric cars before enhancing their performance by re-winding the motors for extra power.

We finished up with a chassis made from bonze tube built to a design published in magazines, “naked” motors wound by us by hand with the go-to wire size and supplier, the best-of-the-lot front axle assembly and one of two rear axle/gear set assemblies, topped off with a clear vacuum formed “blob” body which looked pretty close to the real car and painted on the inside for a nice shiny finish. A bit like a modern supercar build really.

We had a big Scalextric track at school on a large board on pullies, lowered to rest on top of the bench vices in the metalwork room at lunchtime and hoisted up out of the way for lessons.

We also had a home made track in a friend’s roof space using hardboard (masonite here) with slots cut by a router and aluminium tape for the conductors. This featured hills and dips and various bend radii and a tricky part situated rather too close to the narrow angle between rafters and roof tiles to enable speedy recovery if a car went off!

Another bright design idea which didn’t work was a wet race simulation. The combination of water and electricity blew the lighting circuit we were plugged into.

Things have moved on since then, in particular the robustness of the cars.

Outlaw Slot Cars offer a great track design and fast cars which are very durable.

The basics remain the same and one of the key features is having enough marshals to put the cars back on the track after the inevitable off.

We used their 8 slot track with a nifty system to ensure that all competitors race on all slots so as to even things up.

Each track is colour coded and you are allocated a start colour, a car and sheet of 8 coloured stickers. Simply put the correct sticker on your car and put it in the correct slot, find the control matching your colour and off you go.

Every 3 minutes the competitors, and their car, change slots (and car stickers) with a rotation system which sees some as marshals and some as competitors but all getting 8 sessions on the track.

In case you are wondering about the stickers, they are so the marshal knows which slot to put your car back into to!

The challenge is to cover as many laps as you can in your 8 sessions, which means going as fast as you dare without falling off too often – as in real racing really but the consequences of an off are far less!

The timing screens are a bit too small to easily see from the competitors position but they cleverly show not only how many laps you have already done but predict how many you will have completed after all 8 sessions. So, even as the number of sessions per competitor changes during the competition you have a target to chase.

It was a lot of light hearted fun as the relative positions jockeyed back and forwards and some people persistently went off at the same place every lap, usually at high speed.

In the end Alex (assisted by his 5 year old daughter despite her having some difficult seeing all of the track) covered the most laps (108, fastest 10.552), Andrew had the fastest lap (8.145 seconds but only 89 laps covered), and Megan had the best balance of those two (8.286 seconds and 100 laps). So not quite tortoise and hare.

An update from the President | June

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

With the June report we are halfway through the year already! Where does the time go?

With events on nearly every week there is always lots to do and keep engaged with other members.

The month that was

This last month we had lots to keep everyone busy, stating with our Outlaw Slot Car Evening on 4 June. This was a car event of a different kind and by all accounts it was a great time had by all.

On 9 June we had Mornington Peninsula Drive Kings Birthday weekend. Our annual Kings Birthday Drive started with a very interesting visit to Peninsula Honey, where we had morning tea and learned all about bees and honey and I’m sure everyone stocked up on the delicious different varieties of honey on hand, I know we did! Then another of Peter’s wonderful drives all around the Peninsula, taking in the winter views to finish up at the Pig and Whistle Tavern at Main Ridge. Always great food and with so many of us on the drive we had the Theatre Room all to ourselves. Some of the kids on the drive put on an impromptu magic show too, which was a great bit of fun. It was a great day out and we couldn’t have asked for a better winter’s day for it.

15 June was Round 3 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship and Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try Day at Calder Park with Racer Industries Parade laps. What a day. There was a bit of fog on the way to the track, but it turned into one of those glorious sunny Melbourne days we love. Perfect for our first Calder Sprint and with a Come and Try group and the Racer Industries Parade laps as well, it was a great day out for everyone. Those that wanted to go fast and be timed had a ball in the sprint groups and passengers could go for a ride in the Come and Try or parade laps, a great way to experience all the different ways to get into doing Club Track Days. The Race Industries Pace Car laps are proving very popular and will continue at every event we run. It was a perfect practice for April next year when we hold the BMW Clubs Nationals and run the Track portion of the weekend at Calder Park. Thanks to all the officials that came and helped us run the day, is was fantastic to see so many giving of their time to support us. Very much appreciated.

On 23 June we had a drive and visit to Trafalgar Holden Museum. An interesting drive again, thanks Peter, looping from Croydon to Trafalgar via some fun and twisty roads through the hills, perfect to start the day and have everyone arrive to a BBQ lunch supplied by the club and cooked up by yours truly with the assistance of Adrian White and the girls in the kitchen buttering rolls and bread for sausages. The Holden Museum has grown a lot since last we visited, and it is a fantastic display of our motoring and lifestyle heritage. We might be a BMW Club, but we are Australian and there is nothing more Australian that the history of Holden. So sad to see the company and name disappear, especially for me, as I worked for Holden as a test driver up until the day they announced they were closing down. But great that we can go there and see the displays of all the things Holden have done, from saddles to boats, guns to cars. If you missed the day, drop in and check it out.

On 27 June we held our regular Drop in Donuts evening for the Geelong area. Ever popular and a great way to spend an evening looking at cars, eating donuts and chatting to friends about anything.

28-30^th June was E30 Racing Round 2 at Phillip Island. It was a cold winters weekend at Phillip Island for the second round of the E30 Racing Championship. Friday wasn’t too bad, a little damp, but a chance for drivers to get used to the new surface. Saturday was wet for Qualifying and with a big crash in the event before them in the latter part of the day their Saturday race was postponed till Sunday morning. Sunday was then a long day, being first event then two more races through the day and finishing last on the card, but with little rain on Sunday it actually dried up for the last race at least. Was a great weekend’s racing, but with a couple of off-track excursions in the wet, resulting in one of the long time drivers, and DCM member, Brian, shortening his E30 by a couple of feet, sadly. Other DCM members did very well, Martin and Zac, both new to racing E30s scored podiums in the races and for the round as well, even though Martin had a bit of an off during qualifying too, but we managed to fix him up and get him back out for the races. Young gun Royce was shining again, just amazing to watch him on track, a real star of the future. Other members Shannon, Andrew, Peter and Tristan had solid weekends in the trying conditions. Very well done to all of you. Also, great watching other DCM Members like Anton racing in other categories at the meeting too, always something to see and someone to cheer on. Great having all the E30 crew garaged together, the camaraderie and fun that goes on between races is awesome to see and a testament to the group and why we support E30 Racing as the next step up from doing Club Sprints. More than half the E30 members are also DCM members and come to our track days to help and instruct, so if you want to go the next step up from Club Sprints have a chat to any of them and they will be glad to help. Thank you also to the DCM members that give of their time to officiate at the State Race Meetings, it is awesome to see our members’ friendly faces helping to run the meetings. Also great having people drop in and see us in the pits, you are always welcome to come and have a chat and join us at these race meetings and see what goes on.

It was, again a busy month indeed.

Looking ahead

Coming up in July we have lots to keep you busy:

6 July - Round 4 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, back at Phillip Island again. I'm hoping it will be a bit drier than last Saturday, but will be a fun day, regardless.
14 July - Karting Madness at Braybrook. Another different type of Motorsport event, always fun!
20 July - Christmas in July featuring Winter Wonderlights at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. A very popular event and one not to miss.
6 August - Doncaster BMW members meeting with BMW Motorrad Club. Check out the latest dealership to come on board and support the club. We have some very interesting presentations planned for this night, so register to come and join us.
11 August - Round 5 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown, also incorporating a Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try/ Driver Training group and the ever popular Racer Industries Parade Laps.
29 October – 6 November - Tassie Trip V2 – the Northern Half. Get in for this week away, will be awesome to tour around the top half of the Apple Isle with a fantastic bunch of people.
14 November - Our Annual General Meeting. We welcome you to volunteer for a committee role if you would like to help us the best BMW Club in the World.
21 – 24 November - Challenge Bathurst. An absolute must for anyone that wants to drive one of the best tracks in the world. It is amazing! And one of the very few ways to drive the track at speed.

Officials are also needed! If you want to get involved but can’t afford to drive it, then the next best thing is to officiate! It is a fantastic way to get involved at the best track in the country.
30 January – 3 February - Bathurst 12 Hour in the BMWDCM Corporate Suite. Without a doubt, the best way to take in the best GT race in the country. Come and see BMWs battle the rest of the world in comfort with a great bunch of people.

Check out the calendar for our full list of events and to register for those listed above.

BMW Clubs Australia Nationals 2025

Over the ANZAC Day long weekend in 2025 we are hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. Come and join us for one of the biggest BMW events in the country and see amazing cars and club members form all over come together for this bi-annual event that only comes to Victoria every 6-8 years. We need volunteers to help us run the event as well as People to come as attendees. See www.bmwclubnationals.com.au for all the information about this fantastic event and put it in your diary now!

There are sponsorship opportunities available for the Nationals too, so if you have a business or a company you would like to showcase in front of a National gathering get in touch with Jo via info@bmwclubnationals.com.au we would love your support for this event, so come on board!

We are supporting Peter MacCallum Cancer Research with the Nationals, as our preferred Charity. There is a link on the event website to donate if you’d like to too.

Other news

Membership continues to increase, even with the downturn in the economy, it is great to see so may still supporting the club or indeed joining us. Thank you for staying with us and welcome to those new members that have joined us this month. The club is yours, so make the most of what we offer and if there is something you think we should add get in touch and we will see what we can do. Always open to suggestions and offers of help to keep this the Best BMW Club in the World.

We have an extensive range of BMWDCM merchandise available, so go to our web store and see what is in stock. The long sleeve cotton tops are back in stock, we couldn’t believe how popular they are but we have new stock in now.

We are always looking for people to help with the running of the club, we have positions available if you have some time and skills. Someone to help with background web, internet, social media would be great. If you have some time get in touch please.

There have been some issues with the Club Permit Scheme and online renewals. This is the preferred method of renewing your permit but VicRoads have had some changes and issues. We are working through it with them and hopefully it is being resolved now. If you have any questions, refer to the Club Permit section of the web site or email us via cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au.

The welfare team are working in background helping members, as usual. A very important part of our Club network and they are there for you anytime you need help. Whether it be an ear to listen to a problem or you need someone to have a coffee with, we are there for you to help. Just reach out if you need anything at all. We are a big family, and we are there to look after everyone when you need it.

I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Calder Park – Come and Try Day

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:36:32 GMT

Event date: 15 June 2024

The day started for me at 7 am in the light fog – was there going to be any racing?? BMW cars appeared and I was marshalling at the intersection between the Thunderdome and the pits. A pile of cars in various states entered left to the Thunderdome and the good-looking tidy cars (mostly BMW’s) turned right to the pits. An interesting selection of cars and really appreciative people made the job exciting and interesting. BMW cars were joined by a couple of beautiful Porsches, Mazda MX5 and even a Subaru. The steady flow continued to around 8 am.

Briefing for the Flag Marshalls took place outside the office – what a great professional group that look after all the racers.

The main briefing started at 8:15 with all the information given to all the officials. A drivers’ briefing followed that.

Jo had a great team helping with the registrations of competitors and officials.

If you stand back, you can see the hours of work that goes on behind the scenes by Jo and Graeme (and others) to ensure that everything is well prepared for a successful event that is extremely well organised and just flows! How lucky is the BMWDC to have these people!

My next job was to direct the cars down pit lane to the starting marshals waiting for them to organise them on to the Calder track. But before they even got to me a group of scrutineers has checked that every vehicle is safe for track use as is the driver!

The cars enter the track and another group looks after them – timers, flags, race control, safety car, recovery, medics – all amongst the people behind the scenes ensuring the event flows along without you realising it. What a great job these people do – thanks to them.

As the cars leave the track, I try to make sure that they can head back to the pits without being hindered.

This happens for each group of racers and each time they go on and off the track.

At lunch time there is a special chance for us mere mortals to have a parade lap which was actually laps to have a drive around the circuit. Graeme leads this after a briefing so we all know what to do = no passing and enjoy yourself. I enjoyed my drive and really appreciated being able to sample the track – thanks for organising this.

Back to the sprints – the cars came and went till around 4:30 pm.

The pack up was next. Graeme and Jo are still there as many leave, making sure that all the required items are completed, all the equipment packed up and taken home. Helpers are there as well and are excused to go home.

The day is over. It was cold at times but I appreciated the sun that appeared at times. The day was so interesting that you didn’t notice the weather.

My final thoughts – come and have a go at these days. The come and try driving is an excellent way to sample motor sport and the parade laps a great way to see what it is like to drive on a track. Being an official is interesting and flag marshalling is a great way to be up close the racing. BMWDC is a great club and the members make the day very enjoyable even if you turn up in a Mercedes. Thanks to the organisers for a great day – I will be back again!

Chris Houghton-Allen | Member #770
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

The new BMW M2

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:49:25 GMT

Setting out its stall as a textbook purveyor of driving pleasure for the purist, the new BMW M2 (fuel consumption, combined: 9.8 – 9.6 l/ 100 km [28.8 – 29.4 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions, combined: 223 – 218 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO2 class: G) raises the bar for compact high-performance sports cars in the premium segment. Indeed, it elevates the performance experience in this vehicle class to a whole new level. The new BMW M2 lines up with even more power, greater visual impact than ever and innovative equipment features. Front and centre of this fresh round of updates to the car is the 15 kW/20 hp added to its output: the high-revving six-cylinder in-line petrol engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology now tops out at 353 kW/480 hp. And then there are the new design accents for the exterior, an updated interior and the introduction of BMW Operating System 8.5 to underpin the latest generation of BMW iDrive.

Setting out its stall as a textbook purveyor of driving pleasure for the purist, the new BMW M2 (fuel consumption, combined: 9.8 – 9.6 l/ 100 km [28.8 – 29.4 mpg imp]; CO₂ emissions, combined: 223 – 218 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO₂ class: G) raises the bar for compact high-performance sports cars in the premium segment. Indeed, it elevates the performance experience in this vehicle class to a whole new level. The new BMW M2 lines up with even more power, greater visual impact than ever and innovative equipment features. Front and centre of this fresh round of updates to the car is the 15 kW/20 hp added to its output: the high-revving six-cylinder in-line petrol engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology now tops out at 353 kW/480 hp. And then there are the new design accents for the exterior, an updated interior and the introduction of BMW Operating System 8.5 to underpin the latest generation of BMW iDrive.

The package of updates for the elite compact sports car makes the first step into the world of high-performance models at BMW M GmbH even more attractive. The new BMW M2 takes its drive concept of a straight-six engine, six-speed manual gearbox (optional) and classical rear-wheel drive – a unique proposition among its rivals – to a new stage of evolution. In combination with its compact dimensions, chassis technology tuned perfectly for both everyday road driving and track use, and a state-of-the-art operating concept allowing individualisation of the car setup, this makes the new M2 ideally equipped to write the next chapter in the BMW M brand’s history of success in this segment.

The new BMW M2 will be built alongside the new BMW 2 Series Coupé at BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico. It will be launched worldwide with a production phase-in from August 2024. More than 40 per cent of total sales will be recorded in Europe. The most important single market will be the USA, followed by Germany, China, Great Britain and Japan.

Six-cylinder in-line engine with extra output and torque.

As well as the raw power itself, the inimitable way in which the six-cylinder in-line engine delivers that power also plays a key role in the performance experience offered by the new BMW M2. The upgraded version of the engine for the new edition of the high-performance sports car shines an even more vivid spotlight on the linear delivery of power, sustained into the higher reaches of the rev range, that is such a hallmark feature of M models. Its maximum torque is on tap across a wide rev band between 2,650 and 6,130 rpm. In examples of the new BMW M2 with the optional six-speed manual gearbox (fuel consumption, combined: 10.2 – 10.0 l/ 100 km [27.7 – 28.2 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions, combined: 231 – 226 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO2 class: G), peak torque remains 550 Nm (405 lb-ft). And when power is channelled via the standard eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic, the figure rises to 600 Nm (442 lb-ft). The engine produces its increased maximum output of 353 kW/480 hp at 6,250 rpm, with revs topping out at 7,200 rpm.

So that drivers can explore the engine’s upgraded performance characteristics with an even greater degree of intensity, further advances have been made with the accelerator mapping and response in all the drive modes selectable via the M Setup menu. As a result, the new BMW M2 offers noticeably more rapid reactions to the driver’s requests for acceleration – both when specified with the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and with the optional six-speed manual gearbox.

The ability of the new BMW M2 to offer further improved power delivery is rooted in an exceptionally strong technological base. Its 3.0-litre engine differs from the unit in the BMW M3/BMW M4 range in a few details only. The increased peak output figure of the new BMW M2 lends further weight to its leadership claims in the compact high-performance car segment. In addition, it now achieves parity with the manual variants of the new BMW M3 Sedan (fuel consumption, combined: 10.1 – 10.0 l/ 100 km [28.0 – 28.3 mpg imp]; CO₂ emissions, combined: 230 – 227 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO₂ class: G) and new BMW M4 Coupé (fuel consumption, combined: 10.1 – 10.0 l/100 km [28.0 – 28.3 mpg imp]; CO₂ emissions, combined: 230 – 226 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO₂ class: G).

Racing expertise delivers smile-inducing performance.

As well as its pair of mono-scroll turbochargers, an indirect intercooler and an electronically controlled wastegate, the M TwinPower Turbo technology of the straight-six engine also includes High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and Double-VANOS fully variable camshaft timing. The engine also has an array of details borrowed directly from racing car design and whose impact is most clearly evident in its lightning-fast response, appetite for revs and high performance capability in track use. These details include an extremely rigid crankcase with a sleeve-free, closed-deck construction, a forged crankshaft with lightweight design, cylinder bores with a wire-arc sprayed iron coating and a 3D-printed core for the cylinder head.

The M-specific cooling system ensures the powertrain components maintain an optimal operating temperature even under heavy loads. The oil circuit is also designed to handle extremely dynamic driving situations. A map-controlled oil pump ensures reliable oil supply even under extreme longitudinal and lateral acceleration.

The engine sends its drive power through an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic as standard. The Drivelogic button integrated into the selector lever makes it possible to alter the transmission’s shift characteristics, with a choice of three clearly distinguishable settings. Both the selector lever in the latest M design and the gearshift paddles on the steering wheel enable sequential interventions in the gear selection process at any time.

Drivers keen to blend an intensely engaging performance experience with even more direct interaction with the powertrain can specify the six-speed manual gearbox as an option. This links up with the Gear Shift Assistant, which uses engagement speed control to ensure slip-free operation when downshifting under braking into corners.

Whichever form of power transfer the customer chooses for their BMW M2, the increased engine output shaves 0.1 seconds off its 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time: the new BMW M2 records a figure of 4.0 seconds with the standard transmission or 4.2 seconds if specified with the optional six-speed manual gearbox. The increase in power also makes its presence felt over the 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) sprint, delivering an improvement of 0.6 seconds in the case of the BMW M2 with eight-speed M Steptronic transmission (now 12.9 seconds) and also lowering the time posted by cars with the optional manual gearbox by 0.6 seconds (to 13.7 seconds). Top speed is 250 km/h (155 mph), but can be increased to 285 km/h (177 mph) with the optional M Driver’s Package. The dynamic power delivery is backed by an emotionally rich engine note conjured by the M-specific exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps.

Visually impactful exterior design with fresh accents.

Powerfully chiselled surfaces and athletic proportions mark out the pure-bred performance character of the new BMW M2, whose compact dimensions and wide tracks showcase it to visually dramatic effect.

M-specific design features geared to the functional requirements of cooling air routing and aerodynamic balance accentuate the eye-catching appearance of the two-door car. A large, horizontal BMW kidney grille and the three-section split lower air intake optimise cooling of the powertrain components and brakes.

The model-specific LED headlights are positioned towards the outer edges of the front end. In a tribute to the iconic BMW 02 models, they each have a single circular headlight that generates both low beam and high beam. U-shaped light guides at the lower edge of the headlights serve as both the daytime driving lights and turn indicators. Available as options are Adaptive LED Headlights with BMW Selective Beam non-dazzling High Beam Assistant and M lights Shadowline with dark inlays.

The high-performance model’s profile is shaped by the elegant lines which have become a signature feature of the brand’s coupés. In combination with prominent side sill extensions and muscular wheel arches, this creates a compact two-door form with a richly sporting character. The new BMW M2 can also be ordered as an option with an M Carbon roof that not only reduces the car’s weight by around six kilograms, but also increases agility by lowering its centre of gravity.

The rear apron of the new BMW M2 features a powerfully sculpted race-car-style diffuser. The exhaust system feeds into two pairs of exhaust tailpipes, which are positioned a significant distance from the edges of the rear end and also channel the racing genes of the M2 visually. The trims for the twin tailpipes are now finished in black as standard. The likewise black model lettering on the boot lid and radiator grille creates a particularly classy impression with its silver-coloured bordering.

Significantly expanded range of exterior paint finishes; light-alloy wheels with a new design.

Customers can order their new BMW M2 in a choice of three solid colours, five metallic shades and six BMW Individual paint finishes. The significantly expanded range includes the new Sao Paulo Yellow solid, Fire Red metallic, Portimao Blue metallic and Skyscraper Grey metallic variants. Plus, the selection of BMW Individual paint finishes for the new BMW M2 now also features Java Green, Voodoo Blue, Grigio Telesto and Twilight Purple.

The new BMW M2 is fitted as standard with M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design and with a Jet Black finish. Dimensions are 19 inches at the front axle and 20 inches at the rear axle. A new addition to the options list are M light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design and with the same dimensions, but finished in the colour Silver. They can be combined with track tyres if the optional M Race Track package is specified.

New steering wheels and seat surfaces, M Carbon bucket seats now also available as an individual option.

The most important interface between the driver and car – the steering wheel – has been newly designed, bringing a fresh look to the interior of the compact high-performance model. The standard-fitted M leather steering wheel of the new BMW M2 now has a flat-bottomed rim and precisely modified spokes. A red centre marker in the 12 o’clock position, gearshift paddles and the two M buttons for selecting individually configured vehicle setups project an intense racing car feel. An M Alcantara steering wheel is now also available as an option in the same design. A heating function is offered as an option for both steering wheel variants.

The optional M Sport seats in Vernasca leather can now also be ordered in a red/black bi-colour variant. Added to which, the weight-minimized M Carbon bucket seats for the new BMW M2 are not only available in conjunction with the M Race Track package, but now also as an individual option. With surfaces in Merino leather, multi-way electric adjustment, removable head restraints and a facility for adding a multi-point harness, they optimise both the car’s comfort levels and its racing credentials.

BMW Operating System 8.5, digital control for the climate functions.

The M-specific content in the BMW Curved Display and optional BMW Head-Up Display enhances the cockpit’s progressive sports car aura. The fully digital screen grouping, made up of a 12.3-inch information display and a 14.9-inch control display, now provides the stage for the latest evolution of the BMW iDrive control/operation system based on BMW Operating System 8.5. The functions of the climate control system are now also operated digitally. The temperature and ventilation settings as well as the seat heating and – if specified – steering wheel heating in the new BMW M2 can be controlled either by touch using a special menu option in the lower area of the control display or by voice command with the help of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

This broad adoption of digitalisation leads to a further reduction in the number of buttons and controls in the cockpit and is accompanied by a redesign of the instrument panel. New adjustment controls for the air vent grilles in the centre of the instrument panel and on the driver’s and front passenger side of the cockpit allow the airflow direction to be adjusted using rotating and tilting movements.

The interior trim elements in the instrument panel and centre console of the new BMW M2 come as standard in Dark Graphite matt. Interior trim elements in Aluminium Rhombicle Anthracite, M Carbon Fibre or new Fine Brushed Aluminium are available as an option.

M-specific operating concept, extensive standard equipment.

At the heart of the M-specific operating concept is the Setup button on the centre console. This provides direct access to the settings options for the engine, the standard adaptive M suspension, the M Servotronic steering, the integrated braking system working in conjunction with the M Compound brakes, and the M Traction Control function, which allows drivers to set individual intervention thresholds for wheel slip limitation. The Gear Shift Assistant of the optional manual gearbox is also activated and deactivated via the M Setup menu.

Standard equipment for the new BMW M2 also includes three-zone automatic climate control, ambient lighting, a HiFi speaker system, a wireless charging tray and the BMW Live Cockpit Plus with BMW Maps navigation system. The likewise standard smartphone integration enables use of Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. Semi-automated driving and parking systems that come as standard include front collision warning, Cruise Control with brake function, Speed Limit Info function with no-overtaking indicator, Lane Departure Warning and Park Distance Control with sensors at the front and rear of the car. Among the optional items available are the Driving Assistant, Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go function and the Parking Assistant with Reversing Assistant.

Also on the options list are Comfort Access, an electrically operated slide/tilt sunroof and the Harman Kardon Surround Sound System. As well as the BMW Head-Up Display, the optional BMW Live Cockpit Professional in the new BMW M2 now also includes Augmented View on the control display.

BMW PRESS

The New MINI Cooper 5 Door

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 11:53:46 GMT

A few months after the launch of the new MINI Cooper 3 Door, the five-door Cooper is now joining the new MINI family. The MINI Cooper 5 Door is characterised by the brand's typical driving fun, extended space, and distinctive functionality. These make the five-seater an exceptional phenomenon in its segment, together with its unique design - a combination of tradition and modern, purist styling - and innovative assistance systems.

With a length of 4,036 mm, a width of 1,744 mm and a height of 1,464 mm, the body dimensions are almost identical to those of its predecessor and underline the basic idea behind every MINI: To create as much space as possible on a small footprint.

In the case of the MINI Cooper 5 Door, this means an interior that offers enough space for five passengers. Compared to the new MINI Cooper 3 Door, the wheelbase is 72 mm longer and the body 172 mm longer. All of which benefits the occupants in terms of comfort and space. Short overhangs, clear surfaces and expressive accents also give the new MINI Cooper 5 Door its unmistakable charisma. Inside, digital innovations and an immersive user experience take the MINI DNA to a new level.

The larger body version of the purist MINI Cooper also delivers the brand's hallmark driving fun and agile handling. There is a choice of two efficient petrol engines which, combined with the modern chassis and precise steering, deliver the hallmark MINI go-kart feeling.

The three-cylinder petrol engine of the MINI Cooper 5 Door C generates 115 kW/156 hp. The MINI Cooper 5 Door S is powered by a four-cylinder petrol engine with 150 kW/204 hp. Hallmark MINI steering and powerful brakes ensure a high level of driving fun, safety, and comfort. Compact dimensions, short overhangs, and a small turning circle of 11.4 metres make the MINI Cooper 5 Door a versatile model for the city.

The new MINI Cooper 5 Doorcombines charismatic MINI design with an extra portion of functionality. In the rear, the noticeably wider interior provides comfortable space for three passengers. The 60:40 folding rear seats increase the luggage compartment capacity from 275 litres to up to 925 litres.

The new MINI design style.

The new MINI Cooper is characterised by "Charismatic Simplicity".

The design language of the current MINI family presents the traditional values of the brand with a striking clarity. The authentic design language of the new models combines advanced technology with elementary principles of vehicle design and brand origins.

The exterior.

Short overhangs, a small bonnet, a long wheelbase, and large wheels - the proportions of the MINI Cooper 5 Door reflect its urban character.

Thanks to its compact silhouette, the model is easy and comfortable to manoeuvre even in tight spaces - with plenty of room for all passengers. The new MINI Cooper 5 Door is an original MINI with a high recognition value. The visual tripartite division into a clearly designed body, a wraparound window area and a stepped roof makes it instantly recognisable.

The minimalist design of the front end with its focused expression contributes to this. The new generation also features the iconic MINI round headlights. Together with the octagonal front grille, they form the distinctive MINI face. Standard LED headlights with individually adjustable daytime running light elements enhance the striking appearance. The optional light signatures are available in three versions to emphasise the character of the vehicle. The MINI Cooper interacts with the driver using a specially orchestrated welcome and goodbye animation even before the journey begins.

Reduced body design for a striking look.

The new MINI aesthetic continues at the rear with clear surfaces and flush-fitting taillights. The vertically aligned LED clusters are reminiscent of the classic MINI lights and, like the headlights, can be switched to different settings.

The flush-mounted design of the rear lights lends a modern and purist look to the car’s rear sculpture. It is subdivided by a striking black handle strip with distinctive model lettering. Its horizontal alignment emphasises the new MINI Cooper's broad stance.

Four trims with individual equipment options.

The new MINI Cooper 5 Door is available in eleven expressive body colours. For the roof, there is a choice of three contrasting colours, the car colour and the characteristic multi-tone roof with a gradual colour gradient. The different colour tones highlight different features of the car and showcase the new MINI design language in a variety of ways.

The car can be personalised with four different exterior trims. The Essential Trim, which comes as standard, emphasises the minimalist overall appearance and highlights certain functional parts such as the logo in Vibrant Silver. Starting with the Classic Trim, the roof is available in black or white, as is the Multitone roof with its unique colour gradient. The contrast with the body colour gives the MINI Cooper a particularly expressive look.

In the Favoured Trim version, the front radiator grille frame and certain design elements are finished in Vibrant Silver, further enhancing the individuality of the MINI Cooper.

The JCW Trim emphasises the sporty side of the MINI Cooper 5 Door. Exclusive design features such as the striking front and rear diffusers, radiator grille surround and high-gloss black JCW logo allude to MINI's motorsport heritage. Chili Red is available exclusively for the contrasting roof.

The tyre diameter is larger than on the outgoing model, emphasising the wide stance of the new MINI Cooper 5 Door. Aerodynamic wheel designs in 16 and 18-inch sizes offer further exterior options.

The interior.

The interior of the new MINI Cooper 5 Door also features the brand's typical combination of new elements, technical innovations, and references to the brand's history.

Minimalist and immersive.

The design of the front end of the new MINI Cooper 5 Door is reduced to the essentials and is reminiscent of the purist design of the classic Mini. Legendary inventor Alec Issigonis designed an interior for the first model with a round instrument in the centre and the characteristic toggle switch strip below. These two elements also structure the cockpit in the MINI Cooper 5 Door.

The minimalist design of the interior makes do with fewer components, which are cleverly designed and manufactured to a high standard. Behind the steering wheel, the optional, slim, combined head-up display ensures that all relevant content appears in the driver's field of vision. As a result, the dashboard on the driver’s side does not require an additional instrument panel, so it opens the view to the front.

Innovative materials characterise the feel-good atmosphere in the interior of the MINI Cooper. A specially developed knitting process is used to create the versatile, easy-care structure of the textile in two-colour design made of recycled polyester. The textile surfaces extend across the curved dashboard and into the door panels. The air vents feature an especially flat design. The horizontal arrangement of the air vents ensures an even flow of air in the cockpit. The direction of the vents can be easily adjusted.

The generous space in the front seats and the clean lines give the cockpit a modern and airy look. Thanks to the panoramic glass roof, the interior is particularly bright. The seats are available in a standard version and in a JCW version. Their side panels are upholstered in high-quality fabric right down to the adjustment buttons. Three passengers can sit comfortably in the rear.

High-resolution OLED display revolutionises user experience.

Like the round instrument of the outgoing model, the new central icon with its versatile functions is the visual focal point of the interior. The central OLED display in the redesigned cockpit has been moved closer to the driver, making it easier to reach. Its high resolution sets a new standard. Thanks to the MINI Operating System 9, all vehicle functions can be controlled intuitively by touch or voice. The slim touch display has a high-quality glass edge, has grown to 240 mm in diameter and its operating logic is reminiscent of the standards familiar from smartphones.

The graphical presentation of content focuses on the essentials. Vehicle-related information is displayed at the top. The lower part of the OLED display provides direct access to the navigation, media, phone and climate control menus. The home button returns the display to its default settings.

The MINI Experience Modes.

The seven MINI Experience Modes can be selected according to mood and personal preference and characterise the atmosphere in the interior.

Using the MINI Projector on the rear of the OLED display, they transform the dashboard into matching worlds of colour and pattern. The interplay of projection, ambient lighting and the MINI Interaction Unit creates a unique, immersive experience that extends into the door trim. This opens new possibilities for individualisation. In Personal Mode, for example, a personalised image can be selected as the display background via the MINI App. The dominant colours of the picture are then applied to the dashboard's textile surfaces using a digital colour picker. The ambient lighting under the dashboard and in the door mirror is also colour-coded to match these projections.

Each mode has its own customised backgrounds. In Go-kart mode, for example, the display and interior are dominated by the John Cooper Works signature charcoal grey and red.

The new design of the rocker switch strip.

Just like the iconic centre console, the rocker switch strip with its toggle switches is as legendary as the MINI itself - and yet it has been carefully updated time and again. In the latest version, the parking brake, gear selector, start/stop button, Experience Mode, and volume control are all at your fingertips. Practical benefit: The removal of the gear selector has freed up more space in the centre console, which now features a large open storage compartment in addition to the cup holders. Smartphones can be charged in the wireless charging area at the front of the console and are always ready to hand.

Four newly designed interior trims.

The new colour and material concept for the MINI Cooper 5 Door is deliberately minimalist. High-quality, environmentally friendly materials are used, such as the knitted recycled polyester surfaces on the dashboard and door trim.

Four newly designed trims underline the feel-good concept. The Essential Trim includes black sport seats with patterned multi-tone fabric and a matching fabric strip on the dashboard. A new accent colour, Vibrant Silver, is used to highlight certain interior and exterior functional elements.

Starting with the Classic Trim, the standard two-spoke steering wheel is replaced by a three-spoke version with a textile band at the six o'clock position. A 2D knitted fabric in grey and black on the dashboard and doors contrasts with the imitation leather seats.

A two-tone houndstooth pattern on the knitted dashboard is particularly expressive. The perforated Vescin sports seats are available in two colours with traditional accent stitching.

JCW Trim is a sporty interpretation of the new material concept. Combined with multi-coloured knitted fabric and black imitation leather with red stitching, the colour scheme echoes that of the dashboard and door trims.

Digital services.
"Hey MINI" - the new MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant.

In the new MINI Cooper, numerous functions can be controlled using the brand’s first fully-fledged voice assistant. The MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant can be activated with the greeting “Hey MINI” or else by using the push-to-talk steering wheel button. Voice-controlled interaction takes place on the circular OLED display in the form of an animation of graphic elements, typography, and an avatar. Users can choose between the visualisation of "MINI" - a stylised representation of a MINI - and the virtual travel partner "Spike". The driver can easily control navigation, telephone, entertainment, and numerous vehicle functions by voice.

The MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant continuously learns from repeated routes. Drawing on geo-based data, for example, the vehicle can learn to automatically open the window when entering a car park. This makes everyday life much more convenient.

The new MINI Operating System 9.

The MINI user interface combines functional and emotional elements. The design is reduced, creating a very modern look based on new graphics. Static and dynamic elements blend naturally into the circular shape of the MINI Interaction Unit, following a clear structure. Micro animations reinforce the intuitive interaction between the driver and the central instrument, thereby underlining the digital character of the new MINI family.

The MINI Operating System 9 is an in-house development of the BMW Group. Operation is intuitive and follows standards that are familiar from the consumer electronics sector.

The home menu is located in the centre of the screen. The status bar with the menu items Navigation, Media, Telephone, All Apps and (depending on the situation) Home is located at the bottom of the screen. Favourite functions such as navigation destinations or radio stations can be stored in the tool belt for quick access. The upper part of the screen is reserved for driving-related content, such as speed and important vehicle status information. The optional head-up display presents the most important information in the driver’s line of sight.

In conjunction with the MINI Connected Package, the full MINI Navigation Package supports the driver during the journey with realistic 3D visualisation of turn situations, a display of the current traffic situation even when the route guidance system is not activated, information on parking facilities including digital payment options and much more.

New driver assistance systems make day-to-day life easier.

The new Parking Assistant Plus makes the parking process even easier. Thanks to 12 ultrasonic sensors and four surround-view cameras, the vehicle can identify possible parking spaces more clearly and can even independently initiate space-restricted parking manoeuvres.

With MINI Digital Key Plus, the smartphone becomes the key and opens the car automatically. The welcome projection of the front and rear lights begins as soon as the driver is less than three metres away; the doors are unlocked when the driver is at less than one and a half metres away from the car. The digital key is transferable to different users, thereby facilitating car sharing in that it is no longer necessary to hand over a conventional vehicle key to the other person.

The drive.
The new MINI Cooper 5 Door with petrol engine.

The new MINI Cooper 5 Door is available with a choice of two efficient petrol engines. Within the new model family, MINI refers to the performance levels with the designations C and S. The entry-level model is the MINI Cooper C with a 115 kW/156 hp three-cylinder engine (consumption combined: 6.6 – 6.0 l/100 km (62 miles); CO2 emissions combined: 149 - 136 g/km according to WLTP) with 230 Nm (170 lb/ft) of torque. This enables the vehicle to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 225 km/h (134 mph).

The MINI Cooper S has a 150 kW/204 hp four-cylinder engine (consumption combined: 6.8 – 6.3 l/100 km (62 miles); CO2 emissions combined: 153 - 141 g/km according to WLTP with a maximum torque of 300 Nm (221 lb/ft). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 242 km/h (150 mph).

Comfortable and sporty mobility.

The track width and wheelbase are generous for this vehicle segment and provide the basis for the hallmark MINI dynamic performance. The MINI Cooper 5 Door features a suspension and damping system tuned for spirited handling. This ensures a high level of everyday driving comfort, combined with the precise steering feel typical of MINI and the powerful brakes.

Highly preloaded anti-roll bar mounts on the axles ensure balanced body handling during dynamic cornering. They also ensure steering precision and accuracy. The result is excellent body support combined with smooth rolling comfort.

Selective tuning of the steering and all stability control systems ensures an exceptional experience in all driving situations. An adaptive suspension with frequency-selective damping system is available for particularly sporty driving. The increased tyre diameter of 625 mm gives the MINI Cooper 5 Door a greater visual presence. At the same time, driving dynamics and ride comfort are improved. In addition, the tyre width of the optionally available 17-inch and 18-inch rims is increased to 215 mm in order to emphasise the typical MINI go-kart feeling. Available rim sizes range from 16 to 18-inches.

BMW PRESS

Mornington Peninsula Drive

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:40:39 GMT

Event date: 9 June 2024

On Sunday 9 June, BMWDCM hosted a drive around the Mornington Peninsula, with stops to collect some honey (thankfully not directly from the hives!) and to enjoy a pub lunch together.

For me, it began with a rainy drive to Moorooduc. If I may side-track for a moment: if you don't drive far each year, please check the age of your tyres. BMW USA recommends replacing tyres every 8 years; I've had tyres about this old that had plenty of tread left and were fine in the dry, but terrible once the roads were wet. Back on topic, thankfully it stopped raining near Moorooduc and stayed mostly clear for the rest of the drive.

Our first destination was Pure Peninsula Honey, where we stocked up on honey and honey-related products, such as honey-infused vinegar and pickles. After a quick driver's briefing, we hit the road towards the coast and then the twisty roads. There were about 20 cars on the drive and I volunteered to be "tail-end Charlie" of the second group, which involves making radio calls to the group leader that the back of the group has made it through a particular turn. Or not, as the case may be! Due to a break in Convoy Procedure, Graham T and I didn't see the other cars make a turn, so we missed it. We headed towards Dromana to regroup. Due to our detour, I'd assumed that were now somewhere behind the rest of group two, so it was a surprise to everyone involved when the cars from group one started coming past us while we were pulled over! We then resumed our correct position in the group and enjoyed the squiggly road up to the Arthur's Seat lookout.

After a quick stretch of the legs at the lookout, it was onwards to the Pig & Whistle tavern for lunch. However, drive-leader Peter has a knack for finding great driving roads, so we took a very indirect and enjoyable route to get there. My favourite part was the series of tight corners around the valley. Danny and I also took a bit longer than most, since we were nerding-out in the carpark about the glorious E39 5-Series sedans and wagons (second in greatness to only the E30 3-Series model range!!). Inside the tavern, we were given our own private room, so it was great to have our own space to chat over lunch. I was at a table with Danny, Helen, Mark and Paul, who were all good company. My lunch selection was fish'n'chips, washed down nicely with a local mid-strength beer. It also turns out that our function room was a theatre, and the younger club members (Harper, Payton and Olivia) needed no invitation to jump up on stage and put on a funny Magic Show for us older folk to enjoy.

Thank you to Peter, Jo and our convoy leaders for running a really fun day out.

Simon de Lisle | Member #430
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

24h Le Mans: BMW M Motorsport returns to the top class after 25 years with the BMW M Hybrid V8

Sat, 08 Jun 2024 01:03:33 GMT

BMW M Motorsport embarks on the most spectacular racing week of the year with the slogan “BMW M is back at Le Mans”. Exactly 25 years after the victory of the BMW V12 LMR, the start of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the Hypercar class marks the return of the BMW brand to the top category at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).

BMW M Motorsport embarks on the most spectacular racing week of the year with the slogan “BMW M is back at Le Mans”. Exactly 25 years after the victory of the BMW V12 LMR, the start of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the Hypercar class marks the return of the BMW brand to the top category at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 will play a very special role as it competes as the 20th BMW Art Car. Designed by the internationally renowned artist Julie Mehretu, the car will be a highlight in the paddock. In the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), two BMW M4 GT3s will compete for victory at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

In the Hypercar class, BMW M Team WRT and six BMW M works drivers face what is probably the toughest competition in current motorsport. 23 Hypercars from nine manufacturers are registered for the endurance highlight of the year. In the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) will take turns driving. The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car will be raced by Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA). The design of the 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu was unveiled on May 21 at the Centre Pompidou in Paris (FRA). It was created based on one of the artist’s works as a “performative painting.” More details can be found in the BMW M Motorsport Media Guide: https://b.mw/WEC_Media_Guide.

In the LMGT3 category, Team WRT fields two BMW M4 GT3s in new liveries. The #31 BMW M4 GT3 will be driven by the winners of the 6 Hours of Imola (ITA), Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR). The #46 car will be shared by Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA).

History of BMW at Le Mans.

On the occasion of the comeback in the top class after 25 years, BMW is also celebrating its history at Le Mans. Legendary vehicles such as the BMW V12 LMR winning car from 1999 and the BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car by Alexander Calder from 1975 can be admired by the more than 300,000 expected fans.

BMW’s first successful start at Le Mans took place back in 1939 with a BMW 328 Touring Coupé. It won its class and finished fifth overall. It wasn’t until the 1970s that BMW once again made waves at Le Mans, especially with the invention of the BMW Art Cars by Jochen Neerpasch and Hervé Poulain. The Calder Art Car debuted in 1975. That was followed by the BMW 3.0 CSL by Frank Stella in 1976, the BMW 320i Turbo by Roy Lichtenstein in 1977, and the BMW M1 by Andy Warhol in 1979. Other BMW Art Cars at Le Mans included the BMW V12 LMR by Jenny Holzer in 1999 and the BMW M3 GT2 by Jeff Koons in 2010.

BMW M Motorsport achieved its greatest sporting successes in the 1990s. Above all stands the overall victory for Yannick Dalmas (FRA), Pierluigi Martini (ITA), and Joachim Winkelhock (GER) in the #15 BMW V12 LMR in 1999. By 1995, a car powered by a BMW engine had already won, namely the BMW McLaren F1 GTR. Most recently, BMW M Motorsport competed in 2018 and 2019 with the BMW M8 GTE.

Further quotes before the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “It is the fourth time that we go to Le Mans, but it will be our debut in the top class. Just to be there, defending the colours of a top manufacturer such as BMW, and bringing the largest entry we have ever brought to Le Mans, makes us proud of what we have achieved as a team. Still, this is a reflection that keeps our minds busy for no more than a couple of minutes. The really important thing is the competition ahead of us. In Hypercar, it is difficult to tell what our ambitions can be. We have had a start of the season that was eventful and promising at the same time. It’s difficult to make predictions until we’re on track at Le Mans. That’s when we’ll know where we stand. Concerning the LMGT3 the objective is to make up the points lost at Spa. We won on strategy at Imola but were very unlucky at Spa. We had an ideal plan to arrive at Le Mans leading the standings, and this is not the case, so the objective is to close the gap here. We have a competitive car and great drivers, so we’ll aim at making a perfect and faultless race. We all know that in 24-hour races that generally pays off.”

Augusto Farfus (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3): “I have unfinished business with Le Mans, as I always had bad luck there during my time with BMW M Motorsport and could never finish the race. I want to change that this time, of course. Our BMW M4 GT3 has shown very strong pace in the first FIA WEC races of the season, even though we unfortunately couldn’t convert that into points recently at Spa-Francorchamps. I think, with an experienced team like WRT, we can go into the 24 Hours of Le Mans with high expectations.”

Valentino Rossi (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3): “The big moment has arrived, and it will be my first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the most famous race in the world. I am very happy and proud to be associated with BMW and Team WRT for this big race. I have known the track since last year, having participated in the Road to Le Mans race, and I like the Circuit de La Sarthe a lot. We’ll be there for a long week and we are ready. We had some good performances in the first races of the season, but now we need to understand our level, speed, and competitiveness at Le Mans. We hope to be strong and I cannot wait to live this experience!”

BMW PRESS

Podium at the 24h Nürburgring: #72 BMW M4 GT3 classified in third place after a foggy race

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 10:59:26 GMT

Dense fog was the dominant theme at the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring (GER). Only just under seven and a half hours could be driven under regular conditions, followed by a break of over 14 hours, before the race ended after five formation laps behind the safety car. As a result, the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position and with good chances of victory, was ultimately classified in third place.

Dense fog was the dominant theme at the 52nd edition of the 24h Nürburgring (GER). Only just under seven and a half hours could be driven under regular conditions, followed by a break of over 14 hours, before the race ended after five formation laps behind the safety car. As a result, the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG, which started from pole position and with good chances of victory, was ultimately classified in third place. The result is provisional, and the official final result is still pending. The car, in the design of BMW M Motorsport Premium Technology Partner Shell, was shared by the three BMW M Motorsport Gen2K drivers Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR), and Charles Weerts (BEL). The ROWE Racing #98 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Marco Wittmann (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Augusto Farfus (BRA) was classified in seventh position. The ROWE Racing #99 BMW M4 GT3, in which Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), Robin Frijns (NED), and Farfus took turns, led the race in the early stages but retired after an unavoidable accident.

Just before the start, the 24-hour race was already typically turbulent. It began to rain on the starting grid, and tyre choice became a lottery. In the pole car, the #72 BMW M4 GT3, starting driver Harper came into the pits after the formation lap to switch to drying wets, as did Wittmann in the #98 BMW M4 GT3. Meanwhile, Farfus in the #99 had already started on those tyres and sprinted from seventh on the grid to the front of the field within 20 minutes. Behind him, Harper and Wittmann also gained position after position and worked their way back to the front. After about two hours of racing, the first driver changes took place.

Van der Linde took over the #99 car and continued to fight at the front. However, in the fourth hour of the race, the leading BMW M4 GT3 was forced to retire through no fault of its own. While lapping, van der Linde was hit on the left rear by a slower car and collided with another car. The fight for victory ended in the track barrier.

The focus then shifted to the other two BMW M4 GT3s which were still promisingly positioned in the race. As the fog on the Nordschleife thickened, the race was suspended at 23:22, with car #72 in second place and #98 in seventh. After more than 14 hours, at 13:30 on Sunday afternoon, the field went back on track behind the safety car for five formation laps. The order of the cars was based on the standings of the race in the lap in which the class leader had crossed the finish line for the penultimate time before the red flag. The minimum pitstop times that had accrued at that point were also taken into account. For the #72, that meant third place, and for the #98, eighth place. Eventually, the race director decided that the race would not be restarted after the five formation laps. The #72 remained in third place, and the #98, which had made a pit stop, finished in seventh place.

In the other classes of the 24-hour race, BMW M Motorsport teams achieved nine victories. In the SP10 class, FK Performance Motorsport celebrated a one-two triumph with the BMW M4 GT4. In the SP8T class, the BMW M4 GT4 even took all three podium places. First place went, among others, to the two former BMW M works drivers Timo Glock and Timo Scheider (both GER).

An overview of all class winners:

SP10: #188 BMW M4 GT4, FK Performance Motorsport, Maxime Oosten (NED), Nick Wüstenhagen, Nick Hancke, Lorenz Philipp Stegmann (all GER)
SP8T: #145 BMW M4 GT4, Cerny Motorsport, Timo Glock, Timo Scheider (both GER), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), Peter Cate (GBR)
M240i: #650 BMW M240i Racing, Adrenalin Motorsport Team Mainhattan Wheels, Sven Markert, Philipp Stahlschmidt, Nick Deißler (all GER), Ranko Mijatovic (SUI)
SP3: #275 BMW 318ti, Marc David Müller, Christopher Groth, Alexander Becker (all GER)
SP4: #152 BMW 325CI, Ingo Oepen, Henrik Launhardt, Thorsten Köppert (all GER)
SP6: #207 BMW M3 CSL, Hofor Racing, Michael Kroll, Chantal Prinz (both SUI), Alexander Prinz, Thomas Mühlenz (both GER)
V4: #711 BMW 325i, Desiree Müller, Tim Lukas Müller, Henning Hausmeier (all GER), Michael Fischer (AUT)
VT2-Hecka: #504 BMW 330i, SRS Team Sorg Rennsport, Piet-Jan Ooms (NED), Hans Joachim Theiß, Mathias Baar (both GER), Yutaka Seki (JPN)
VT3: #599 BMW 335i, Keeevin Sports and Racing, Serge Van Vooren, Jörg Schönfelder, Meik ter Haar, Guido Wirtz (all GER)

Comments after the 24h Nürburgring:

Franciscus van Meel (CEO of BMW M GmbH): “It was a very short 24-hour race, with seven and a half hours of racing. We were doing great with all three cars. The drivers and the teams did a great job. We were unlucky when Sheldon, who was leading, had to retire through no fault of his own. After that, the other two cars flew our flag very high. It's a pity that the race was not restarted. I would have liked to see where we would have ended up. We were highly motivated.”

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “This was an extremely unusual 24-hour race on the Nordschleife. The bad weather was very unfortunate for the participants and especially for the 240,000 fans on site. We had chances to win with all three BMW M4 GT3s. We laid the foundation with a fantastic qualifying, in which Max Hesse became the youngest driver ever to secure pole position. Unfortunately, we lost the leading #99 early on through no fault of our own. Then the fog came, and we could no longer use the good performance of our BMW M4 GT3 and the excellent work of the teams. A big thank you to all BMW M works drivers, BMW M Team RMG and ROWE Racing, and our BMW M Motorsport employees who once again faced the challenges of the Green Hell. Congratulations also to all BMW teams that were successful in the individual classes.”

Max Hesse (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “I have mixed feelings. Of course, we are super happy that we finished and are on the podium with P3. We would have liked to make more use of our pace, but we couldn't race again today, although it must be said that we were a bit lucky because other cars went to the pits. If it had been a green flag, it might have been difficult for us with the fuel but we are on the podium, although of course, we would have liked to have landed two steps higher.”

Dan Harper (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “P3 in the 24h Nürburgring, I think it’s an amazing result for us. It has been the first time with Charles as part of the team. It was fantastic to be back with BMW M Team RMG; we have been competitive the whole week and been at the front. BMW M Team RMG and BMW M Motorsport gave us an amazing car It’s a shame with the conditions as the race was stopped for most of the time and we could not really get back racing. But we came away with the podium and it’s a great feeling.”

Charles Weerts (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “I’m very happy to finish third in my first ever 24h Nürburgring on the Nordschleife. If I would have known this before I would have been of course extremely happy. It was quite a special race with a lot of time under the red flag which is not something we want to have as a racer and as the spectators, but today it was safety first and it was probably the right call. We don’t know how the race would have finished without the red flag. We could have won it, maybe we would not have been on the podium. Now we finished third, a big thank you to BMW M Motorsport, to BMW M Team RMG and to my team-mates who were incredible during the whole weekend.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#99 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “My heart hurts after such an accident, and it wasn't my fault. If I were in that situation again, I would do exactly the same thing. I believe the driver in the other car didn't see me. I was in her blind spot as I passed. I was almost past, and then she hit me on the left rear. Then I hit another car that was completely uninvolved, and that's how it happened. A racing incident. But at the end of the day, we were out after leading for so long and that hurts, also for the team, which puts so much work into it. We work almost half a year towards a 24-hour race, and then it goes so wrong.”

BMW PRESS

National Motoring Heritage Day 2024

Fri, 31 May 2024 09:16:22 GMT

National Motoring Heritage Day was formed by the Australian Historic Motoring Federation in 2006 to get all car club members drive their vehicles around their own area - city, town, etc - to show the strength of the car movement in Australia.

Sadly, this fine idea has often been converted into static car displays which are mainly attended by those already in the classic car movement - although the display cars do have to drive to the show and back.

This year the AOMC (the peak body for motoring clubs in Victoria) got a bit back to basics with a couple of cavalcades as well as some shows.

Our plans to run our own cavalcade/drive - which we have done for the last two years - got badly off track when the proposed end venue - E30 Racing at Phillip Island - was cancelled so the track can be re-surfaced (again).

Fortunately, in my role as an AOMC committee member, I had assisted a Geelong based club organise a cavalcade taking in the Geelong and Torquay water fronts and cafe strips, passing as many eyeballs as possible.

So we switched our club event to take part in that.

The start point was a well attended monthly coffee and cars style event from which about 40 cars departed for the cavalcade drive to the Great Ocean Road Chocoltaire and Ice Creamery, which not only has ample parking and quite a crowd of people but some very nice food and coffee.

One advantage of this arrangement is that there were many obviously old cars in the group, some of veteran status, which are more liklely to cause heads to turn - which is the objective. And I am glad to report that heads certainly did turn, thumbs up were given, and people came to look.

Our members brought a wide range of heritage vehicles, not all BMW, all appreciated and we all had a very enjoyable day out, just making it to the end before some rain came.

Lawrence Glynn
Treasurer

An update from the President | May

Fri, 31 May 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

By now you all should have received your copy of edition 6 of our wonderful annual magazine, idrive. What a fabulous edition as usual, thanks to all who contributed. If you did not receive yours, check your profile on our database and make sure your address is correct. We have had a few returned already and Jo has contacted those who neglected to update their change of address and they are now updated. Please make sure all your personal and vehicle details are updated at least once a year. If you didn’t get your copy, come to an event and we will have copies on hand to give you.

Looking back at May

May started off with one of our favourite events, our annual Presentation Dinner. It saw us attending our charity night for Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre at WestWaters Entertainment Complex with Guest Speaker Jack Perkins. We set this event up to raise money for Peter Mac and what a great result we had, with over $2,000 donated before the night started and then raising over $6,300 by the end of the night. There were lots of raffle and silent auction items - thank you to all who donated, too many to mention and always worried I will forget someone. The food was great and Jack Perkins was very interesting and so giving of his time on the night. You can view the photos from the night in our gallery. The event was also a test for the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals next year to see how WestWaters will function with a big event. Safe to say, we were very happy. The Nationals next year will be an event not to miss.

7 May was our members meeting at Berwick BMW. We had a great night. It's always good to check out what our sponsors and dealership have to offer our members.

9 May was our latest drop-in-donut night in Geelong. These nights are great for our members on the other side of the pond to catch up and talk about cars and what is happening in the club.

On 11 May we had round 2 or our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. There was a huge turn out, starting off a little damp but clearing up and to a glorious Autumn sunny day. It was so much fun out there for all that came and did some laps.

19 May we had a large group of our club members join in the drive around the Geelong precinct for some fun with their cars for the National Motoring Heritage Cavalcade.

Looking ahead

June is upon us and nearly half the year as gone already. It's been such a great first half.

2 June was to be our Kaos Custom Bikes Come and Try at Calder but for reasons beyond our control this event had to be cancelled. I will be spending two days at the BMW Clubs Australia AGM instead.

4 June is our Outlaw Slot Car Evening Members meeting. It's something different and a bit of fun to be had. Registrations are going well and there are still a few spots left if you are wanting to join in.

On 9 June we will be doing a drive on the Mornington Peninsula, starting from Pure Peninsula Honey, then taking the scenic route to Pig and Whistle for lunch.

15 June is Round 3 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, this time at Calder Park. Due to cancelling the come and try day, we have made a come and try group within this event for those who missed out. If you are wanting to join us as an official be sure to email officials@bmwdcm.com.au and express your interest. We will also be doing parade laps at lunch time, so come out in your road car and join in the fun. Registration is essential - use this link to register.

23 June will be our drive out to Trafalgar to the Holden Museum. Lunch will be a BBQ in the function room attached to the museum so we will have plenty of time to enjoy what they have there for us.

Check out the calendar as we are uploading events all the time and we would hate you to miss out.

As we head into winter we do less events each week, but there are still some fun events coming up for everyone to come together and have some fun.

Dates to keep in your diary

14 July - Karting Madness
20 July - Christmas in July
21 September - Black Rock House paranormal Investigation
29 October - 6 November - Tasmania Driving Tour ‘The Northern Half’
10 November - Hill Climb
14 November - Annual General Meeting
23 November - Challenge Bathurst
8 December - Christmas Show and Shine - Cruden Farm

Check out all events in the calendar here.

Other news

As mentioned, on 2-3 June I will be attending the BMW Clubs Australia AGM in Melbourne. This happens each year and we get to network with the other cub delegates from around Australia. I will include my report on this in my June Presidents Report.

Membership is still growing. We are welcoming quite a few new members each month and it’s lovely seeing new faces come to events to join in with us. Welcome to all those new members.

We now have the second run of the new long sleeved cotton motorsport shirt in stock if you want to place an order. They were so popular we sold out the first run in weeks of them landing. Have a look on our web site and place your orders. We can post them or any of our merchandise out or bring them to the next event, if you like..

Jo is now slowly coming back into the club office but will be on staggered days. Please call first if you are needing anything from her or want to drop in for a chat or look at the club rooms.

CPS renewals are still going well using the online service. It makes it very easy to renew, so keep up the good work and thank you for helping make our life a little easier.

Thank you all for making this the great club it is, I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon, until then take care out there.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

New Member of the Year

Sat, 25 May 2024 05:25:35 GMT

I was honoured (and very surprised) when you expressed your appreciation of me, by awarding me New Member of the Year. It can be said that an award from your peers is the best. I am still amazed that having a great time with the club during the 2023 year was worthy of an award with such prestige.

Your approval makes any humble efforts I have made on behalf of this wonderful club feel worthwhile and I am happy that you see me as a valuable club member.

My thanks must go to the committee who facilitated such a fine evening and to those who kept score of all points accrued by those in contention.

I am humbled by the honour, and I thank you one and all.

Terry Lane | Member #965
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

World premiere in Paris: The BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car by Julie Mehretu for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Wed, 22 May 2024 05:30:14 GMT

The 20th BMW Art Car celebrated its world premiere on Tuesday evening at the Centre Pompidou in the French capital, Paris. The internationally renowned New York artist Julie Mehretu designed the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, which will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) on 15th/16th June, as a “performative painting” based on one of her artworks.

The 20th BMW Art Car celebrated its world premiere on Tuesday evening at the Centre Pompidou in the French capital, Paris. The internationally renowned New York artist Julie Mehretu designed the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, which will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) on 15th/16th June, as a “performative painting” based on one of her artworks. The event, attended by several hundred invited guests, was also attended by the artist, as well as Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, and Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate.

“The BMW Art Cars are an essential part of our global cultural commitment. For almost 50 years, we have been collaborating with artists who are just as fascinated by mobility and design as they are by technology and motorsports. Julie Mehretu's vision for a racing car is an extraordinarily strong contribution to our BMW Art Cars series,” said Zipse.

Mehretu explained her approach: “The whole BMW Art Car project is about invention, about imagination, about pushing limits of what can be possible. I don’t think of this car as something you would exhibit. I am thinking of it as something that will race at Le Mans. It’s a performative painting. My BMW Art Car was created in close collaboration with motorsport and engineering teams. It is only completed once the race is over.”

A performative painting is created.

Space, movement and energy have always been central motifs in Mehretu's work. For the design of the 20th BMW art car, she transformed a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional representation for the first time, with which she succeeded in bringing dynamism into form. Mehretu used the colour and form vocabulary of her monumental painting “Everywhen” (2021 - 2023) as a starting point for her design. The work is currently on view at the artist’s major retrospective at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice (ITA) and will subsequently become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York (USA), to which it has been gifted.

Its abstract visual form results from digitally altered photographs, which are superimposed in several layers of dot grids, neon-coloured veils and the black markings characteristic of Mehretu's work. “In the studio where I had the model of the BMW M Hybrid V8 I was just sitting in front of the painting and I thought ‘What would happen if this car seemed to go through that painting and becomes affected by it?’” Mehretu said. “The idea was to make a remix, a mash-up of the painting. I kept seeing that painting kind of dripping into the car. Even the kidneys of the car inhaled the painting.”

BMW Art Cars with Le Mans history come together at the Concorso d’Eleganza.

The fusion of image and vehicle was realised with the help of 3D mapping, with which the motif was transferred to the contours of the vehicle. The elaborate foiling allows for the fully designed BMW M Hybrid V8 to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. BMW M Motorsport works drivers Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Robin Frijns (NED) and René Rast (GER) will enter the 20th BMW Art Car with start number 20 at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 15th June. Like them, Mehretu is also eagerly awaiting the race: “I went to see the BMW M Hybrid V8 race at Daytona, and that experience was overwhelming. Designers, engineers, aerodynamicists and so many other creative minds are working on taking this vehicle to its extreme. When it goes out on the racetrack now, so many dreams will be fulfilled.”

Leading up to race day, Mehretu's BMW Art Car will make an appearance at the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este in Lake Como (ITA) on its way to Le Mans. As part of the exhibition for historic vehicles organised by the BMW Group and the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este, Mehretu herself will present the 20th edition of the BMW Art Car Collection. It will be featured in the grounds of Villa Erba together with the BMW Art Cars by Alexander Calder (1975), Frank Stella (1976), Roy Lichtenstein (1977), Andy Warhol (1979), Jenny Holzer (1999) and Jeff Koons (2010), which also made their race debuts at Le Mans.

Further statements on the 20th BMW Art Car:

Franciscus van Meel (CEO of BMW M GmbH): “Our return to Le Mans is spectacular for several reasons. For the first time since our victory in 1999, exactly 25 years ago, we are competing with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the top class of the world's biggest endurance race. We are facing the highest-class competition currently available in racing in the Hypercar category. With more than 300,000 spectators, the 24 Hours of Le Mans also provides an overwhelming stage for the launch of the 20th BMW Art Car by Julie Mehretu. It stands in a great tradition of rolling works of art that have competed at Le Mans. I find the design fantastic and can't wait to see how it will captivate all participants at this mega-event.”

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “The deployment of the 20th BMW Art Car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is as much an honour for us as it is a motivation. We at BMW M Motorsport are all aware of the enormous significance that BMW Art Cars have in the brand's racing history. Our goal for the weekend is for the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 to attract attention, not only with its great design, but also with its strong performance on the racetrack. Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde are outstanding drivers who have already proved this season that they can fight for top results in the Hypercar class. We have prepared as best as possible for the season highlight and are determined to present ourselves and our cars in top form.”

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “It is an honour for BMW M Team WRT to be part of a project with such prestige. We have never done anything like this before, and it will be something very special to deploy this wonderful work of art at Le Mans. We will give everything to ensure that the 20th BMW Art Car finishes the race where it belongs.”

Sheldon van der Linde: “First of all it’s a huge honour to be selected as one of the drivers for the 20th edition of the art car at my very first Le Mans 24 hour in our Hypercar. I love the bold graffiti look that Julie Mehretu has gone for with our art car. I’m a huge fan of abstract art and have tried to incorporate her style into a one-off helmet design I will have for Le Mans. If the car is as fast and bold as it looks, we’re in for a very good weekend.”

BMW PRESS

Certificate of Appreciation - Peter Mac

Tue, 21 May 2024 05:18:24 GMT

The 20th BMW Art Car is Arriving

Tue, 14 May 2024 22:44:12 GMT

On June 21^st, BMW will be hosting the world premiere of the 20^th Art Car.

Background information

Since 1975, renowned artists from all over the world have been designing BMW Art Cars. It all began when French racing driver and art lover Hervé Poulain, who, in collaboration with BMW approached artist, Alexander Calder to paint on an automobile. The result was a BMW 3.0 CSL that raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975, where it became a crowd favourite and was the birth of the BMW Art Car Collection.

Over nearly five decades, 19 renowned artists from around the world have left their indelible mark on BMW Art Cars, each adding their own distinctive style to these “rolling sculptures.”

In 1989, two Australian artists Michael Jagamara-Nelson and Ken Done Art Car created the 7th and 8th Art Cars, respectively, both using BMW M3 racing cars.

Julie Mehretu, chosen by an international jury of museum directors and curators, has been selected to craft the next BMW Art Car masterpiece. Her vision will come to life in the form of the BMW M Hybrid V8 Art Car, premiering on May 21, 2024, in Paris, before racing in the prestigious 24-Hour race of Le Mans in June 2024.

You can access more background information on BMW Art Cars through this link. the history of BMW Art Cars

The 20th BMW Art Car

See links below with information and first art impressions of Julie Mehretu’s designs that have been painted on the 20^th Art Car.

20th BMW Art Car

Julie Mehretu 20th Art Car

Images

You can access images of all 20 cars here. Julie Mehretu’s 20th Art Car will be uploaded on May 21st.

BMW Group Australia

Round 2 - Traction Tyres / Yokohama Drivers Championship | Sandown

Tue, 14 May 2024 05:01:21 GMT

Event date: 11 May 2024

Wow, what a day. Cloudy skies and a wet track presented no promises as we entered Sandown Raceway in our 5 Series BMW. Unlike the other Come and Try Days I had attended, this was an AROCA Sprint Round, which meant that the sessions were timed. The first round came and went with the presence of a wet track, however, all was well under the guidance of Graeme Bell. In the second round, the first glimpses of sunshine arrived, drying up certain parts of the track. By the time of the third session, it was past 1 pm, and I was seated in the car with Shannon Cooper receiving top-notch training from an E30 driver. On the third lap I got a surprise when I noticed the black flag aimed at my car. Unaware of the issue, we entered the pit lane where we were informed that we weren’t allowed 2 passengers in the vehicle during the competition. After some negotiation, we were granted one more round with an instructor before I would have to drive by myself. Suddenly it felt like everything came crashing down. I went from driving on the track with exceptional guidance from some of the best to being chucked into the deep end with no headlights. But hey, you got to start someday right?

Going into the solo round, I felt slightly nervous but confident in my abilities to control and handle the car. Focusing on spatial awareness and checking my mirrors in the first half of the day made me convinced that I would do okay. And let me tell you, I did more than okay. As soon as I entered the track and got into my driving rhythm, I completely forgot about the fact that I was driving by myself. Better than that, I achieved my fastest lap of the whole day in that final round!

This goes to show that whilst things may be difficult and scary at first, it’s all about popping that blister and giving it a go for the first time. Because trust me when I say that I wouldn’t have gone out on my own if it wasn’t for the motorsport regulations for that particular competition.

Claire Trainor | Member #1020
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMWDCM's Sixth Birthday & Presentation Dinner

Wed, 08 May 2024 05:09:13 GMT

Event date: 4 May 2024

Our sixth presentation night took a new look this year with the night taking place at WestWaters Mercure Entertainment Complex in Caroline Springs. Part of the reason that the function was held there was that the venue is to be the hub of the Nationals next year to stay and have a good look at how the venue operates.

I turned up mid afternoon to assist set up the night but the function room was already set up ready to go, the workers had been in early and were on their way to get dolled up in pink ready for the big night which was a fund raiser for the clubs chosen charity being the Peter McCullum Institute. Places had been set up and seats allocated.

As we gathered it was noticeable that our President Graeme had got into the spirit and had his hair tinted pink for the occasion but both John and David and long pink wigs with John also wearing a Lei which he leant to Jack Perkins who through his race team Cooldrive had agreed to speak and did an hour presentation off the cuff including his early racing, diabetes, changes that his diabetes management caused in sport and the restoration of his father’s race cars which now forms the basis of his business interests when not driving in the endurance events. Jack is to partner James Coutney later in the year in the Snowy River Caravans sponsored car. In fact, Jack had called in on his way home from assisting to open a dealership at Traralgon and was very accommodating taking questions and making himself available for photos once he finished speaking.

We also celebrated the winners of our Annual Show and Shine and last year’s Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship class winners, with Andy Kaos taking out the Championship, as well as our other major Awards, Member of the Year, John Shreeve, New Member of the Year, Terry Lane, Official of the Year, Simon de Lisle and President’s Award recipient, Jennifer Rose. We also Officially recognised the winner of our new young driver Behind the Wheel Scholarship, Claire Trainor.

During the night we had brief breaks that we could get a refill or attend to the silent auction tables along the wall with a wide variety of items from pearls to books, to photography sessions up to 2 carbon bikes. so we would like to thank everyone that donated the auction items and those that took the time and sometimes return visits to the tables to secure their items. There was also a table of raffle prizes which quickly diminished at the end of the night. In all across several events we raised over $6,300 which is a fantastic achievement so far and thank all that contributed.

The meals were really good considering the alternate menu with a variety across the 3 courses that allowed everyone to enjoy them although lack of food was not an issue as it was like having 2 mains and a dessert.

A further highlight was the publishing of the next idrive, which I have seen people at various events look at and expect that it is an official BMW publication at car shows etc and is a real credit to everyone that contributes stories and photos with the editing completed by Jess which is a huge task.

After a successful and fast-moving night some of the members adjourned to a suite to have a quite refreshment and talk about how successful the night had been.

It would be remiss to not thank all the different committees within that club that assist to organise and run events on our behalf. We are really spoilt and unless you see how other clubs run, tend to under appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes that allow us the variety and opportunities we have.

Adrian White | Member #606
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

An update from the President | April

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 07:46:48 GMT

Dear members,

Welcome to my April Report on everything going on in our Club. I just don’t know where the months are going, seems only yesterday I was doing last month’s report.

It has again been a very busy month, with some huge events held across April.

5 April - the month started with a visit to long time Sponsors, Peninsula BM in Mornington. It was a fantastic and informative night, and we couldn’t have asked for a better evening weather-wise to finish off our daylight savings outdoor events for the year. We had a coffee van onsite and Krispy’s Burgers for dinner and everyone loved them! Dean gave a great talk on the history of Peninsula BM then took everyone on a tour of the facility. Was great to have all the team on hand to meet too, as we usually only get to speak to them on the phone, great putting faces to voices.

10^th April – one of our biggest events for a long time. We visited new club Sponsors Walkinshaw Andretti United Racing, to see their fantastic facilities and what services they can provide for members. Not only do they run a Supercar team, they can also do engine rebuilds, race car preparation, component design and manufacture, all sorts of things! We had to close the event after only a few days of registrations, so it wouldn’t be too crowded. With over 60 members on hand it was a very interesting night, talking to each of the specialists in different areas of the business and a great talk from Darcy. Was great getting up close to their 2 Supercars as they were about to head to New Zealand for the next Supercar round and the Super2 cars getting ready for their next round. Dinner was provided by the club, as usual and a great night had by all.

25-28 April – Another fantastic weekend away with our ANZAC Long Weekend trip to Beechworth. 17 cars headed off on Thursday morning, picking up a couple more on the way and then we met up with more members already up there. we enjoyed lots of twisty country roads and delicious meals all over the high country over the 4 days. Jo outdid herself organising the accommodation, it was just delightful and each of the places we had lunch or dinner was perfect. Peter’s trip book and drive routes were amazing, as always, don’t know how he does it, but he always leads us on the most amazing roads. Thanks Peter. The autumn colors were out in a blaze of color and some beautiful photos were taken of the cars lined up under a bunch of orange and red trees. We even had a little down time to do our own thing, explore the township or other sights, like woolshed falls. It was a fun weekend, and everyone had a ball, a few new members came along too and enjoyed meeting everyone on the trip. Pretty sure a few new friendships were made there, and we even picked up some new members at one of the stops when they saw all the BMWs arrive together.

I must say thank you, again, to new Club Sponsors, Doncaster BMW, for loaning Jo and I the beautiful Alpina B4. What an amazing car! I am doing a write up on it for our blog, so keep an eye out for that. Suffice to say, it was the embodiment of Sheer Driving Pleasure! What a car, more than enough power and torque to handle the hills and overtaking and handled with all the refinement and comfort of a top of the line sports touring car.

Looking ahead

There are lots of events coming up on our always busy calendar to look forward to. There have been a few changes to the motorsport and driver training events forced on us by the resurfacing at Phillip Island closure so take note of our motorsport dates below.

4 May - Our 6th Birthday Presentation Dinner, supporting Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute. It will be an epic night, one to look forward to indeed. We sold out before we reached the cut off date so it will be another fun night out and for a very worthy cause. I am told that if we reach $2500 in donations before the night I am going to turn up with pink hair! So watch out for the photos next week, might be some very funny pics to be seen. There will be a silent auction and raffle on the night too, so it will be great to see how much we can raise for Peter Mac this year.
7 May - Berwick BMW members meeting, always great to drop in and see the Team at Berwick.
9 May - Welcome to Winter, Drop in at Daniels Donuts – Geelong, these casual meetups are getting very popular.
11 May - Round 2 – Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown
19 May - National Motoring Heritage Day Cavalcade down Geelong way
2 June - Kaos Custom Bikes – Come and Try -Motorkhana at Calder Park on the Thunderdome. Was a great fun day last year and promises to be another one this time
15 June - Traction Tyres/ Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 3 at Calder Park on the National Circuit
20 July - Christmas in July – Sovereign Hill – Winter Wonderlights weekend away
29 July - Kaos Custom Bikes – Come and Try – Broadford
11 August - Kaos Custom bikes – Come and Try – Sandown
25 August - Traction tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 5 at Phillip Island
29 October - 6 November – Tasmania Trip 2 - The Northern Half
10 November - Hill Climb – Bryant Park our first Hill climb for a couple of years, will be great to get back down to Morwell
14 November - AGM at the German Tivoli Club
21- 24 November - Challenge Bathurst
1 December - Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 6 – Phillip Island
8 December - Christmas Show & Shine – Family picnic – Cruden Farm

To register for any of the above events, head on over to our calendar.

Remember to keep an eye on emails and updates, as dates do change, sometimes by events out of our control, and new events are added all the time, and I’d hate to see you miss out on something.

Our new motorsport top has sold out and we are waiting for a new order to arrive. The new design was very popular, and they do look fantastic, so get your orders in as soon as you can, and we’ll send them out, or come to our track days and we will have stock there. Check out all the other club merchandise in our store too, always lots to chose from.

Edition 6 of our wonderful magazine, idrive, is with the printer as we speak, so you will receive it on Saturday if you are at the 6th Birthday Celebration Dinner, or it will be in the mail next week. Can’t wait to see the next edition. Well done to all who contributed stories, but especially Jo for chasing up content and Jess for all her continued hard work putting it all together. She does an amazing job, and we are all very proud of her and the end result of her toils.

Membership continues to grow, above 800 members now, so welcome to all of you have joined and thank you to all of you that keep renewing. We must be doing something right to keep you coming back. As always though, this is your club, so if you have an event idea or suggestion, don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of the committee and we will see what we can do. We are always looking for inspiration and new places to visit.

It is now just under 12 months until we are hosting the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals in Melbourne, over the ANZAC weekend, 2025. Keep the date free in your calendar. Planning is well underway, we are building a web site and setting up the entry system as we speak. All of this will be released very soon. It is looking like a great event. So make sure you keep the weekend free to come and join us. We will also be looking for lots of helpers to run the Nationals, so keep that in mind too for when we put out a call for helpers.

Our welfare team has been working away quietly in the background, providing support and assistance where needed. It is a great part of the club we have that there is a facility there when we need it. Very proud of the work the team do and very heartwarming to see the results of being there when someone needs a shoulder to lean on. If you need any help or an ear to listen to a problem, reach out, they are there to help in any way we can.

Take care out there, especially as the days get colder and wetter as we head into Winter, and I look forward to seeing you at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Behind the Scene of German Auto Show

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 00:37:18 GMT

Event date: August 2023

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne have successfully run this event now for 2 years, in 2022 and 2023.

Why did we start running his event you may ask.

With the Covid lockdowns there were a lot of events which were cancelled or postponed.

In 2020 at our Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Car Display event we were approached by a member of the Mercedes Club and asked if we had heard anything about the GAS event being held that year and we said no we had not.

Graeme and I discussed this and also spoke to our committee and thought we would approach the VW Club and see if this event would be resurrected after the lock down.

We got a response saying that they had issues with venues and volunteers, and it was unlikely they would be holding the event in 2020.

This got us thinking and we suggested that we run the event in 2021 with their blessing. We were invited to a committee meeting where we presented our prospectus to them, and they were happy for us to run it as long as we kept the theme of the event the same, which we were more than happy to do as previously these events were always run so well by the VW Club and always well attended.

We agreed to run the event that year and VW do the next.

Flyers were made by VW and then the promoting started. We had the date booked for the same weekend which it had always run, which was late August 2021, but sadly due to more COVID lockdowns we had to postpone the event to Jan 2022. Now this was not an easy thing to do as we had many food and trade stands attending, not to say all the entrants who had paid to attend.

Weeks and months of preparation had to be put on hold and a new date was to be sourced. Luckily, we managed to get the last Sunday in January and we prayed for good weather and a great turn out.

The event was being held at Sandown Raceway on the Red Hill area.

These events are both expensive and need as small army of volunteers to help run them. We were lucky to have help from the venue and sponsorship form Shannons to help with some of the expenditure.

I had chosen Beyond Blue as our charity for this event, because of all the fantastic work they had and are still doing through Covid with mental health. They were very happy to have us raise fund for them, and I naively thought we would raise approximately $2500.

As we neared the event, I was getting more and more trade stands wanting to attend and they all donated to the charity as part of their contribution to attending. The numbers were steadily going up for our charity and even though we were exhausted with all the planning, it was going to be a great day.

The week prior to the event we had 3 days of solid Melbourne rain, and I was so worried about what it would be like, I had nervous vendors calling me wanting to know what would happen, I said we will still hold the event rain hail or shine.

The Saturday before, 4 of us attended the venue to mark out the areas for the display cars and start the huge set up.

After several hours in 38c we were all drained and headed back to the Park Royal Monash for some much-needed rest and refuelling.

We had a large group of members come down from NSW who were also staying at the hotel, which was fantastic, it is always great to have inter club events.

Early start, we headed out there for our final set up and the weather Gods were very kind to us. Our band of volunteers arrived early which made this part easy.

All at their points we started getting all the cars in and how emotional was this. Now remember, this was also a very hot day and our volunteers stayed on point all day, I had 2 runners taking water, food and seats (no one sat) they had no time. We had erected marques for them to get some shade and luckily some were under trees too, so it made it a little bit easier for them.

The event was a huge success, and we smashed the donation total out of the park and raised just under $10,500 but we rounded it up to that amount. (I don’t like odd amounts LOL)

Tired, foot sore, we all headed home feeling amazing to be part of such a successful event. I have thanked my volunteers for this event before, but I will thank them again as without them, we would not have achieved such a successful event.

Also, I would like to again thank all the car clubs who attended with their amazing cars to put on such a great show.

After the event I sent a very detailed breakdown of costs and contacts to the VW committee so they would be able to use this information for the next event.

In late 2021 I received an email from one of the VW committee members wanting us to help them run the event at the same venue in January, but unfortunately, we had already booked the first half of the year with events, and this would not be possible for us at least to help with. I did suggest they do it on that date, but it did conflict with one of Melbourne’s biggest Car Shows and it may not be a good idea to have 2 cars shows on the same day. This was agreed by the VW committee.

Some months later we were approached by one of our members who suggested Calder Park for the event, if we were planning on holding it during the winter months (historically this event has been held on the last Sunday in August) being mainly tarmac, it would be much easier for all the cars and bikes to be displayed.

Our committee met and thought about it, I contacted Calder to see what they thought of this, and they agreed to us holding the event with them.

We contacted VW club again and suggested this and then set up a sight visit with the President of the VW Club, BMW Motorcycle club and ourselves attending.

All agreed this was a great venue, yes it looked tired but personally I think that added to the patina of the event with historic cars on display at such an iconic venue.

You might ask why BMW Bikes were attending the viewing.

2023 BMW Bikes celebrated 100 years of the R32 and they asked if they could be part of this great event with us and we all agreed.

Now the hard work started.

VW designed another fantastic flyer and away we went with the promoting of this event.

I contacted Beyond Blue again and asked if we could collect for them and again, they were over the moon and said, ‘Yes Please’. My goal for this event was to raise more than previously but I was worried, due to the change in venue and this one being in August and not January there might not be as many attending.

I was very lucky with this event, as Nella Santisi asked if she could start promoting the event through her socials and with her business contacts and of course I said yes.

This soon became almost a full-time job for us both and each Thursday and some Saturdays, Nella would come down to Hastings to our club rooms and we would work away on promoting, contacting dealerships, other clubs etc.

Again, months of hard work and many hours of us both tirelessly slogging away we started to see the light.

Yes, we had a committee for this event who worked behind the scenes, but Nella and I were the face of this event, and our hard work was paying off. The tally for Beyond Blue was going up each week and my goal of going over $10,500 was achieved even before the event.

Graeme set up a web site early in the planning stages and updated it with photos, videos, sponsors, clubs attending, and of course the ever-changing dollar value of our fund-raising amounts. This was fabulous and I feel really helped with the promoting of this event.

At one stage I did say I wanted $20K but thought I am just being greedy. If you don’t put it out there you won’t get it, I was told.

Getting closer to the event I enlisted my small army of volunteers and the other clubs who were attending also supplied volunteers who were amazing.

The week prior to the event the weather was looking dodgy, and I prayed each day for sunshine or just clouds but no rain.

Again, as in previous years I received emails, text, calls from patrons and vendors asking what would happen if it rained, I simply said the cars get wet, that was pretty much all I could say.

Honestly, someone must love me up there as the day before the sun was out for our set up and all my merry men and woman attended and helped with set up and after many exhausting hours, we all went back to our hotel, West Waters in Caroline Springs and again rested and refuelled.

Setting up the day before was great as we could step out where all the trade stands would be and all the display cars. Nells and I had our doubts we would fit everyone in, but Graeme called us worry warts as most know the Thunderdome is massive and after arriving and setting up, we could have had 3 times as many there and still had plenty of room. Sorry Graeme for ever doubting you. Yes, there you have it an apology in writing. LOL

The morning was another very early start and we had patrons already lined up waiting to come in even though they had been told their entry times.

All officials to their battle points and it was like a small army, again I am so proud of all ours and the other club’s volunteers for how hard they all worked. We managed to relieve some of our officials but again it was just so busy all the time, we were running from start to finish.

Great weather, great display stands, great clubs attending, and especially fantastic to have BMW Bikes on display for their 100-year celebration.

We had some fantastic raffle prizes donated by vendors, dealerships, and clubs which I thank you all for.

John Bowe was there to sign autographs and present the winners of Best in Class.

Our club Treasurer did an initial count of tins and raffle money and at the end of the day we were just over $21K. I burst into tears and was told by one of our members he felt we could make $25K after the final counting was done.

Beyond Blue had their own donation tins on the day and they told me they would be able to give us the final figure by Wednesday. These were the longest few days for me as I was so excited and so were all the others associated with this event.

The email came in and like previously we were just under $25k so BMW Drivers Club Melbourne made up the difference to make it an even amount.

Just because the event was over didn’t mean the hard work was finished.

Thank you, emails were sent to all who attended, informing them of our final tally.

All vendors, sponsors and volunteers received thank you emails. This took me and Nella over 2 weeks to complete.

Our club trailer needed to be cleaned out and re packed this was a huge task.

Now if you are ever thinking about holding an event like this, a word of advice, make sure you have a dedicated team behind you and loving supportive partner to reassure you that you are doing the right thing, when you fall in a heap from exhaustion and a band of volunteers who will work with you to achieve your final goal.

Thank you to all who contributed to both these great events, without your help be it little or large, these two events would not have been the success they were.

Jo Mawson | Member #2
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMW M235i brief impressions

Sat, 27 Apr 2024 00:20:30 GMT

Our club together with The BMW Motrorcycle Club of Victoria recently organised a visit to the new Ringwood BMW Dealership and it was a thrilling experience for all members from both clubs. As we walked into the dealership we were immediately greeted by the sleek and stylish BMW models showcased on the showroom floor.

BMW has two separate 2-series cars at present. The G42 2 series Coupe shares much with the G20 3-series and, like it, is based on BMW’s CLAR platform for rear-drive cars, or rear-drive-biased Xdrive all-wheel-drive models. The F44 2-series Gran Coupe is based on the UKL2 architecture shared with other smaller BMWs and the MINI range, for front-drive cars or front-biased AWD models. In BMW’s usual model naming, a 2-series coupe and Gran Coupe would both be based on the 1-series. But the front-drive platform was unsuitable for an M2 version of the 2-series coupe, so the rear-drive G42 coupe was born.

A recent loan car from Waverley BMW was an F44 M235i Gran Coupe. Many will know I owned a F54 MINI Clubman JCW, and the F44 is a stretched and updated version of the same platform, with the same 225KW/450NM version of the B48 engine, front-biased all-wheel-drive, mechanical limited slip front differential, an Aisan 8-speed torque converter automatic and large Brembo brakes. Given the similarities, I was keen to compare the M235i. And, of course, to compare it with my G42 230i Coupe. For information, the M135i has the same mechanicals as the M235i, but is a hatchback on the shorter Clubman-sized platform. The M235i is quite expensive, priced mid-way between the 230i and M240i coupes.

Unfortunately, the weather was wet during my time with the M235i, and I didn’t have time for a long rural drive, so where handling is concerned these are impressions rather than a comprehensive comparison.

Immediately, the M235i feels sportier than 230i but not as refined. It’s very like the Clubman JCW in that regard. It feels like a not-too-large front-drive sports car.

Its engine is very responsive, sounds good, and is quite loud in sports mode, accompanied by lots of pops and bangs from the exhaust. Overall, it’s much louder than 230i. Acceleration is properly fast. The all-wheel-drive system sends up to half the torque to the rear wheels and gives remarkable grip for acceleration even on wet roads.

The M235i’s gearbox is much smoother in sports mode than the identical box in the Clubman. But this is achieved through slow changes, which are very noticeable in manual mode. Stepping off the line is prompt, unlike the Clubman, so that’s an improvement. Overall, not up to standard for a sporty car, and nowhere near the standard of the ZF gearbox in the 230i and other rear-drive BMWs.

The M235i interior is a big step down from 230i in appearance and ambience – unsurprising seeing the 230i inherits its interior from the 3- and 4-series and other larger BMWs. Some of materials and touch points seem a bit less sophisticated. Quality is sound like the Clubman although, being a MINI, that interior feels more unique and special. Also, the M235i interior feels narrow after the (admittedly very wide) 230i, but realistically it has adequate width. At least my phone fits in the wireless charger, unlike in the 230i!

Personally, I found the M235i front seats terrible. They have a fixed headrest which is angled too far forward. Just in normal driving it was banging my head constantly and gave me a near-instant headache, so I had to adopt a longer-arm driving position which is neither sustainable on a long trip nor conforming to BMW’s own seat position recommendations. But if you have longer arms than me, or you sit more reclined, you’ll find the seat is otherwise pretty well shaped and fairly well bolstered, although bolstering is not adjustable as in the 230i. The M235i seat lacks lumbar adjustment and is almost good enough to do without – it might be in an options pack as it is with the 230i. The seat in my loan car was either leather or Sensatec (vinyl) but it was without seat heating (another option, no doubt) it was freezing to get into in winter. I’m guessing it was leather, with the standard upholstery being the much more suitable Alcantara.

The M235i’s rear seat is basic, as was the Clubman’s. As for space, the rear lacks headroom unless you sit very upright so the your head is in the small raised area between the sunroof and the rear window. Because of its square shape, the Clubman is way more spacious in the rear. If you regularly carry people of average or greater height in the back, you might see if the similar but shorter M135i hatch has more space – it might do, due to its squarer roof shape. Access through the M235i’s narrow rear side doors is tight, and even the front doors are a bit tight. Frameless windows front and rear are a nice touch. For comparison, the 230i’s rear seat is much better shaped with reasonable support. It has slightly less headroom than the M235i but less legroom.

OS7 drives the screens and user interface of the M235i. Now being used to OS8 in the 230i, I much prefer it for its bigger screen, more info, better legibility and much more flexibility. The only plus of OS7 is that “Set” cruise control function sets to the current speed limit, rather than current speed.

Despite its appearance and the layout of BMW’s larger Gran Coupes, the M235i not a hatch but a sedan. The boot lid doesn't open nearly far enough. Mind your head! That said, the boot is huge. Predictably and sadly, there is no spare wheel - all the more frustrating as a space saver could fit under the main floor.

Unsurprisingly given the shared platform, the M235i has steering that is MINI-like and heavier than 230i. Steering feel is probably better than 230i but still not brilliant; this is another area in which the Clubman JCW was better. The M235i has typical front-drive traits of occasional tramlining and less self-centring. Overall, the steering doesn’t inspire confidence like the 230i’s. On the positive, torque steer seems completely absent.

The M235i ride seems a bit softer around town than both 230i and Clubman but it’s still firm. The 230i becomes brilliant at rural speeds, but I didn’t get the chance to compare the M235i in the countryside. However, I could tell that, overall, its handling is very like the Clubman’s, which shouldn’t be a surprise. Fundamentally, it handles like a heavy-ish front-drive car. It’s very fast powering out of corners if you use the limited slip front diff correctly to pull you through the corner, then that and the AWD rockets you out of the corner. There’s not much mid-corner adjustability and it’s not a car to throw around. You can’t play with the balance with the throttle or even the brakes to the degree you can in the 230i. Unless going as fast as possible is your thing, the 230i is much, much better for handling in the traditional BMW style. Roadholding/grip for the M235i seems good even in the wet, and of course AWD gives strong grip under acceleration.

I did manage to check out the headlights. On my loan car, they were fixed LEDs and were pretty good, but not as good for distance as 230i’s optional adaptive lights.

Appearance-wise, the M235i suffers the fate of many current BMWs by being liked by some and not by others. Personally, I think the profile is attractive. The front is pretty good with only a slightly oversized grille. The rear looks like an X4, which I rate as ugly. Much of the point of a Gran Coupe is to be a more attractive alternative to its sibling sedan – or hatch, in this case – and in this regard the F44 Gran Coupe probably may miss the mark for many people.

On its release, the M235i received mediocre reviews, especially from writers expecting a cut-price traditional (ie rear-drive) BMW. This was especially the case in the USA, where it serves as the brand’s smallest sedan (the US doesn’t get the 1‑series hatch). I know the M135i was sharpened up mid-cycle and received a better response, and I wonder if the M235i received the same treatment after its initial reviews. How you view the car may depend on your expectations and what else is available at the price. If you’re expecting typical BMW rear-drive handling, the M235i is clearly going to disappoint. If you’re looking for a front-drive sporty car (yes, with the added benefit of supplementary rear drive), then it’s good. For the enthusiast looking for the most engaging, best-handling front-drive sports car, there are superior alternatives. For someone seeking luxury, there would be competitors at the BMW’s price. The M235i, then, is either a bit of a compromise or a well-rounded car, depending on your viewpoint. It’s a good, sporty-feeling car with a touch of sophistication and BMW’s high quality. It’s fast and secure. It would be good for a young family if they can afford it. And based on my Clubman experience, it would be good for long-distance trips too. It does many things quite well, but it’s not a knock-out blow against the competition.

In contrast, the G42 2-series coupe has no competition, and even if it did, it’s a modern iteration of classic BMW at its best. It proved to be a great decision by BMW to go to the trouble and cost of producing the 2‑series coupe on the CLAR rear-drive platform. For singles or couples, rather than an M235i Gran Coupe, either saving money with a 230i coupe or stretching the budget to the AWD M240i Coupe are better options.

Peter Williams | Member #36
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Survey shows Australia's historic and classic car owners spend over $9.9 billion annually

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:38:08 GMT

The Association of Motor Clubs (AOMC), Victoria's peak body for car and motoring enthusiast clubs (to which BMWDCM is affiliated) contributed to the funding of a national survey conducted by the Australian Motoring Heritage Foundation (AMHF) into the economic value of the historic and classic car movement.

The Economic Value Study (EVS), the first of its kind in Australia, received over 6,000 responses and indicates that the owners of an estimated 970,000 historic vehicles in Australia spend on average $10,240 per vehicle annually across a range of items including running costs, travel costs and other related purchases such as club memberships.

The survey also indicates that the total annual economic impact, including both direct and indirect expenditure, is $25.2 billion: with the sector creating almost 79,000 jobs – 42,000 direct and 37,000 indirect. These jobs generate $6.2 billion in wages and salaries annually.

Read the executive summary here and the full report here. Note : both these links will take you to the AOMC website.

FIA WEC: BMW M4 GT3 triumphs at Imola - Strong race for the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8.

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 09:03:31 GMT

Great results for BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). The 6 Hours of Imola (ITA) ended with a one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3 in the LMGT3 class. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) triumphed ahead of their team-mates Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA).

Great results for BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT at the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). The 6 Hours of Imola (ITA) ended with a one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3 in the LMGT3 class. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Sean Gelael (INA), and Darren Leung (GBR) triumphed ahead of their team-mates Maxime Martin (BEL), Valentino Rossi (ITA), and Ahmad Al Harthy (OMA). It was the first victory for a BMW M Motorsport car in the history of the FIA WEC. BMW M Team WRT also celebrated success in the Hypercar category. After a challenging start in Qatar, Robin Frijns (NED), René Rast (GER), and Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) gave a very strong performance, battled for the podium for a long time, and ultimately finished in sixth place.

The weather conditions, with rain setting in around the halfway point of the race, turned the event into a strategy gamble. However, all BMW M Motorsport teams made the right tyre choices and were rewarded with outstanding results. The BMW M Hybrid V8 made enormous improvements compared to the season opener and was competitive under all conditions. On the wet track, final driver van der Linde even had the podium within reach, but problems during the last pit stop and a subsequent drive-through penalty pushed the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 back to a still-strong sixth place. The #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Dries Vanthoor (BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) in the cockpit was unlucky and got innocently involved in a collision at the start. After about an hour of repairs, the team managed to get the car back on track for important test kilometres.

The celebration was even greater in the LMGT3 category. Both BMW M4 GT3 crews continued on slick tyres as the rain began to fall, making the right decision. No competitor could match their speed, and they drove to a commanding one-two finish. Never before had a BMW M Motorsport car won a race in this series since the founding of the FIA WEC in 2012.

Comments after the race at Imola:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “That was an extremely positive FIA WEC event at Imola. In Hypercar, we made great progress after the challenging start in Qatar. We had the pace to achieve a top result on our own. I am pleased that car #20 was able to hold its own in the leading group throughout the race, even under difficult conditions. The early unprovoked accident of car #15 was very unfortunate and annoying. Many thanks to BMW M Team WRT, which rebuilt the car and sent it back on track. That allowed us to finish the race and collect important data to continue improving. On the LMGT3 side of the garage, it couldn't have gone better. Congratulations to all drivers and crew members for very strong performances. Thank you to everyone at BMW M Motorsport and the team for a very successful weekend!”

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “What a great weekend for our LMGT3 crews! Qualifying and the race went very well, and we did the little things right. Augusto and Maxime stayed on slicks on a wet track and were able to show incredible pace. That gave us a good lead and ultimately the one-two result. In Hypercar we were in the window where we belong this time after the big disappointment in Qatar. We are taking one step at a time and have already done some things very well here. On to the next race at Spa-Francorchamps.”

Sheldon van der Linde (BMW M Team WRT, #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, 6th place): “In the end, that was one of the most challenging and craziest stints I've ever driven. I thought several times that I would lose the car. I knew I had to bring it home so we could score very good points. Luckily, that worked out. The team did a great job improving the car so much since Qatar. We can be very proud of that. Thank you to everyone!”

Marco Wittmann (BMW M Team WRT, #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, 18th place): “That was a wild start phase, where some of our competitors quite misjudged themselves. I was hit from behind and spun around. That was very annoying. The guys did a great job repairing the car and getting us back on track. That allowed us to collect important test kilometres. My stint after the repair was great. The car felt good, and we could have made up some places. The pace and balance were good; we need to build on that. Hopefully, we'll have more racing luck next time.”

Augusto Farfus (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “I am incredibly happy and proud. We showed today that it's about having the best team in this championship, not just the best car or the best individual driver. In my stint, the track was always differently wet, and it was a constant question of which tyres were better. We stayed on slicks the whole time, and I felt very comfortable in the BMW M4 GT3 under those conditions. The team always stayed calm and did everything right in the end. It's my son's birthday today – I couldn't have given him a better gift.”

Sean Gelael (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “I'm super happy! Darren qualified the car in fourth place on Saturday and drove a strong first stint. I had quite a bit of fun after that and was able to make up some time. Then I handed over to Augusto, who was sensational on the track and put pressure on Maxime. It was not so bad today.”

Darren Leung (Team WRT, #31 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “Winning in just my second FIA WEC race – that's just incredible! We did an outstanding job as a team. The turbulent start phase was difficult for me, but I got through it very well and was able to hand over the car in a good position to my colleagues.”

Maxime Martin (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “A fantastic result for the team. We had a strong car and decided on a bold strategy. That made the difference in the end. Congratulations to the #31 crew on the victory! We collected a lot of points and will continue to work hard in the next races.”

Valentino Rossi (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “I am very happy about the one-two for Team WRT, for BMW M Motorsport, and my first podium in FIA WEC. We already had a strong car on Saturday in qualifying, and Ahmad achieved a very good third starting position. In the race, we then decided to stay out on slicks. Augusto was a bit faster than Maxime at the beginning and took the lead. Nevertheless, I am very happy with the result.”

Ahmad Al Harthy (Team WRT, #46 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “My first podium with Team WRT – that's an incredible feeling! Many thanks to the team, which did a fantastic job. We took a calculated risk, and it paid off in the end.”

BMW PRESS

Round 1 of the Toyota 86 Scholarship Series - SMSP

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 04:51:13 GMT

Finally the opening round of the Toyota 86 scholarship series at Sydney Motorsport park is done and dusted!

This round was a one day event on 14 April, it was a jam packed day but was extremely well run, so great job to the Toyota 86 scholarship series for making it all run smoothly!

This round was my first ever time at smsp and only my 3rd time in the car so we knew it was going to be a huge challenge as we are up against a lot of talent.

The 50 min practice session in the morning was my first ever time on the track and I was able to grab 8th place which was a great result for the team!

Unfortunately for qualifying being a new car to us we went by the factory fuel gauge to see how much fuel we had left after practice. The gauge read empty so we refuelled going into qualifying, after qualifying Marcus from 99 Motorsport suggest we empty the tank to find what fuel we had left. Unfortunately we had around 35 litres too much which wouldn’t have helped the result, but was a big learning curve, and something we will make sure we check for the rest of the season. As we’re forced to have a new set of tyres for qualifying, we will work on making the most of our new rubber in qualy to try gain some track position moving forward into the season.

In race one I was able to grab a couple positions off the line which ended up in me moving up from 13th to the top ten.

Race two was another good clean race which resulted in another top ten for the team.

In race 3 I had a good dice for tenth and managed to hold on for another top ten result.

Overall it was a great day, and getting a top ten for the round was a great confidence builder for the team going into the next round!

Our next round will be at the bend on 24-26 May. Being at a track I am more familiar with, and having the lap record there in the E30 series, we are hoping to be knocking on the door of the top five.

I’d like to give a huge thanks to Marcus and his team from 99motorsport for helping dad and I throughout the day.

And a big thanks to all of our sponsors:

Glen and Peter Knight, David Reddy, Graeme, Jo, Lawrence, and Shaaron from BMWDCM, Ross and Sharon Wilkinson, Greg and Nean, and Ashley Rogers

Royce Lyne | Member #406
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

DTM tests: Three Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3s on the racetrack for the first time in new designs

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 00:07:05 GMT

Schubert Motorsport took advantage of the official DTM test drives at Hockenheim (GER) on Tuesday and Wednesday to intensively prepare its three BMW M4 GT3s for the season start at the end of April. The BMW M works drivers René Rast (GER), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Marco Wittmann (GER) hit the track for the first time in the new car designs of the BMW M Motorsport Partners RoboMarkets, Shell, and Schaeffler.

Schubert Motorsport took advantage of the official DTM test drives at Hockenheim (GER) on Tuesday and Wednesday to intensively prepare its three BMW M4 GT3s for the season start at the end of April. The BMW M works drivers René Rast (GER), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Marco Wittmann (GER) hit the track for the first time in the new car designs of the BMW M Motorsport Partners RoboMarkets, Shell, and Schaeffler. At the end of the four test sessions, the drivers drew a positive conclusion.

In addition to the DTM, the ADAC GT Masters also conducted test sessions at Hockenheim. The FK Performance Motorsport team participated with two BMW M4 GT3s.

On the sidelines of the testing, ADAC announced the continuation of the BMW M2 Cup. In the 2024 season, the cars will no longer be centrally deployed and managed but will be run by several teams. Along with this change, the portfolio of models eligible for the Cup has expanded. Three car categories are eligible to start, including the BMW M2 CS Racing in the 450 HP and 365 HP versions, as well as the 340 HP BMW M240i Racing. The BMW M2 Cup events are compact and take place over two days. Practice, qualifying, and races are held exclusively on Saturday and Sunday. The junior series will compete at a total of five DTM events and will hold two races lasting 25 minutes each weekend. The season starts from 24^th to 26^th May at the Lausitzring (GER).

Comments on the DTM test:

Björn Lellmann (Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport): “When you walk through the Hockenheim paddock during the test drives, you immediately get the unique DTM feeling that still makes this race series special. The Schubert Motorsport team and our BMW M works drivers used the two days for intensive preparation. The professional attitude of all participants is impressive and gives me confidence that the team led by Team Principal Torsten Schubert will play an important role in the title race in the 2024 season. I also wish FK Performance Motorsport success in the ADAC GT Masters and ADAC GT4 Germany for the great effort they are putting into the upcoming season. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for everyone and look forward to the season start in just over two weeks when Schubert Motorsport will celebrate its home game at Oschersleben.”

Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3): “I am very satisfied with the first test. We were able to try a lot, and everything went well. For me, it was primarily about getting to know the team and the engineers. This is crucial because we can only be successful during the season if we trust each other blindly.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Shell BMW M4 GT3): “The test could hardly have gone better. I am very satisfied with the processes in the team and the fact that we were able to complete our programme without any problems. I also really like the new design of my car. It's a real eye-catcher in the starting field and is sure to be easy to recognise in the races.”

René Rast (#33 RoboMarkets BMW M4 GT3): “It was a good test. We had no problems over the two days, were able to try out many things, and were also fast in the end. All very positive. Having three cars in the garage was a bit of an adjustment at the beginning, but Schubert Motorsport already has the processes well under control. Let‘s keep it up.”

BMW PRESS

Puffing Billy historic railway steam train

Sun, 07 Apr 2024 00:50:00 GMT

Event date: 3 March 2024

A loud steam whistle greeted us at the Belgrave station. Boarding our exclusive BMWDCM carriage, we appeared to be overflowing. A few hapless interlopers were identified, and after a quick explanation of the ticketing system and carriage numbers, they politely left for another carriage. The historic train was full (literally sold out) of locals and international visitors with overactive cameras, on a chilly morning in The Dandenongs.

Now that we all had seats, we settled in. Meg's 18 month old daughter came out of her quiet slumber and was quickly wide-eyed. Standing on a seat, safely between Mum's knees. Isabella began tapping on a metal window frame. No glass, just fresh air and some thick safety rails. Isabella tapped again. I gave it a go, and Isabella tapped again. We worked up a rhythm, tub thumping on the train. This was exciting stuff. We hadn't even left the station.

This is the thing about family events. The kids always give you a fresh take on the world, allowing you to see it through simple innocent eyes.

We were thrown off-balance, as the train lurched off the mark with a powerful determined thrust. Isabella was a little intimidated by the sudden jolt. A quick cuddle from Mum, and she was back at the window. Tap, tap. Reaching up to a rail, tap, tap, stretching up to another rail tap, tap, tap, then working her way down the rails again. Mesmerised, I joined in and again we were tub thumping, this time on the move.

We looked down deep valleys filled with tall trees. Not just any trees. We are within the southern perimeter of Sherbrooke Forest with rainforest known for its native Mountain Ash trees. These towering eucalyptus trees are the tallest flowering plants in the world.

Many kids extended their arms and legs outside the carriage, balanced around the open window frames. Some of the kids looked over 50 years old. I guess everyone is a kid when you board the Puffing Billy.

Approaching a tall towering wooden Trestle Bridge, eyes and cameras focused on the marvel. Built in 1899 - it has had some restoration work since - the railway bridge has piers (tree trunks) up to 11 metres high, in 6 metre spans. To top that off, it has a curving radius - some call it a horseshoe bridge - allowing it to align with the next hill.

Onwards we choofed, with a slow puffing sound, more pronounced on downhill braking than uphill chugs. We waved back at onlookers at each road crossing, and then it happened! One of the girls got separated from her shoe. Fortunately the shoe fell outside, and she fell into the train. That was the last we were going to see of that shoe.

The train puffed into the Lakeside station. Preparing to get out and wander over to the railway cafe, prams were prepared and cameras tucked away. Lo and behold, a cheerful fellow in overalls, sporty a generous white beard, came waltzing down the platform. One arm stretched high, holding a girl's shoe, he proudly returned it with a beaming smile. Part of a team of over 900 volunteers, he was following the train in a small fire patrol trolley. He stopped to collect her shoe and now returned it. Magic. The most fun you can have outside driving a BMW round twisty roads.

John Shreeve | Member #579
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Kaos Custom Bikes Womens Introduction to Motorsport Come and Try Day, Sandown

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 09:28:58 GMT

If that looks like a long event title let’s break it down a little.

The bikes are of the human or electric assist variety but certainly not your common or garden sort. Kaos Custom Bikes are the sponsor with over 30 years experience, a highly equipped workshop and the skills and the tools to make your custom builds and repairs hassle free. Andy “Kaos” Oosterweghel is a Founding Member of our club and a dab hand behind the wheel. For this event he was working 3 jobs; sponsor, race car developer and driving instructor. Good job he is fit.

Although the event was primarily to provide a “safe” (in every sense) introduction to motorsport, either as a competitor or an official, for women men were also welcome and taking part. But, we had a good turn out of ladies which was very encouraging.

The Come and Try part is, as the name suggests an opportunity to try track driving without any pressure but, most importantly, with instructors on hand and in car. Not everyone uses these sessions for pure track driving – one can also improve on road driving skills and techniques. In deed, the first part of the instruction is how to sit in your car properly. Sounds basic but many get it wrong.

The day is not timed and the atmosphere friendly and supportive. Everyone is there to have fun and learn.

A special bonus was pace laps behind the Racer Industries proper pace car. So cool. We were very lucky, and grateful, to have the use of this vehicle.

We were pleased to be able to support 3 young driver with one scholarship and two gift vouchers donated by the Shannon family, the main prize going to Emily Trainor.

We were also proud to provide Royce Lyne, a young member of our club with great talent and potential, with sponsorship towards his Toyota 86 Academy campaign.

As always, a great bunch of volunteers ran the event which was quite tasking, especially for the flag marshals as the temperature crept up and the day wore on.

Royal Children's Hospital Appeal Good Friday Coffee & Wheels Morning

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 08:51:23 GMT

The usual “taste of Easter” seems to be hot cross buns (now available from Christmas) and chocolate eggs. Over recent years I have added French pastries to my personal list thanks to Flavours Patisserie being the meeting point for our Good Friday coffee and cars meeting raising money for the Royal Childrens Hospital’s Good Friday Appeal.

True to the meeting format people came and went during the morning bringing along a great selection of cars, BMW and non BMW, of all shapes and sizes. As well as our members quite a few passing public came by for a look and a chat.

The food and drink on offer from Flavours was exceptional, making the effort to be there very worthwhile.

With some raffle prizes (yes, more chocolate and other things) and donations into the collection buckets we raised $1184 which, when added to other donations on the web page, brought the grand total to $2555 which is a stunning result.

Thanks to Nella and Adrian for selling and collecting and many others for helping out. Olivia was in charge of the mobile collection bucket in the smallest BMW (just!) on site (but electric).

Click here to see more photos

AGP F1 Car Display 2024

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 23:22:21 GMT

Of the 425,055 attendances at the Australian Grand Prix this year I reckon only those made by Ferrari fans resulted in happier days than my 4 days there.

Although the larger crowds did make watching the racing a bit harder at the busy times it also made for a great atmosphere. Friendly, happy, well behaved and generally having a good time in one another’s company.

We had a terrific line up of cars in our display thanks to our wonderful members being prepared to bump their cars in on Wednesday morning and leave them there until bump out late Sunday evening. I was particularly grateful for the quiet patience of our members having to wait to leave on Sunday for no obvious reason. Some took the option to return on Monday morning to get their cars.

We were privileged to have a glorious XM on loan from Melbourne BMW and it attracted a lot of attention.

In fact, the interest shown in all of our display was, in the words of one member, “over-whelming”. For considerable periods we had a group of people in front of every car in our display. I would have taken a photo but I was busy the whole time answering questions and engaging with other enthusiasts, BMW or otherwise. There were plenty of other club displays to look at too.

Whether you enjoyed the main race probably depends on who you support but there was plenty of other track action to keep one occupied (although I did not get to see much). Being close to the action, as we are lucky to be in Albert Park, certainly refreshes the memory as to just how fast the cars are on track – something lost on TV. The sensation even away from the track’s edge is fantastic.

A significant contingent of our members were among the 1,.000 + who volunteered in various roles, scrutineering, flag marshals, paddock marshals and more. Some were required to report for duty at 5:30 am, others out in whatever the weather throws up. Those of us merely watching are very grateful to these volunteers, without whom the event could not happen.

An update from the President | March

Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Welcome to my March report on highlights of some exciting events and activities our club organized and participated in. Again, it has been a very busy month, and with a quarter of the year now behind us we settle into the beautiful Autumn weather we love in Melbourne.

Events Recap

3 March: A successful Family Fun Day on Puffing Billy attracted many families and sold out very quickly. We plan to make this a recurring event, so next time you see it come up in our event notices, get on board very quickly!
5 March: Well-attended members' meeting at Sonax Australia, included car cleaning by their experts, discounts on products, and a great overall experience. Dinner was provided by the Club, as usual at our member meetings, and was delicious!
9 March: Our annual display of club members cars at the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed, plus some parade laps for those that wished to join in. It was a very hot weekend, but was a huge event, as always, and one we wouldn’t miss.
17 March: We launched our first "Come and Try" Day for 2024, a Women's Introduction to Motorsport supported by Kaos Custom Bikes. The event featured experienced instructors and officials, creating a welcoming environment for women, kids and even men to come and try out a track event, gain some instruction and see what our track days are all about. We also held our first Racer Industries Parade Laps, offering a safe and controlled experience for members to go out and do a few laps around Sandown behind the Race Industries Safety Car.
20 - 24 March: Another very popular and successful participation in the Auto Avenue AGP F1 Display with a diverse selection of cars on display and dedicated members supporting the display by being on hand to chat to the public about the cars and the club, as well as those members supporting the event in various officiating roles. Special thanks to Lawrence for managing the display and spending a lot of time on site chatting to people and members who volunteered as officials, it is you guys and girls that are the unsung heroes of motorsport in Australia.
29 March: Our Annual Good Friday Appeal coffee and cars morning in Beaumaris was a success thanks to members' contributions, including our 5-year-old granddaughter and Spiderman! Special thanks to Christopher George of Flavours Patisserie for his support, each year. Our donation buckets and raffle raised close to $1300 for the RCH Good Friday Appeal, so thanks to all that came and displayed or donated, very much appreciated.

Looking ahead to April:

5 April: Members' meeting at Peninsula BM with food vendors. Like all our events, be sure to register here for catering purposes.
10 April: Sold-out Members-Only Exclusive visit to Walkinshaw Andretti United Racing (WAUR) workshop. We had to close this and limit it to try and keep the numbers to a reasonable number. This will be an epic night, touring new Club Sponsors WAUR to see what they do and what they can do for members. I have my M3 engine there for rebuilding so they can show us the amazing work they can provide for club members. We might be able to see it in the process. They aren’t just a top-level race team preparing V8 Supercars, they also do work on engines and cars for normal people, like us! Can’t wait to see the workshop and facility and meet the people behind the WAUR Team.
20 April: We have been invited to join the Melbourne to Move Rally, looks like a great event, for more information see here: www.moveshepparton.com.au
21 April: Round 2 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Winton Raceway, with AROCA. Register now for this fun event!
25-28 April: Our first long weekend trip away for the year, this time to Beechworth with exploration of surrounding areas on some of Peter Williams’ amazing driving routes. Book your accommodation soon, as one motel is already full! More information here.

Other upcoming events:

4 May: Presentation dinner supporting the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. Theme: "A Touch of Pink." Get your bookings in for this fun night.
20 July: Christmas in July Winter WonderLights at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat. Was hugely popular last time we did this, so we are back again.
29 October to 6 November: Tasmania Tour V2, concentrating on the Northern half of the Apple Isle this time. Another very popular trip away to look forward to.
23 November: Challenge Bathurst! The best way to experience the best track in Australia and one of the best in the world, with a bunch of other BMW drivers, all out there together. We are also looking for officials for this event so check out the registration link for Officials.

Other things to note:

Our new design motorsport shirt, designed by Jo, has been a great success and is nearly sold out of the first run already. Order yours now for the next motorsport event. We will be getting another order in soon if we have already run out of your size. Check them out, they look fantastic and are pure cotton, so perfect for track day use or casual wear.

Our welfare team continues to support members who need some help. Jo, who recently had spinal surgery, is recovering well and will be back in the office very soon, she has been given the all clear to drive again and is easing her way back into her usually busy life.

Thank you all for responding to our email about Club Permit Renewals, the process of renewing online is helping whilst Jo is not in the Club Office.

We are now over 800 members strong! Not bad for our little club that started only 6 years ago! Thank you all for joining us and we hope you love what the club offers, and you enjoy your membership experience. If you have any ideas or questions or want us to do something you think we might all enjoy, drop us a line. Remember, it is your club, so be involved as much as you like. On that note, we are always looking for help running the club as well as events, so, if you have any skills or interests, reach out to Jo or myself and we will find you something to do to help out.

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Easter break, as we did, and I look forward to seeing you at upcoming events soon!

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Come and Try at Sandown

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 11:43:33 GMT

Event date: 17 March 2024

I am a flag Marshall with the VFT. Yesterday was only my second time volunteering with your club. I came back, because you guys are SO good with the way you look after the flaggies!! No request is to much!! We ask for water and it's done as soon as the current event is over!!

Unlike most other clubs that you still wait ages for. Despite been told constantly that the flaggies are everything, blah, blah, blah!

Like I said to Jo, you guy's are a smaller club, yet the way that flaggies are treated, feed & kept hydrated is in my opinion hands down the best EVER!!

Unlike some of the bigger clubs/events that have all the money to spend & say the flaggies are everything. They do NOT come close to how fantastic the BMW CLUB is!!

Justin Parrant
Victorian Flagmarshalling Team

Family Fun Day Out - Puffing Billy

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 06:49:32 GMT

One of the things people do on Puffing Billy is sit with your legs dangling over the side of the carriage. Some people try to reach twigs or bushes with their feet. It felt safe because there are bars across the windows. The big bridge felt super scary as I felt I was going to fall down.

Unfortunately, my sister Holly’s shoe came off on the way back as she was coming back into the carriage. Quick as a flash Mummy got her phone out to see where we were so we could try to go back and get it. This was the only pair of shoes Holly had with her.

The fire brigade follow the train in bush fire season and one of the firemen saw the shoe fall and picked it. When the train stopped briefly at a station he gave it to the train conductor. When we got back to the starting station the conductor walked down the side of the train waving the shoe and asking “Is this anybody’s shoe?” So we got it back.

It was a bit cold but we all had fun. We saw outstanding views and the people who wanted to sit on the ledge got to sit on the ledge. When we got to Lakeside we went our separate ways. Some went to the gift shop, some to the café and some both. The café was really good. I remember from last time I went the café was very small and there wasn’t a gift shop. Now it is all open plan. There is a much bigger café and a gift shop. There were lots of desserts, big pieces of cake and slices.

It was good having other children in our carriage, it didn’t make me feel like the odd one out. We all really enjoyed it and had a good time, even the grown ups.

Eliza Piera, 9, #564

BMW M Motorsport and LEGO® celebrate passion for racing with a new model set.

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 05:49:43 GMT

+++ BMW M Hybrid V8 and BMW M4 GT3 now available as 676-piece Speed Champions set +++ Miniature-scale replicas with authentic design details +++ Magic of Le Mans not only for kids +++

With a new season in motor sport just around the corner,the collaboration between BMW M Motorsport and toymaker LEGO^®has produced a new Speed Champions set that is destined to capture the imagination. The new arrival will fuel excitement among younger motor sport fans from nine years of age, as well as laying on an authentic build-and-play experience for more mature collectors. With 676 pieces in total, this detailed set enables builders to recreate not one but two current competition racing cars from BMW M Motorsport: the BMW M Hybrid V8 and the BMW M4 GT3. These two racers will front BMW M Motorsport’s bid for glory at events including the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 15/16 June 2024.

The new miniature members of the Speed Champions series stand out as carefully constructed replicas of the original cars. Authentic design features include the characteristic BMW M Motorsport paintwork, prominent diffuser elements, visually striking exhaust tailpipes and eye-catching spoilers, as well as an interior crafted with fine attention to detail. Plus, the roofs of the two miniatures can be taken off to allow the racing driver figures supplied as part of the set to be inserted into their respective cockpits. The stage is set for thrilling wheel-to-wheel racing in kids’ bedrooms far and wide.

Detailed replicas for racing fans young and old.

Driven by the vision of reproducing iconic racing cars with LEGO^® bricks, the LEGO^® Speed Champions series has been bringing smiles to the faces of car fans and collectors of all ages for almost ten years now. The new model set bringing together the BMW M Hybrid V8 and BMW M4 GT3 fits in with this tradition and enables additional target groups to experience the allure of motor sport and the engineering expertise of BMW M.

The latest addition to the LEGO^® Speed Champions series will stir the racing passion of its builders as they go about constructing the cars. Once finished, these two exceptionally beguiling models will enrich both collectors’ display cases and starting grids for exciting bedroom races. The BMW M Hybrid V8 / BMW M4 GT3 set will go on sale on 4 March 2024 at a recommended retail price of €49.99. It can be purchased from BMW dealers in the European Union, the UK and from the BMW online shop lifestyle.bmw.com and from LEGO^®.

BMW M Motorsport: back on the big stage.

BMW M Motorsport is celebrating a long-awaited comeback to international prototype racing with the BMW M Hybrid V8. The electrified V8 racer passed its first test of strength last season in the prestigious GTP category of the IMSA series, and this year it will also compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). Exactly 25 years on from the BMW V12 LMR famously claiming overall victory at Le Mans, the launch of the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the legendary endurance classic opens a new chapter in the BMW brand’s prototype racing history.

BMW M Team WRT is also entering the BMW M4 GT3 in the FIA WEC races over the upcoming season. This means BMW M Motorsport will also be represented in another class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: While the two BMW M Hybrid V8 cars will do battle in the hypercar category at Le Mans, a pair of BMW M4 GT3 racers will line up in the LMGT3 class.

BMW PRESS

An update from the President | February

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

February came and went in a flash but what a jam-packed month of fantastic events we had.

3 February was Shannon’s Auto Caffeine where some of our members featured in the display. We always love these days as the variety of cars that turn up is always amazing and we love interacting with all the Shannon’s staff.

10 February was our Pre-Torquay-Show Cruise. We had a great selection of cars and members attending and it was also great to have some stay behind and dine with us.

11 February was, of course, the Torquay Motor Show. For the second year in a row, one of our members David Pye won Best European car, this time with his Gull-Wing Mercedes. Shame it wasn’t a BMW, but this is the diversity of our club, we accept all marques, and our members love it.

On 13 February we had our members meeting at Melbourne BMW, which was almost cancelled due to the horrendous storms which hit most of Melbourne. For those that braved the elements, we got to see some amazing vehicles on display and some of our members walked away with lucky door prizes. Thank you again to all the staff at Melbourne BMW for staying back to host us.

On 15-19 February a large group of members from Melbourne, Gold Coast and NSW took the annual trip to the Bathurst 12 Hour. This has always been on our calendar and always a great event, but this year was even better with Jo organising all the guests special BMW Gift packs, special VIP tours and several driver visits. We also had the heads of BMW Motorsport pop in to join us throughout the weekend. It was a pity the two BMW GT3’s missed the podium, one having a race ending crash and the other being unlucky after fighting for second place in the last few laps. There is always next year! Both cars were real contenders. It was so exciting to have the pole sitting driver share the moment with us after qualifying. We also had Sunil Vohra, CEO of Motorsport Australia, join us for a chat on Saturday, which was very informative. For those who don’t know, Sunil is also a club member and a very proud one too. We also had one of our club members, Jesse Bryan, driving a McLaren in the GT4 category, finishing on the podium in his class. Jesse visited our suite several times over the weekend and donated some lifestyle products for our Peter Mac raffle, which we raise $415 over the weekend.

The 12 Hour gets bigger and better each year. We have already reserved extra rooms at our favourite motel in town and put our name down for a private suite again in 2025. As soon as the event date is released for next year, we will put out an expression of interest. It was excellent having our own suite and great having friends and family drop in to say hello too.

20 February saw members from the west head off on a Twilight Cruise from Geelong and dine after which is always a lot of fun for those who attend. These Geelong based events are going great and allow those down that side of town to get together regularly without battling the dreaded West Gate roadworks.

22 February was another Twilight drive, but this time heading into the hills leaving from Ringwood BMW. The staff here treated all our members to a great tour of the facilities and all who attended had a great time. As per normal the drive was fantastic and ended with dinner at the Coldstream Brewery.

24 February was our Coffee, Cars and Devonshire Tea event at Black Rock House. Wow! I grew up in this area and never knew this was here. The history behind this little house is incredible and the scones and tea/coffee at the end were just brilliant. What a great place and what an amazing morning, with so many cars on display. Thank you to all that came. We will be booking some ghost tours of the historic house, so watch out for the events, as they will be very limited in numbers for each one we do. Black Rock House is reported to be Melbourne’s second most haunted building, only coming after the Old Melbourne Jail, Pentridge.

25 February was the first round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for 2024, at Sandown with an amazing day for all attending. It was great to see everyone back on track for the year. We love these days and Jo and I were honoured with a thank you trophy from the AROCA committee for all of our hard work helping them over the years. This was not expected but much appreciated. A very proud moment, but it is not just for us two. It is recognition of the time and effort all the members of our club but in to help at their events when required, so thank you all.

Jo was not there as she was prepping for her surgery on 26 February. All went well with her surgery, and she is now back at home recovering. Please respect Jo’s recovery and if you need anything in the next few weeks, please call Lawrence.

27 February - Happy Birthday to our very own Jess Bell. Editor of idrive and our website, and all-round amazing wonder girl. How she does what she does for the club and manages to work full time as a lawyer astounds me. Thank you, Jess, and Happy Birthday.

It was a very busy month and sets the tone for the year to come. As you can see, we are a very busy club, we offer our members and friends a very wide variety of events to choose from and we don’t expect everyone to come to every event. We do ask that you do register on our portal though, so that we can let our hosts know how many to expect. Similarly, if you register and then can’t come, for whatever the reason, please do us the courtesy of letting us know you can’t come. Some of our events are limited by the venue or we cater for the number registered and if you simply don’t turn up, you are depriving someone else of enjoying the event in your place or we waste food and money in catering for you. It also works in reverse, if you just turn up on a whim, you may be refused or go without, simply because you didn’t register. It’s not hard to do, just respond to the event email via the link to register.

Looking ahead, 3 March will be our first family fun day out for 2024. This time at everyone’s favourite, Puffing Billy. This event sold out very quickly so, as above, do not just turn up expecting to get a ticket.

4 March, another very, very special Happy Birthday, to Jo. This club wouldn’t be as fantastic as it is without her drive, dedication and passion for everything BMW and especially everything DCM. We all have a great deal to thank Jo for, and everything she does for the club. Happy Birthday Darl! We are all wishing you a very Happy Birthday and a speedy recovery from you operation.

5 March is our members meeting at Sonax Australia. This is a great night, always very interesting processes and products and Sonax are great, long-term supporters of our club, so it is great to visit them again and show our support in return. Again, we need to know numbers for catering, so be sure to register.

9-10 March has our club at the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Motorsport for the Shannon’s Car Display. You can display for both days or just the one, either Saturday or Sunday. Please make sure you register for this, so we book enough room for us all to have our fantastic display, as usual.

17 March is our first Kaos Custom Bikes/Women’s Introduction to Motorsport, Come and Try Day for 2024. Now this is not just for women, all are welcome to enter, but there will be specific groups for women on track and in training groups, so that it is a little less intimidating for those that think the boys can be too overbearing on track. Men, boys, girls and of course women are welcome. We are keen to show all ages the fun we all have at these events and hopefully you will go away with a newfound interest or skill.

19 March we will be bumping in our cars for the display at the Australian F1 Grand Prix. With all club display areas cut in size this year and with over 55 expressions of interest received, it was hard for us to pick the cars for display. Pop by and say hello if you are at the Grand Prix, it will be a fantastic event as per normal and we usually have someone manning the display to talk to people and visitors.

29 March our Good Friday Wheels and Coffee morning is on again in Beaumaris. Come join us with your pride and joy, car, bike, BMW or not, it is more than welcome. All funds raised go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal and we will have plenty of raffle prizes for some lucky members to take home. Have a coffee with Christopher George too who is a club member and owns Flavours Patisserie which will be keeping us all fed and watered (coffee’d) during the morning.

Some other events you need to keep an eye on and put in your diary:

13 April – A very special night at Doncaster BMW to welcome them on board as club sponsors
25 – 28 April - Anzac long weekend away
4 May – Presentation Dinner – A touch of pink - fundraising for Peter Mac
20 July - Christmas in July – Winter Wonder Lights (was very popular last time we did this, so get in quick tickets are selling very quickly)
29 October - 6 November – Tasmania Tour V2, the northern half
23 – 24 November - Challenge Bathurst, limited spots still available, but filling fast. Get on board for the best club level racetrack driving event in the country, on the best track in the country and one of the best in the world!

Members would have received a yearly planner last month so keep these dates in your diary to not miss out.

Jess is finalising the sixth edition of idrive now and if any of you are still sitting on articles, she needs them NOW. All hi-resolution photos to be sent to photos@bmwdcm.com.au so we can share them on our gallery for all to see and possibly use them in the next magazine.

Those with CPS cars would have received an email last week explaining the new way we would like you to process your CPS renewals. Jo is in hospital then will have a long recovery, you might see her out and about at some events but we need to respect her recovery and by using cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au works out easier for everyone concerned. Any questions please call Lawrence, and he will be happy to help you.

We have a new Motorsport top in our store which has been selling really well. Click here to place your orders, as well as check out all our other merchandise. We still have some of our summer tops on sale, so have a look and buy some whilst they are still there.

We have another new and exciting sponsor coming on board very soon, wait till you see who it is! After discussions at Bathurst, and with Jo out of action, Jess and I had a very productive and informative meeting with them yesterday, and once we have some details tied up, we will be able to make the formal announcement. When we do our first meeting at their premises you will be amazed at their services and what they can offer members at very competitive prices. Can’t wait to grow our partnership with them going forward. Very exciting indeed!

As always, our Welfare Team is working away in the background helping club members if and when they need support of any kind. I wish we could share some of the stories, but that is what makes this part of our club so special, we help out without sharing it to the world. Which is what we put this Team in place for. One I can share is the love and support shown to Jo through her most recent operation. We would like to wish Jo a speedy recovery and we look forward to having her back, out of pain soon. A very special thank you to one of our members, who actually did the operation on Jo’s back to fix the chronic pain she has born for years.

If you have any suggestions or ideas, or you’d like to help out with any of the events or positions in the club, please let us know. We are always looking for new events to add and this is your club, so get involved in any way you’d like.

Membership continues to grow steadily. We are close to 800 members now, so thank you all for joining us and we hope you find what we have all grown to love about the best BMW Club in the World.

Just a note on our events. There is an ever-increasing number of spammers listing ‘tickets’ for sale to our events on Facebook. Always remember that registration for our events is always handled trough our website. If an event is limited by numbers, there will always be a wait list to register on and we will let you know if there is space. Never, under any circumstances, buy tickets for any event off someone posting on Facebook. It is a scam. We do try and keep ahead of them and delete and block them but sometimes we miss them or take a while to see them. So just be careful.

Another reason it is good to register for events when you get the event email, not when you see it on Facebook.

Please take care out there, be safe and enjoy your Ultimate Driving Machine and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon with the Ultimate Driving Club.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Twilight Drive to Coldstream

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 04:04:51 GMT

Event date: 22 February 2024

On the evening of 22 February, a group of 11 cars met at Ringwood BMW for a twilight drive. We first had the opportunity to check out many different sedans and SUVs in the showroom. The group was then treated to a tour of the dealership by the Sales Manager Shane. This included the servicing facilities for both cars and bikes as well as 3 ½ stories of underground car storage at the rear.

Having completed our radio checks, Peter Williams led us on an interesting drive through Kangaroo Ground, Hurstbridge, St. Andrews and Yarra Glen finishing in Coldstream. The scenery was varied and the system of a car reporting progress of the group from the middle of the pack as well as the last car worked very well. A cool change arrived during the drive to relieve us of the day’s 38C heat. Fortunately there was just a few drops of rain. Having driven some of this course before in dusk conditions, it was interesting to see some our favourite tight and twisty roads through St. Andrews in full daylight.

We then headed to the Coldstream Brewery for dinner where we experienced enormous-sized meals. Having succeeded in the driving challenge, most of us failed being able to finish our plate! Dinner provided a great opportunity to talk about previous driving experiences as well future plans. Thanks again to Peter Williams for organising a great event.

Guy Nutting | Member #669
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

The new MINI Cooper with petrol engine: The new MINI Cooper C and the new MINI Cooper S

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 03:56:51 GMT

The fifth generation of the MINI Cooper stands for simplicity at its charismatic best. Typical MINI proportions evoke the brand's history. Together with the striking front grille, they give the new model its distinctive face. Minimalist design, digital innovations and an immersive user experience are the hallmarks of the interior.

Within the new model family, MINI designates the performance levels of its petrol engines for the MINI Cooper using the letter C and for the performance-enhanced model using the letter S. The attractive powertrain portfolio of the new three-door MINI is thus complemented by two efficient petrol engines with a choice of three or four cylinders. The brand's iconic go-kart feeling is brought to the road in the new generation MINI. The MINI Cooper's minimalist design is a combination of traditional brand values and impressive clarity.

“At MINI, 'Power of Choice” means that in addition to all-electric MINI models, we also offer models such as the new MINI Cooper with petrol engine. The car is ideal for all those people who want to drive a classic MINI 3-door and appreciate the performance and characteristic sound of a combustion engine,” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI.

The interior focuses on typical MINI, minimalist design and new materials. Technical innovations such as the MINI Operating System 9, the new MINI Experience Modes and a wide range of digital functions create an immersive user experience.

Two powerful drive variants.

With an output of 150 kW/204 hp, the four-cylinder engine of the MINI Cooper S (combined fuel consumption: 6.7 - 6.1 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions: 150 - 138 g/km according to WLTP) accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds with a maximum torque of 300 Nm. The 115 kW/156 hp three-cylinder engine of the MINI Cooper C (combined fuel consumption: 6.5 - 5.9 l/100 km, combined CO2 emissions: 146 - 133 g/km according to WLTP) delivers a torque of 230 Nm and accelerates the vehicle from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds.

The MINI Cooper is equipped with a suspension and damping system designed for agile handling. The precise typical MINI steering combined with powerful brakes ensures a high level of driving pleasure, safety and comfort.

The exterior: cult status included.

With a puristic design and compact silhouette, the MINI Cooper is the embodiment of the brand's basic idea: maximum driving pleasure with a minimal ecological footprint. The contemporary minimalism of the new design characterises the clear surfaces of the body. Short overhangs and a short bonnet contrast with the long wheelbase, giving the car typical MINI proportions.

At the front, the new octagonal grille with its filigree contours defines the MINI Cooper's characteristic face even more. The BMW Group's smallest radar sensor to date is positioned on the horizontal strut between the air intakes. A total of 12 ultrasonic sensors in the MINI Cooper support the driver assistance systems and increase driving safety.

Horizontal LED daytime running lights underline the new appearance in the standard setting. The striking appearance is further enhanced by three selectable light signatures for the daytime running lights of the MINI LED headlights and the redesigned matrix rear lights.

All three selectable light signatures begin and end with a specially orchestrated welcome or goodbye animation.

The interior: classic, innovative, MINI.

The MINI Cooper's elegant, minimalist interior design is inspired by the classic Mini. The new steering wheel, the round OLED Display, the typical MINI toggle bar and the two-tone textile dashboard create a sense of spaciousness in the cockpit. Clean lines are the hallmark of the modern interior with its generous amount of space. The panoramic glass roof adds to the bright and friendly atmosphere. By folding down the rear seat in a 60:40 ratio, the luggage compartment can be flexibly expanded from 210 litres to provide a volume of up to 725 litres.

The most important driving functions (parking brake, gear selector, start/stop key, experience mode toggle, volume control) are directly accessible via the distinctive toggle bar. The gear selector in the center console makes way for the new Wireless Charging Shelf 2.0. Smartphones can be stored here and charged wirelessly.

The MINI Interaction Unit has been moved closer to the driver in the MINI Cooper cockpit. The diameter of the high-resolution, thin OLED display with high-quality glass edge is 240 mm. Its operating logic is similar to that of a smartphone and can be operated intuitively by touch.

Relevant vehicle-related information, such as speed and fuel consumption, is displayed at the top of the screen. In the main menu, the functions are arranged horizontally as widgets and can be selected by swipe and touch. In the lower area of the OLED display, the menu items Navigation, Media, Telephone and Climate can be selected directly at any time.

Digital innovations for an immersive user experience.

As part of the optional MINI Experience Modes, two projector units beam various illuminated graphics onto the dashboard. The interplay of visual design, ambient lighting and sound design changes the appearance of the cockpit and opens up new possibilities for personalising the MINI Cooper.

Each mode has its own dynamic background and can be selected according to the driver's personal preferences. In personal mode, an personal photo can be set as the display background via the MINI app. The dominant colours of the photo then extend across the textile surfaces of the dashboard and the door panels as illuminated graphics.

Drive safely, arrive relaxed.

The new MINI Cooper offers numerous driver assistance systems for safe and comfortable driving pleasure. As standard, the Safe Exit function monitors the area around the parked vehicle and warns approaching road users before the door is opened. The function not only delays the unlocking of the doors, but also uses light signals outside the vehicle to warn of a possible collision.

On the road, the MINI Navigation package optionally provides support with 3D visualisation and Augmented View, displays the current traffic situation, provides information about parking options including digital payment options, and much more besides. Camera and radar-based assistance functions increase safety by supporting steering and lane keeping as part of the comprehensive Driving Assistant Plus package. Automatic speed and distance control makes city driving even more comfortable.

Just say "Hey MINI" to activate the MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA) on the OLED display. A 3D visualisation then appears in the form of a "car" avatar or the digital MINI companion "Spike". Interacting with the MINI IPA, the driver can use his voice to control a wide range of options such as navigation, telephony, entertainment and other vehicle functions.

The innovative MINI Digital Key Plus function turns the smartphone into the car key via the MINI app. The welcome animation of the front and rear lights begins as soon as the driver is less than three metres away; the doors are unlocked when the driver is at a distance of less than one and a half metres. This convenient vehicle experience can be digitally transferred to different users, including their personal vehicle settings.

Four trims for an individual look.

The new Essential, Classic, Favoured and JCW trim variants offer a wide range of customisation options. Depending on the trim, the new MINI Cooper C and MINI Cooper S are available with different body paint finishes and interior trims.

The colours can be combined with one of four roof colours and create a variety of contrasts. An exclusive option in conjunction with the Favoured Trim package is the Spray-Tech design of the distinctive Multitone Roof. This features a three-colour gradient. New, aerodynamically optimised designs are available for the 16-inch to 18-inch aluminium rims.

BMW PRESS

An update from the President | January

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

I can’t believe we are already one month into 2024! We barely paused for the Christmas break and with so many events already attended, it sets the stage for what the year has to come for you all.

On 12 January we had our first drive for the year - a twilight drive leaving from Calder Park and finishing in Geelong. All attending stopped and had dinner at the Sphinx, which looked like a great venue and from all accounts everyone enjoyed the night and as always, Peter’s great drive route.

19 January was a very informal coffee, cars and dinner night at Moon Dog World, which is a brilliant venue for all ages. They have great facilities for children too and a large car park at the rear, which meant all of our cars could be parked together. It was great to see so many new members joining in with the existing members attending. We also celebrated Tim Oh’s 40^th birthday on the night, which was a bit of fun. Happy Birthday Timo!

21 January was the AOMC Festival of Motoring. We had a brilliant turn out, as per usual, with a real diverse display of cars and even a motorbike. This event is always fantastic with so many great clubs attending and so many amazing cars on display at Cruden Farm.

23 January was our first members meeting for 2024 at Creative Custom Cars. Again, it was well attended. We enjoyed talking with the Creative staff about the new things they are specialising in and looking at some of the restorations happening there.

26 January was our Australia Day Drive and lunch. We are very proud to hold an event each year to celebrate Australia Day. Some years it is a weekend away, but this year was a drive through some of our beautiful countryside, finishing in Marysville for lunch at Peppers Resort. Some stayed the night to make a weekend of it while others explored the area and waterfalls and went home.

Looking ahead to February - 3 February is the Shannon’s Auto Caffeine coffee and cars event. Be sure to attend and let the staff know you are a member of our club. If you have a race car to put on display, they would like you to put it inside in the display area. If you would like to display a race car, send Jo an email and we will put you in touch with Belinda at Shannon’s.

On 10 February will be running our annual Pre-Torquay Show Drive along some great roads around Torquay.

Of course, this means 11 February is the Torquay Motor Show. This is always a great event with some of our cars also winning prizes over the years, so be sure to polish your car up! You never know..

On 13 February we will be holding our members meeting at Melbourne BMW. Please join us and see what fantastic cars they have in the showroom and explore their great lifestyle area. Remember if you are purchasing anything or servicing your car there, to mention you are a member and you will get our BMWDCM discount.

On 15 – 19 February a large group of us are heading up to watch the Bathurst 12 Hour. This year will be a lot of fun with members attending from four states and joining us in our own private suite over the pits. We have some very special extras for those attending, with grid walks, driver visits, team arage visits and a gift bag full of useful things from our wonderful sponsors for each attendee.

22 February we are doing another twilight drive, leaving from Ringwood BMW. We will be having dinner at the Coldstream Brewery. Be sure to let us now if you are attending so we can book enough tables for everyone.

We will finish the month on 24 February for our Coffee Cars and Devonshire Tea at Black Rock House. This is a limited number event, so be sure to book so you don’t miss out. There is only so much room at this very special pace, so we have restricted numbers for this event.

Upcoming dates to remember.

3 March - Puffing Billy - Sold Out
17 March - Kaos Custom Bikes Women’s Introduction to Motorsport Come and Try Day – Sandown
19-24 March - Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix display - Sold Out
29 March - Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Coffee & Wheels Morning – Beaumaris
25-28 April - ANZAC Long Weekend Away - Beechworth accommodation is filling quickly.
4 May - our 6th Birthday Presentation Dinner – A touch of Pink - Supporting Peter Mac
20 July - Christmas in July - Winter Wonderlights, Sovereign Hill - filling fast.
29 October – 6 November - Tasmania Tour V2
23-24 November – Challenge Bathurst 2024

As you can see from the events already attended and what is on for the next month, we are very busy and offering you some amazing events this year.

The above list of upcoming dates is just a list of a few, keep an eye on our calendar to see all the great events and make sure you make a note in your diary to save the dates.

Jo and I will only have sporadic contact for the next two weeks, as we are off on a cruise around New Zealand. So if you are wanting your CPS signed, you need to contact Lawrence Glynn, or complete the online form and send to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au and Lawrence will attend to this very quickly.

We will have limited internet connectivity, so if you need us, best to send us and email and we’ll get back to you as we can.

We have a new motorsport long sleeved shirt for 2024, which has been selling very well, so check out our store to place your orders and check out everything else we have for members. Please note, any orders placed between now and 10 February will be processed when we return. For all those that come on our drives we sell UHF radios that are a necessity on some of our longer drives.

Jo has been very busy, running around securing new sponsors for our club, with some great offers for our membership.

Racer Industries are coming on board to support our track days and members with discounts and vouchers for everything you need to set yourself and your car up for track days or even racing. Welcome aboard Racer Industries, we look forward to a great relationship going forward.

Talking Beauty, owned by one of our wonderful members, Rachel Taylor, offers advice and treatments to make us all look and feel better. Pop in or call for a gift voucher to treat your loved one to something special. Make sure to let them know you are a club member, as always, to receive a club discount.

We welcome aboard also, Doncaster BMW. It is great to have one of the largest dealerships in Melbourne join us, offering not only BMW sales and service, but Mini, Motorrad and of course, Alpina. We will be doing a very special night at Doncaster BMW in April to welcome them to our club and introduce our membership to this amazing Dealership. Keep an eye on your emails for the event date and be mindful you will need to register for the event.

Kaos Custom Bikes have stepped up to sponsor our Come and Try and Driver Training Days, thanks Andy O. Make sure you talk to Andy about all your biking needs if you are into two wheeled exercise. Jo and I bought a couple of new bikes off Andy for Christmas, and they were great on our annual trip to the seaside.

Welcome also to Wrenfield Cottages in Marysville. Owned by one of our long standing members, Walter, make sure you contact them if you are visiting the area and would like to stay in the absolutely beautiful cottages in Marysville.

Thank you to all of our existing sponsors and supporters that have come back again for 2024 to support the club and you, our members. We are very grateful for the support we receive and hope that you all show your appreciation by supporting them back. Make sure you check out our club partners page and let them know you are a member and are supporting them for supporting us.

Jess will be putting the next edition of idrive together over the next month, so if you have any unfinished articles you would like to share with the rest of us be sure to get them to Jess as soon as possible via editor@bmwdcm.com.au.

As always, our Welfare Team is working away in the background, supporting some of our members in need. Remember you have someone at the end of the phone or email or even available at our club rooms, if you need a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen, there is someone there. We are one big family, and we are there for you if you need anything.

We also announced an exciting initiative in January, our Motorsport Scholarship Program. In association with the Cooper Family and Bell Motorsport, we are offering a funded pathway into motorsport for a successful applicant, through our Come and Try and Driver Training days into sprints and on to club level Motorsport. Applications have started to come in already and we are very proud to be supporting our young members to get involved in the exciting world of motorsport.

So much going on and always something coming up, no matter what you like doing, driving, showing, getting away or just meeting up with other members and lovers of BMW. Keep an eye on your emails, as there are always lots of things happening or being added to the calendar.

Also, don’t forget, being an Official BMW Club, we have special access to BMW Classic and the BMW Museum in Munich if you happen to be traveling to Europe. Let us know your dates with as much lead time as possible so we can organise special tours and guides. One of our members is currently over there and has had a wonderful day with Matthias from BMW Classic. You will be able to read about Tim’s trip in the next edition of idrive and on our socials.

Thank you all for joining us. This is your club, so if there is anything you think would be great to share with other members, let us know. We are always open to new ideas for events or places to visit.

I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon, take care out there.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

The new BMW M4 Coupé, the new BMW M4 Convertible

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 03:49:35 GMT

More power, sharpened design features, new customisation options and digital innovations: With consistent advancements in the areas related to an exclusive performance experience, BMW M GmbH continues the success story of their bestsellers in the premium midsize segment. The new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible now both highlight even more intensively the motorsport genes of these high-performance models. A 15 kW/20 hp increase in maximum power output for the models BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive (fuel consumption combined: 10.1 – 10.0 /100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 229 – 226 g/km according to WLTP) and BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive (fuel consumption combined: 10.3 – 10.2 l/ 100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 233 – 231 g/km according to WLTP), new headlights, laser taillights, M forged light-alloy wheels featuring a new design, steering wheels and interior trims as well as the BMW Operating System 8.5 mark the highlights of further development in the model year 2024.

The straight six-cylinder engine featuring M TwinPower Turbo Technology will in future be available in three performance levels. Still unparalleled in the competitive environment is the combination of the 353 kW/480 hp variant of the power unit with a 6-speed manual transmission in the new BMW M4 Coupé (fuel consumption combined: 10.1 – 10.0 l/ 100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 230 – 226 g/km according to WLTP). The power plant in the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé (fuel consumption combined: 9.9 – 9.7 l/ 100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 223 – 219 g/km according to WLTP) delivers a maximum power output of 375 kW/510 hp, transferring power to the road via an 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic. In combination with M xDrive featured in the four-wheel drive variants of both the Coupé and Convertible, this transmission guarantees extremely superior transformation of power output – now increased to 390 kW/530 hp – into exhilarating driving dynamics.

Thanks to the current modifications, the high-performance automobiles of the premium midsize segment all have the ideal prerequisites for the continuation of their popularity on international automobile markets, whilst strengthening their leading position within the segment. The USA has become the major sales market for the BMW M4 Coupé, followed by China, Germany and the UK. In the USA, the BMW M4 Convertible accounts by far for the highest sales figures. Moreover, the open-top four-seater enjoys great popularity in Germany and the UK. Both globally and in each of their relevant markets, models of the BMW M4 Series occupy by a clear margin the position as market leaders in each of their respective competitive environments.

The new editions of the BMW M4 Coupé and the BMW M4 Convertible are produced at the BMW Group Dingolfing plant. The worldwide market launch of the new models will begin with the commencement of production in March 2024.

Bespoke vehicles, M-typical performance.

Uncompromising dynamics both in everyday driving and on the racetrack are characteristic of BMW M4 Series models, this also being reflected in their design. Powerful proportions and M-specific design features for optimising the cooling air supply and the aerodynamic balance underpin their status as high-performance sports cars. The large, vertical BMW kidney grille sporting M-typical and horizontally arranged double slats, powerfully modelled wheel arches and prominently flared side sills with a contrasting high-gloss black finish as well as attachments for the front and rear aprons provide clear reference to the dynamic potential of both the Coupé and the Convertible.

Furthermore, the various model variants present themselves as bespoke vehicles, each of them enhancing the extreme sporty driving experience with their very own special facets. For example, a carbon reinforced plastic (CRP) roof is standard on all variants of the BMW M4 Coupé. The BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive offers a particularly unique opportunity to enjoy M-typical performance along with an extraordinary open-air driving experience. The car’s sophisticated panel bow soft-top roof combines the benefits of a retractable hardtop with the look of a classic fabric roof. The electric drive mechanism allows it to be opened or closed while on the move.

Straight six-cylinder engine with motor racing technology and new performance specification.

The straight six-cylinder power units used in the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible combine the typical high-revving characteristics offered by engines from BMW M GmbH with the current version of M TwinPower Turbo Technology. All variants of the 3-litre engine impress with responsive power delivery and high-torque characteristics up into the highest load ranges. These attributes are responsible for those unmistakable, linear performance characteristics, which have always been the hallmark of BMW M automobiles.

The engine‘s design features directly derive from motor racing and include the extremely stiff crankcase, which is manufactured in a sleeveless closed-deck design, the weight-reduced forged crankshaft and the iron coating, which is applied to the cylinder liners in an arc wire spraying process (AWSP). Manufactured in a 3-D printing process, the cylinder head core features an optimised routing of the coolant ducts, something that cannot be realised using conventional metal casting technology. In this way, both weight and temperature management are optimised. Like the cooling system, the oil supply is also aligned to the special demands of racetrack use.

M TwinPower Turbo Technology comprises two mono scroll turbochargers, each of them supplying three cylinders with compressed air. Indirect intercooling facilitated by a low-temperature circuit and specific compressors optimise the power output of the charging unit. Moreover, the technology package includes the petrol injection system High Precision Injection operating at a maximum pressure of 350 bar, variable valve control VALVETRONIC and infinitely variable camshaft control Double VANOS.

Maximum power output of the straight six-cylinder power unit variant featured in both the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive and the new BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive has been increased from the previous 375 kW/510 hp to 390 kW/530 hp, this being reached at an engine speed of 6,250 rpm. The further developed engine retrieves maximum torque of 650 Nm within an extended engine speed range of between 2,750 and 5,730 rpm. This results in even more superior and continuous power delivery, thus further enhancing the performance experience above all in highly dynamic driving situations. This exclusive performance specification is realised through a modification of the engine control system, providing further proof of the outstanding potential of the straight six-cylinder engine developed by BMW M GmbH and which serves as the basis for the power plant featured in the BMW M4 GT3 long-distance vehicle.

Whilst the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive is able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds, the new BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive takes 3.7 seconds to reach the same speed from a standstill. All model variants of the new BMW M4 Coupé and the BMW M4 Convertible achieve a top speed that is electronically limited to 155 mph. This value can be increased to 174 mph with the optional M Driver’s Package (BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive) or 180 mph respectively.

Honed on the Nürburgring: M-typical overall package comprising engine, power transmission and suspension technology.

Like the 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic fitted to all other model variants, the 6-speed manual transmission in the new BMW M4 Coupé is perfectly matched to the performance characteristics of each engine. Shift paddles on the steering wheel for spontaneous manual intervention at each selected driving speed and the Drivelogic button for variable shift characteristics pave the way for a driving experience that is customisable in a variety of ways.

In addition, the most powerful version of the straight six-cylinder engine is combined with intelligent four-wheel drive M xDrive. This gives the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive and the new BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive outstanding traction, an attribute that is expressed in their impressive acceleration values. Thanks to a rear-wheel biased system and in conjunction with a fully variable Active M differential in the rear wheel transmission, the M xDrive system also enhances that typical M feeling during dynamic cornering. Via the set-up menu the driver is able to select, in addition to the default setting 4WD, the 4WD Sport mode, in which greater percentage of torque is directed to the rear axle. Moreover, when DSC is deactivated, the 2WD mode becomes available for exclusive transmission of power to the rear wheels.

High torsional stiffness of the body structure and the suspension connections create the ideal prerequisites for inspiring agility and spontaneous response to steering commands. Model-specific body struts also help the high-performance model provide that BMW M typical combination of dynamic, agile and precise handling.

M-specific kinematics and elasto-kinematics of the double-joint spring strut front axle and the five-link rear axle guarantee the harmony between extreme driving dynamics and balanced comfort features on all models of the series, both in everyday use and on longer journeys. Three characteristic maps are available via the M Setup menu for individual adjustments of the Adaptive M suspension, which comes as standard. Further components of the suspension technology include M Servotronic steering and the integrated braking system, which is utilised in conjunction both with the standard M compound brakes and the optional M carbon-ceramic brakes.

The integrated application of all drive and suspension systems, which was tested, inter alia, on the northern loop of the Nürburgring, guarantees, also in everyday traffic, highly dynamic and precisely controllable handling. A form of driving pleasure that is unique within the competitive environment is provided by the stability control system DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), which in addition to the M Dynamic Mode comprises ten-stage adjustable wheel slip limitation. By means of the M Traction Control function, optionally available for the BMW M4 Coupé and standard on all Competition models, the driver is able to reduce system interventions in stages in order to cautiously approach the physical limits of driving when the car is used on the racetrack, for instance. The M Lap Timer and the M Drift Analyser provide functions that emphasise the character of these high-performance models as ultimate driving machines for use on closed-off roads.

Wheel sizes aligned to each axle, M forged light-alloy wheels boasting a new design.

Axle-specificwheel sizes ensure a particularly comprehensive transfer of lateral forces during dynamic cornering. The new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé both come as standard with 18-inch M forged light-alloy wheels at the front and 19” at the rear. The standard configuration of the BMW M4 Competition Coupé with M xDrive and the BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive comprises M forged light alloys of the size 19” at the front and 20” at the rear.

The combination of 19” and 20” M light alloys is also optionally available for the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Competition Coupé. New to the range of special equipment for all model variants are M forged light-alloy wheels in the above sizes featuring a double-spoke design and, for the first time, with a silver finish. Their brightly shining surfaces provide for a sporty, sophisticated and elegant look.

Assistance systems with a configurable range of functions.

The ongoing further development of the range of systems for automated driving and parking also contribute towards an unmistakable driving experience. In terms of functional scope and availability they set benchmarks within the competitive environment of the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible. Moreover, the activities of the driver assistance systems can be controlled via the M Mode button located on the centre console in order to guarantee the typically exhilarating experience of driving a high-performance sportscar. For instance, in the optionally available TRACK mode, which is designed for racetrack use, all comfort and safety systems are temporarily deactivated.

Standard equipment for the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible includes Park Distance Control with sensors at the front and rear, Cruise Control with braking function, Front Collision Warning with brake intervention, Lane Departure Warning including Lane Return function with steering assistance and Traffic Sign Recognition with Speed Limit Info and No Overtaking Indicator. Optional features for the Competition models include Steering and Lane Guidance Assistant with Automatic Speed Limit Assist, Lane Keeping Assistant and Traffic Light Recognition as well as Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function as an integral part of the Driving Assistant Professional. The Parking Assistant facilitates automatic parking (entering/leaving spaces) and also includes the Reversing Assistant as standard.

Modern design accents: New headlight design, taillights featuring laser technology.

The redesigned headlights give the front end of both the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible a modern look. The inside of the LED headlights, now a standard option, is even more distinctively structured. They also feature further developments in their functionality. Both the low and high beam are now produced by the same LED module. Two vertical LED units, each aligned in an arrowhead shape, assume the function of position and daytime running lights as well as direction indicators. The technology-oriented design of these new light sources provides for a sophisticated and progressive look.

Adaptive LED headlights with anti-glare matrix high beam are available as optional features. They are recognisable by the blue inserts and feature an urban light and cornering light function. Using the urban light function ensures optimised illumination of the roadside areas when travelling at low speeds on roads identified by the navigation data as built-up areas. The low beam function, however, is only activated when a speed of 22 mph has been reached. Furthermore, in conjunction with the adaptive LED headlights M Shadow Line lights featuring dark accents inside are also available.

Moreover, the adaptive LED headlights are combined with a both visually and technologically impressive design of the LED taillights, which are available for all new versions of all models of the BMW M4 Series and feature laser technology and a fascinating light design. Inside, laser diodes produce an even illumination of glass fibre bundles, the filigree, 3-dimensional light graphics of which complement the taillight clusters. The model-specific version of this innovative light scenario utilizes a technology presented for the first time on the limited edition of the special high-performance model BMW M4 CSL, a model limited to 1,000 units.

A new design of the surrounding surface of the both the BMW logo and the M logo at the rear of the Competition models add further subtle accents for sophisticated elegance. The base of the BMW logo is now finished in High Gloss Black. The BMW M GmbH brand logo situated on the read lid has been complemented by a silver surround.

A special feature designed exclusively for the model variants of the new BMW M4 Coupé for customisation of the external appearance are optional M design graphics for the bonnet and the rear lid. This contrasting colour emphasises the sporting characteristics of the two-door model and is available either in High Gloss Black or High Gloss Red. The optional steel roof available at no extra cost, which includes an electrically operated glass sliding roof, offers an additional design accent: The sheet metal part of the roof is finished in High Gloss Black instead of the body colour.

M-specific sportscar cockpit with new steering wheel designs and interior trims.

The modern motor racing ambience inside the new versions of the high-performance models has also undergone further development. New steering wheel designs and control elements as well as high-class materials for the instrument panel and interior trims enhance the exclusive ambience inside the M-specific sportscar cockpits.

The standard M leather steering wheel with multifunction buttons, two M buttons and shift paddles for the Competition models now convey to the driver an even more intensive racetrack feel. The new design comprises a flattened lower section of the steering wheel rim and concisely modified spokes. A red centre marking in the 12 o’clock position underscores the sportive orientation of the steering wheel design. Moreover, for the first time, an M Alcantara steering wheel is available with the same design and range of functions. In addition, a heating function is optionally available for both steering wheel variants.

Furthermore, the M-specific cockpit arrangement also includes a control panel on the centre console, on which the shift lever or gear selector switch, the red Start/Stop button, the BMW iDrive Controller, the Setup and M Mode buttons are situated. These can be activated for individual vehicle configuration as well as for the range of functions of cockpit displays and driver assistance systems, which can be adapted to suit the driving situation at hand.

Characteristic of M is also the combination of sporty flair and premium ambience inside the vehicle. This is, amongst other things, the result of high-quality design and finishing of the materials used for the interior. The interior trims in the area of the dashboard, the control panel and the cupholder cover now come as standard in the version Dark Graphite matt. Interior trim strips in Aluminium Rhombicle Anthracite as well as in the new variant Finely Polished Aluminium can now be ordered as options for the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible. The optional instrument panel in the version Sensatec boasts a further refined surface structure.

The M sports seats come as standard and offer manifold electrically operated adjustment options, integrated headrests and illuminated model logos. The ideal position behind the wheel can be stored using the memory function. Heated seats for both driver and front passenger are also standard, with seat ventilation as an option. The standard leather trim Merino, the all-leather trim Merino, the extended BMW Individual leather trim Merino and the BMW Individual all-leather trim Merino are all available in four different colours.

The optional and also fully electrically adjustable and heated M Carbon bucket seats provide for an optimised connection between driver and vehicle. They combine motor racing functionality with lightweight design, cutting-edge workmanship and a high level of long-distance comfort. The use of CRP for the structural elements of the seat and backrest, as well as cut-outs within the area of the side bolsters and beneath the headrests result in a weight reduction of 9.6 kilos compared with the standard sports seats.

In addition, an Air Collar system can be ordered as an exclusive option for the BMW M4 Competition Convertible with M xDrive. It generates a three-stage adjustable airflow, providing pleasant warmth from behind to both driver and front passenger, also during open-top driving and regardless of the outside temperature.

BMW Curved Display and new BMW Operating System 8.5.

More than ever before, the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible combine exclusive sportscar flair with advanced digitalisation. M-specific information on the high-resolution BMW Curved Display, which is inclined towards the driver, helps the driver to focus fully on the task at hand. The fully digital display combination comprises a 12.3-inch display behind the steering wheel and a control monitor with a 14.9-inch screen diagonal.

The BMW Curved Display serves as a platform for the current BMW iDrive system used in the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible. The display and operating system, which also includes the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant and is therefore actively designed for touch and voice control, is now based on the BMW Operating System 8.5. The M-specific graphics and contents on the information screen and on the control monitor have been complemented by a new form of operation for the standard automatic climate control. Temperature setting, ventilation intensity, heating of both seat and steering wheel can now, depending on how the vehicle is equipped, either be controlled per touch control via a special menu option in the lower part of the control display or by means of voice control.

Advancements in the area of digital operation come with a further reduction in the number of buttons and controls in the cockpit and a redesigned instrument panel. New control buttons for the fresh air vents in the centre of the dashboard and on the driver’s and front passenger’s side enable the setting of the desired direction of airflow by rotating and tilting. Moreover, the standard feature Ambient Lighting now also comprises contour lighting integrated into the cover of the central air vents. Like with the illumination of the footwells and the storage compartments in the area of the centre console and door openers, colour and brightness can be adapted according to individual preferences. There is a choice of nine different colours. The range of interior lighting also includes an atmospheric Welcome and Goodbye scenario as well as light signals that indicate an open door and incoming telephone calls.

The standard feature BMW Live Cockpit Professional also comprises the cloud-based navigation system BMW Maps. Another standard option is the BMW Head-up Display, which projects in an M-specific style driving-related information onto the windscreen, including multi-coloured rev range representation, shift lights and M View.

Furthermore, the standard feature BMW Live Cockpit Professional encompasses two USB ports for data transfer and a wireless network interface as well as Smartphone integration, which permits, inter alia, the use of Apple CarPlay^® and Android Auto™. In addition, telephony with wireless charging of compatible Smartphones and a hi-fi loudspeaker system with 10 sound sources and a 250 W power amplifier are all included in the standard equipment range for the new BMW M4 Coupé and the new BMW M4 Convertible.

Targeted customisation with M Carbon exterior package, M Race Track package and BMW M Performance Parts.

A model-specific M Carbon exterior package is available for precise customisation of these high-performance automobiles, bringing to the fore the racing character of both models even more intensively. The M Carbon exterior package includes inserts for the wide-open front air intakes and a rear diffuser, each featuring its own geometry, exterior mirror caps and – exclusively for the BMW M4 Coupé – a CFP rear spoiler. Vehicle weight has been reduced by up to 25 kilos thanks to the likewise optionally available M Race Track package, which also includes, in addition to M Carbon ceramic brakes, M Carbon bucket seats for both driver and front passenger as well as interior trim strips in High Gloss Carbon Fibre.

BMW Performance Parts provide additional options for adapting the intensive driving experience and the dynamic aura of the new high-performance sportscars to suit the driver’s very own preferences. The spectrum of model-specific retrofit options encompasses exterior CFP components, M Performance forged wheels with centre lock, M Performance floor mats and M Performance steering wheel trims for individualisation of the interior.

BMW PRESS

BMW M Motorsport introduces the works driver line-up for the 2024 season

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 03:45:00 GMT

The BMW M Motorsport works driver line-up for the 2024 season has been confirmed. A total of 22 top-rated drivers from twelve nations will be racing around the world as BMW M works drivers.

The BMW M Motorsport works driver line-up for the 2024 season has been confirmed. A total of 22 top-rated drivers from twelve nations will be racing around the world as BMW M works drivers. Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and Robin Frijns (NED) are the two top-quality newcomers. The North American works drivers Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Madison Snow (all USA) are also fixtures in the line-up for 2024.

Having recorded numerous successes in endurance racing and titles in a number of race series, Marciello and Frijns are now joining BMW M Motorsport. In addition to battling for overall wins with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the FIA World Endurance Championship, they will prove to be valuable additions in GT3 racing. This versatility is a defining feature of the whole line-up of BMW M works drivers.

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “In sporting terms, we have a top-notch, versatile and highly motivated line-up of BMW M works drivers as we look ahead to an extremely intensive season of motor racing in 2024. The total of 22 drivers may seem at first glance to be a large number, but each and every one will prove their worth in the extensive programme of events that we will be competing in around the globe. I am delighted that we have managed to add yet more quality to an already top-class squad, in the shape of top drivers such as Robin Frijns and Raffaele Marciello. As of this season, our North American works drivers Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Madison Snow are also now part of the regular line-up, underlining the importance of our involvement in the USA.”

BMW M works drivers 2024 (in alphabetical order).

Name	Nationality	Date of birth	BMW driver since
Bill Auberlen	USA	12/10/1968	1996
Connor De Phillippi	USA	25/12/1992	2018
Philipp Eng	AUT	28/02/1990	2016
Augusto Farfus	BRA	03/09/1983	2007
Robby Foley	USA	20/07/1996	2021
Robin Frijns	NED	07/08/1991	2023
Dan Harper	GBR	08/12/2000	2020
Max Hesse	GER	23/07/2001	2020
Jens Klingmann	GER	16/07/1990	2014
Jesse Krohn	FIN	03/09/1990	2014
Raffaele Marciello	SUI	17/12/1994	2024
Maxime Martin	BEL	20/03/1986	2023
René Rast	GER	26/10/1986	2023
Valentino Rossi	ITA	16/02/1979	2023
Madison Snow	USA	26/12/1995	2022
Bruno Spengler	CAN	23/08/1983	2012
Sheldon van der Linde	RSA	13/05/1999	2019
Dries Vanthoor	BEL	20/04/1998	2023
Neil Verhagen	USA	18/02/2001	2020
Charles Weerts	BEL	01/03/2001	2023
Marco Wittmann	GER	24/11/1989	2012
Nick Yelloly	GBR	03/12/1990	2019

BMW PRESS

An update from the President | December

Sun, 31 Dec 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Where has the year gone? It seems like only yesterday we were saying goodbye to 2022 and welcoming in 2023. The Club has been so busy all year, with over 65 events run this year and as many already booked for 2024, it looks like another amazing year to come.

Some surprising stats again this year, we have continued to grow our membership numbers, even though we have the usual churn of members leaving for various reasons, we are about to click over 800 members, which is just amazing! We never dreamt the club would grow like it has, but like they say, when you build something great then people want to be a part of it, and we thank you all for joining us and continuing to make this the best BMW Club in the world. Over 44.5% of members have attended at least one event this year, which for any club is a great percentage of members participating. This means it’s not just the same old dozen or so people turning up and partaking of the events too. It makes it so worthwhile when Jo and the rest of the Committee put in so much time and effort to run a wide variety of fantastic events.

A recap of December, before I launch into the coming year.

3 December saw the last round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, run at Phillip Is with AROCA. Was a great day again and our championship and class winners will be awarded at our awards and birthday dinner next year. Thank you again to Andrew and staff at Traction Tyres for supporting our Drivers Championship again in 2023 and many thanks for continuing to sponsor the Drivers Championship in 2024. Remember, if you have any questions about tyres or set up for our track days, Andrew and Shane are always happy to give their time and expertise to help our members. You also get a pretty good discount on road or track tyres, if you show your membership card when you go in, so make sure you use it!

On the same day, we also had a large group head off to Marysville for what was another great drive by Peter, our Drive Meister. Sadly Peter could not make this drive as he was out of action. Thank you to Jenny and Martin for leading this event and for all the other members who helped out as car in the middle and Tail-End-Charlie. We do our drives this way to get messages down the chain as from lead car to tail sometimes the reception is a bit hard to hear. Remember if you are wanting to come on drives in 2024 and you don’t have a UHF radio, they or on sale in our store here.

6 December saw members from the west head off for another midweek drive and dinner leaving from Ceres. It’s great to have members all over, so we can offer such versatility with our events. Thank you Lawrence and Shaaron for hosting and leading this event.

7 December saw the first organising committee meeting for our 2025 Nationals. A lot of ideas were put down and the organising has begun in earnest. If you would like to help us run the Nationals in 2025 send an email to nationals@bmwdcm.com.au and we will give you a job! There is a lot to do and event though it is 16 months away, that time will go very quickly. So put your hand up and let us know you’d like to be involved in the organising.

9 December was the awards night for the E30 Racing club. We attended, both to represent DCM, as we sponsor the series, and also because we, as Bell Motorsport, build and look after a lot of the cars. Was a great night and young DCM Member, Royce Lyne tied for the Championship with long time bridesmaid Brian Burke. Congratulations Royce, all of our members will be watching to see how you go in the future.

10 December was our end of year Christmas Show and Shine and Picnic at Cruden Farm. Again, it was a fantastic event, with over 100 members and their beautiful cars on display and enjoying the lovely gardens and atmosphere. We had special visits from Spiderman as well as Santa and his elf, of course. Thank you to Matt Kenny and his crew for cooking all the egg and bacon rolls, supplied by Bell Motorsport. Also thank you also to Ross from Celebrations Cellars for the club labelled wines for the raffle and prizes. Ross is another great supporter of the club. If you need any drinks for an event or even just passing by, drop in and see him at Celebration Cellars in Clarinda and he will look after you. The winners of the show and shine were awarded a certificate on the day, their trophies will also be awarded at the awards dinner next year.

The Christmas picnic was technically the last Club event for the year, but all were invited to the Bell Motorsport end of year BBQ at Hastings on 16 December. It was a great day, with lots of friends and club members dropping in to say hello and have a drink and a sausage or burger. Even better, Jo didn’t get carted off in an Ambulance this year, so she was on hand to chat and enjoy the day too.

It was great having the DCM Club rooms at the Bell Motorsport yard, we have all our honour boards and trophies on display, as well as all the merchandise. Every one can peruse and purchase items or get their club permits signed. It is a real bonus for the club having an actual base to call home.

The very hardworking committee is having a couple of weeks off over the festive season before we come back and do it all again in 2024.

Straight away in January we start off with a twilight drive on 12 January, then a Cars and Dinner event at Moon Dog World on 19 January and the Festival of Motoring Show at Cruden Farm on 21 January.

February sees a large group Heading to Bathurst for the 12 Hour, where we have our own Club Corporate Suite above the pits. We have some very special things planned for those that join us, so it will be very special indeed. February also sees a member meeting at Melbourne BMW, another twilight drive, a Cars and Coffee event and Round 1 of our 2024 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. Again, a busy month, with something for everyone and pretty much setting the tone for the year.

Keep an eye on the calendar, and emails, as some events have limits and fill up very quickly, and others we send out very early to give you plenty of time to book or organise things, like accommodation. We have weekends away, events of every kind, even an overseas trip in 2024! Early in the new year I will send out a yearly planner to members, so that you can set most of the year in your calendar ready to go, so look out for that.

I must thank you again for joining us, we do try very hard to be a welcoming and accepting club for all and hope that you enjoy your experience with us at any event you would like to come to. As always, if you have any comments or ideas about events, drop us a line, always happy to explore new ideas or modify what we do, if it makes the event better.

I hope you have all had a fantastic Christmas and wish you a safe and happy new year, from all of the committee and myself. Also, a huge thank you to all of the Club sponsors and supporters, old and new, we really appreciate your support in 2023 and look forward to continuing into 2024, your assistance helps us to run so many wonderful events that are often subsidised below their cost to benefit our members, all due to your sponsorship of our Club.

Just to end, while you are out enjoying our lovely summer weather in some of your club permitted cars, make sure:

Your club membership is paid up; and
Your club permit is all paid up and log book filled in.

Remember it is your responsibility to ensure that your club membership and permit is paid and up to date. Do not call us at the last-minute wanting signatures as we are not always available, especially at this time of year. Club permits must be accompanied by a valid financial club membership to be valid. For more information in club permit renewal, review our club permit page here.

Take care out there and see you in 2024.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

CoolDrive Racing BRT visit

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 05:36:07 GMT

Event date: 12 December 2023

On Tuesday 12 December, we set off to where Blanchard racing team have prepared their cars since 2021.

For first looks we were taken to the RJ Racer Industries, we were all sent round the back to have a look at the new Gen3 cars. The first car that came into sight for most of us was Arron Love’s Super2 Mustang.

As we all gathered around their three cars my first thoughts of many were “Why is there a Tickford car in with two Blanchard cars?”.

The reason was that for 2024 Blanchard had picked up the deal with Tickford to supply them parts for one of their cars and also was because that for 2024 James Courtney would race in one of the two cars in 24.

As the other two cars sat there in their glory, we relaised that one of the cars was the car that only completed one race, being the Bathurst 1000 and the other being the full-time car.

John Blanchard, the CEO of Blanchard Racing came and gave us all the information, like that the new GEN3 cars had been a huge surprise and that they only had just 6 weeks to make the car. Mechanics upon many mechanics slept on the factory floor just so that they could have a car.

As John gave the newly crowned champion of E30 racing for 2023, Royce Lyne, the chance to sit in the Tickford car, he said “The feeling of the car is nice, but it would be hard to do a pitstop in under a minute with a Hans device and a helmet’.

When we went to the Love’s car Royce was easily able to reach the pedals. When I hopped into the Super2 car I was able to reach the pedals which was a surprise. Once I hopped into the GEN3 car that felt big.

As we looked at their database, we were able to find out that in Adelaide, Hazlewood had no radio so they came up with a way to communicate with him through headlights and other means.

We were all given giftbags and we proceeded our way back to RJ Racer Industries to look at their products. There were some great products but we weren’t able to buy anything.

This concludes my summary of the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne trip to CoolDrive BRT.

Mitchell Bergman | Member #890
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMWDCM Cruden farm Show 'n Shine and picnic

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 05:22:56 GMT

Event date: 10 December 2023

Some pretext .... Two days after my first try day at Broadford my beloved Red ZM was damaged while parked outside a coffee shop. I was devastated, especially as I had completed the drive day without sustaining any damage.

To try and make a positive out of a very negative experience I decided to focus on really lifting the car while keeping it to original spec.

To make the money go further I took on as much work as I could. I ordered parts through my friend's panel shop and organised for them to do a couple of repairs in addition to painting the new front bar and RH guard and re-painting the remainder of the car. I disassembled the car including bars, bonnets, guards, doors and boot lid. Doors, bonnet and original guard were stripped back to bare metal. While disassembling the car I removed the guard liners and thoroughly cleaned them ready for reassembly and resprayed all the fixing screws for the bars and liners. After painting I assembled and gapped the lights and panels. During assembly I cleaned and polished every component to within an inch of its life. While off the road for nearly 5 months I sourced several pieces of interior trim to clean up the interior. Given I want to enjoy driving the car, especially at club events, I had the front of the car wrapped for paint protection before I could gather any stone chips. The final process was to apply Sonax ceramic coating to the whole car. Just prior to the Cruden Farm event I removed all the wheels and again thoroughly cleaned the wheels, hubs, callipers and guard liners. A good detail of the interior and under the bonnet and my car was ready for its first big outing since being damaged.

The weather had not been good, so it was with a prayer to the weather gods that Wendy and I headed off to Cruden Farm. Fortunately, apart from some minor mist the rain held off. In true BMWDCM style the event was well run and supported with many immaculately turned-out BMWs and a few fine examples of other marques. Coffee and a good donation to the Childrens Hospital for a couple of egg and bacon rolls was of first order. We then bought some raffle tickets to support the fund raising for such a worthy cause. While catching up with some club friends we started checking out the cars. The Show 'n Shine competition was going obviously going to be of a very high standard. There was a row of very nice 8 series and some very clean three series including the sublime Alpina. Contrasting some of the older cars were a number of pocket rocket M2s. In the row where I was parked was Lawernce's always impeccable M3 and right next to my car Albion's V8 M3. I did not envy the task of the judges as it was obvious that club members had put much work into presenting their cars. The whole event was enhanced by the beautiful backdrop of the Cruden Farm grounds and gardens.

While checking out the gardens I was taken by surprise to see Spiderman emerge from the greenery. He was eagerly pursued by Jo and an excited little girl. Despite his superpowers he was unable to out manoeuvrer his pursuers.

We had ordered picnic hampers and like last year they were delicious. After enjoying our lunch with club friends, we gathered for the raffle draw and the results of the Show 'n Shine judging. There seemed to be a million raffle prises donated by club sponsors for winning members to choose from. I hope that we raised a good amount for the Royal Children's Hospital. Speaking of children, a man in a Red suit and accompanied by a helper in green was also sighted handing out presents to the club members' children. While Santa didn't give me a gift, I felt like all my Christmas had come early when it was announced that I had received the After 2000 category Best in Class Show 'n Shine award, especially given the quality of the other entries. The Before 2000 category was taken out by an Alpina. The non-BMW category went to Steve Garth's very neat Toyota Supra with the people's choice going to Jeff Palmer's restored "barn find" MGB GT V8. I voted for the MG, a fine example of the marque and very well presented. All worthy winners in a first-class field.

Again, another well organised and executed club event. Thanks to the committee for their dedication and hard work throughout the year. Now my car is back on the road I look forward to participating in club events in 2024.

As you read this, I hope you have had a great festive season, and all club members have a safe and prosperous 2024.

Kent Perdrisat | Member #951
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Fortunately the rain held off which enabled everyone to enjoy the day in comfort.

Approximately 80 vehicles attended the event, with 16 entered for the actual competition over three classes, plus the People's Choice award.

The winners were:

Pre 2000- Paul Caruso, 1982 Alpina C1 2.3 E21
Post 2000- Kent Perdrisat, 2006 Z4 Roadster E85
Non-BMW- Stephen Garth, 1985 Toyota Supra MA61

I was fortunate to take the People's Choice award with my 1975 MGB GT V8.

I acquired this vehicle several years ago, after it had been languishing unused for ten years in a private garage in Mt Eliza. The car required some body work, also minor engine work, however it was overall in very good condition. The car is a genuine factory V8, and is one of only 1839 built with the chrome bumper, with approximately 80 currently registered in Australia. The engine is a Rover V8 with a capacity of 3.5 litres.

It was great to see so many BMWs at one event, along with quite a few other marques in attendance.

Another excellent BMWDCM event; thanks to Jo, Graeme, Lawrence and the numerous helpers on the day.

Jeff Palmer | Member #682
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

An update from the President | November

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Welcome to Summer!

I can’t believe we are nearly at the end of 2023. It's been such an eventful year.

On 7 November we held what would have been one of our biggest drive events ever, with over 80 registered and 50-55 cars attending. We met up at the clubrooms in Hastings, leaving in two groups. The first were all those doing the Cap Schanck Lighthouse tours, the second followed about 15 minutes behind, these members choosing not to do the tour. We all met up at Cape Schanck then toured on to lunch at T’Gallant Winery, where we had a delicious lunch and frivolities waiting for the Melbourne Cup to be run. We had so many there we had to have three sweeps for the Cup. Was a lot of fun and a great day out with a bunch of our wonderful members and friends. Thanks to Peter Williams’ drive instructions not one car or group got lost, even though we criss-crossed the Peninsula on some great driving roads.

We were blessed with the weather, as at 4am the heavens opened up and we in Hastings and on the Peninsula had a dreadful storm, but we woke to blue skies and sunshine in time for our drive and lunch.

If you have not been to Cape Schanck Lighthouse, it is well worth the drive and make sure you do the lighthouse tour as it was very informative. We were lucky to have one of our own members Phil Gleadhill take us all around the light house and I think we all learnt something from his very informative tour.

On 11 and 12 November we had cars on display at the Sandown Historics. Both days had great numbers, we went on Sunday and were a little luckier with the weather being not so windy and nice and warm and sunny. There were plenty of different cars from different clubs too, it's a great event and if you have never been to a Historic racing meet. I would advise you to go check them out at Phillip Island, Winton or Sandown. Thank you to all who turned up with their cars looking so nicely presented.

Sadly, our last Simulator Challenge needed to be cancelled due to a low attendance which was a shame as these nights were a lot of fun throughout the year. The championship was very close, and the winner will be announced at our presentation dinner next year.

17-19 November saw some of our members attend the last round of E30 Racing. Again, we were blessed with blue skies, maybe a little too hot for some of the old E30s who had some overheating issues but great racing right through the field. Out youngest and one of our oldest members in E30 racing were battling for the championship and I am still not sure if the final decision has been made with a count back but there was a draw for the year with young Royce Lyne and Brian Bourke coming equal first on 152 points. This is what you call good close racing. Thank you to our members who came up to watch and help out over the weekend, was great to see you all there supporting the E30 Racing Club and our members racing.

Jo and I took our caravan up with us and used it as an office over the weekend and with the aircon, drivers were able to cool off between races. Jo as Jo is, worked most of the weekend on 2024 events, so watch out for new emails for some great events coming up next year.

We were lucky this round as we didn’t have to tow any of our customers cars up, so a week before we realised we could make a slow trip up to Challenge Bathurst which was on the next weekend. This is a first for us as you know both Jo and I don’t do anything slowly! We are normally always on the run, but this came as a well need rest for us. After Winton we travelled to Lake Hume and set up camp for the night. Then took two days to get to Bathurst ready for five very busy days, three officiating and two running the DCM group of 55 cars.

21-26 November was Challenge Bathurst. This year we had a group of 55 BMWs which was a huge honour for our club. We had members from seven different BMW clubs from all around the country. There was a great range of cars too. What I am most proud of is the volunteers who gave up their time to help run this event. Jo of course who gave so much of her time before during and after this event. Without her we would not have been able to do this. We also had drivers give up their time before the event and volunteer on flag points on Thursday and Friday and partners join the flagging team on Saturday and Sunday to volunteer. BMWDCM had many volunteers who came up just to help. They selflessly gave up their time to help out running the event, but mainly help our team run this event. Thank you all for the time you put in to give the drivers the opportunity to have fun on the track. Jo and I are very passionate about volunteering and within our club we encourage members to join our events as much as they can. It is a great way to be involved in motorsport, and generally officials get treated pretty well. At this event officials received free camping, free breakfast lunch and dinner, shirts and hats and even hot laps on Sunday afternoon in a V8 Supercar.

For all who entered this year and are reading this message, if you are attending next year please bring along some volunteers because at the end of the day it is for your safety. The more volunteers we have out there the safer you will be.

I would like to congratulate the winners 1. Brenton Hammond from QLD, 2. Grant Bray from NSW and 3. David Bushby from Tasmania (who I believe will be a new DCM member in the new year)! Well done ato you all. Some of the other clubs took the regularity part of it more seriously that perhaps any of our members did and tried pretty hard to match their times. For most of our members the thrill of driving Bathurst was all that mattered. Maybe next year we will run an information night about what the regularity part of the event is all about and how to go about trying to win it.

I hope you all made it home safely and are now enjoying telling your loved ones your great stories of the weekend. Remember we would love you to share your tales so please email v.president@bmwdcm.com.au with any articles and photos to photos@bmwdcm.com.au with your on and off track photos.

On the same weekend we also had a group displaying their cars at the Geelong Revival. We were lined up along Eastern Beach Road and the display looked great.

December events

December is here and we have some fun events to finish off the year.

3 December the last round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island.
3 December is also a drive to Marysville which will be led by Jen and Martin.
6 December is the Geelong Area drive led by Shaaron and Lawrence.
10 December is our Christmas Show and Shine and picnic, which is again at Cruden farm. Lunch pack orders close very soon, so please get you registrations and orders in as soon as possible. We have some raffle prizes at this event so be sure to bring cash, all money raised at this event will be going to the Peter Mac Foundation.
12 December is our final event for the year, being a workshop visit to CoolDrive Racing, to be given a tour of their facilities and check out their great Supercars and meet some of the team.

Also in December, is a non-Club event, which all of our members are invited and welcome to attend. 16 December is the Bell Motorsport Christmas BBQ at Hastings, be sure to join us and bring the family.

2024

Jo has been working very hard to secure some great events for 2024 and the calendar is nearly full. Keep looking for updates as we get the events up on the website.

Sadly, Jo will be going back into hospital soon for spinal surgery, so don’t think she is ignoring you if she doesn’t answer the phone or reply to an email straight away. Knowing Jo, she will have her laptop with her and will do her best to keep in contact, but if it is not Jo you really need to talk to contact one of the others on our team.

On the topic of health, our drive co-ordinator and new club Secretary, Peter Williams, is nearly all mended and will be back behind the wheel in the new year. We are very pleased with his recovery.

As for all of our hard working committee, we will be taking a short but very well earned break over Christmas, so make sure you have your CPS papers signed and remember this can all be done via our email cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au all the information on how to do this is on our website. Don’t leave it till the last minute though, as we are all volunteers and all deserve a few days off over Christmas and New Year.

Dates to lock in for the first quarter of the year.

12 January | Geelong Twilight Drive
19 January | Moon Dog World Coffee Cars and Dinner
21 January | Festival of Motoring Show at Cruden Farm
23 January | Members Meeting Creative Custom Cars.
26 January | Australia Day Drive
15 - 18 February | Bathurst 12 Hour DCM Private Corporate Suite (closing soon)
24 February | Coffee Cars and Devonshire Tea at Black Rock House
25 February | Round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for 2024 at Sandown
3 March | Family Fun Day Out – Puffing Billy – (Registrations close early to secure tickets)
9 March | Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed Display
17 March | Our first Come and Try Day for 2024 at Sandown
20-24 March | Australian F1 Grand Prix Display
25 April | ANZAC Long weekend to Beechworth (limited rooms, book early)

We'll have our driver training, come and try, motorkahana, hill climb and sprint dates up on the website soon. Check back over the next few weeks for all of the dates!

I told you Jo and I have been busy! There are more dates that will be released on our calendar very soon. With the heavy workload we have all had this year, these are all the events we have been able to get out so far, but believe me, there a lot more to come.

We are doing Tasmania again over the week prior to and over Melbourne Cup weekend. Watch out for the event notice as this will be different driving roads and area to our last trip down South.

We have formed a Nationals Committee for our 2025 Nationals, so you will soon be seeing updates regarding that. We have a logo which is yet to be approved by Munich but with Jo’s ideas and Fiona Cooper’s talents, it looks fantastic. We are all pleased with the results, which you will see this in the new year when we launch the Nationals 2025 website.

We are still looking for a webmaster to drive the Nationals website too, so if you or anyone you know can help, please let us know.

It is also getting close to getting the next idrive ready, and we need feature articles. Please send all your articles to editor@bmwdcm.com.au with photos for Jess to be able to use in next year’s magazine.

Remember this is your club and your ideas, help and articles are needed to keep this great club ticking along.

We are so close to Christmas now and I hope you all have a safe December in the build up to our festive season. I don’t know where this year has gone, so enjoy the last month of events for 2023.

Take care out there and I hope to see you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

BMW E36 Cruise #36

Thu, 23 Nov 2023 04:19:56 GMT

Event date: 29 October 2023

Earlier this year I was given the role of E36 Registry Captain. I took on this role as I enjoy bringing the car community together with meets and online groups. More specifically, a group with the chassis I know and love the best, the E36. On the 29th of October, we had our 6th Meet and Cruise held down in the Mornington Peninsula. We began by meeting in the morning at the Penlink BP Outbound with a turnout of about 26 cars. Every car there was unique from one another; varying from 318i's to 328i's, different body styles and a range of colours. After lots of chit chat over breakfast, we made our first move, cruising along the freeway then along the beach up to the windy roads of Arthurs Seat.

After some unexpected maintenance and repairs on some of the cars at the top of Arthurs Seat, we then made our way to the Rye boat ramp via the more inland roads of the Mornington Peninsula through Main Ridge and Fingal.

We concluded our cruise at the final meeting spot of the Rye boat ramp car park, capturing some great shots of everyone's E36's, followed by the remainder of the group grabbing some lunch at the local surrounding shops.

Overall, I was very impressed with the turnout on the day. It was nice to catch up with existing members and meet some new faces of the group. I look forward to organising the next one!

Marcus Mimmo | Member #523
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

German Auto Show from BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 23:25:13 GMT

Clubs Australia announced some time ago that the 100^th anniversary of BMW motorcycles and Motorrad was coming up in 2023. The BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria wanted to celebrate this once in a 100-year event in a memorable way. The question was what, which, where, when and how. The club had previously held a celebration (75 years of motorrad in 1998) so we knew that there would be a vehicle display at the very least.

1. Opportunity to join the German Auto Show

We considered various venues and options, but could not land on anything compelling. As club delegate and secretary, Jacques van Niekerk had become friends with Graeme Bell and Jo Mawson, he suggested that we should speak to Jo to explore the possibility of combining our club’s celebration of this once in a 100 year event with the German Auto Show. Our president, Bob Leggatt, invited Jo and Graeme to our annual BBQ meeting in January 2023 and introduced them to our club’s committee members. The DCM was planning a day at Calder Park in August 2023. We spoke about what value it could bring to have motorcycles join an automobile event. We spoke about this and thought a joint event would be an ideal solution to celebrate in style.

Jacques van Niekerk, Secretary and CA Delegate

2. Site Visit

As the BMWMCC committee member living closest to Calder Park, Bob Leggatt got the job of attending the site inspection. He later reported “I met up with the gang trackside and was surprised at what a friendly and welcoming group they were. I asked what space was available for the bikes, Jo stretched her arms out and said “you can have all of this”. He was amazed. Other clubs who were part of the inspection team were also interested in motorcycles and what this could contribute to the event. The inspection team agreed that we would be able to line up all of our motorcycles along the bitumen strip, member’s bikes on one side and our club marquees on the other.

3. Planning

We had no idea of what exactly we would be doing, just what sort of display we would be able to build, but at least we would have plenty of room to do it.

Now, what to show, it was decided that we could show off all our bikes. BMW had a long history of building bikes, over the years there were many different models, many different designs and engine sizes. Wouldn’t it be a good idea if we could show an example of every model. How could we fit them all in, how could we sort them into some meaningful sequence. Having looked at the club’s list of the various models, President, Bob, stepped in and decided this was too big a task. The decision was then made to make the display of the evolution of the iconic boxer engine models, showing the change in engine, frame and suspension designs throughout the past century. This was considered to be a more achievable and practical approach. Bob then took over as event organiser.

Taking a decade-by-decade approach, a long list of members bikes was perused to select a special number of bikes that filled the criteria. Fate must have smiled upon us, as one of our members knew of a very original and unrestored 1923 R32 (500cc), the first model of motorcycle that BMW ever built. It was sitting in a private museum in a not so far away country town, and yes, the owner would be willing to display it on the day. Next was to convince a dealer to loan us the latest model 2023 boxer of some description. During a courtesy visit to BMW Doncaster, they agreed to supply us with a R-nine-T 1200cc model, thus the two bookends of our special display were formed.

Starting with the 1923 R32, we followed with a
1934 R17 (750cc) a pressed steel frame , this example fitted with sidecar
1935 R5 (500cc) very handsome and sporty tube frame model
1941 R75 (750cc) a military sidecar model especially built with extra low and reverse gear
1950/60s R69s (600cc) heavy tube frame for sidecar work and leading link front suspension
1970 R75/5 (750cc) a new approach, lightweight frame, electric start and 12v electrics
1975 R90s (900cc) a high performance sports model, disc brakes and race winner
1985 R80 (800cc) an upgraded model, mono shock rear suspension and cast wheels
1999 R1100 (1100cc) a whole new model- engine, frame and suspension and electronics
2007 R1200R (1200cc) engine upgrade & new frame and suspension
2020 R1250R (1250cc) updated and upgraded 1200 model
2021 R18 (1800cc) a cruiser model, the biggest BMW ever
2023 R-nine-T (1200cc) a retro styled custom bike, based on R1200

4. On the Day

Bob Leggatt arrived on the day, right on time for muster, only to find the whole place in full swing. The area reserved for the 100th display was now taken up, there were bikes parked everywhere. Bob reported, “I hastily tried to gather together my special list of display bikes and get all the strays parked elsewhere, I just about did it, with a little help from a willing volunteer, just the odd one out of place”.

80 bikes were on display, including our special line-up, many customised bikes, including a 1930’s replica streamliner, 2 JPS specials, several sidecars, 2 1950’s racing bikes. A line-up of GS dual purpose models from the earliest (1980) 800cc to the latest 1250ccc model. About 80 club members pre-paid and many more came through on the day. Old friends turned up for this special occasion.

Our own presentation, as well as the GAS ‘Best of Marque – Motorcycle’ award (presented to the owner of the 1941 R75 military sidecar outfit) we had 3 awards of our own which took the form of a book featuring 100 years of BMW motorcycles, The People’s Choice award went to the owner of the 1935 R5, for a beautifully restored machine which had been in his family for 80 years, our own ‘Best of Marque’ went to another member who brought along three bikes, (a sidecar outfit towing a trailer with another bike on it and also managed to bring a third machine as well), the ‘President’s Choice’ award went to a beautiful 1963 R69s and Tillbrook sidecar. 2pm, the day was over so quickly, many hands turned to help with the packing up.

Bob Leggatt, President & event organiser.

The girl’s point of view

Leading up to the German Auto Show, we decided that the club would design a special range of merchandise to commemorate the BMW Motorrad 100-year Anniversary. Using 2 logos provided by the BMW Group we produced T-shirts, polo tops, mugs and stickers with the 100-years anniversary design. We invited Doncaster BMW Motorrad to partly sponsor the merchandise, which they did in return for displaying their name on the clothing. Their support was greatly appreciated.

A number of female club members provided assistance at the merchandise stand for the duration of the show, selling plenty of clothing and encouraging those who missed out to order online on the club website. While at the merchandise stand from start to finish, the day was a feast for our eyes, watching bikes arrive, many carefully unloaded from their trailers and rolled into place for the special display. Many club members attended, also carefully parking their bikes opposite of the display bikes. What an incredible mix of machines and eras. It was wonderful to see so many people milling around the bikes for the entire day. Perhaps many people attending the day did not realise the diversity of motorcycles produced by BMW over so many years, though this is well known by BMW Motorrad enthusiasts. We felt the day was enormously successful and positive thanks to the hard work and inclusivity of the BMW Drivers Club of Melbourne and the volunteers from all the clubs which participated in the event.

Lynne Rosenthal, Committee Member

BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria

Melbourne Cup Drive visiting Cape Schanck Lighthouse

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 05:16:10 GMT

Event date: 7 November 2023

On the morning of, we had time to give our car a quick wash down before we headed off to meet at Hastings. Bling! It's back to being shiny clean, looking immaculate (after the dirty rain the night before).

We arrived at Hastings in plenty of time to do some meet and greets, everyone was very welcoming and friendly, just as we'd hoped. There was even time to check out the other cars, so many nice BMW's and we could certainly tell everyone takes great pride in their cars.

With a quick announcement on the day's happenings, it was all systems go. We were in the second group to take off but watched as group one took to the road, on their way to the Cape Schank lighthouse where we'd all meet up again and convoy it to T'Gallants for lunch.

It was our first time driving in a convoy, there were about 15 or so cars in our group, similar to group one. The UHF radio was something new for us, but well worth the purchase and with a quick radio check we were off.

Left turn out of the Club Headquarters and across the rail lines onward through some of the windy roads the Peninsula has to offer, through Flinders we paraded our cars, driving through the township, with many people stopping to admire.

The UHF sure made the drive a breeze and the coordination from the lead to tail car was impressive, advising us where to turn, how many non-group cars were in the mix, regrouping and keeping us in the loop at all times, with some chatter in between.

Arriving at Cape Schank lighthouse and national park we did a quick lap around the car park, it was clearly a busy day for the area, plenty of tourists, so we parked up the main road and walked back towards the lighthouse area. We didn't partake in the lighthouse tour, but by all accounts, listening to others at lunch, it was certainly very interesting to learn about the history of the area and the lighthouse's purpose.

The weather was quite warm as we walked some of the trails amongst the beautiful scenery, sea and rock settings. In the distance we could also see the beach, which we figured was where all the cars parked along one of the roads we drove a bit earlier, led to.

We spent about an hour at the national park before both groups started in convoy towards Main Ridge, for lunch. Off we set, through some main and back roads, up Arthur's Seat, always a highlight to drive, whether it be by car or motorbike. Who doesn't love a bendy road with spectacular views! Then down through Red Hill and onto Main Ridge to T'Gallants.

We really are spoilt for choice on the Peninsula, so many wineries and touristy spots, but what a perfect setting for lunch. The venue was the perfect size for the Club, hats off to Jo and Co. for a great choice and in organising the event.

On arrival, our tables had a choice of T'Gallants red or white wine to indulge in and soon after some tasty platters were served for entree.

It was then down to business, as the list of horses for the Melbourne Cup was delivered to the tables, only to be taken away in haste after realising it was the list from the 2022 Cup. A slight technical hitch, giddy up! A good talking point nonetheless, along with loads of laughs.

Then the correct 2023 horse names were presented in a tub at $5 a horse. There was an exciting buzz around the pavilion with the cross sharing of horse names, as to who had which horse and who's the favourite, which jockey is riding which horse. We all seemed pretty pleased with our lucky dips, after all it's anyone's race.

Mains followed soon after, with an array of tasty food on offer.

There were some fine hats and head pieces on show with a special shout out to Martin's promptly made serviette hat! I'm not sure if an eventual winner was declared, but everyone enjoyed showcasing their hats.

The Cup was run and won with some of the group winning twice, having lucky dipped the same horse. With prizes awarded and claimed, some finished in front $$, others not - we were in the 'not'! Never mind, maybe next year.

With the day's festivities over, coffees had, farewells said, we soon departed. Thanks to everyone for sharing such an enjoyable drive and a great day out.

Susan Wilson | Member #1110
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

An update from the President | October

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 06:13:15 GMT

Dear members,

October came and went with a whirl, seems to be a thing lately!

1 October was our last Driver Training event at Broadford for the year and we were sold out, which was a great result. These events are not only great for new and upcoming drivers but also great for training new officials and this one was no exception with us have no less than 15 officials upskilling on the day. Fantastic weather, brilliant day out and a great way to end the driver Training season.

4 October was our drop in Donuts night, and as with all of these nights, we had a great turn out and all enjoyed the coffee, cars and donuts.

8 October a large group headed out for a great drive from Eildon-Jamison Mansfield and Yea. With great driving roads the group enjoyed some amazing drives to end up at lunch in Mansfield. After lunch the drive continued on a scenic drive home via Yea.

12 October was our Annual General Meeting, which was held at the German Club Tivoli. We always love coming here and the food and staff are always fabulous. Our 2022/23 Committee stood down and a new committee were elected for the next year. I am back as President, Jo is again our Vice President, Peter Williams is now our Secretary and Lawrence is taking on the role of Treasurer. Shaaron has been with us for 5 years and due to personal reasons has stood down from this role. I would personally like to thank Shaaron for all her work she has done over the past 5 years. Our new committee are committed to run our great club and take it forward into the future.

On 21 October Jo and I went off to WA for 5 days escape before the next few months of crazy busy events. Yes, I know it’s hard to believe, but we managed to have 5 days off to enjoy the sights of Perth and Southwestern WA.

22 October was our second What Else is in Your Garage Coffee and Cars Day. Sadly, the weather was not that brilliant, but our members did not disappoint us and there was still a fantastic turn out of beautiful cars.

On 25 October a group of members headed out for our first Twilight drive for the end of the year. After a great drive the group enjoyed some food and laughs.

On 26-28 October E30 racing attended the last round of the Victorian State Race Series at Calder Park. So good to see so many of our members there and even to have members join us as spectators. I have raced at this track many years ago and it brought back some fantastic memories. What a great weekend and what a great venue this will be once a few more upgrades are done.

I can’t believe we are in November now and only a few more weeks and we will be winding up for the year and what a year it has been.

7 November is our Melbourne Cup Drive. We are leaving from the Club Rooms in Hastings hopefully by 9.45am to enable 3 groups to get through the Light House tour. Followed by some more great driving roads to end at T’Gallants for a casual lunch then a Melbourne Cup sweep over tea and coffee. This event is closed now.

11/12 November is Sandown Historic Car Display. Join us with discounted entry to enjoy some fabulous historic racing.

14 November is our last Simulator Challenge. Come along to see who this year’s Simulator Champion will be. It is very close with only a few points between first and third. there are still spots left so make sure you register to be part of all the fun, come along as a spectator too.

We're off to Challenge Bathurst on 25-26 November, which will be a brilliant event. There are 55 members joining us from 6 BMW Clubs from all over Australia to enjoy this thrilling event. We are also lucky to have over 20 members joining us as volunteers to help run the event. Jo and I will arrive very early and help out with the sprint sessions and then once our lot are all cleared through scrutiny, we will be managing our group.

26 October is Geelong Revival which sadly conflicts with Challenge Bathurst, but Lawrence will be heading this event, and we are sure to have a brilliant display as per normal. This is a great event to attend as a displayer or just come and enjoy the great event this always is.

Dates to remember:

10 December – Christmas show and shine and family picnic
21 January - AOMC Festival of Motoring – Cruden Farm
26 January - Australia Day Drive
15 February – Bathurst 12 Hour Private Suite – (Nearly sold out)
24 February – Coffee Cars and Devonshire Tea (limited spots)

Preparing for the Nationals

We will be launching the Nationals 2025 website very soon and before we can do that, we are needing a logo!

Working with BMW AG we have strict criteria on all our logos, and this must fit their guidelines. 2025 is also 50 years of the 3 series so we are thinking maybe something to link the two together?

We ask all members to get their creative heads on and see what you can come up with. Get them to us as soon as you can so the committee can pick the best and most appropriate logo and announce the best design in the December newsletter. If you would like to help us with this contact myself or Jo regarding the criteria we have to work with.

We will also be forming a Nationals Committee in November, if you think you will be interested in helping with this event, please contact Jo, on events@bmwdcm.com.au, who has already gotten things off to a great start and let her know what availability you will be able to offer, be it before or during the event.

Our Nationals are planned for Anzac Weekend 2025 which falls over the Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday. Anzac Day being on the Friday.

Mark these dates in your diary, book your holiday leave and make sure you are there to enjoy our Nationals event.

From the Welfare Team

From our Welfare team, some of you may have noticed Peter Williams missing from our drive events. This is due to him having a tumble and breaking a bone or possibly a few bones in his hand and not being able to drive for some time. Lawarence and Shaaron have led a drive and Jo and I will be at the helm at the next two but rest assured Peter is mending well and will be back as soon as he can.

We wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to having him back up front again.

The online store

We still have limited stock of our summer shirts for sale. Go to our store to place your orders for when we get some more sunny weather.

Our UHF Radios kits are selling well, and these are a really great purchase. Maybe a good idea for Christmas if you are stuck for idea. They come with pretty much everything you need for communicating on our drive days. Go to our store to pick up one now.

Join us for a Christmas BBQ

Bell Motorsport (that’s Jo and I) will be having our Christmas BBQ on the 17^th December at the Hastings yard. Feel free to drop in and join us from 10 am. It is a casual day with soft drinks and sausage sizzle. Bring the kids and enjoy the company. Jo promises not to be carted off in an Ambulance this year!

Other news

Jo and I were lucky to be invited to the 100 years of Motorrad celebration by Melbourne/Ringwood and Doncaster BMW. This was at a really cool venue which Jo is in communications with for us to hold a twilight/daytime cars and food event at. This will be at the beginning of the year to hopefully enjoy some of our great weather.

CPS renewals are going well with the electronic system, if you don’t know how to do it, go to our CPS page on our website and read the instructions.

Remember this is a very busy time of year and your committee are all volunteers who try to have some home/life balance. If you are wanting to put your car on CPS or needing your renewals signed, please do not leave it to the last minute as we may not be able to help at short notice. We are here for you, but we will need a little notice. Call us before heading down.

If you are reading this now and have a vehicle on CPS make sure you have not let it run out. It is your responsibility to ensure your membership is up to date and your renewals are signed and paid.

Peter and Jo will be putting their heads together to map out some great drives for 2024. Jo already has a lot of great events planned for us to look forward to, but, as always, if you have an idea for an event or go somewhere cool and you think it would be great to take the club to, don’t keep it a secret! Let us know and we will follow up on it or help you get it off the ground.

We have five Driver Training events tentatively booked for 2024! We are still waiting for the motorsport calendars to be finalised, so we can confirm them, but next year looks like a great year with some amazing on track events planned.

We have sent out our sponsorship proposals for 2024 and so far, we have had some very positive results from both new and existing Club sponsors. One new sponsor took up our new Driver Training Pack, so we will be able to offer some cheaper rounds to enable more people the opportunity of getting out on track. If you own or are a part of a business that might like to sponsor the club or advertise in our excellent magazine, idrive, don’t hesitate to ask for our sponsorship proposal pack.

If you are interested in sponsoring the club, please contact Jo on v.president@bmwdcm.com.au and she will be happy to chat with you. We are glad to already have some of our previous sponsors committing for 2024.

Drive safe and I look forward to seeing you out at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

October Donuts get together in Geelong

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:11:04 GMT

Event date: 4 October 2023

Not every club event has a structure and once in a while we meet up at Daniel’s Donuts in Geelong in the evening for a natter.

The conversation usually turns to cars, and there is some looking at cars as well, but other things crop up too.

October’s meeting seem to revolve around buying and selling 5 series of various vintages and not buying or selling E21 3 Series.

The great thing is within the group someone has an answer, or at least a suggestion, for just about everything.

I think that’s why we’re in a club!

And it was a good opportunity for me to take my 700 out for a few more people to see and read the “the car that saved BMW” story – people who may not go to the car shows we go to.

Lawrence Glynn | Member #3
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Indianapolis 8 Hour: BMW M Team WRT wins – BMW maintains its lead in the IGTC manufacturer standings.

Sun, 08 Oct 2023 08:12:58 GMT

Victory for BMW M Team WRT and the BMW M4 GT3 at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, the fourth and penultimate race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) season. BMW works drivers Philipp Eng (AUT), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) secured a triumph at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway (USA) with a 53 second margin.

Victory for BMW M Team WRT and the BMW M4 GT3 at the Indianapolis 8 Hour, the fourth and penultimate race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) season. BMW works drivers Philipp Eng (AUT), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) secured a triumph at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway (USA) with a 53 second margin. With this third consecutive IGTC win following the Kyalami 9 Hour (RSA) in February and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) in July, BMW defended its lead in the manufacturer's standings ahead of Mercedes. Eng remains second in the driver's championship but closed the gap on the top spot. BMW M Motorsport will compete in the season finale in Abu Dhabi (UAE) in December, contending for titles in both categories.

The #30 BMW M4 GT3 started from fourth position, but Eng managed to take the lead in the first corner. The BMW M Team WRT trio temporarily lost the lead when they received a drive-through penalty for exceeding the maximum stint duration. However, with excellent speed – the BMW M4 GT3s tyre wear was reduced significantly by cooler temperatures on race day – Eng staged a comeback from fourth to second place. Leading the race with a little over two hours remaining was the #31 BMW M4 GT3 with the WRT trio of Augusto Farfus (BRA), Maxime Martin and Charles Weerts (both BEL). However, Farfus collided with another car while attempting to overtake a lapped opponent, damaging the front suspension of his car. BMW M Team WRT managed to repair the damage but lost more than ten laps in the process. Nevertheless, the joy of the team's first victory in the USA clearly overshadowed the setback.

North American BMW M Motorsport teams BimmerWorld and ST Racing also competed in Indianapolis but faced their fair share of issues. Samantha Tan (CAN), BMW works driver Neil Verhagen and Jake Walker (both USA) finished in 12^th place, while Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Chandler Hull (all USA) retired from the race shortly before the end.

The ‘Gulf 12 Hours’, the IGTC season finale, will take place on 9^th/10^th December in Abu Dhabi.

Reactions after the race:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Congratulations to BMW M Team WRT and our BMW M works drivers Philipp Eng, Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor on their victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hour! This marks the third consecutive win for the BMW M4 GT3 in the Intercontinental GT Challenge following the double victory at Kyalami and the triumph at the 24h Spa-Francorchamps. This once again highlights the global strength of our GT3 car. It's a pity that the sister car had to retire while leading due to a collision because it was also performing exceptionally well until that point. Thanks to all drivers, team members and BMW M Motorsport staff for their efforts! This includes the North American teams of BimmerWorld and ST Racing, who gave good performances despite their misfortunes in the race. Now, we focus on the upcoming tasks, including the season finale of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in Abu Dhabi in December.”

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal, BMW M Team WRT): “It's a great feeling to win a race in the USA for the first time with BMW M Team WRT. We had two very strong cars, and it was a big help that tyre wear was low on this track and in these temperatures. That gave us an advantage over our competitors. The setback is the retirement of our second car because we were on course for a double victory, but such mistakes happen. We're racing at the highest level and take corresponding risks. That's racing. Now, let's see what we can achieve in the title fight in Abu Dhabi.”

Philipp Eng (#30 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “Hats off to the fantastic performance of our team. They truly deserve this victory. Yesterday, they worked on the car for a long time, and today, everyone did a perfect job. I managed to keep the driver's championship title fight open. Now it all comes down to the showdown in Abu Dhabi.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#30 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “I'm thrilled to win this race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on my very first attempt! We realised early this weekend that we had a good car here, and the team did a fantastic job. What a moment to kiss the 'Bricks'!”

Dries Vanthoor (#30 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “What a great victory! Thanks to BMW M Motorsport, the team and my fellow drivers! After the mistake with the stint time, which we paid for with a drive-through penalty, we didn't give up, fought hard, and were rewarded in the end.

Augusto Farfus (#31 BMW M4 GT3, 17th place): “The collision was my fault. I decided to make the move and overtake the lapped car in front of me on the inside. I went too deep into the corner and hit the Ferrari that was still in front of me and the car I intended to overtake. It's extremely unfortunate because we had the race under control at that point. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to overtake lapped cars in general. When you have to fight to get past them, such mistakes can unfortunately happen. I'm sorry for the team and my fellow drivers.“

BMW PRESS

An update from the President | September

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

It is great to see spring here and some lovely driving weather with us again.

Sorry the report is a couple of days late, we’ve been so busy with events, the end of the month slipped by without us noticing.

Our first event for September was the Shannons Insurance Simulator Challenge which was an exciting event with the run to the end very close and could be anyone’s win.

On 9 September we had our first drive for the month being a mid-week drive. It was another great drive by Peter and all who attended had a great time heading around the roads of the Yarra Valley to Healesville.

On 14 September we had Supercars at Sandown. So many of our members attended as officials, which was great to see. Some were trying out new roles for the first time too! The weather was amazing and I know I had a ball scrutineering.

20 September was our Berwick mid-week drive leaving from Berwick BMW which is always good to support some of our sponsors. Great driving conditions and everyone enjoyed lunch at the historic Thorpdale Travellers Rest Hotel.

1 October was our last come and Try day for 2023. We had lots of new members attend. It was also great to see some different cars out there too. Thanks again, as always, to our friends from VFT (Victorian Flagmarshalling Team) for keeping all our drivers safe on track. We had a few new officials on the day too, which is so good and also lots of parents with their junior drivers teaching them safe driving skills.

On 3 October Jo and I headed up to Bathurst to officiate for the week at the 1000. Jo will be in the Supercars Corporate office and I will be doing scrutineering for the week. I will be looking after Supercars again, and I am sure it will be a great week. It was a little bit wet on Wednesday but the rest of the week is looking dry and cool which will suit all up here. It's really nice to see so many of our members filling different officiating roles too.

4 October was also our Drop in donut night in Geelong. This is always a fun night with lots of different cars attending.

Looking ahead and on 8 October while many of us will be watching the great race, some will be on another one of Peter's great drives through Eildon-Jamison-Mansfield-Yea. There will be some amazing driving roads to enjoy, so not too late to join if you aren’t glued to your tv!

12 October is our AGM at German Club Tivoli. We would love you to attend and have your say. If you cannot come please forward your proxy vote to secretary@bmwdcm.com.au to ensure we have a quorum and the AGM and new committee can be sworn in. If you are wanting to attend for dinner at 6.30pm make sure you book through the Tivoli Club and use BMWDCM as your booking reference.

On 22 October we have our ‘What else do you have in your garage’ coffee morning. We know that there are also some amazing cars out there being hidden away from us in peoples’ garages and man/lady caves and this is the perfect opportunity to show us what you have. Bikes are welcome too.

25 October is the last club event for the month, with a Geelong Area Mid Week Twilight Drive ending at Mount Moriac Hotel for dinner.

On 27-29 October E30 racing will be out at Calder Park for their first race meeting there in many years. This should be an exciting race meeting and I know it’s been too long now since cars have raced on this Iconic track and I for one am very excited to be going out there. Not sure if I will race yet but this is a strong possibility. So if you’d like to come and support our members and E30 Racing, put it in your calendar.

Other dates to make note of:

The club is going really well, and I am so proud that each month we still get a stream of new members joining. Welcome to all of our recent new members and thank you for joining us. It is a credit to our team of volunteers that events are run well, and members are having great experiences with others and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere we have at all our events. Social media is also a great way of sharing our club with the world and we have had a lot of new members from social media as well.

We still have a few of our discount merchandise left if there's something you're looking for. Head on over to the online store and place your order.

It is scary that the year is quickly coming to an end and Jo has half of 2024 already planned for us.

Watch your emails for new and exciting events, which come out to you every week. Now that the better weather and longer days are here, we will be doing our twilight drives and, of course, lots of car show type events coming too.

Keep an eye on the website, there are always new things being added to the store or calendar and keep your profile up to date too.

As always, take care out there and drive safely and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Thorpdale Midweek Drive

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 04:58:29 GMT

Event date: 20 September 2023

Thorpdale, here we come. 10 cars, their owners and passengers met at Berwick BMW for coffee and cake on 20^th September prior to setting off through the rolling hills of West Gippsland on another of Pete’s world-renowned BMW Club drives. Why else would we be BMW Club of the Year [worldwide in 2023, if it wasn’t for our drives.

There weather was looming as inclement but fortunately, that’s how it stayed, we had no rain.

The lush hills and valleys of Gippsland passed us by as we headed down the Monash Freeway via Pakenham, Drouin, Poowong, Korrumburra, Mirboo North to Thorpdale for lunch. Tail end Charlie lost the plot and was happy for 9 cars to be in the group instead of 10, as my navigator let me down and we got separated from the group. Tail End Charlie apparently has a care factor of zero as he was somewhat surprised when I eventually appeared in his rear-view mirror. All, is almost forgiven!

An enjoyable lunch was partaken at the Thorpdale Travellers’ Rest Pub before we made our own ways home.

If you’re free during the week, see you at the next mid-week drive. And even if you’re not, you can always take a sickie..

Graham Thomas | Member #534
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Healesville Saturday Morning Cruise

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 05:09:39 GMT

Event date: 9 September 2023

At about 9.30am we arrived at the back of Sophia’s in Croydon on a cold yet lovely spring day with promising glimpses of blue sky.

After a short impromptu chat and show and tell about our cars we were gathered together by Peter to discuss the plans for the mornings drive. Everyone was organised with us all having our radios and once we were briefed the 18 or so cars were split into two groups.

I was placed in group two and we let the first group have a 10 minute head start! Just before we started the clouds separated to get bigger patches of blue and we were on our way.

There were a few little hiccups at the start with cars getting separated by red lights we eventually all joined up together just before getting into being surrounded by magnificent green acreage.

The tight winding roads made for a spectacular and exhilarating drive with chitter chatter on the UHF radio about favourite wineries and restaurants that we passed.

The pleasant chitter chatter continued to the point where we were all together at a turning point and we couldn’t get a word in to advise our lead car that we were all together, so we had to beep our horn to get a move on!

With a couple of breaks to stretch our legs we continued through the ever-green undulating hills near Healesville and wound in and out of roads that I’d driven past heaps of times but never ventured down. On one break I was asked if I was the one with the AK47 for an exhaust, which made my day. Popping and crackling all the way in my 440i was just pure joy.

After what felt like a very quick 2 hours the journey ended at the Beechworth Bakery and whilst my family and I had to dart off to another event many of the BMW club members stayed to have a bite to eat.

What a great selector of roads our Peter is, the drive was truly fantastic and a very enjoyable day.

Luke Devlin | Member #738
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Christmas in July

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 05:06:23 GMT

Event date: 19 July 2023

On the 9th of July we joined the BMW drivers club on a drive to Rhyll for the annual Xmas in July function.

I started planning the outfits for myself and my husband as soon as we booked. I found a fantastic T-shirt for hubby with a very cool looking Santa with tattoos and attitude, I wore a glow in the dark dress with very bright Xmas pictures of candy canes, snowmen, stars etc, and an Elf hat to top it all off.

Then I moved on to decorating the car, an E30 convertible (not ideal for the conditions on the day but still lots of fun). I started with big red velvet bows which I hung off the head rests, tinsel and lights for the back parcel shelf and a Santa decal in the side window (looked like we were escorting Santa to lunch). Then I moved to the exterior of the car, elf legs hung out of the boot and magnetic ‘lights’ which were on the back and sides of the car to finish the decorating.

The trip started at Caldermeade on a very wet and cold Sunday morning, we travelled the beautiful Gippsland, occasionally getting a little off track but we always regroup quickly with lots of information over the UHF radio. It was a fun drive with a few windies through the countryside till we arrived at Kilcunda then on to the chocolate factory in Phillip island, we were all dressed up creating quite a stir with the children especially Mr and Mrs Claus!

Next stop was Rhyll for a beautiful Xmas lunch. I was lucky enough to score a prize in the raffle I could choose between a box of chocolates or an umbrella, the umbrella seemed very fitting for the day and extremely useful. After lunch we had a parade for best dressed in different categories with the staff deciding the winners. After a quick check from the children at my table that my Elf ears were on correctly I joined the women’s category and much to my surprise I won! I got to take home delicious chocolates from the chocolate factory for my brightly coloured Xmas dress.

The day ended with a flat battery from leaving our headlights on, but its handy belonging to a drivers club we were jump started and, on our way, home in no time with big smiles and talk of what event we’ll be attending next.

Wendy and Darren Alexander | Member #1023
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

With Phillip Island on our doorstep step it is often our Go To location on a sunny weekend, who doesn't like the smell of sea air and the feel of soft sand underfoot, then of course the chance to take out your pride and joy from the stable to stretch it's legs.

The South Gippsland Hwy gets us their in less than 50 minutes or if it's a more leisurely drive we seek we hit the Princes Hwy into Drouin then on thru towards Poowong and Korumburra, taking in some seriously rolling green countryside, excellent road testing territory for car enthusiasts and their rides.

Sunday, 9th September was a bonus run to the Island as we joined the club for the Christmas in July lunch at the Foreshore Restaurant in Rhyll, another favourite of ours.

It was great opportunity to catch up with many familiar faces and their extended families enjoying some early Christmas festivity whilst feasting on the delicious 3 course menu. Some, not us, really put in an effort, adding a little magic and colour to the occassion dressing in their best Christmas wraps.

Next year, we promise.

Mr & Mrs S.

Richard and Bev Sherman | Member #843 and #852
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

August Members Meeting at Ringwood BMW

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 05:24:28 GMT

Event date: 8 August 2023

The dealership staff welcomed us warmly offering their expertise and knowledge about the different BMW models. They provided us with a brief overview of the BMW brand and its commitment to luxury performance and innovative technology. The club members were excited to learn about the various features and advancements that make BMW cars and bikes stand out in the market place.

As we explored the showroom and service area, our attention was immediately drawn to a beautiful E21 in for service, great to see a classic like this at a dealership, not sure who it belongs to but it was just stunning. This behind-the-scenes tour of the service area we witnessed the meticulous care given to each BMW vehicle. We learned about the rigorous testing procedures and attention to detail that goes into ensuring the quality of every vehicle that leaves the dealership.

The powerful design and sporty aesthetics of the new generation M cars in particular, captivated our imaginations leaving us dreaming of the exhilarating experience of driving these high-performance machines. We also experienced a tour of the new R & K Series Motorad offerings on the upper level of the dealership. We were told it is apparently the largest BMW Motorad showroom in Australia, certainly tempted me to get on a bike again (hope the wife does not read this).

The dealership staff didn't just limit our experience to the showroom. They arranged drinks and light snacks during the visit, the donuts were sensational, I had to stop myself eating too many.

In addition to the M series we also got the opportunity to discover the elegant luxury of the BMW 7 Series. Its plush interior cutting-edge technology and attention to detail left us in awe. The advanced driver-assistance systems showcased the high level of safety and convenience BMW prioritizes for its drivers.

Throughout our visit the dealership staff patiently answered our questions and shared insights on BMW's commitment to sustainable mobility. They highlighted the brand's efforts to incorporate electric and hybrid vehicles into their lineup emphasizing their dedication to reducing emissions while maintaining performance standards.

Our club members left the BMW dealership feeling inspired and fascinated by the experience. The visit not only allowed us to indulge in our passion for cars but also deepened our understanding of BMW's craftsmanship and dedication to innovation.

Overall our visit to the Ringwood BMW dealership was a memorable adventure that brought us closer to the unparalleled engineering and design of BMW vehicles. We left with a newfound appreciation for the brand's commitment to luxury performance and cutting-edge technology.

John Ritsell | Member #812
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Alex Baxter Memorial Driver Training and Come & Try Day

Sun, 10 Sep 2023 05:20:53 GMT

Event date: 24 June 2023

The day starts a little nervously. I roll slowly down the entrance and then wait. Will I be embarrassingly slow? Will I be too fast and end up 'mowing the lawn' after coming off at a tight corner?

Beginners and pros are given track briefings, and a run through of flag colours and safety protocols. More reassuringly, beginners do their first laps with a coach in the passenger seat. When I say coach I don't mean nanny. Far from it, with plenty of encouragement and advice, with the aim of teaching how to move swiftly (fast) down the straights, with enough breaking time for the corner. And it's not simply speed and brakes. Some corners should be taken tight, others out wide so as to set your line up for the next corner.

Enough of the backgrounding. This is no country jaunt. As soon as you finish one corner, get ready for the next, and the one after that. The corners are relentless, requiring constant attention, an increased heartbeat and occasional panting. With increasing confidence, the corners and the straight become thrilling and rousing. The focus is intense and absorbing. My times were average but the thrills were extreme. Fun, fear, and exhilaration wrapped into one day.

Flat out fast is not the only way increase your skills. Due to the 'no overtaking on corners' rule, beginners wanting to dip their toes in the water (put rubber on the track) can do so safely. 'Come and have fun' days are for everyone, including soccer mums and dads in a Kia. Kids also welcome.

Remember the coaches? They get you started and for the more keen, pro lessons are available for later in the day. Pick you own pace, learn more about your car, and be guaranteed a great high. Advice I received changed entirely the way I read corners.

One more thing. We're a friendly bunch and welcome company. Come on your own or bring the tribe. I found the day addictive and look forward to another day at Broadford. Thanks to all the volunteers who make this possible.

John Shreeve | Member #579
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMW M Team WRT is testing the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Spa-Francorchamps – BMW M4 GT3 EVO is set to arrive in 2025

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 10:39:41 GMT

The preparation of the BMW M Hybrid V8 for its entry into the FIA WEC in 2024 continued this week with three days of testing at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The BMW M Team WRT gained further valuable insights on its home track from Wednesday to Friday. Simultaneously, BMW M Motorsport tested the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the improved successor to the current BMW M4 GT3. This upgraded version of the vehicle will compete from the 2025 season onwards.

The preparation of the BMW M Hybrid V8 for its entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in 2024 continued this week with three days of testing at Spa-Francorchamps (BEL). The BMW M Team WRT gained further valuable insights on its home track from Wednesday to Friday. Simultaneously, BMW M Motorsport tested the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, the improved successor to the current BMW M4 GT3. This upgraded version of the vehicle will compete from the 2025 season onwards.

In total, eight BMW M works drivers shared the testing duties with both vehicles. Robin Frijns (NED), Maxime Martin (BEL), René Rast (GER), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) were behind the wheel of the BMW M Hybrid V8. Particularly Yelloly, as regular driver, and Wittmann, who participated at Daytona and Sebring (both USA), brought their experience from the race outings of the LMDh prototype in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 2023. Augusto Farfus (BRA), Jens Klingmann (GER) and Bruno Spengler (CAN) shared duties testing the BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

The efforts of the BMW M Team WRT with the carbon-black BMW M Hybrid V8 focused on optimising systems and performance. Like most drivers, the Belgian team is still at the stage of getting acquainted with and understanding the intricacies of the complex vehicle.

The BMW M4 GT3 EVO starts its testing phase early. BMW M Motorsport will utilise the remainder of the 2023 season and the entirety of the 2024 season for intensive work on refining the already highly successful BMW M4 GT3. Emphasis will be on expanding vehicle functionalities, enhancing component reliability, improving handling for the teams, and further enhancing drivability.

Reactions after the test:

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): "Our testing work with the BMW M Hybrid V8 for the WEC entry continues to make very good progress. We are right on schedule. It's clear that having the vehicle in both race action in the IMSA series and testing here in Europe is a benefit. The dual pool of experiences benefits all sides, BMW M Team WRT as well as BMW M Team RLL and our BMW M Motorsport engineers. The fact that we had Marco Wittmann and Nick Yelloly testing the LMDh car here at Spa-Francorchamps, drivers who are already very familiar with the BMW M Hybrid V8 from their race experiences in North America, underscores this valuable synergy. In the GT3 segment, we are already looking ahead. We started very early with the EVO version of the BMW M4 GT3 and we're intentionally taking the time to improve our already highly successful model for the 2025 season. All with the aim of celebrating more years of victories and titles for our drivers and teams, both in the LMDh and GT3 categories."

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “The three test days have gone very well. Once again, we've learned a lot, which continues to push us forward in preparation for the WEC season in 2024. At the moment, it's crucial to accumulate as much mileage as possible and to do our homework with the car as well as with the team. It's working well.”

Robin Frijns (BMW M works driver): “As I have only recently become a part of this fantastic project, I am still in the process of comprehending the BMW M Hybrid V8 in all its complexity. I am learning with each lap. However, things have gone very well here at Spa-Francorchamps, and we have made significant progress with the car. I am looking forward to the upcoming tests.”

Bruno Spengler (BMW M works driver): “I am thrilled to be involved in the development of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO right from the beginning. I have always enjoyed this aspect, also during my DTM days. The EVO represents progress in many areas compared to the current BMW M4 GT3. Drivability is a crucial factor, as well as tyre durability over longer distances. We definitely see improvements in this regard. Here at Spa-Francorchamps, we drove the BMW M4 GT3 EVO in wet conditions for the first time, and the car is proving to be a true all-rounder.”

BMW PRESS

The Reinvention of the Original: The all-electric MINI Cooper.

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:43:29 GMT

As a 3-door model in its fifth generation, the purely electric MINI Cooper underscores the brand’s tradition with hallmark MINI design while at the same time symbolising the all-electric future. Electrified go-kart feeling and an immersive user experience take the MINI DNA to a whole new level.

The purist design and the all-electric drivetrain of the new MINI Cooper are consistently geared towards urban driving fun, highlighting the exceptional status of the MINI within its vehicle segment. There is virtually no other vehicle model in the world that has succeeded in accentuating its own history and tradition based on evolutionary advancements while at the same time repeatedly setting new technical standards over a period of more than 60 years of construction. What has remained is the underlying notion of a vehicle that offers the greatest possible space utilisation for passengers despite compact external dimensions. New features include the world of digital experiences, modern assistance systems and a purely electric powertrain that guarantees locally emission-free mobility. As such, the fifth generation is a typical MINI while at the same time symbolising the brand’s all-electric future.

“With its electric drive and purist design, the new MINI Cooper is a perfect fit for an urban lifestyle. In the fifth generation of the MINI Cooper, we combine the traditional MINI DNA with innovative, future-oriented technology while enabling locally emission-free driving fun that is typical of MINI,” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI.

Charismatic Simplicity: the new MINI design style.

The design of the new MINI model generation is modern, digital and unmistakable. With the new MINI family, the brand takes driving fun, the user experience and a responsible attitude forward into a new era. This comprehensive transformation on the way to becoming an all-electric brand by 2030 is reflected in the authentic design of the new models, combining forward-looking technology with the elementary principles of body design and the brand’s origins. In doing so, it emphasises the urban character of the MINI along with the sheer joy of innovation.

“Inspired by our history, we have developed our own new design language, defining our DNA. We call it ‘Charismatic Simplicity’. The idea behind it is a design that gives each new MINI model a strong, individual character and is characterized by a clear, reduced design language intuitively focused on the essentials of the brand.” says Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Design.

The exterior: maximum reduction to the essentials.

In the new model generation once again, the MINI 3-door embodies the core of the brand. With its fully electric drivetrain, the new MINI Cooper is consistently geared towards urban driving fun, transporting the character of the iconic model into the brand’s purely electric future.

The agile and compact silhouette features hallmark MINI proportions: short overhangs, a short bonnet and the contrasting long wheelbase with large wheels give the fifth model generation of the MINI Cooper a fascinating charisma with classic design features. At the same time, this emphasises the athletic impression and underlines the model’s contemporary urban orientation.

Details such as the flush door handles and the absence of fender flares and classic side scuttles support the modern design of the exterior by giving the surfaces a striking clarity. This reduction to the essentials places even more emphasis on the body paint finish on the larger body surface. In this way, typical MINI design features such as the visual three-part division of the vehicle body, the all-round window area and the contrasting roof have a greater impact, helping the new design style to take effect.

Striking face with fresh radiance: MINI LED-lights with Signature Modes.

In the new model generation, the front end of the all-electric MINI Cooper is once again characterised by the iconic MINI circular headlights and the striking grille. These go together to create the hallmark MINI appearance.

The new octagonal front grille with its filigree contour defines the front section even more powerfully than its hexagonal predecessor. Instead of chrome, the new accent colour Vibrant Silver adds highlights to the exterior, giving the new MINI Cooper an even more expressive appearance.

The daytime running light elements of theLED-lights support this striking look with fresh radiance due to unique light signatures. Horizontal light graphics are part of the Essential Trim. Optionally, the daytime running light elements can be switched to create three adjustable light signatures, thereby emphasising the distinctive character of each vehicle. In addition, all light modes start and end with a specially orchestrated welcome and goodbye animation. This interaction with the MINI Cooper heightens the sense of anticipation for the MINI even before you set off.

Reduced details for a powerful presence and increased dynamic performance.

As with the body design as a whole, the front headlights are not framed with chrome elements anymore. This results in the front section having a focused expression. Together with the fascinating curves of the bonnet and the clear-cut design of the front apron, the new MINI 3-door has a distinct and sporty look. This impression is supported by the vehicle’s track width and the dynamic indentation at the wheel arches.

The side view of the new MINI Cooper also conveys greater reduction and clarity. For the first time, the model appears without a circumferential Black Band. Reducing the number of components places the body colour more at the centre of interest, thereby ensuring a powerful presence. Black sills visually move the MINI Cooper closer to the road. The vehicle combines a modern take on the hallmark MINI design with outstanding aerodynamic properties. The cd figure of 0.28 is outstanding for the small car segment and makes the

MINI extremely efficient.

The new MINI aesthetic also gives the rear section a new, contemporary feel, featuring clear surfaces and flush rear lights. The vertical light clusters quote the classic MINI lights and can be switched to different modes in the same way as the front headlights. The third brake light and rear fog light are integrated flush into the rear design, emphasising the high quality of the sculptured modern rear section. A defined shoulder section gives the MINI Cooper a particularly powerful look. A striking black handle strip divides the rear section, its horizontal orientation highlighting the vehicle’s broad stance and the sporty flair that this conveys.

Four individual trims for even more character.

The all-electric MINI Cooper is available in four different trims. The Essential Trim presents maximum clarity and a reduced overall appearance, highlighting certain functional parts such as the logo in the new colour Vibrant Silver. The new range of external paint finishes underlines the modernity of the new MINI icon and sets positive accentuations with bright tones such as Sunny Side Yellow.

While the Classic Trim primarily applies to the interior, the Favoured Trim features particularly expressive details on the exterior. This trim variant offers the new, optional Spray-Tech design of the characteristic Multitone Roof with a combination of three different colours as well as a front grille in Vibrant Silver.

The John Cooper Works Trim lends maximum emphasis to the sporty flair of the all-electric MINI Cooper with a distinctive front and rear design. The frame of the front grille and the logo in high-gloss black underline the powerful overall look, while a contrasting roof in Chili Red – inspired by motor sport – and JCW-specific bonnet stripes in red or black optionally lend visual emphasis to the driving dynamics typical of MINI.

The interior: minimalist, digital, immersive & warm.

On the inside, the design of the front area echoes the famous minimalist design of the classic Mini. For the first model in 1959, Mini inventor Alec Issigonis designed an interior with a round instrument cluster in the centre and the characteristic toggle bar below. In the new MINI Cooper, it is precisely these two elements, in combination with the steering wheel, that structure the interior with its maximum purist design. Reducing everything to the essentials, the new interior makes do with a smaller number of components that are cleverly designed and implemented to a high standard. Behind the steering wheel, the optional head-up display ensures that all the relevant content appears in the driver’s field of vision. As a result, the dashboard on the driver’s side does not require an additional display, so it opens up the view to the front.

The amply sized, curved dashboard features textile surfaces for the first time. Warm, pleasant materials characterise the new, homely feel-good atmosphere in the interior of the MINI Cooper. A specially developed knitting process is used to create the versatile, easy-care structure of the textile in two-colour design made of recycled polyester. There is a choice of different colours for the textile surfaces and seats depending on the trim design. To make the dashboard as slim and spacious as possible, the air vents are very flat.

The clear lines and generous space in the front seats give the interior a modern, airy feel, while the optional panoramic glass roof makes the interior particularly bright and friendly. In the dark, the side lighting is based on the ambient light, thereby contributing to a distinctive interior atmosphere. The seats are available in a basic version and in a JCW version, with side panels that are laminated with high-quality textile covering the adjustment buttons. The armrest, mounted on the driver’s seat, provides even more space in the centre console. The rear of the vehicle offers maximum reduction and comfort, while the loading accessories can be conveniently stowed in an additional underfloor storage facility in the luggage compartment. By folding down the rear seat in a 60:40 ratio, the luggage compartment can be flexibly expanded from 200 litres to provide a volume of up to 800 litres.

MINI Interaction Unit: High-Res OLED display revolutionises the user experience.

The central OLED display sets a new benchmark with its high resolution. Like the round instrument in the predecessor model, the new centre icon is the defining feature of the interior with its versatile functions. As an instrument cluster, the MINI Interaction Unit is a centre of both experience and comfort. Thanks to MINI Operating System 9, all vehicle functions can be operated intuitively with touch or voice control. The display in the redesigned cockpit has been moved closer to the driver so it is particularly convenient to reach. The diameter of the thin touch display with a high-quality glass edge has grown to 240 mm. Its operating logic is reminiscent of the standards familiar from smartphones.

The graphic presentation of the content is modern and focuses on the essentials. The upper area contains relevant vehicle-related information such as speed and battery status. When the speed indicator is pressed, a large, striking display with full-screen speedometer appears that puts a clear focus on driving. In the Home menu, the other widgets are displayed in thumbnail view to the left and right of the current menu function. They can be brought up and selected by swiping horizontally to the centre. In the lower area of the OLED display, the menu items Navigation, Media, Phone and Climate can be selected directly at any time. All other functions can be accessed via the menu in the same way as on a smartphone. The display returns to the default setting via the home button.

A whole new MINI experience: the new MINI Experience Modes.

The MINI Experience Modes, Core, Green and Go-Kart, each with their specific user interface design, are available as standard, with up to four additional modes available with the MINI Experience Modes optional equipment. The optional MINI projector on the back of the OLED display immerses the dashboard in matching colour schemes and patterns. The interplay of projection, ambient lighting and the MINI Interaction Unit results in a unique, immersive experience that extends into the door panels.

This immersive user experience makes the interior even more expressive based on new solutions, thereby giving rise to entirely new individualisation options in the new MINI Cooper. In Personal Mode, for example, an individually selected image can be set as the display background via the MINI App. The dominant colours of the image then extend across the textile dashboard surfaces by means of a digital colour picker. The ambient lighting under the dashboard and in the door mirror is also colour-coded to match these projections.

Each mode has specially designed backgrounds that convey a vibrant and high-quality effect by means of subtle movements while remaining as distraction-free as possible. When one of the seven modes is selected, the display focuses on a relevant “Mode App”. In Go-Kart Mode there is a highly dynamic focus on MINI’s racing DNA, for example. The display and the interior as a whole feature the colours anthracite and red, while specific analogue displays for driving dynamics complement this MINI Experience Mode inspired by John Cooper Works. Vivid Mode draws on the colours of the album cover for the ambient lighting. Core Mode, Green Mode, Timeless Mode, Balance Mode and Personal Mode are also available for selection according to mood and personal needs.

Simply typical MINI: the redesigned toggle bar.

Underneath the dashboard, the design of the new MINI Cooper is particularly clean in appearance. One of the key factors here is the newly designed toggle bar. Here, the most important driving functions (parking brake, gear selector, start/stop key, experience mode toggle, volume control) are directly accessible. Its design is individua in accordance with its function.

The direct selection options on the toggle bar eliminate the need for a gearshift, so the new MINI Cooper offers more storage space in the centre console. In addition to the enlarged cup holders, there is also a large open storage compartment. The storage box with a knitted surface and a textile strap comes as standard with the Favoured Trim. Smartphones can be charged in the wireless charging area at the front of the console and are easier to find thanks to the central storage area.

Four newly designed trims for an individual look.

In line with the consistent reduction in the interior, the new contemporary colour and material concept is deliberately minimalist, too. Only newly developed, high-quality and environment-friendly materials are used. The dashboard and door panels with knitted surfaces made of recycled polyester create a pleasant atmosphere while at the same time setting specific accentuations with their two-tone design. Four newly designed trims convey differing versions of the modern feel-good concept in the interior. From Classic Trim onwards, the two-spoke basic steering wheel is replaced as a three-spoke version with a new textile strap in the six o'clock spoke.

The Essential Trim features an interior of maximum clarity and reduction. Black sports seats with distinctly patterned multitone textile harmonise with a coloured textile band on the dashboard. Certain functional parts on the inside and outside are highlighted with the new accent colour Vibrant Silver. On the exterior, for example, the logo appears in the new colour, contrasting sharply with the black, octagonal front grille.

In the Classic Trim, MINI uses a modern 2D knitted textile in the interior of a production vehicle for the first time. On the dashboard and door handles, two-tone black knitted textile provides a fascinating contrast to the high-quality synthetic leather seat. It is available in grey and black featuring a perforated houndstooth pattern, while the side contrasts in blue textile.

The modern, high-quality Favoured Trim is the most expressive option, featuring a two-tone houndstooth pattern on the knitted-textile instrument panel. Available in two colours and with traditional accent stitching, the perforated Vescin sports seats complement this extravagant interior in dark and light. The exterior with the front grille in Vibrant Silver can be combined in a particularly apt way with the all-new Spray-Tech roof which features a blending of three different colours.

The JCW Trim offers the sportiest interpretation of the new material concept. Combined with multi-coloured knitted textile and black synthetic leather with red stitching, the JCW seat with sports seat geometry echoes the colour concept of the dashboard and door trim. A distinct front and rear design likewise highlights the racing DNA of the trim in the exterior, with the vehicle grille and logo in high-gloss black underlining the powerful overall impression. Optional features include a contrasting Chili Red roof and JCW-specific red or black bonnet stripes.

“Hey MINI!”: the first MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant.

In the new MINI Cooper, numerous functions can be controlled using the brand’s first ever fully-fledged voice assistant. The MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant can be activated with the greeting “Hey MINI” or by using the push-to-talk steering wheel button. Voice-controlled interaction takes place on the round OLED display in the form of an animation of graphic elements, typography and an avatar. For the visualisation, users have the option to choose between “MINI” – a stylised representation of a MINI – or optionally "Spike" already familiar to many MINI fans. Communication with this virtual travel companion is particularly true-to-life thanks to improved voice recognition. In order to ensure smoother communication, oral utterances are transmitted instantly and visualised on the display. In this way, the driver can control navigation, telephony, entertainment and numerous other vehicle functions by acclamation.

During the dialogue between customer and vehicle, the MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant continuously learns on repetitive routes. Drawing on geo-based data, for example, the vehicle can learn to automatically open the window when entering a car park. This makes day-to-day routines more convenient and personal.

MINI connects: the new MINI Operating System 9.

The new “Charismatic Simplicity” design language is also reflected in the aesthetic of the user interface, which brings together functional and emotional elements. The reduced design uses all-new graphics to create an extremely modern look. Static and dynamic elements blend naturally into the circular form of the OLED display, following a clear structure. Micro-animations enhance the already extremely intuitive interaction between the driver and central instrument and underscore the digital character of the new MINI family.

MINI Operating System 9 is an in-house development by the BMW Group and is based on an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) software stack. Operation is intuitive and follows the standards familiar from consumer electronics.

At the centre of the screen is the start menu, where personalised content can be selected and launched by swiping to the side. In the lower section of the screen is the fixed status bar containing the menu items “Navigation”, “Media”, “Telephony”, “All Apps” and, depending on the situation, “Home”, which can be selected directly. Swiping up from the lower edge of the screen reveals a tool belt, a process customers will be familiar with from many consumer electronics devices. Favourite functions can be stored here and called up again rapidly, i. e. navigation destinations and radio stations. The tool belt can also be activated via the star button on the multifunction steering wheel. The upper screen area is reserved for driving-relevant content such as the vehicle speed and important information on the vehicle status. The optional Head-up display shows the most important information for the driver in their field of view.

The temperature for the driver and front passenger is permanently displayed on the left- and right-hand edge of the screen. The climate control settings are integrated into the MINI Interaction Unit and can always be adjusted on the top layer by touch or voice command.

Depending on the Experience Mode selected, a single tap on the speed display transforms the entire MINI Interaction Unit into a MINI-typical speedometer.

“The new MINI Operating System 9 is characterised by simple, emotional touch operation that is specific to MINI. Together with the new cloud-based MINI Navigation for particularly precise and fast route calculation, high-speed connectivity and optional 5G capability, the new MINI Cooper takes a giant leap into the digital world, thereby underlining the brand’s charismatic heritage,” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of MINI.

When driving, the complete MINI Navigation Package in conjunction with the optional MINI Connected Package provides support in the form of realistic 3D visualisations in complicated turning situations, display of the current traffic situation even without activated route guidance, information on parking options including digital payment options and much more. In addition, an optional augmented reality function is available for the visualisation of turn-by-turn directions. A charge-optimised route can be calculated for the all-electric MINI Cooper immediately after entering the destination.

In addition, MINI Connected Upgrades allow flexible bookings of additional vehicle functions – simply digital. In conjunction with the optionally available MINI Connected Package, the MINI Connected Store provides access to a constantly evolving variety of practical and entertaining apps, including gaming, music and video streaming. The new AirConsole app provides a unique form of in-car gaming for all passengers, making the smartphone the controller of the game on the OLED display.

New driver assistance systems make day-to-day life easier.

In addition to the automatic parking functions offered by the Parking Assistant, the new optional Parking Assistant Plus makes the parking process even easier. Thanks to 12 ultrasonic sensors and four surround-view cameras, the vehicle can identify possible parking spaces more clearly and can even independently initiate space-restricted parking manoeuvres. In addition, a manual parking process can be transferred to Parking Assistant Plus at any time. Explore Mode offers a uniquely convenient solution for this vehicle segment, enabling the new MINI Cooper to be parked simply using a smartphone if the space at the side is too limited for entry.

The innovative MINI Digital Key Plus option also uses the smartphone to ensure a convenient and personalised vehicle experience. Here the smartphone turns into a key, enabling automatic opening of the vehicle. The welcome projection of the front and rear lights begins as soon as the driver is within three metres of the car; the doors are unlocked when the driver is less than one and a half metres. The digital key can be transferred to different users and replaces the handover of the classic vehicle key for easier car sharing.

The MINI App also offers other functions that increase user safety. With the Remote 360 option, for example, the surroundings of the parked vehicle can be viewed in the MINI App. A camera in the inside provides a view of the interior. Furthermore, the Snapshot function offers the opportunity to capture shared moments in a photograph and to upload them via WiFi-Direct to the smartphone.

Enhanced go-kart feeling thanks to electrified drivetrain technology.

The new MINI Cooper combines locally emission-free mobility and all-electric driving fun. With a completely new powertrain, the vehicle is available in the Cooper E variant, and with a higher output and range also as the Cooper SE.

The 135 kW/184 hp electric motor of the MINI Cooper E generates a torque of 290 Nm, accelerating the vehicle from standstill to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. With an output of 160 kW/218 hp, the MINI Cooper SE sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with a maximum torque of 330 Nm. The range determined according to the WLTP test cycle is up to 305 kilometres for the MINI Cooper E based on the high-voltage battery with 40.7 kWh of capacity. In the MINI Cooper SE, the calculated range increases to a maximum of 402 kilometres due to a battery capacity of 54.2 kWh. *

Excellent driving dynamics for comfortable and sporty mobility.

A slightly increased track width and wheelbase provide the basis for excellent driving dynamics. The vehicle is fitted with a suspension and damping system that is tuned for spirited handling. Combined with the precise steering feel typical of MINI, powerful brakes and a low centre of gravity thanks to the high-voltage battery installed in the floor, the new MINI Cooper enhances day-to-day convenience.

With highly preloaded stabiliser mounts on the axles, the driver experiences a significantly improved body response during dynamic cornering as well as a valuable gain in steering precision and accuracy. The result is excellent body support combined with smooth rolling comfort. The MINI Cooper is also equipped with a strut brace for an even sportier driving experience.

With its tyre diameter increased to 635 mm, the MINI Cooper has a more powerful visual presence, while at the same time offering improved driving dynamic performance and comfort. In addition, the tyre width of the optionally available 17-inch and 18-inch rims is increased by 10/20 mm to 205/225 mm to emphasise the typical MINI go-kart feeling. Available rim sizes range from 16- to 18-inch.

The precise set-up of steering and all driving stability control systems, to ensure both comfortable and sporty driving, guarantees an exceptional experience in all driving situations.

New MINI Experience Modes for individually tailored driving fun.

The various MINI Experience Modes can be activated with a flick of the toggle switch “Experiences”. GO-KART mode emphasises the racing DNA of the MINI Cooper in a particularly emotional way by adjusting the agility and stability of the chassis set-up, for example. In this mode, the projector behind the central OLED display also bathes the cockpit in the John Cooper Works-inspired shades of anthracite and red. Meanwhile, further individual setting options enable configuration of the steering response and the intervention limits of the traction control to ensure even more intense driving fun.

By contrast, Green Mode optimises the efficiency of the drivetrain, orienting the electric motor towards maximum range based on various parameters. Improved recuperation management in the new MINI Cooper is one of the contributing factors here: this feeds excess energy to the battery when braking or coasting, thereby increasing the vehicle’s range. Visualisations enable the driving conditions and their influence on the vehicle’s range to be more readily understood. The driving conditions and their influence on the range can be more easily understood through visualizations. Tips for efficient driving and a power meter increase the motivation for economical driving in a fun way. For example, the driver can specifically understand the effect of their behaviour through gaining “bonus range”.

These immersive driving experiences are enhanced by completely new acoustic worlds created by the digital MINI Sounds. The repertoire includes entirely new driving sounds in the interior, an unmistakable MINI brand sound as a mark of identification, jingles for the new MINI Experience Modes, and 30 new sound signals for information and warning functions. This creates a distinctive recognition feature that is typical of MINI on the acoustic level, too.

Simplified and efficient battery charging.

The battery of the MINI Cooper can be charged via alternating current with 11 kW. Fast charging with direct current is possible in the MINI Cooper E with 75 kW and in the Cooper SE with up to 95 kW. At a fast charging station, this allows the battery to be charged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just under 30 minutes. Depending on the weather conditions, active navigation via MINI Navigation ensures the high-voltage battery reaches the ideal temperature for efficient charging in advance. This can significantly reduce charging time, especially in cold outdoor temperatures.

For a transparent and simple charging process, the customer can optimize the charging of the vehicle battery through easy-to-understand settings. The start time for charging can be selected or a specific time window for charging can be set, for example. A certain target level for battery capacity can be determined in advance, too. For a particularly pleasant start, charging can be set to be completed by a selected departure time, and the vehicle interior can be air-conditioned to the desired temperature by this time.

The MINI App provides a convenient overview of the charging process, even if the customer is not near the vehicle. This provides details of the current battery status, a charging-optimised route plan, and charging history – including all costs and savings.

*The specified technical data are preliminary.

BMW PRESS

An update from the President | August

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

August has been and gone and what a great month it was.

We were due to have our August Driver training day on 5 August but sadly due to low numbers we had to cancel this.

6 August was Round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, and we had a great turn out, as per normal, and also had a lot of our members help out the Alfa club who were desperately short of officials on the day. So proud of our members and how they step up and just help whenever needed.

8 August was the soft launch night at Ringwood BMW, and it was great to share this night with our friends from BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria. We also had some raffle prizes donated by Ringwood BMW Cars and Motorrad, which were fantastic. If you are in the Ringwood area, drop in and say hi to the guys and girls and mention you are a club member if you are purchasing a new vehicle or have your car serviced, they will definitely look after you.

On 12-13 August, our E30 Racing members were racing at Sandown with the Vic State Race Series. We had some members out there racing for the first time. Its so great to see our club members joining in the fun of E30 Racing. Young Royce Lyne stole the show and is looking like winning the championship this year. Be sure to follow his progress.

On 18 August Peter Williams took a group of weekday drivers on a historic tour of some of our beautiful small towns. These mid-week drive days are becoming increasingly popular so watch out for more to come up in the next few months.

23 August Lawrence and a group of movie buffs enjoyed the latest film – Gran Tourismo. It is great to do a few different things and all who attend enjoyed the film.

2 7 August was German Auto Show.

Wow! What do I say about this one? Months and months of planning saw us all very early at Calder on Sunday morning for a huge car display. So many donations made prior to the event meant we were on track for a fantastic figure to go to Beyond Blue. They had volunteers there which was great too, so good to have their support for this event, ultimately achieving an incredible $25,000. I personally would like to thank everyone who helped, be it selling raffle tickets or being in the car park helping people park - everyone who turned up to volunteer made a huge difference. All the clubs who turned up with their amazing cars, wow what a spectacular day. Calder Park Thunderdome is an amazing space and so iconic it was like stepping back in time and so many people have sent message of thanks to us on how wonderful they thought the event went.

Anyone who attended and took photos, please send through to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and they will be shared in our gallery.

Spring is now here and we are hopefully going to get some nicer weather for us to get back to drives and days out enjoying it..

5 September is round 5 of our Shannons Insurance Simulator Challenge. Please try to get a small group of friends to come along to the last two rounds to enjoy the comradery on the night. The championship is very close at the moment, anyone could win. Remember you don’t have to play the sims to attend these nights, you are all welcome to join us for a catch up.

On 9 September we are doing a Saturday drive to Healesville. This is already becoming very popular so get your registrations in quickly.

15-17 September quite a few members will be officiating at the Sandown 500 Super Car event. It is a great way to get up close to the action, being and official, so if you want to get involved talk to us about how to become a Motorsport Australia official.

20 September will be our midweek drive leaving from Berwick BMW. Be sure to arrive early and say hi to our sponsors and check out this great dealership. This is a must to register for this event as we will be stopping for lunch and we need to know numbers.

22-24 September is the next round of E30 Racing at Phillip Island. So many of our members are joining in the fun of racing now, if you want to come and watch or even get involved as pit crew let me know, I’m sure I can find you a job!

There will be a need for officials all over the track as well so for any of our amazing officials who want to be part of this weekend, please register using this link here. All officials will be fed and watered all weekend.

Our Jo will be the Secretary of the event so you will be helping her out too.

1 October will be our next Driver Training event at Broadford. You need to register for this to allow us to be able to hold this event, no good saying later, Oh I was going to come. We need entries and numbers to make these days pay for themselves.

Dates to pop in your diary.

12 October - AGM German Club Tivoli
7 November - Melbourne Cup Drive – Cape Shank Lighthouse and lunch at T’Gallant
11 November - Sandown Historic Car Display (registrations opening soon)
14 November - The final of the Shannons Simulator Challenge
26 November - Geelong Revival
10 December - Christmas show and shine family picnic (registrations opening soon)

Our 2024 Bathurst 12 hour Private Pit Suite is also nearly full so get in quickly if this is an event you want to attend.

Now that we have finished the biggest event of the year, Jo will be busy planning for the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals. If you are interested in helping with the running of this event, email Jo on events@bmwdcm.com.au.

If you have a business and think you might want to sponsor the Nationals also contact Jo on events@bmwdcm.com.au she would be only too happy to chat with you. Jo has been working hard on this event already and has some major sponsors locked in already.

Our welfare team are helping our members all the time and I thank them for the support they are giving those who need it. We received a donation to the club this month from one of our members which will go towards supporting those who need it. We have been lucky over the years to have many members donate to our Welfare team to help others.

We still have some sale items left of our summer stock. Check out our store here.

As always, drive safe out there and I look forward to seeing you at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Certificate of Appreciation - Beyond Blue

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Mid-week historic lunch cruise through historic towns north of Melbourne

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 09:55:51 GMT

Event date: 18 August 2023

We began the day meeting at the Wellington Square Shopping Centre at Wallan. Ten cars joined us as we headed out to Romsey, enroute to Woodend and included cars from the E series up to the latest M2 (only 2 weeks old, believe it or not).

Right from the start, we were treated to some very interesting driving. We navigated a long uphill section called Pretty Sally Hill (which is a dormant volcano) and then proceeded to Romsey along picturesque roads so often experienced in the Macedon Ranges.

After Romsey, we proceeded to Woodend where we stopped to take a quick look around this very old town where the first settlement was established in the early 1840’s. This is where we first began to notice how very cold this part of the country can get and were pleased to have brought along some all-weather jackets.

From Romsey, we continued on some very interesting roads to Kyneton. Being an old gold-rush town, Kyneton has many interesting buildings dating back to the 1850’s which we explored, while trying to dodge showers of rain and freezing winds. We all parked where we could, in the main street (Piper Street), because of the abundance of boutique shops, museums, art galleries, cafes and restaurants which minimised walking and helped us all stay together where possible.

After our coffee break and exploration of Kyneton, we attempted to re-group on the outskirts of the town where we seemed to be missing a car. Unfortunately, a couple of members did not have UHF radios and therefore could not be contacted. We found them eventually and proceeded along the Bouke and Wills track towards Lancefield.

Lancefield dates back to the early 1830’s and has many buildings from that period such as the Lancefield Courthouse (1859), Coach and Horses Inn (1845), Commercial bank of Australia (1859), the Mechanics Institute (1867) and Anglican Church (1845). We all gathered in the Lancefield Hotel (1853) for a very enjoyable lunch (the size of one member’s lunch had to be seen to be believed!) and conversation catch-up with old and new friends. We were delighted to welcome back Graham Thomas after his brush with some very serious health issues. So good to see him again, looking well.

After being promised much rain by the Bureau of Meteorology, we were very relieved to only encounter a few showers during our day out, however the promised Arctic conditions were certainly delivered, not breaching 8.6 degrees the whole day. We thanked our very talented convoy leader Peter for the amazing job he did (and always does) in preparing our driving notes and for seeking out the very interesting and picturesque route for the day.

After lunch we proceeded to Kilmore for a brief look and a few photographs, then farewelled the members traveling home in all directions.

Ann Lane | Member #965
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

An update from the President | July

Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Now, unbelievably, we are into the second half of the year and July started off with a Bang.

1 July was round 4 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship and as always, a great day out by all. Great weather considering we are in the middle of winter and at Phillip Island and all attendees had a ball.

4 July was round 4 of our Shannons Insurance Simulator challenge and again these nights are a lot of fun and some very close racing. The championship is only a few points from first to third so it is anyone’s game at the moment.

On 9 July we held our Christmas in July annual event. We started the day meeting at Caldermeade then took one of Peter Williams’ amazing drives through Gippsland, with a stop for morning tea at the New Haven Chocolate Factory, where some of our members took a tour of the chocolate making facility and others were served their drinks by a robot. A bit cute. A bit of necessary chocolate shopping done and then off to lunch at the beautiful Rhyll Foreshore Restaurant were we nearly booked out the whole place, which was brilliant. Thank you to all who dressed up this year. Each year gets better and better, it was great fun with amazing food and great company.

On 12 July we held our Geelong area Drop in Donuts night. Lots of cars, and lots coffee and donuts eaten, again, aways a great night.

On 23 July we held our first Motorkhana at Calder Park. What a brilliant day this was. Fabulous turn out of officials and attendees with a variety of cars. Weather started off sunny and dry, if a little cool, but it didn’t take long before the rain to set in and myself and many other officials spent several hours in the rain while our members had fun around the track. This is something we will do again; it was a bit of a tester to see what we can do there and how many layouts we can run at once, but very successful.

August is on us already and looking forward to the days getting longer and warmer.

Sadly, due to low numbers we had to cancel our August Come and Try day at Broadford. Thank you to all those who did register, your registration will be moved to the next one in October.

6 August is still happening with Round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. It will be great to see all our members out at this event. Broadford is a great track and always fun.

On 8 August we will be holding our members meeting at Ringwood BMW which is the newest BMW Dealership to open in Melbourne. Come and join us and check out the new dealership. We have invited the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria to join us at this event too, as Ringwood is also a Motorrad Dealer. this will be a great event and a great chance to catch up with our Motorcycle club friends again. Registration is here and is a must for catering.

On 11-13 August lots of our members will be at Sandown for the E30 Racing Round 4, come along and watch some grass roots racing at it’s best at the Vic State Circuit Racing Championships. Great news out today, Calder Park is back on the racing calendar, with the E30 Racing Round 7 there in October. Can’t wait to go racing at Calder again, might even get my E30 out again for that one!

18 August we will be doing a Friday lunch drive to some of Victoria’s Historic towns. This looks like a great day to have a day off, register here and join us for a weekday drive for a change.

27 August is German Auto Show. This is going to be a huge event. We need your help. We need officials, we need cars to display. This event is for our chosen charity Beyond Blue and we want to raise more that we did last year. If you own a German vehicle please come along and display it, if you don’t, then come along and check out this fantastic day with some amazing cars and bikes on display on the day. We will have great raffle prizes, silent auction prizes thanks to Kaos Custom bikes, German Auto Haus, Sirene Sea Pearls and many more. Check out the website: germanautoshow.com.au

Can’t make it on the day? You can still donate to the charity using this link. fundraise.beyondblue.org.au/german-auto-show-2023.

All donations are welcome, and all money raised will go to Beyond Blue.

Challenge Bathurst registrations have now closed, Jo has been busy collating all the entries and it looks like we are going to have a great group of BMWs at Challenge Bathurst this year from all over the country. We have members from DCM of course plus, South Australia, Canberra, NSW, Queensland and the other Victorian clubs. What a great event this will be and what a great job Jo has done to bring members from all the clubs together for this great event. We are still taking registrations for officials, so if you are wanting to help out and watch the fun of this event. Contact Jo on v.president@bmwdcm.com.au and she will get the information to you. All officials get free camping and meals for the whole weekend. Great treatment for all helping out and a great way to be involved.

Our AGM is booked for Thursday, 12 September at the German Tivoli Club, 6.30pm for those wanting dinner, be sure to book a table, and 7.30 sharp the AGM will start. We invite you all to join us for this event, without your votes we cannot form a committee.

Dates to remember:

26 November - Geelong Revival, for those not going to Bathurst for Challenge Bathurst
10 December - Christmas Show and Shine, Cruden Farm

We are looking at having a corporate suite at the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2024. Dates are 15-19 February 2024. Event details will open soon so watch this space as this will sell out quickly. Make sure you book your own accommodation this year. Contact Jo to get a code for the Mantra Hotel in Bathurst, we have secured a limited number of rooms at the Mantra.

Our welfare team have, as always, been working in the background to assist some of our members who are needing some emotional help. Thank you guys you do a great job and remember, if you need help in any way your club is here to assist. Whether it be an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on, get in touch.

Merchandise is selling well, and we still have a few of the summer stock which is heavily discounted. Check out our store here.

Membership remains over 750, welcome to all the new members joining our wonderful club. Like all clubs, people come and go for different reasons, but it is great to see we are still healthy and growing. The club is what you make it, so if you have any suggestions, drop us an email or give us a call, we are always open to new ideas and suggestions for events or things you’d like the club to be involved in. We try and do different things to suit everyone, but always open to something new, or indeed, if we have done something in the past you’d like to do again, let us know.

As always, take care out there, wet roads and bad drivers are everywhere, so take extra care and I look forward to seeing you out at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Calder Motorkhana

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 03:42:14 GMT

Event date: 23 July 2023

What is motorkhana?? That’s where my mind went when I saw the invite.

Well, here’s my tale of BMWDCM’s motorkhana from July 2023.

Spoiler alert, it was fun, fun fun!

Now for the deets: Essentially, drivers are faced with short and tight obstacle courses, where time & cones are your enemy.

There are a few schools of thought about how to tackle tight courses. Some drivers take it calmly, focussing on accuracy and grip, others focus on flare, oversteer and risk (of getting it wrong). but since I’m yet to got to motorkhana track school I just flogged it & certainly dreamed of landing in the latter category.

Fun waa upsized with the day-long drizzle, making the tarmac super slippery. I doubled down on slippery by digging out my 22yo stock tyres, where the rubber is hard like plastic. My clutch control failed me frequently and my right foot targeted the tacho’s redline.

We were split into groups of between 4-7 through the day. I loved the support, laughs , claps and horn beeps between drivers. Some for major stuff-ups, needing to use reverse, wiping-out cones or nailing turns or whole circuit. The variety of experience made for plenty of mistakes as well as plenty of admiration.

We were so honoured to have so many people willing to official, in all the capacities needed. Standing in the drizzle, sorting out back-office entry forms, getting us lunch or creating courses - you ROCK!

So, keep an eye out for the next motorkhana and smile from ear to ear.

Martin Taylor | Member #598
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Motorkhana - Camaraderie

I would like to take a moment to share what was happening on the other side of the track for those who didn't experience it.

To set the scene we were running 2 courses top hat and pentagon with the same witches hats with one practice run and 2 timed runs and with such short courses if you got out of sequence there was no recovery and it was pouring rain and the bottom part of the track resembled a skid pan.

A competitor on their first timed run went around the first cone came back to the centre and got the starting cone dead centre and parked on it. I signaled to stop, went over and as I couldn't reach the cone asked the driver to back back so I could remove the cone, but it was stuck so grabbed it and they backed off. They were about 5 seconds into the run, so I asked them to go back to the start. They went back to the group and came back.

The second try went well with the course successfully completed and as the driver finished the other drivers honked as if there was a goal at the local footy. It was beautiful to see.

One of the other groups actually lined up across the track back from the start and tooted any good runs they had.

Adrian White | Member #606
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

24h Spa-Francorchamps: Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann and Nick Yelloly triumph for ROWE Racing in the BMW M4 GT3

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 04:06:41 GMT

Third triumph for ROWE Racing at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)! In a thrilling race that remained close until the final hour, Philipp Eng (AUT), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) drove the #98 BMW M4 GT3 to victory after completing 537 laps, securing the 25th overall win for BMW, the most successful manufacturer in the event's history.

Third triumph for ROWE Racing at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)! In a thrilling race that remained close until the final hour, Philipp Eng (AUT), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) drove the #98 BMW M4 GT3 to victory after completing 537 laps, securing the 25th overall win for BMW, the most successful manufacturer in the event's history. Eng claimed his third Spa triumph for BMW M Motorsport, following his victories in 2016 and 2018. Wittmann celebrated his first win in a 24-hour race ever, while Yelloly crowned a perfect week by adding his second endurance victory after the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER) in 2020, which started with his first win in the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Watkins Glen (USA).

During the early stages of the 24-hour race, the BMW M4 GT3 teams had to work their way through the field after missing out on Super Pole due to heavy rain during qualifying. Initially, the BMW M Team WRT #32 BMW M4 GT3 and the #998 BMW M4 GT3 of ROWE Racing made the best progress, quickly battling for the top positions. Meanwhile, the eventual winning car suffered setbacks due to an unfortunate timed pit stop and a problem with the fuel system, causing it to fall far behind. It was only in the evening that car #98 launched an impressive comeback, taking the lead for the first time during the night. That position was briefly threatened by a 30-second time penalty for exceeding track limits, but in the end, Eng, Wittmann, and Yelloly reclaimed the top spot.

In sixth place, the #46 BMW M4 GT3 from BMW M Team WRT, driven by Augusto Farfus (BRA), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Valentino Rossi (ITA), completed the race. They also showed strong speed but were repeatedly set back by time penalties. The #30 BMW M4 GT3 from the WRT team, with Niklas Krütten (GER), Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FRA), and Calan Williams (AUS) at the wheel, secured second place in the Gold Cup category, making it onto the podium. The #31 BMW M4 GT3, piloted by Adam Carroll and Lewis Proctor (both GBR) finished 25th overall.

In the twelfth hour of the race, an unfortunate accident occurred between Neil Verhagen (USA) in the #998 BMW M4 GT3 from ROWE Racing and Charles Weerts (BEL) in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 from BMW M Team WRT. One car was directly behind the other, battling for the top positions when race control initiated an unclear Full Course Yellow procedure. That led to a chain of unfortunate circumstances, with both drivers receiving different information about the exact timing of the yellow period. Weerts reduced his speed, catching Verhagen off guard, and preventing him from avoiding a collision with the rear of the WRT car. Both vehicles suffered heavy damage, but fortunately, the drivers remained unharmed. The accident was followed by a roughly two-hour yellow period due to repairs to the barriers. The #35 BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport also retired early.

Reactions after the race.

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “An incredible weekend with the first victory for our BMW M4 GT3 in one of the major 24-hour classics and the 25th overall win for BMW in the Ardennes! Many thanks to the drivers and the ROWE Racing team for their fantastic performance and to every employee of BMW M Motorsport who contributed to developing such a great GT3 car. The race started off challenging for us after missing out on Super Pole and having to start from the midfield. However, all our crews fought their way up the field during the first few hours of the race. It's a pity that the accident occurred during the night, resulting in the loss of two cars. It was a chain of unfortunate circumstances that we need to examine closely. Unfortunately, the home race for the BMW M Team WRT was disappointing, mainly due to this incident, although the #46 crew achieved a respectable sixth-place finish. I also congratulate the #30 BMW M4 GT3 team on their podium finish in the Gold Cup category! Additionally, there were reasons to celebrate in the GT4 European Series here at Spa-Francorchamps. Congratulations to the teams and drivers on their victory and podium finishes with the BMW M4 GT4.”

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Principal, ROWE Racing): “This was our toughest victory here at Spa so far. We know how challenging it is to triumph in this race, which makes it even more special. Our competition was incredibly strong, and the final result was incredibly close. I can't remember a more intense GT race. What impresses me the most is the consistency of our team. We have been on the podium in almost every race we've entered this year. Here at Spa, we have secured three victories and two second places since 2016. This can only be achieved with an incredibly motivated and ambitious team, and that's what we have. I am also pleased to see how valuable this victory is for everyone involved in this project. It was time for the BMW M4 GT3 to win such a significant race in its second year.”

Philipp Eng (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 1st place): “Winning a 24-hour race is every racing driver's dream, and this is the most difficult GT race to win. Therefore, it means a lot to me to experience this for the third time in my career. It's a great honour for me. The race was anything but easy for us. At one point, we were one lap behind, and there was no indication that we could still win, but the team did a fantastic job to bring us back into the race. The last two hours felt like an eternity.”

Marco Wittmann (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 1st place): “I've been trying to win a 24-hour race for about ten years now. Finally, it worked out! It's an incredible feeling. A big compliment to the team and my fellow drivers. We had an extremely good package of driver, team, and car that gave me my long-awaited first 24-hour victory.”

Nick Yelloly (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 1st place): “A fantastic performance from the entire team. To win a race like this, so many things need to come together, and today, they did. Many thanks to everyone who made this success possible! Personally, this is the culmination of an outstanding week that started with the first GTP victory for the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Watkins Glen.”

Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team WRT, 6th place): “I'm happy. It was a positive race for me. It was my second time taking part in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. After finishing 17th last year, sixth place was a big step forward this time, but of course we want more and will make another attempt next year. Many thanks to the team and my fellow drivers for their great effort!”

Charles Weerts (#32 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team WRT, DNF): “The most important thing is that Neil and I are unharmed after that severe accident. The situation was very confusing, and I can't exactly say what happened. I received the information in the car that a Full Course Yellow was imminent. As a result, I reduced my speed. Neil was right behind me, and he obviously didn't have that information. It was very strange and needs to be investigated thoroughly because something like this is very dangerous and should not happen. I'm extremely disappointed because this is my home race, and I have been hoping to win here for several years. This time, we would have had a good chance.”

Neil Verhagen (#998 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, DNF): “Something went wrong in the communication of the Full Course Yellow before the accident. I didn't have any information that I had to slow down, obviously in contrast to Charles, but I can't say why that was. Everything happened incredibly quickly, and I'm just glad that we drivers are okay. It's extremely unfortunate for BMW M Motorsport to have lost two cars with a chance of winning due to this incident.”

BMW PRESS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 62 | July 2023

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 01:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

The cold and rain has well and truly set in, but the good news is there's only two months left of winter..

We started June with our first 10 day trip to South Australia, where we spent time with our fellow BMWDCSA and BMWDCNSW members. We also watched many of our E30 Racing members compete at The Bend where young Royce Lyne made a clean sweep of the weekend.

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On 6 June some of our members enjoyed our regular catch up at Daniels Donuts. We really do enjoy these informal catch-ups, even when the weather isn't so kind.

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On 20 June we were invited to visit Sonax Australia, who shared their extensive knowledge on how best to use their products to keep our vehicles in the best shape possible. Don't forget that Sonax are one of our club partners, offering members 10% off online with code BMWDC10.

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We wrapped up our events for the month at Broadford for our first come and try day for 2023. This even was extra special, being our first Alex Baxter Memorial event.

We had over 60 entrants in the day, which was brilliant to see. Richard Van Essen was the lucky, but well deserving, recipient of our first Alex Baxter Memorial award.

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CHALLENGE BATHURST UPDATE

If you are intending to register and attend Bathurst Challenge, please ensure you register and complete all documents as soon as possible. All documents need to be finalised by mid-July.

If you are not able to drive but would like to officiate, please complete this application form, and return to events@bmwdcm.com.au as soon as possible. All officials will receive free campgrounds and all meals while at the track.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Phil Gleadhill, Jason Langton, Angus Dunn, Harry Vontelas, Nicholas Stillwell, Sidney Stillwell, Rob Marks, Stuart Gamble, Peter Mornement and Anthony Branchflower. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for July:

Tuesday, 4 July
Simulator Challenge Round 4 - Sponsored by Shannons
Spots are limited each round, so it is important to get your entries in early. There will be several simulators and we will be using the same track for the competition points, changing each round. Members who do not wish to compete are also welcome to come along and join in on the fun.

Sunday, 9 July
Christmas in July at Phillip Island
We will meet at Caldermeade BP McDonalds, then travel along some beautiful scenic roads before arriving in Newhaven, Phillip Island, to explore the wonders of the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory before coming together for a festive lunch.

Wednesday, 12 July
July Drop in Donuts - Geelong
Join us for our regular casual evening at Daniels Donuts, Belmont.

Sunday, 23 July
Driver Training/Motorkhana & 2023 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Calder
Round 5 of the 2023 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship is at Calder Park and will be a Motorkhana / Driver Training day on the Thunderdome. Refreshments and lunch will be provided for all entrants.

An event for later in the year to put in your calendar now is German Auto Show. Those that attended last year will remember the huge success of the event, which we aim to repeat again in 2023. The 2023 German Auto Show will be held on 27 August at Calder Park. Click here for full details and registration.

Be sure to keep an eye on our calendar to stay up to date with more of our events.

If you're attending a social drive or weekend away, we recommend checking out our event tips to help you get the best out of the event.

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EVENT PHOTOS

If you attend any of our events and take high resolution photos that you would like to share with other members and for use on our website and in our newsletter and magazine, please send a link to your photos to photos@bmwdcm.com.au so we can add them to our photo gallery.

2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne is proud to be hosting the 2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals over Anzac weekend. Events will include a welcome meet and greet event, super sprints at Calder Park, a show and shine, a presentation dinner and scenic drives.

If you are interested in attending or getting involved as a helper, click here for more details.

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

More room for high performance: BMW M GmbH confirms development of a new BMW M5 Touring

Wine Fundraiser.

Last year BMWDCM set up a fundraising project with "Personalise Your Wine" to be able to offer our members a keepsake for winning 2021 International Club of the Year.

All funds raised through purchase of the bottles will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

If you haven't already placed an order but would like to, you can do so here.

Get behind your club and a great charity.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

Members are welcome to submit their business to be shared on the Club Partners page on our website and idrive magazine.

We believe in supporting those who support us. If you would like your business listed email us with your details.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Jess Bell

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An update from the President | June

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Welcome to the latest edition of my summation of the Club’s activities over the last month. As you can see we have been very busy again this month and not much sign of that slowing down anytime soon.

From 2- 11 June we started June with our big 10 day South Australian Adventure for some, with others joining us at the end of the week for 5 days.

This is the first time BMWDCM have travelled west to South Australia, and we will definitely do it again. With a small but friendly group, including a couple from the BMWDCNSW, we travelled through some amazing countryside and caught up with members from BMWDCSA. It was so nice for both clubs o come together. We joined 30 odd members of BMWDCSA for dinner on our first night in Adelaide and then a few of their members joined our adventures over the week that followed. At the end of the week some of us met up with the E30 Racing club to race at The Bend. Jo and I decided we will be doing some club sprint events here and we will definitely be doing another trip to SA in the near future. Lots to see, such a beautiful state.

6 June saw some of our members catch up at the Daniels Donut night which has turned out to be a great night and the numbers are growing each time we do this. Thank you to Lawrence for putting this on over the other side of the bay for our west-side members. Its great to do something on both sides to accommodate members from all parts of Melbourne and beyond.

On 20 June we had our members meeting at Sonax Australia. Although it was a freezing night, we had a great turn out and everyone walked away with great knowledge of how to use their products and also arms full of products to use on their vehicles. Thank you to Stephan and Peta for putting on a great night. Remember if you are wanting to order stock on-line use our clubs discount code. BMWDC10.

24 June was our first Come and Try day at Broadford for 2023, which well exceeded our expectation of entrants - we have over 60 registrants. Broadford is a great track to teach new and inexperienced drivers (and also new officials) some new skills. This was also the Alex Baxter memorial round and with Alex’s partner and family in attendance, it was a very emotional day. Richard Van Essen was the lucky recipient of the Alex Baxter Memorial Award.

July is going to be another busy month. Jo has been keeping very busy arranging events!

1 July is Round 4 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. There will be a lot of BMWs out on the track, and we are hoping the weather stays nice for the day.

4 July is Round 4 of the Shannons Simulator Challenge. We have a very close first, second and third in the championship at the moment, it could be anyone’s championship! Be sure to come along and watch if you don’t want to ‘drive”, join us for pizza and a warm drink and catch up with the others that just come to socialise. There are still spots left for this round, so get your name down and come have some fun.

9 July is Christmas in July at Phillip Island, with a great drive planned by Peter Williams, a stop off at the chocolate factory and then lunch at the Foreshore in Ryhll. Registration closes on 4 July, so make sure you don’t miss out on this fun event. Christmas novelty clothing competitions will be held, and all small children will go away with a Christmas something. This event is strictly by bookings only, so if you have not registered by 4 July you can join us for the drive but unfortunately not for lunch. GET YOUR REGISTRATIONS IN NOW! We want to see your ugly Christmas jumpers!

12 July will be another drop in donuts night in Geelong, so watch out for that in your emails. These meet ups are becoming popular. We may have to start something over this side of the Bay, so we can all enjoy some donuts and casual meet ups of an evening.

23 July we will be doing our first Driver Training/Motorkhana at Calder Park. Entries are open now for our first visit to Calder Park. This is going to be a lot of fun and we look forward to seeing you all there. It will be a bit of a test run to see what we can do at Calder, so come along and join us for some fun. Get your entries in quick as there are limited numbers for this one. There will be tea/coffee/cold drinks available, and we will also be doing a sausage sizzle type lunch which is included in your registration fee.

Other dates to remember:

27 August - German Auto Show. This event will be huge! We need lots of cars/bikes/donations/officials, so make sure you have it in your calendar.
12 October is our AGM at the German Tivoli Club. We are always looking for people to come on board and help the executive run the club, so if you are interested in helping out, come along and let us know. We are all volunteers, so any time or help you can offer would be greatly appreciated, and if you have some skills that might help the Club, then please let us know.
25-26 November - Challenge Bathurst. Registrations closing very soon, only a handful of spots left.
10 December - Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm.

We are after officials to help with Challenge Bathurst. If you think this is something you might link to help with, please contact Jo via events@bmwdcm.com.au and she will send you the registration forms.

We have a new winter windcheater which we are trailing to see how members like it. It will be pre orders only so have a look on our online store to see the new garments and specials. We also have in our store, for a limited time only, a book called ‘Telling my Story’, which is very inspirational. Get your copy now.

We have had an update from BMW Clubs Australia and have been advised that the recently elected Chair has decided to stand down with immediate effect after only three months in the role. So, Craig Florence (BMW Drivers Club South Australia Delegate), who was elected to vice-chair cars at the last Clubs Australia AGM, will take over as Chair until the next Clubs Australia AGM in 2024. At this stage we are unsure what will happen regarding the vacant position on the Clubs Australia Executive. Congratulations and thank you for stepping into the role Craig, we look forward to working with you going forward.

For those that don’t know, as an Official BMW Club, we are a part of a world-wide network of some 800+ car and bike clubs that is overseen by BMW in Munich through BMW Clubs International. Our regional Umbrella organisation is BMW Clubs Australia, which is made up of delegates from each on the car and bike clubs in Australia. Being a member of an Official BMW Club has its benefits, like personal tours of BMW Classic in Munch. For more on BMW Clubs Australia see here.

Our welfare team have been working away in the background, helping where they can and being an ear or a shoulder when needed. Remember, if you need anything at all, there is always someone to listen or call on if you need anything. We are one big family and are there for any of our members that need assistance. Check our website for contact numbers or email welfare@bmwdcm.com.au.

With winter now a month down and the winter solstice just past, we can start looking forward to longer days and dreaming of warmer weather, but whilst we are in the grip of winter, remember to drive to the conditions wherever you are and take care out there.

I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Our South Australian adventure

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 03:45:45 GMT

Event date: 2-12 June 2023

Packed the day before to prepare for an early start to Mt Gambier. Collected Adrian. Whoa!

Adrian had knee replacement surgery 3 and a half weeks ago and is meant to be on sticks for six weeks. "Don't worry", he says, tossing the sticks into the boot (where they would remain). Okee-dokee, off we headed at the respectable time of 10.30am. "The doctor says he can go, but has to stop every hours for exercises".

"Hmmm". The rest of the BMWDCM crew had left hours ago, and we were on a mission to catch them. With the assistance of some motivational music (eg. Bat out of Hell) and one only coffee break, we got to Mt Gambier 5 minutes behind the main crew. Need i say, "Don't mention this to Adrian's surgeon".

At Mt Gambier we checked out some seriously large sinkholes, like i mean huge. Jo found the possums particularly friendly, if you have pieces of apple in your hand.

Off we scooted, on the magnificent South Australian (SA) roads, more on this later, with a pleasant 110km speed limit even on two-way carriage ways with only a painted line to seperate them. (Hear that Mr Vic Premier).

Approx an hour into SA, the roads became decideadly rippled and bouncy, with occassional 100km/hr sections, for no other reason than they perhaps had run out of 110km/h signs. Just as abruptly they would return to 110km/h signs.

We noticed that BP themed service stations were branded OTR. Apparently this acronym stood for On The Run, so we still supported them.

Arriving in Glenelg (that's SA, about 20 minute south of Adelaide, along the Anzac Highway, and adjacent to beaches in the St Vincent Gulf). Pretty posh. We would eat dinner in fine style at fresh Seafood restaurants, Italian, Thai, and the less convincing Ottoman Grill, who slighty torched our food as though we were Greek spartans. More on spartans later.

Our first dinner in Glenelg was with the amazing, entertaining, and welcoming group of BMW enthusiasts from SA. BMWDCSA (i suspect you can work that one out). Several members joined us on a midweek drive. Michael (Mike) and Susan also joined us on a trip to Victor Harbor (no British nonsense about the 'our' in harbor, this is how the SAians spell it). Mike also lead our group to Murray River where it meets the ocean. We then returned to the other Michael's house in Woolwa, and were entertained by Michael and partner Jillian, with an elaborate bbq and great conversation, overlooking Snake River and Murray River, with Pelicans and a myriad of other birds trilling and crooning by the moonlit evening. The serenity and tranquillity, making it ‘The Castle’ of our destinations.

Over quintuples of dinners we discussed many topics, though i was particularly impressed with John C's description of Spartans. Greek warriors trained to protect their King and peoples at all costs, including their own death. These warriors were tough. More on this later. ps. John and Allison had travelled all the way from Sydney to join us. This was a National link up, and we were all enriched from the interstate linkups.

After a few early starts (9.30 am), Jo bought me a sympathetic insulated coffee mug, filled it with fresh coffee from the breakfast which i always slept through, and which Adrian delivered to my room, 10 minutes prior to my expected 'be in the drivers seat' time. Bliss.

This was amazing team work, and got me to the meeting site (had to walk to lift, press button from level 1 to ground level, and walk 15m to carpark), to get there just on time.

As usual, Peter had mapped out great destinations, and indirect routes along twisty back roads. Cruise control on Anzac Highway, and then we came alive. Briskly diving into corners, swiftly changing direction, and inadvertantly banging Adrian's knee against the passenger door. I didn't notice, so i kept doing it. At the end or the day, Adrian had a distinct limp. "Oh", i would say, "still recovering from surgery?"

Same thing next day. The day after that he travelled with Jo and Graeme. "Hmmm", i summised. Maybe he had been in pain, but did not want to complain, as a happy companion on the trip. That's when it occured to me. Spartans don't simply belong to the pre-Roman era, they still exist now. Adrian considered my enjoyment of the trip to be just as important as his. He toughened up, and to my embarassment, i have to thank him. Anyhow, back to me.

We, actually Adrian and me, used our free day to visit Mt Barker, and planned to head to Port Adelaide, and maybe Adelaide itself. We got as far as Mt Stirling Hotel (like 20 minutes away), and never got any further. Adelaide Hills can be like that. Pretty one minute, absorbing the next, and then you simply want to stay and relax. We had a great meal in front of a fire, enjoyed some live music (Nic Hutton), and i began an affair with Hahndorf Hill - Gru Gruner Veltliner (vibrant layers of citrus/ ruby grapefruit, spice, crushed thyme, juicy acidity and a delicious core of yellow stone fruit, with a hint of black pepper).

After a few days of pretty countryside and spectacular views, Peter replicated this experience further south, where we got to cross the Murray River a few times, without crossing a border (as most Victorians do when entering NSW). We even did one crossing with our hands off the steering wheel. Don't worry, it was on a ferry.

Ahhh. Tailem Bend for a bit of racing. Royce (16yo on E30 pole) slipped on take off, chasing the lead for several laps, prodding, dancing, until the lead made the tiniest of errors, and Royce sprinted away. He got to within 0.3 seconds of lap record in an exciting race.

Next day, we returned. Royce had already whittled his lap time down by another tenth of a second. He trailed to the first corner, and then sprang into the lead. Faster, faster, slight slide on the corner opposite the main viewing tower. Perfect turn into the straight. Another tenth of a second faster. He gapped the following cars, getting further ahead, stopped apexing the tightest corner, and knocked more time off his laps, and broke the E30 lap record. Slowing down for a couple of laps with over-heated tyres, Royce blitzed the final lap, taking an amazing 0.5 seconds of the lap record. Watch this guy, big things ahead.

Proud as punch, a few of us headed off to the Kelleske winery (Barossa) to celebrate.

Funfilled journey, with lots of different experiences. Big thankyou to BMWDCM for organising such an amazing trip, thanks Jo, Graeme, Peter, and of course the behind the scenes endeavours of Lawrence and Shaaron. A big thankyou to BMWDCSA who also hosted and shared our SA experience with us. Hope to return your generosity soon.

John Shreeve | Member #579
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Alex Baxter Memorial Come and Try Day

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 03:38:44 GMT

Event date: 24 June 2023

“Do you guys do driver training days?” – a question I asked Jo Mawson during the afternoon tea break on the BMWDCM Australia Day social drive event. Driver Training was something I had been thinking about for quite some time, yet many of the courses I found online seemed prohibitively expensive. “Yes”, came the reply, “Our first driver training day for 2023 is in June”, along with a patient and helpful explanation of the things I would need for the event.

As I had never been on a track before, I also reviewed the “Preparing your car and yourself for a motorsport event” page on the BMWDCM site, and over the coming months researched and purchased a fire extinguisher, metal tyre valve caps, a helmet, track suit and gloves.

Some other ways I prepared for the event included joining the BMWDCM Simulator challenge (highly recommended as a great deal of fun as well as an opportunity to learn safely in a virtual environment while enjoying some friendly competition!). I also searched YouTube for topics such as “track etiquette”, “what to expect on a track day”, “track day driving tips” as well as watching videos of people doing laps at the Broadford track where the event would be held.

In early May, I received the event announcement email, which described the event as being about improving your driving skills on track in a relaxed atmosphere without the seriousness of competition. Although I had no prior track experience, I was (and still am) keen to learn and saw this is a great opportunity to do just that. I registered for the event and returned the required forms.

The night before the event I packed my bag with items I would take to the track and set my alarm for the crack of dawn so I could drive to the track and arrive in time for check in. On being woken by the alarm the next morning, I got up, had breakfast, changed into the track suit, and drove to the track.

The morning was cold and overcast with heavy cloud cover and seemed threatening to rain, although the Melbourne weather forecast (according to the weather app on my phone) predicted only 1mm of rain for the day. Still, I decided to take my coat and an umbrella anyway, just in case. I was glad I did, as over the course of the day there were several heavy showers at the track, and it was quite cold and windy too, even though the clouds gave way to sunshine late morning.

On arriving at the track, I found an empty garage slot and headed to the office to check in and purchase my competition number stickers. I also took the opportunity to walk around the pit/garage area and admire the other cars which had already arrived, including a Honda Civic Type R, Mazda MX5, a couple of Porsche 911s, many BMWs (including both road and racing M3s and an exquisitely presented John Player Special), and even a Maserati. I also chatted to a few of the other drivers in the pits; it was great to meet new people and share the enjoyment of cars and motorsport.

Soon both drivers and officials were summoned to the comprehensive and informative drivers’ briefing which covered a variety of topics including track etiquette, an explanation of the meaning of the various flags, and a demonstration of correct seating position when driving on track.

Following the drivers’ briefing, those who had never driven on this circuit were instructed to do a sighting lap behind the safety car to familiarize themselves with the track layout, learn where the flag marshalling points were, etc. Unfortunately, as I had stayed behind to ask a question following the driving seating position demonstration, when I arrived at the dummy grid near the track entrance for my sighting lap, the safety car was not there. I cautiously drove around the track, noting the flag points along the way.

As I’d been allocated to the last run group, I spent some time watching the other run group sessions and chatting to some of the other drivers around the paddock. When it came time for my first session on track, I was excited but a little nervous at the same time! It was really helpful to have an experienced instructor with me in the car to provide guidance and tips through the laps – it definitely boosted my confidence.

When the session was over, it was late morning. As the sun had started to come out and I wasn’t sure when my next session would be, I decided it would be an opportune time to grab some lunch, so headed over to the canteen. As I was almost finished my lunch, I heard an announcement over the PA that all drivers were to attend an award ceremony near the scrutineering shed. I hurriedly finished my grilled chicken roll and headed back down to the scrutineering area.

During the award ceremony, Jo Mawson explained that this “Come and Try” day was dedicated to honouring the memory of a recently passed club member, Alex Baxter. “Dedicating the Come and Try event to Alex and holding it at the location of his first ever track day is a great way of allowing his legacy to live on,” she said. “And the Alex Baxter Award goes to.. Richard Van Essen”, before presenting me with the Award certificate. I was truly surprised and felt deeply honoured to receive this award.

After the award ceremony, most of the other drivers headed to the canteen for lunch as well. After the lunch break, there were a few more track sessions in the afternoon, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I’d like to thank Jo Mawson and the team of other BMWDCM officials and instructors who helped organize and run this event and make it a fun, safe, and thoroughly enjoyable day for all.

Richard Van Essen | Member #946
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

More room for high performance: BMW M GmbH confirms development of a new BMW M5 Touring

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 05:27:15 GMT

Seventh generation of the BMW M5 Sedan already undergoing an intensive testing programme. BMW M GmbH to continue its product offensive in 2024 and confirms the extension of its model range to include a Touring variant of the new high-performance model.

The prototypes are carefully disguised, but they cannot conceal their character as high-performance cars. The future generation of the BMW M5 has entered the practical phase of its series development process. The new high-performance sedan from BMW M GmbH is now completing its test drives on public roads, BMW Group proving grounds and racetracks around the world.

Moreover, fans of the BMW M brand can look forward to a further result of the product offensive that will continue into the year 2024. BMW M GmbH has now officially confirmed that with the new edition of the BMW M5, it will be adding a Touring variant to its model range. The perfect symbiosis of M-typical performance, uncompromising long-distance comfort and impressive spaciousness will experience a renaissance in 2024 with the new BMW M5 Touring.

Just like the future BMW M5 Sedan, the Touring variant will also feature a completely newly developed partially electrified drive system. Its M-typical performance characteristics as well as the precisely tuned chassis technology refined with innovative systems facilitate driving dynamics and agility at a level unique in this vehicle class. Thus, BMW M GmbH is steadily progressing on its path to electrification. "We are now also installing a hybrid drive system with typical M performance in other high-performance cars," says Dirk Häcker, Head of Development at BMW M GmbH.

For almost 40 years now, the BMW M5 has been the benchmark for driving dynamics, agility and precision in the high-performance sedan segment. Evolutionary progress, development know-how from racing and pioneering innovations in the areas of drive, suspension, aerodynamics and lightweight construction have shaped the history of the BMW M5. Engines with six, eight and ten cylinders, M TwinPower Turbo technology and high-revving characteristics, the compound brake system with M Carbon ceramic brakes and M xDrive four-wheel drive are just some of the technological milestones with which this model has repeatedly redefined top performance in a sedan that is unconditionally suitable for everyday use. The seventh generation of the BMW M5 takes up on this – with fascinating innovations for an even more intense performance experience.

The first BMW M5 Touring was launched back in 1992 based on the second-generation BMW M5 Sedan and has since stood for a combination of high performance and everyday practicality on four wheels. In 2007, BMW M GmbH also added a Touring variant to the fourth-generation BMW M5. And currently, the successful launch of the first BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive* also underscores the high appeal of this special vehicle concept in the premium midrange segment of high-performance cars.

Testing of the first prototypes of the new BMW M5 Touring is to commence in the next few days in urban traffic as well as on country roads and motorways around Munich and at the BMW M GmbH headquarters in Garching. The integrated application of all drive and suspension systems will then also be carried out for the new BMW M5 Touring on the Nürburgring's Nordschleife, among other places, with the aim of ensuring the ideal balance of sporting performance on the racetrack and superior ride comfort in everyday driving and over long distances.

BMW PRESS

A trip East to Adelaide

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 04:17:43 GMT

Event date: 2-12 June 2023

Day one

This is a trip we have been planning for quite a few months and the lead up to this trip was a little rocky for me as I have my 84 years mum in hospital unwell.

A quick drive up to Ringwood to make sure all the trip booklets (70 pages thank you Peter Williams) would get to the travellers on time if we were running a few days late.

Lucky mum was released from hospital on Thursday evening and after a late-night pack of the race car and our own personal items we managed to set off at 9.40am which was a nice change for us.

The rest of the convoy were meeting at Caroline Springs, and another two from Cranbourne, so we thought we would try to catch them up at lunch along the way.

A quick call to the boys from Cranbourne and realising they were still about 30 minutes away we kept going and knew we would catch them up somewhere along the road.

Surprisingly, the roads were great, no major hold ups, a nice run through the city to get on the main highway heading to Ballarat then West towards Mt Gambia.

Its amazing the difference in the landscape as you travel along our roads throughout Australia, it is quite diverse but very beautiful.

With several phone calls and WhatsApp messages we worked out the main group were having lunch in Dunkeld and were 1.15 hours in front of us and this was very possibly for us to catch up with them.

We couldn’t have asked for better travelling weather the sun was out and it was a nice cool 16c perfect driving weather.

As we approached Dunkeld my phone rang, and it was Peter asking where we were and lucky, we were just approaching the group.

We still didn’t have the boys behind but knew they were not that far behind (but using a different drive route) so we pushed on.

Quick toilets stop and then we were soon crossing the border not SA and that’s when we hit a little drizzle but not too bad.

Continuing as a group minus 2 we arrived at our motel at 3.15 SA time, did a quick unload and the others were with us within 15 minutes which was great driving by them.

Off to the Umpherston sink hole which was incredible. The Floral and Fauna in these gardens was just amazing and as we left the bottom, we were greeted by some local brush tail possums which were very friendly and even eat out of our hands. Very special indeed.

After a quick stop at Repco for a car cover for the race car, we headed up to the blue lake which as a very dark inky blue at this time of year. Apparently, the lighter blue is from November to March, which makes perfect sense. We had a bit of a drive around the lake but the light was fading so we had to head back to the motel.

Back to the motel for a quick freshen up, some quick emails, life still goes on even though we are away, and then off to the Barn for dinner recommended by one of our members who didn’t make this trip.

The Barn was 10 klm out of town but worth the drive. The interior was amazing with a wall of fame, plates signed by celebrities and dignitaries who had passed through an dine here.

Beautiful chandeliers greeted us as we walked in, and we noted that there is accommodation here too so worth a stay next time we come past.

The food was amazing and so accommodating seeing I have so many allergies.

It had been many years since visiting Mt Gambia and I really enjoyed our quick tour but would definitely stay longer next time.

Fun night catching up with old and new friends and hearing some hilarious stories.

This is going to be a fun week and I cant wait for day 2.

Jo Mawson | Member #2
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Day two

On a cool and sunny morning our excited band of nine travellers departed Mt Gambier at 9.00am sharp for a 484km drive to Adelaide via the coast rather than the inland route.

The limestone coast of south- east South Australia treated us to extensive stretches of pine forests, happy grazing sheep and cattle, black cockatoos and soaring pelicans along the 200km stretch of the Coorong and beautiful examples of South Australian architecture in Robe.

At Kingston S.E. Jo and Graeme left the group to deliver the E30 to The Bend and then met us at Tailem Bend for a peak hour run down the motorway to our motel in Glenelg. The Adelaide International Motel was our “home” for the next nine nights.

Later that evening the BMW Drivers Club of SA arranged a welcome dinner at the Holdfast Hotel (aka The Holdy) in Glenelg. A very convivial evening was had by all.

Allison Cotter
BMW Drivers Club of NSW

Day three

Day 3 was planned to be an easier day with a sleep in and heading our own different ways after a late start. John and I thought we would test the mountain roads and head to mount Lofty to take in the view offed over Adelaide arriving there at midday.

The trick then was what to do next so I asked the attendant in the souvenir shop what could offered in say a 30-minute range of where we were and all the ideas that immediately came to mind like Hahndorf were to be done later in trip so the more experienced attendant came over and recommended Port Adelaide and the museums there. While we pondered this, we thought we would have lunch so asked the attendant for a recommendation and she recommended the pub at Stirling as the food is good and has a good vibe.

John S found a couple of mountain roads to stretch his legs on and Margarette took us in the wrong direction and this gave John S a few more klms to play with but the drive was also scenic.

We stopped, engaged google and headed for Stirling. We found the pub and fortunately there is quite a bit of parking under the supermarket opposite and went in for lunch. The place was packed so we ended in some low springy chairs near the fire place and ordered lunch. As we were eating a guy stopped and dropped off a backpack and then came with a trolley and he was setting up to play music right in front of our table. Name was Nic Hutton if interested and he played several sets across the course of the afternoon as a guitar soloist. We enjoyed the music and the banter with him including how his foot pedals worked and only returned to Glenelg after his sets had finished.

It was a very pleasant afternoon but we did not make it to Port Adelaide today.

Dinner was at the Watermark which is a former Woolworths business now under ALH. The surroundings were airy and there was adequate supplies of whatever you wanted including seafoods. We had a good meal and good company and left as the venue was closing for the night.

Adrian White | Member #606
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Day four

It was an atmospheric day for a scenic cruise, drizzly , grey and softly misty. The convoy made its way through the CBD peak time commuting traffic at a very leisurely pace, the locals did not abide by the speed limit it seemed, they tended to go lower. Rolling greens hills loomed invitingly in the distance and trim streets were peppered with churches and almost as many of gas stations. OTR BP is huge in Adelaide apparently.

Driving through the twisty back roads of Adelaide Hills was spirited and much fun when you are in a front-wheel drive like a MINI. It’s even more fun tailing a professional driver like JC in a M2 Competition while admiring its shapely and illuminated behind. There is something infinitely pleasant about the watching the cars expertly gliding through corners in a veil of mist, surrounded by feathery greenery on either side.

For motor enthusiasts the Birdwood Mill Motor Museum is a must see. The museum wasn’t crowded on a Monday and was featuring a special exhibit featuring a collection of rare Holdens 1948-2017. My favorite? The “Marilyn”, a non-production cabriolet version of the Monaro. Marilyn is in a sophisticate shade of indigo blue, maybe with a hint of subtle metallic glitter. Understated elegance embodied, if ever a Holden can be called elegant?

You know there are destinations where you haven’t been for a while and the second time you see it, it has much improved and bloomed? Sadly Hahndorf isn’t one of those places, at least in my book. my previous trip to Hanhdorf was in the height of summer, and the tree-lined historic town felt a few degree cooler than the CBD, refreshing and hospital, quirky but substantial. That was my memory five years ago. This time around though it seemed the town has leaned heavily towards catering for the tourist flavor of the month, which is east and south Asian at the moment. The Germanic essence seemed to have been diluted somewhat. Still, if you are looking for a haircut and a quick blow dry, there are many options available. As are scented candles and opals of dubious origin.

The German Bakery where we had a quick bite to eat I cannot recommend again, the ownership has changed hand and perhaps the recipes too. What I can recommend though, at the time of writing is a little hidden gem in the form of Gallery & Wine Museum displaying Wolf Blass’ personal achievements and records of 60 years of wine making – Adelaide Hills Wine Bar, 62 Main Street, 62 Mount Barker Rd. It was bright, warm and a considered space with several plush seating areas and an open fire. The bar was well stocked and the menu carefully curated.

Do not dismiss the Visitor Information Centre and the Hahndorf Academy, where a zebra (again with a shapely behind also a back story) greets the visitors, and where one can really delve into the local history and channel the pioneering spirit. It is hard to imagine how physically tough and different life was barely 200 years ago. There is also a gallery upstairs but it was closed for change over when I visited.

Day four’s driving concluded with a straight zoom zoom to the homebase, taking nowhere near as long and admittedly nowhere near as fun. We sampled the local seafood restaurant ‘SheShell’, which proved to be interesting enough for us to return to Wednesday with a much larger appetite.

It was a full moon.

Sally Lu
ClubMINI

Day five

We headed to the Clare Valley wine district on the Tuesday, after swapping our itinerary around to take advantage of a warm, sunny day. We had already planned a later start, so the Clare Valley trip meant we would return after dark (with sunset just 5pm), but it was worth it. The newish northern expressway got us out of Adelaide efficiently, and our trip took us through countryside of increasingly rolling hills until we reached the Clare Valley.

I had searched out 4 or 5 of the best rated wineries in the district, but the first two we tried to visit, in Auburn, were closed for the winter in one case and on weekdays in the other case. We continued north to a long-time favourite of mine, Crabtree in the village of Watervale. Robert Crabtree sold the winery a few years back, a syndicate had it for a while and now a young couple owns it. The wife hosted us to a tasting of their full range of wines, all produced from their own small vineyard. The muscat was very popular and their unusual fortified shiraz was very good too. I liked a Shiraz-Cabernet dating from Robert Crabtree’s time, but their other reds, whites and a rose dated from the syndicate era and weren’t so great. I’ll be interested to see what the new couple, with their new wine maker, achieve from here on. It was a pleasant visit with an outdoor tasting overlooking part of the valley – the sort of interaction you don’t get with the larger wineries. The Clare Valley is a shallow, broad valley surrounded by low hills, but it was explained to us that that’s enough for it to have a significantly cooler climate during the critical growing season than the other South Australia wine districts, leading to it having cool climate wines even though the valley gets hot in summer.

Our next stop was Sevenhill, which produces communion wines for the Roman Catholic Church throughout Australia, along with a range of other wines. While some tasted the wines, others of us explored the underground cellars, the imposing and rather beautiful church, and the crypt underneath the church. First time I’ve been in a crypt – not something that happens very often (while alive, anyway).

Sevenhill was a very leisurely visit, meaning we had quite a late lunch in a café in Clare. Clare itself surprised us with its size – clearly a busy regional centre. While it had a few old buildings, it was mainly the little villages in the valley which had buildings dating from the mid 1800s. All in all, the valley is a scenic and historical delight, as well as having so many small and medium-sized wineries which are more enjoyable and informative to visit than the large wineries in places like the Barossa Valley.

From Clare, we headed East, with a short stop at Farrell Flat to observe its excellent silo art. About 30 minutes from Clare is the historic mining town of Burra, also known for its historic stone buildings. In fact, many of the houses are of stone, as well as the shops and official buildings. We only had a brief visit due to the time; it would be easy to stay a couple of nights and fill in a complete day exploring the history of the place. Leaving town, we detoured briefly to see the open cut copper mine that was the reason for the town’s existence – an impressively deep mine for its time, now with a lake in the bottom.

Our journey South from Burra took us along the scarily-named Worlds End Highway in a slow twilight, with a long line of low, rounded hills to our right and vast flat plains stretching to the horizon on our left. It was dark by the time we reached Eudunda so we couldn’t see its silo art; we simply kept heading back towards Adelaide, with just one enforced detour due to a road closure for roadworks.

Driving-wise, this was a cruising day on good quality roads (mostly), appreciating South Australia’s 110km/h limit on most of the rural roads. Cruising meant we had plenty of time to appreciate the scenery, especially in the Clare Valley. Definitely a recommended place to visit for anyone finding themselves with some time in Adelaide.

Peter Williams | Member #36
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Day eight

Those of us not at the track took a long day-trip to Victor Harbor (spelt without a “u”), which is a family weekend/holiday town on the coast south from Adelaide – think Rye if it was a town on its own. Mick and Sue from the SA club joined us on the drive – and took note of how we use the radio on our drives so they can do likewise on theirs.

We started off along the coastline in Glenelg and points south – the first time some of our group had seen the ocean here (although technically it’s Spencers Gulf) on this trip. Adelaide has a long line of beaches for most of its coastal length; they are sheltered from the open ocean much like the Port Phillip beaches, but open to the cold westerly winds today. We continued south on the enjoyable Myponga Reservoir road, which includes driving across the reservoir’s dam wall. Next was the Inman Valley, with a great if lumpy road winding and sweeping through a green, scenic valley. That brought us to Victor Harbor.

Several of the crew jumped on the horse-drawn tram to ride along the new jetty to Granite Island, a little offshore from the mainland. The island Is a safe habitat for various types of wildlife. We had lunch at various places in the town, and some shopping took place too. We headed a short distance to Encounter Bay and The Bluff, for pleasant scenery to Victor Harbor and wild scenery on the shore of the Southern Ocean. Next was a run to Goolwa and onto Hindmarsh Island, to view where the Murray River empties into the ocean. The veracity of this was debated – the river empties into Lake Alexandrina, which connects (again via the river) to the top end of the Coorong which opens to the ocean. A series of barrages and locks controls the flow, to keep adequate water in the lake systems and to prevent the ingress of too much salty water into the freshwater lakes.

A short drive took us to SA club members Mike and Jill Keene’s home on the banks of the lakes and waterways. Mike kindly hosted us to a barbecue dinner, but first we admired the scenic location of their home and the views to be taken in. It was a convivial late afternoon and evening that was greatly enjoyed by all, and the hospitality was very much appreciated. We finished the day with a night-time run back to Adelaide, on which BMW’s adaptive headlights showed their worth. We enlivened the trip with a short but careful fang down the Old Willunga Road hill, and entered Adelaide on the relatively new M2 expressway.

Peter Williams | Member #36
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Day nine

Day 9 was our second last day and considering that we would need to be on the road very early to make Tailem Bend for the first E30 race so the reduced group decided that we would go to Tailem Bend for the second and last race and looking at the track schedule this meant that we needed to leave Glenelg at 11.00am which was to the delight of the Shreeve.

We had breakfast and the five of us lined up at 11.00 to head off with John S happy and smiling departure. The three cars then loaded and headed for the Bend and as we had gone the day before took a direct route in time for the race. We were already aware of this mornings first race and Royce Lyne had improved but had been delayed by a competitor in another category so his time had improved but not as much as hoped.

We got to the track and met up with E30 group as they were starting to prepare for their last race then went and watched the Hyundai Excel race which was red flagged due to a car rolling over a number of times which needed to be recovered on a flat bed truck and this delayed the E30 race a little.

Then the E30s took to the track and the grid up was different with the E30s first and the other category further down the grid to start later giving the E30s a chance to race in clear air at least initially so it was hoped that there would be some good results and hopefully some better times. Jo & Graeme were watching the times and we were receiving updates on how they were doing standing on the Skydeck on the 4th floor with a view of the entire track. The biggest news initially was that Royce had just scrapped into the 14s and was leading the race. Royce then slowed a little to recover the tyres before trying again on the last lap and this allowed Royce to post his fastest time which was a record for this category.

We were talking to Royce afterwards when a young fellow stopped by and asked Royce for his autograph which was a bit of a shock for Royce.

After the race, the touring group split with Peter travelling back on the old Princes Highway and the other 2 cars deciding to head back to the Barossa Valley in a more direct way to visit the Kalleske Wines Cellar Door in Greenock. It was good to do the second trip as the different route gave a different view of the valley although we got to the cellar door later than optimal although we were still able to try their more than ample array of wines before purchasing with 2 boxes of wines to be transported back to the eastern states.

The cellar door closed at 5 so we headed back to Glenelg for our last dinner which was Phuket Thai which the members enjoyed before retiring.

Adrian White | Member #606
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 61 | June 2023

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

We started May with our fifth birthday and annual presentation dinner sponsored by Kalus Kenny Intelex, held at the Park Royal. We were joined by over 80 members for a night of celebration.

It was a great night of entertainment, raffle prizes and auction items from some of our sponsors in support of The Smith Family, who we raised $5,500 for. Thank you to all who donated and purchased tickets to help us raise such an incredible amount.

____________________

9 May was our Shannons Insurance Simulator Challenge. Killian won by the narrowest of margins but it is anyone’s championship at the moment! The next round is on 4 July, be sure to head to the website to register and become the next Simulator Challenge winner.

____________________

10 May was our first midweek drive day, which turned out to be a day of sunshine and great company. If you have time during the week, be sure to keep an eye out on the calendar for the next one, there's just something about a mid-week adventure that we really love!

____________________

13 May was Round 3 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. Our start was delayed due to fog, but once it cleared the weather was beautiful and our members enjoyed another day on track.

____________________

12 May was National Motoring Heritage Day. The day started in Brighton, driving through to the National Steam Centre in Scoresby where there was lots of eclectic vehicles on display.

____________________

26-28 May was Round 3 of the E30 Racing Championship. Young Royce Lyne (hard to believe he is only 15!) showed some brilliant driving skills in the rather damp conditions to take out another round win.

____________________

26-28 May also saw some of our members attend the VIP display at the Winton Historics, joined by the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria. As always, the racing was great but unfortunately we can't say the same for the weather.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Zavier Robin, Jack Wynack, Sydney Teeuwsen, Sidney Costello, Ed Wittich, Shane McInnes, Val Perkins, Alexander Lee, Paul Lee, Andrew Pan, Regina Simon, Bronwen Colman, Claire Trainor, Tijana Kay, Simon Wilkins, Wendy Alexander, Justin Shardey, Jonathan Lim, Graeme Ny, David Crook, William Harding, Thomas Watson, Sue Abrehart, Gavin Low and Georgia Alexis. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

____________________

Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for June:

Friday-Monday, 2-12 June
Adelaide & Tailem Bend - 10 day tour leading into Kings Birthday weekend
Starting from Melbourne we will enjoy a leisurely drive through Ballarat to then spend our first night in Mt Gambia. Heading west to Glenelg we will stay there for nine nights and spend the week exploring the wonders of Adelaide and beyond, or you can just relax and do your own thing.

Tuesday, 6 June
Welcome to Winter Drop in Donuts, Geelong
A casual evening get-together.

Saturday, 24 June
Alex Baxter Memorial Driver Training and Come & Try Day
Ever wanted to find out what it's like to get on track in a relaxed atmosphere without being surrounded by the seriousness of competition? Want to better your driving skills?
Our Driver Training events are the perfect place for you to experience your vehicle's limits in a safe environment. We welcome all vehicles – new, old, high or low powered, you also don't need to own a BMW to attend.

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EVENT PHOTOS

2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

If you are interested in attending or getting involved as a helper, click here for more details.

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

Wine Fundraiser.

Last year BMWDCM set up a fundraising project with "Personalise Your Wine" to be able to offer our members a keepsake for winning 2021 International Club of the Year.

All funds raised through purchase of the bottles will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

If you haven't already placed an order but would like to, you can do so here.

Get behind your club and a great charity.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Jess Bell

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An update from the President | May

Wed, 31 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

May started off with a bang with our Fifth Birthday and Annual Presentation Dinner sponsored by Kalus Kenny Intelex, held at the Park Royal. It was great to have such a huge attendance with over 80 members attending, all looking amazing in their formal wear. We had great entertainment, raffle prizes and auction items from some of our sponsors. Our Charity for the night was The Smith Family and I am proud to say that we raised $5,500 on the night from our raffle and auction items. Thank you to all who donated and purchased tickets to help with this fundraiser. It was great to have our 2022 winners there on the night as well receiving their trophies, it's always great to support our champions. It was nice to see a 15-year-old motorsport recipient and four ladies receiving awards on the night as well.

At our presentation dinner we had the honour of hearing from one of members who was involved in the publication of a great small book called Tell My Story, which is a fantastic group of stories by 4 brave men. BMWDCM will have this book in our online store for a few months for members to be able to purchase from. Limited copies available so please do not miss out.

9 May was our Shannons Insurance Simulator Challenge which again turned out to be a bundle of laughs with Killian winning by the narrowest of margins. It is anyone’s championship at the moment, you have to be in it to win it. Make sure you register for the next one on 4 July, we will be doing an American theme for Independence Day.

10 May was the first of our midweek drive days. It turned out to be a fantastic day with sunshine coming through the clouds and a great turnout of cars. Look out for the next mid-week drive event coming soon.

13 May was Round 3 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. The event was a late starter due to thick fog but once it cleared, we had a fantastic day.

12 May was National Motoring Heritage Day. The day started in Brighton, driving through to the National Steam Centre in Scoresby. We really enjoyed seeing all of the eclectic vehicles on display.

26-28 May also saw some of our members attend the VIP display at the Winton Historics, joined by the BMW Motorcycle Club of Victoria. As always, the racing was great, unlike the weather. I'm told those who attended still really enjoyed the weekend.

June is now upon us, as is the start of winter. I think it may have come a month earlier than it should as we had some very cold, wet days in May.

Our annual tour this year is heading west to South Australia. We have a group of BMW enthusiasts from Melbourne and two from NSW heading across to Mount Gambia then on to Adelaide, where we will stay for nine days, with some great day trips planned for each day. It will be great to meet up with some of the members from BMW Drivers Club SA and then on the Kings Birthday weekend we will head to Tailem Bend to watch round 4 of the E30 Racing championship which should be a lot of fun. Might even have a race in that event myself, so come and watch!

Our June members meeting has not been set yet, as Jo is waiting for a confirmation on the venue so watch this space. It will be a good one!

24 June is our Alex Baxter Memorial Come and Try Day, where one lucky member will have their entry paid for them by the Alex Baxter memorial trust. There are still spots available for this event and this one is subsidised by the Club to allow new and inexperience people the opportunity to get out on track.

We are also still needing volunteers for Broadford. Please email Meg at officials@bmwdcm.com.au and let her know if you are available to attend and which position you would like to fill or if you are happy to be an instructor. It is a very cheap track day for anyone that wants to come to practice or receive instruction, as the whole day is passenger allowed.

As you can see June is a little quieter as we are away for nearly two weeks of this month so look out for events coming up in July.

Other events to remember are:

9 July - Christmas in July
27 August - German Auto Show
25-26 November - Challenge Bathurst - Get your entry in this month if you want to come, as entries open to everyone else on 1 July
10 December - Christmas Show and Shine Family Picnic

Jo and her band of helpers are busy organising German Auto Show and she will need more troops than we had last year. We are looking for volunteers at the gate, throughout the paddock, at the main stand and general helpers. This event is going to be HUGE. If you have not registered your car yet, please do so here if you are wanting to help on the day, please email Meg at offiicals@bmwdcm.com.au and offer your services. All proceeds from this event will also go to Beyond Blue.

We have already had some very generous donations from Kaos Custom Bikes who are donating a $1,500 mountain bike as one of the main raffle prizes and some AMG lifestyle products from German Auto Haus. Shannons Insurance are on board again this year with a very generous sponsorship of this event. Check out our website for the event germanautoshow.com.au for more information.

If you have a business and want to have a trade stand at this event or donate to the charity, please contact info@germanautoshow.com.au and Jo will be only too happy to chat with you.

This year we will be celebrating with our friends from BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria as it is the celebration of 100 years of the R32 motorbike. Come along and check out all the great vehicles on display.

Want to stay closer to the venue? Then check out our special deals with WestWaters Caroline Springs and be fresh in the morning of the event.

Another event we need to start thinking about and start organising is the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals in 2025 that we are hosting. Sounds a long way off, but such a huge event needs an awful lot of planning and organising, and it will need a lot of people to make it all happen. So, we are forming an organising committee to get things underway. Yes, the plan is in place, but we have lots of jobs we need help with over the next few months. If you want to be involved in organising and then running the Nationals in 2025 send an email to nationals@bmwdcm.com.au and we’ll get you on board.

A note from our Welfare team is that one of our members who has been struggling with very ill health is now on the mend and looking like we might see him out at some events in the warmer months. We really look forward to welcoming back our member at some events soon. Remember, if you know anyone who is struggling give them a call as a kind word can go a long way.

Don’t forget, we still have access to our fundraising wines, so if you need to restock your wine cupboard check out these wines and help the club raise funds for our charities.

We still have some of the summer merchandise on sale, so go to our store and snap up some bargains whilst they are still available.

Welcome to our new members. We have had a huge number of new members join this month, which is always very humbling. We on the BMWDCM committee pride ourselves on our friendship, great events and communication and we are always happy to welcome new members along for the ride.

Finally, you would have all received the latest edition 5 of idrive by now. If you have not received it, then I would check postal details on your profile on our website to make sure you are receiving our mailouts. It's a wonderful annual magazine and each year it just gets better and better, full of your stories and articles.

Drive safely and I look forward to seeing you out at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

A thank you from the Royal Children's Hospital

Tue, 30 May 2023 04:56:32 GMT

BMW will unveil "The Electric AI Canvas" at Art Basel in Basel 2023, an installation inspired by the new BMW i5. A unique combination of art and technology that uses AI in a responsible manner to create an immersive on-site art experience

Tue, 30 May 2023 02:49:35 GMT

On the occasion of Art Basel in Basel 2023, BMW proudly presents “The Electric AI Canvas” an extension of the entirely virtual work "The Ultimate AI Masterpiece". Now, for the very first time, released as an awe-inspiring physical art experience that transforms the 100% electric BMW i5 into a dynamic canvas of distinct generative art and featuring works by contemporary artists Esther Mahlangu, Kohei Nawa, Eric N. Mack, Koo Jiyoon and Bin Woo Hyuk.

On the occasion of Art Basel in Basel 2023, BMW proudly presents “The Electric AI Canvas” an extension of the entirely virtual work "The Ultimate AI Masterpiece". Now, for the very first time, released as an awe-inspiring physical art experience that transforms the 100% electric BMW i5 into a dynamic canvas of distinct generative art and featuring works by contemporary artists Esther Mahlangu, Kohei Nawa, Eric N. Mack, Koo Jiyoon and Bin Woo Hyuk. “The Electric AI Canvas” will be exhibited from June 12 to 18, 2023, at Art Basel in Basel, the world's premier art show for Modern and contemporary art. Additionally, as a global partner of the Art Basel shows, BMW will once again provide the VIP car service.

In collaboration with creative technologist Nathan Shipley (Goodby, Silverstein & Partners) and Gary Yeh (ArtDrunk), custom artificial intelligence-generated animations are crafted using AI models trained on a curated dataset of works from renowned contemporary artists. These AI models are built upon a foundational model trained from over 50,000 images spanning 900 years of art history. The AI generates entirely new abstract animations based on learned styles from classical and contemporary art, which are then projected onto the BMW i5.

“BMW has been at the forefront of innovative technology and design to create cutting-edge automobiles. With 'The Electric AI Canvas,' virtual and physical worlds collide, and the connection between human senses and artificial intelligence as a tool to create new artworks can be experienced,” says Paul de Courtois, President & CEO BMW (Switzerland) inc.

According to Gary Yeh, "This is an exciting moment to build on our previous art and AI collaboration, which we had always envisioned activating in person. Realizing this collaboration's full potential will create a unique opportunity for art fair visitors to experience digital art, a medium that can often feel disconnected from the physical world. At the forefront of contemporary art, the artists that we've brought together bring a variety of global perspectives and share in their unique explorations of materials and culture. As the animations evolve in front of your eyes, we hope to take you on a journey through their worlds and how they represent the fabric of our society. Past, present, and future."

For “The Electric AI Canvas”, Nvidia’s AI architecture StyleGAN is trained to evoke various artistic styles and then generate abstract evolving animations. After training a base model to represent art in general, StyleGAN is further trained on works from the participating contemporary artists. “We wanted to explore what happens when an AI image-generation model encounters works by specific artists; how do the results change when different parameters of the algorithm are modified and how can we use that to create animations that evoke the essential feeling of a particular artist’s work,” asks Nathan Shipley. “We see experiments like this as part of a fascinating early conversation about ways that AI can be used in art-making.”

These newly created animations are now showcased for the first time as an on-site art experience employing projection-mapping onto the BMW i5 and shifting through each artist's distinctive style and aesthetic. The animations are amplified and reflected by mirrors, immersing viewers within the experience.

Since the digital debut in 2020, AI in art-making has stirred controversy, raising questions about ethics, creativity and authenticity. Shipley and Yeh approach the use of AI for art by focusing on how the technology can support artists and amplify their artistic visions, rather than to replace them. “It is essential that our experiments with AI for art are done in a responsible, thoughtful, and human-first way,” says Shipley.

This human-machine art installation brings forth a distinct convergence of innovation and creativity. It continues BMW's engagement in crucial dialogues about technology and art in the AI era. Beyond visual artistry, the Electric AI Canvas stands as a testament to BMW's dedication to human-centred technology and sustainability, exploring the potential of AI as a creative tool.

The new BMW 5 Series – the world´s most successful business sedan – is digital, dynamic and now, with the BMW i5, also fully electric. In the BMW 5 Series come together sporty elegance, comfort and premium connectivity. Like no other model, THE 5 stands for confidence, competence and a progressive mindset.

For its 2023 edition in Basel, Art Basel will bring together 284 leading international galleries to present the highest quality artworks across all media – from painting and sculpture to photography and digital works – by artists ranging from early-twentieth-century Modern pioneers to contemporary practitioners. A strong line-up of galleries from across Europe will be joined by new and returning exhibitors from around the world.

BMW PRESS

Cape Hauy Adventure

Wed, 24 May 2023 04:44:35 GMT

Second place for ROWE Racing and the BMW M4 GT3 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours

Mon, 22 May 2023 01:18:45 GMT

The ROWE Racing team finished on the podium at the 51st staging of the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). Dries Vanthoor (BEL) crossed the line in second place in the number 98 BMW M4 GT3, 26.911 seconds behind the winning Ferrari.

The ROWE Racing team finished on the podium at the 51st staging of the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). Dries Vanthoor (BEL) crossed the line in second place in the number 98 BMW M4 GT3, 26.911 seconds behind the winning Ferrari. Vanthoor had alternated at the wheel with Maxime Martin (BEL), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Marco Wittmann (GER) on their way to completing 162 laps. For BMW M Motorsport, this was the first podium with the BMW M4 GT3 at the endurance classic in the Eifel Mountains.

Starting from 31st on the grid, the quartet of drivers steadily worked their way up the field in the opening hours of the race, and were already in the top ten after the second round of pit stops. Afterwards they were embroiled in a long-range battle with the eventual winners, which saw the lead repeatedly change hands between the two cars. The ROWE Racing crew made up a lot of ground on the winning Ferrari due to a shorter final pit stop, but were ultimately unable to close the gap.

The number 100 BMW M4 GT3 also made it to the end of the marathon at the Nürburgring. The Walkenhorst Motorsport Pro-Am car, with drivers Christian Bollrath (GER), Jörg Breuer (GER), Sami-Matti Trogen (FIN) and Henry Walkenhorst (GER), came home 16th, which earned them fifth place in the Pro-Am class.

It looked for a long time as though several BMW M4 GT3s would have a say in the battle for overall victory. However, that all changed as incidents occurred thick and fast in the early hours of the morning on the 25-kilometre Nordschleife. 13 hours into the race, Connor De Phillippi (USA), Philipp Eng (AUT), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) were forced to retire from the race in the second ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3, after De Phillippi collided with a slower car. Shortly after, the BMW Junior Team hit trouble; the number 72 BMW M4 GT3 suffered more damage as the result of a puncture. BMW M Team RMG spent a long time trying to repair the car and get it back out onto the track. Eventually however, Dan Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER) and Neil Verhagen (USA) had no choice but to retire, having spent much of the race in the top three.

Walkenhorst Motorsport was also unlucky with its remaining SP9 cars; on course for a top-ten finish in the seventh hour of the race, the #101 BMW M4 GT3 was forced out after two crashes in close succession. The race also came to a premature end for the number 102 car after an accident in the early hours of Sunday morning. At the time of the crash, the BMW M4 GT3 was running seventh.

This all means that BMW remains on 20 overall victories in “Green Hell”. No other manufacturer can look back on a more successful history at the 24-hour race. The last BMW win on the Nordschleife came courtesy of ROWE Racing with the BMW M6 GT3 in 2020.

The BMW M4 GT4 Media Car was also denied a creditable result in the SP10 class. Specialist journalists Jethro Bovingdon (GBR), Christian Gebhardt (GER) and Guido Naumann (GER), together with BMW M test and development engineer Jörg Weidinger (GER), were initially able to make up a lot of ground in the first eight hours of the race. However, an accident then required lengthy repairs before a second collision in the 14th hour of the race forced the team out of the race for good.

Despite this, there was still cause for celebration in the SP10 class. The FK Performance Motorsport team took victory with the new BMW M4 GT4. Christian Konnerth (GER), Maxime Oosten (NED), Lorenz Stegmann (GER) and Miklas Born (SUI) crossed the finish line well ahead of their closest rivals. Third place also went to an FK Performance BMW M4 GT4. In the BMW M240i Racing class, first place went to Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec. GITI Tire Motorsport by WS Racing took victory in the SP 8T class with the first-generation BMW M4 GT4, while Adrenalin Motorsport also won the VT 2 class with the BMW 330i. Hofor Racing triumphed in the SP 6 class with the BMW M3 GTR, and the number 542 BMW 325i came home first in the V4 class.

Reactions on the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring.

Franciscus van Meel (CEO of BMW M GmbH): “I was thrilled by the atmosphere this 24-hour race provided. 235,000 spectators turned the race into a festival that is unrivalled in the world of motorsport. The action on the racetrack was also gripping, and I was delighted to see that we could stage a fantastic comeback with the BMW M4 GT3 and ROWE Racing and fight for the win. Second place is not quite the result we had hoped for in the end, but still an excellent performance. Congratulations and a big thank you to everyone! As always, it was also fantastic this year to see the entire range of BMW M and BMW vehicles on the starting grid and at our traditional M Corso before the race. BMW M and the Nürburgring are and will remain closely connected. I'm already looking forward to returning in the 2024 season!"

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “That was an eventful 24-hour race for us. Second place with the #98 BMW M4 GT3 of ROWE Racing is a fantastic result. Congratulations and a big thank you to everyone! Our drivers did a flawless job and worked their way into the leading group from outside the top 30. At the same time, I would like to congratulate the Frikadelli Racing Team on a deserved victory. Our other SP9 crews were also showing good pace and were in with a chance of a podium finish. At times, we had four BMW M4 GT3s in the top ten. However, the ‘Green Hell’ then struck back, particularly in the night, and took out no fewer than four of our trump cards with the #99 BMW M4 GT3 of ROWE Racing, #72 BMW M4 GT3 of the BMW Junior Teams, and the two Walkenhorst Motorsport Pro cars. As such, the podium is a nice way to finish and, above all, a worthy reward for the hard work of all the teams, drivers, and the BMW M Motorsport employees. I would also like to thank all the BMW teams who gave it everything and produced some fantastic motorsport in the various different classes. We were also able to make a statement with our new BMW M4 GT4. I congratulate the FK Performance Motorsport team on victory and third place in the SP10 class. Generally speaking, the 24-hour race was an outstanding event in 2023 with a crowd and atmosphere, the likes of which I have never experienced in my career. We will be back next year, when we will again do our best to make it 21 overall victories.”

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Principal ROWE Racing): “For us, the top priority is always to be capable of winning here – and we were precisely that! We were always in contention for the podium. The challenge we faced was not easy, but everyone involved did a super job. We don’t know what we could have done better. The drivers, particularly in the race, did a flawless job. You cannot but admire the ability to come through from 31st on the grid to finish runner-up, and to be in contention for the win for so long. That is a really great effort. My team feels like a champion. It is a real honour to stand on the podium here. That cannot be taken for granted.”

Maxime Martin (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 2nd place): “All in all, we had a strong race and, given our starting position, that is a good result. The team did a perfect job with the strategy. We were fast and consistent. However, I am also pleased for Frikadelli Racing. Klaus and the whole team deserved it. We can be happy with ourselves.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 2nd place): “Simply getting through this race without any major issues or incidents is a very good performance. We saw a lot of crashes, particularly during the night. We wanted to survive that phase without any issues – and we managed that. We were just lacking a little bit of pace that would have allowed us to push for victory. However, we still produced a flawless race.”

Dries Vanthoor (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 2nd place): “That was not an easy race. We gave it everything and were ultimately rewarded with second place. Everyone did a fantastic job. A lot happened in the race, and the traffic was very difficult at times. Thank you to ROWE Racing and everyone at BMW M. We’ll go again next year.”

Marco Wittmann (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, 2nd place): “We can be extremely proud of ourselves. To challenge for victory from the back row of our starting row, that is a very good team effort. That goes for both the team and us drivers. Not once did we make contact with another car. Although we did not quite have the pace to take victory, we can be happy on the whole.”

Connor De Phillippi (#99 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing, DNF): “The Nürburgring 24h was an eventful one this year. Unfortunately in the early morning there was a light contact with a slower car that made a sudden movement on the straight and ended our race for the #99 crew. The team deserved a podium result and I’m sorry to have not achieved that this year for them. Hopefully next year we will have more luck on our side. Congratulations to our sister car on the podium finish.”

Dan Harper (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG, DNF): “Obviously I am a bit gutted about how it ended after a strong showing especially during the night. We had a super-strong car that was very nice to drive. It all went well until the end of my second double stint, when we had our first problem. After that another problem arose for Max, and we decided together with the team and BMW M Motorsport to retire the car. This is very disappointing for everyone in the team. They work so hard to prepare for this event. Up until our problems, we were super-fast and in a strong position. I think all of us three drivers did a very good job. It is a big shame for everyone.”

BMW PRESS

The benefits of joining a car club

Sun, 21 May 2023 07:51:21 GMT

There’s nothing quite like being with people who share your passion. Joining a car club can connect you with like-minded people who are just as passionate as you are and can provide you with a sense of community and belonging. This is something BMWDCM does exceptionally well. Proof is having been awarded the ‘International BMW Club of The Year 2021’ by the BMW Clubs International Council. Seeing there are over 800 official BMW car clubs worldwide, this award means BMWDCM is literally one of the best BMW car club in the world. Whilst we already knew this, here’s a few reasons you should know it too.

What is a Car Club?

A car club is characterised as a community of car enthusiasts who share the same car-related interests. They focus may on marque (such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volkswagen, etc.), make or model (such as RS2, M3, 230SL, 911, Golf R Mk 8 etc.) or purpose (such as cars for racing, showing or driving). Car clubs may pick just one specialty or may generalise, accepting members with various marques, makes and models.

Whilst BMWDCM was founded specifically as a driving club for BMW car owners, it’s an inclusive club. I’m a proud club member and although I don’t own a BMW myself, I have always been made to feel welcome. In fact, my 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL won an award at the 2020 annual show and shine. Membership to a car club comes with a wide variety of exclusive member benefits of which BMWDCM offers many.

Ability to register a vehicle registration under the Club Permit Scheme.

A ‘historic vehicle’ under the Club Permit scheme is a vehicle that is 25 years or older. Owners of historic vehicles can register their vehicles under the VicRoads Club Permit Scheme. The scheme enables owners to drive their vehicles for 45 or 90 days per year paying a registration fee appropriate to the number of days of use (45 or 90 days of the full registration fee). Only members of registered car clubs can take part. Club permit holders must log an entry in a logbook each time they drive the car or they risk a fine. If you have a historic vehicle you would like to register under the Club Permit Scheme read more here

Access to publications, newsletters and social media.

Car clubs traditionally publish a magazine or newsletter and this may be annually, bi-annually, quarterly or monthly. These publications may be distributed in hardcopy or via email and feature a mix of automotive articles and photographs, event coverage, service and parts advice, items and vehicles wanted or for sale, historical material of interest to the membership and other information relevant to car enthusiasts. This also applies other nethods the club uses to communicate with members. Many clubs also have a strong online and social media presence with which they keep members up to date with industry information, news and events and offer a forum where members can contribute images and articles and ask questions or get feedback and advice. Magazines and newsletters are predominantly informative whilst social media forums can also provide a strong sense of community and belonging.

The annual hard copy publication of BMWDCM is the idrive magazine, an exceptionally well produced, high quality magazine filled with interesting articles, automotive news and up to date information. BMWDCM circulate a monthly newsletterr and has a strong online presence with its comprehensive and informative website and interesting and interactive social media pages on both Facebook and Instagram.

Invitations to club meetings.

In essence, car clubs are hubs for socialising and interaction and offer something real and tangible to connect to in an online world. Meetings can range from monthly club meetings and social events to larger events, like drive days, track days, race days, driver training days, car displays, cars and coffees, show and shines and fundraising events. Club meetings are a fantastic opportunity for club members to connect with one another and share their passions regarding everything automotive. Attending club meetings offers members a wide range of benefits ranging from socialising and meeting people with shared common interests to making friends and forming emotional connections and bonds. They also offer a positive outlet for club members to get involved and contribute to the goings on within the club and provide forums where they can be recognised for their support.

As well as many other types of events BMWDCM offer a range of meetings either in person at a selected locations, some informal get togethers and some structured around a topic or presentation. These meetings are often hosted by club sponsors and club members. The hosts will often put on an interesting, informative or educational talk, display or demonstration exclusively for club members and members can often receive discounted merchandise, products and services from the hosts.

Access to club merchandise and industry discounts.

Through the club, members can purchase branded club merchandise often not available to the general public. Club members can also receive exclusive club member discounts on a variety of services and products within the automotive and motorsport industry.

BMWDCM has their own range of branded merchandise and offer their members access to trusted partners and product and service discounts through their affiliations within their sponsorship base, membership base, automotive industry and motorsport connections.

Racing licenses and driver training.

Motorsport Australia affiliated car clubs provide their members with access to racing licenses and competative track events. Some clubs also run driver training programs to assist members in gaining advanced skills.

BMWDCM runs driver training ‘come and try’ days at Calder Park, Sandown or Broadford race tracks. Anyone who wants to be a better driver, road or track, or experience the exhilaration of driving on a race track is welcome at these events. With instructors by their sides, drivers learn how to handle a motor vehicle under track conditions. These events grow in popularity each year and have formed a bit of a cult following with attendees often ‘trying out’ on more than one track and returning each year.

Access to motorsport events.

BMWDCM is a Motorsport Australia affiliated club. Such clubs help their members take their first step into motorsport. Club members can then participate in exclusive events such as motorkhanas, hill climbs and track days. Some of the events included in the BMWDCM calendar are the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers’ Championship, Challenge Bathurst, and E30 Racing. All great events and well attended by BMWDCM members every year.

Access to car shows and show ‘n shines.

Car shows, cars and coffee catch ups, shown ‘n shines are a great way for members to show off their pride and joy to the general public. From current models to the classics, these spectacular head turning events may be open class or restricted to a particular specialty. Car shows allow both car club members and the general public to view a wide variety of marques, makes and models to socialise with other passionate car enthusiasts and experts.

BMWDCM regularly attend car shows organised by others such as the AOMC's Festival of Motoring and VHRR's Phillip Island Classic (historic racing and car show festival) as well as its own populat Christmas Picnic and Show and Shine competition. A "Show and Shine" event is fairly self explanatory, when run as a competition points are awarded for (highly detailed) cleanliness. Fun and rewarded.

In general, BMWDCM welcomes any car the owner is enthusiastic about to a car show as long as it is clean regardless of condition.

Held every two years in a different location, the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals are where BMW clubs from all over Australia meet to share their love of their BMWs.

BMWDCM had the honour of hosting the 2025 Nationals in Melbourne, with some great events in the planning.

Joining club runs, drive days and drive tours.

Club runs constitute anything from a one day run, a breakfast run, a short run followed by lunch, a weekend away or a longer run over several days. Club runs are often taken on scenic, quieter roads and may involve a visit to an interesting site, historic location or vineyard. There might also be a stop for breakfast or lunch.

BMWDCM hold many such fun and fabulous events throughout the year. Some of these popular events include the Australia Day weekend drive, the Anzac Day weekend drive, a Tasmania Tour every few years, and the Kings Birthday Long Weekend away.

Fundraising.

BMWDCM actively supports many charities by raising funds at events throughout the year. Some of these include The Smith Family, Beyond Blue, Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal and Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation.

Hosting many different events throughout the year, BMWDCM raised over $21,000 for Beyond Blue at the German Auto Show in 2023 and about $2,000 for the Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal each year. Annually BMWDCM raise approximately $16,000 for their nominated charities.

Access to the BMWDCM Welfare Team.

Whilst car club events are fun and exciting, sometimes life is not. In recognition of this, and to support its members who may be facing challenges, BMWDCM formed the BMWDCM Welfare Team. The team is comprised of a range of members from all walks of life who volunteer themselves at club events, club meetings, via email, phone or zoom for the benefit and wellbeing of club members. Whether it’s anxiety about getting on the track on a ‘come and Try’ day or just needing some support through a challenging life event or experience, the BMWDCM Welfare Team will be there for you.

German Auto Haus – Proud Sponsors of the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne.

German Auto Haus are proud sponsors of BMW Drivers Club Melbourne. If you’re not already a member and are considering joining a car club, we highly recommend joining BMWDCM as an all-inclusive club with a fun filled action packed annual calendar of events. For more information contact Jo Mawson, Vice President of BMWDCM on 0412 661 900.

Nella Santisi | Member #32
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne / German Auto Haus

The BMW Concept Touring Coupé: A timeless symbol of freedom on four wheels

Fri, 19 May 2023 06:53:17 GMT

Munich/Cernobbio. The BMW Group is presenting the world premiere of its BMW Concept Touring Coupé at the opening of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023.

The BMW Group is presenting the world premiere of its BMW Concept Touring Coupé at the opening of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2023. The closed two-seater, which was developed for one-off production, continues the tradition of legendary BMW classics: a timeless symbol of freedom on four wheels and the joy of travelling together.

BMW Design has reimagined the traditional body shape of an elegant sports car, giving the vehicle a shooting brake concept. In the interior, precisely crafted leather surfaces from Italian manufacturer Poltrona Frau create a luxurious ambience. The compartment behind the seats provides ample room to stow luggage for spontaneous trips; the luggage itself was also exclusively custom-made at the Schedoni leather workshop in Modena.

One-of-a-kind model pays tribute to the timeless fascination of the car.

The world premiere of the BMW Concept Touring Coupé at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2023 places the vehicle in a historical context. Surrounded by classic motors from automotive history that have brought joy to their owners and observers alike for decades, this unique car will be presented in Cernobbio, Italy, as a tribute to the timeless fascination of the automobile. “The BMW Concept Touring Coupé celebrates the original Sheer Driving Pleasure,” says Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW Design. “A highly emotional vehicle like this shows that the passion for everything that goes into driving pleasure has been essential through the ages and will be for the future.”

The hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind BMW Concept Touring Coupé unites a body concept steeped in tradition with the technology of a purist modern-day sports car. Its proportions and name are reminiscent of the BMW 328 Touring Coupé that won the Mille Miglia endurance race back in 1940. The functionality of the shooting-brake concept is a nod to the BMW 02 Series model variants of the early 1970s, which featured “Touring” in their name to distinguish them from sedans. The styling of the signets on the rear and inside this unique vehicle was inspired by the model inscription of this historic predecessor. The BMW Concept Touring Coupé is powered by the brand's hallmark six-cylinder in-line engine, with performance characteristics and refinement that confirm its status as a symbol of pure, unadulterated Sheer Driving Pleasure.

Exterior design: Striking proportions, exclusive details.

The design highlight of the BMW Concept Touring Coupé is its sculpted rear end. Created from the flowing contours of the roof, which merge seamlessly with the rear side panels, the shape accentuates the car's athletic shoulders, while the flat rear window and clearly defined body surfaces emphasise the vehicle’s solid stance.

Viewed from the side, the BMW-typical interpretation of the shooting-brake proportions is clearly recognisable. The long bonnet, streamlined roof contours and powerful rear section form a distinctive two-box design, while the elongated side window graphic with the Hofmeister kink and flared rear wheel arches underline its sporty elegance.

The Sparkling Lario exterior paintwork was specially created for the BMW Concept Touring Coupé. With embedded flakes of blue glass, its grey-brown hues achieve a unique impression of depth. The effect is completed by silver-bronze accents and the specially designed BMW kidney grille with longitudinal bars. The exclusive light-alloy wheels, measuring 20 inches at the front and 21 inches at the rear axle, provide a logical continuation of these colour accents in the 20-spoke radial design. The intricate implementation and discreet gold-coloured surfaces underline the vehicle’s elegant sporty character.

Interior design: Craftsmanship at the highest level.

The interior ambience of the BMW Concept Touring Coupé is defined by the brand’s usual driver orientation in the cockpit, with maximum attention to the choice of materials, colour scheme and workmanship. The exclusive bi-colour option from Italian leather workshop Poltrona Frau divides the interior horizontally into two distinct colour segments: In the upper section, a dark brown tone aids concentration while driving; in the lower section, a light saddle brown brings comfort and warmth into the interior.

Precise perforations, as well as braided leather straps for the seat valences and slide bar, highlight the artisan character of the interior, which combines traditional craftsmanship at the highest level with modern design principles.

High-quality workmanship and attention to detail also characterise the luggage designed exclusively for the BMW Concept Touring Coupé by the long-established Schedoni leather workshop in Modena. The custom-made set consists of two large and one small weekender bags, plus a garment bag, all of which are perfectly coordinated with the vehicle.

BMW PRESS

Process heat – powered by electricity: CO2 reduction through power-to-heat technology

Mon, 15 May 2023 10:58:20 GMT

+++ Dingolfing Plant 02.10 takes electrically heated hardening furnace into series operation +++ Site uses innovative power-to-heat technology for the first time +++ Furnace saves some 300 tonnes CO2 a year +++

For the first time, chassis and drive component production in Plant 02.10 at the BMW Group site in Dingolfing is operating an electrically heated ring hearth furnace. Compared with its conventional gas-powered equivalent, the latest electric furnace currently saves some 300 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

“The new furnace has a planned service life of over 40 years, so it’s a future-focused piece of equipment that sets the course for our journey to net zero,” said Marc Sielemann, responsible for quality and production of powertrains, chassis and brakes with Purchasing, and director of the Dingolfing component plant 02.10. The BMW Group has set itself the target of being climate neutral along the entire value chain by 2050 at the latest.

With its innovative power-to-heat technology, the hardening furnace came at an investment of approx. €7 million.

New hardening furnace for e-drive components

Plant 02.10 in Dingolfing produces chassis and drive components for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles. To make them more hard-wearing, the parts are hardened in special furnaces. As electric mobility ramps up, more and more components are being manufactured, including for electric drives. Existing systems are gradually reaching the limits of their capacity, so a new ring hearth furnace with a fixture hardening press was needed.

Used to harden gear wheels for electric transmissions, the innovative system has production capacity of approx. 960,000 spur gears a year. What’s special about it is that unlike the two existing furnaces, which are powered by gas, a fossil fuel, this new solution is for the first time powered by electricity. Rather than using 33 gas flames in ceramic-jacketed pipes, as the older model does, the new furnace uses the same number of electric heating elements to heat up to 900 degrees Celsius.

Lower CO2 emissions

Electric heat generation – or power-to-heat technology, as it is called – saves vast amounts of greenhouse gases, which are harmful to the climate. By running on electricity, the new hardening oven emits approx. 300 tonnes less CO2 a year than its gas-powered equivalent.

“Energy-intensive power-to-heat systems like this new electric ring hearth furnace support the decarbonisation of heat generation – an essential aspect of climate protection. They generate heat by climate-friendly means and can be powered among other things with excess energy from renewables,” said Sielemann. So, the new power-to-heat furnace not only reduces gas consumption at Plant Dingolfing but also supports the integration of renewable energies into the electricity grid. It is another component in BMW Group Plant Dingolfing’s transformation to a sustainable BMW iFACTORY. “For the future,” said Sielemann, “we are looking into converting the remaining hardening furnaces to electricity as well.”

BMW PRESS

The new BMW R 18 Roctane

Fri, 12 May 2023 07:04:16 GMT

The new BMW R 18 Roctane is the fifth member of the R 18 family - cruising and touring in custom bagger style.

The new R 18 Roctane joins the R 18, R 18 Classic, R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental as the fifth member of the R 18 family. Once again, it harks back to the history and tradition of BMW Motorrad and combines state-of-the-art motorcycle technology with the design and charm of times gone by.

Both technically and visually, the BMW R 18 borrows from famous BMW models such as the BMW R 5 and puts the focus back on the essentials of motorcycling: Purist, no-frills technology and the boxer engine as the epicentre of riding pleasure. Classic design and clear, yet contemporary technology merge to form a fascinating overall concept. This combination delivers a unique emotional riding experience and the model is characterised by skilfully staged design language with a rear section in so-called “streamlining design”.

The most powerful BMW boxer engine of all time delivers beefy torque in black metallic matt finish and features black high-gloss covers as well as exhaust system and star counter nuts in dark chrome.

The heart of the new BMW R 18 Roctane is the familiar 2-cylinder flat twin engine, the “big boxer”. Not only thanks to its impressive looks, but also its technical specifications, the engine of the new R 18 Roctane, finished in Avus black metallic matt and with black high-gloss covers, harks back to the traditional air-cooled boxer engines that have provided an exhilarating riding experience for more than seven decades since BMW Motorrad began manufacturing motorcycles in 1923. The most powerful 2-cylinder boxer engine ever built in motorcycle series production boasts an engine capacity of 1,802 cc. It generates an output of 67 kW (91 hp) at 4,750 rpm. In the 2,000 to 4,000 rpm range, it delivers more than 150 Nm of torque at all times as well as elemental pulling power and sonorous sound. The black engine is perfectly matched by the dark chrome exhaust system and the star counter nuts.

Double-loop tube frame made of steel and rear swinging arm with enclosed axle drive in rigid-frame design.

A double-loop tubular steel frame is at the heart of the chassis of the new R 18 Roctane. Its design perpetuates the longstanding BMW Motorrad tradition of this frame type. The particularly high manufacturing quality and attention to detail are also evident in barely perceptible details such as the welded joints between steel tubes and cast or forged parts. Like the legendary BMW R 5, the rear swinging arm, which is manufactured in a similar design, encloses the rear axle drive in the same style using bolted connections.

Telescopic forks with fork tubes, cantilever suspension strut and alloy wheels sizes 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear as well as disc brakes.

The suspension elements of the new BMW R 18 Roctane deliberately feature no electronic adjustment options. Instead, telescopic forks and a directly linked central sprint strut with travel-dependent damping and adjustable spring preload ensure superior wheel guidance and responsive suspension comfort. As in the legendary BMW R 5, the fixed tubes of the telescopic forks are encased in fork sleeves. The fixed fork tube diameter is 49 mm, suspension travel is 120 mm at the front and 90 mm at the rear. The new BMW R 18 Roctance is decelerated by a twin disc brake at the front and a single disc brake at the rear in conjunction with four-piston fixed calipers. The alloy wheels give the bike a stylish look. 3.5 x 21" at the front with 120/70 B 21 tyres as and 5.5 x 18" at the rear with 180/55 B 18 tyres.

Well-balanced ergonomics with two-level seat, footboards, gearshift paddle and high handlebars.

The new BMW R 18 Roctance features a casual, so-called “mid-mounted footpeg” position of the footrests, entirely in keeping with the BMW Motorrad philosophy. This classic position behind the cylinders is not only typical of BMW, it also allows a relaxed and active riding position for optimally controlling the motorcycle. The R 18 Roctane features a two-level seat that tapers slimly towards the rear, with rear passenger straps, and is equipped with running boards in conjunction with a gearshift paddle. The high, black-coated handlebars ensure an upright and relaxed riding position.

Cases in the respective motorcycle paintwork and windshield as Original BMW Motorrad Accessories. Three attractive paintwork finishes.

The new R 18 Roctane is ideally equipped for laid-back cruising and touring thanks to cases painted in the colour of the bike. The cases offer 27 litres of luggage space each. For longer tours, the new R 18 Roctane can be equipped with a windshield with auxiliary headlights and suspended turn indicator lights from the Original BMW Motorrad Accessories range.

The new R 18 Roctane features black paintwork as standard. Mineral grey metallic matt and Manhattan metallic matt paint finishes are available as optional equipment.

Three riding modes as well as ASC and engine drag control are standard equipment and ensure high-level riding fun and safety. Reversing aid, Hillstart Control and heated grips are available as optional equipment ex factory.

In order to meet individual customer needs, the new R 18 Roctane also features the three riding modes “Rain”, “Roll” and “Rock” as standard, which is unusual in this segment. The standard equipment also includes ASC (Automatic Stability Control), which ensures a high level of riding safety. In addition, the new R 18 Roctane is equipped with engine drag torque control as standard. In addition to other options, a reversing aid makes manoeuvring a comfortable affair and the Hill Start Control function makes starting off uphill easy. The heated grips, which are also available as optional equipment ex factory, keep your hands warm on cold days.

The new R 18 Roctane: The “big boxer” with rigid frame look, modern technology and authentic materials in custom bagger style. Headlight with integrated, classic-design round instrument.

The R 18 Roctane skilfully reinterprets the iconic styling of past eras in custom bagger style and many details reflect the purist design that was primarily shaped by classics such as the BMW R 5. Functional and style-defining elements such as the double-loop tube frame, the pear-drop fuel tank or the open propeller shaft drive are reminiscent of the legendary 1936 boxer. The classic body parts of the R 18 Roctane, such as the fuel tank, front and rear wheel covers or headlight housing, are also made of metal - just as befits an authentic classic. The suspension is likewise aptly reminiscent of the legendary R 5. Together with the double-sided swinging arm and a cantilever suspension strut, the rigid frame layout of the R 5 has been perfectly transferred to modern times.

Wherever the eye wanders, lovingly designed technology can be seen in every detail. This also applies to the headlight with the integrated, classically designed round instrument. The legendary BMW R 5 from 1936 and from then on almost all BMW motorcycles until the early 1970s featured this characteristic combination. The new BMW R 18 Roctane now revives this tradition - with state-of-the-art technology but contemporary design. The “BERLIN BUILT” lettering on the dial is a reference to the bike’s origin. The new R 18 Roctane is also manufactured at the BMW Motorrad plant in Berlin-Spandau.

Conversion-friendly architecture for easy customising and optimal individualisation.

Like all other R 18 family members, the new R 18 Roctane offers a very conversion-friendly architecture, which was already the focus when the basic design of the R 18 series was being conceived. In addition the visible valve covers (cylinder head covers) and the chest cover (engine housing cover) are designed in such a way that they are located outside the oil chamber, making them very easy to change.

The highlights of the new BMW R 18 Roctane:

Iconic style thanks to the use of modern technology and authentic materials.
Biggest ever BMW boxer engine with a capacity of 1,802 cc.
Output 67 kW (91 hp) at 4, 750 rpm, maximum torque 158 Nm at 3,000 rpm.
More than 150 Nm available at all times from 2,000 to 4,000 rpm.
Open propeller shaft drive based on the classic role model.
Exhaust system and star counter nuts in Dark Chrome.
Elaborately manufactured double loop tubular steel frame.
Rear swinging arm with enclosed axle drive in rigid-frame design.
Telescopic forks with sleeves and cantilever suspension strut featuring travel-dependent damping.
Well-balanced ergonomics with high handlebars ensure relaxed riding and optimum control.
Front and rear disc brakes and cast alloy wheels, 21-inch at front and 18-inch at rear.
Side covers with emblem.
Headlight housing with integrated classic round instrument.
State-of-the-art LED lighting technology, classically interpreted.
Adaptive headlight for even better illumination of the road when cornering as optional equipment ex-factory.
Keyless Ride for convenient activation pf functions remotely (ignition on/off).
Manual steering lock (with key): Locking on the right-hand side of the handlebar tube.
Cases locked manually (with key).
Three riding modes as well as ASC and engine drag control as standard.
Reversing aid for convenient manoeuvring and Hill Start Control for easy hill starts as
optional equipment ex factory.
Heated grips, anti-theft alarm, TPM and 35 kW version as optional equipment ex factory.
Extensive range of optional equipment and Original BMW Motorrad Accessories as well as a laid-back Ride & Style Collection.

BMW PRESS

BMW Motorrad presents the new R 12 nineT

Thu, 11 May 2023 11:01:02 GMT

Purist Classic Roadster. Ready to customize.

The new R 12 nineT is being presented for the "100 years of BMW Motorrad” anniversary and is thus the successor to the R nineT, which was launched exactly ten years ago on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of BMW Motorrad.

The new BMW R 12 nineT continues 100 years of BMW Motorrad fascination and tradition seamlessly.

Like the BMW R nineT in 2013, the new BMW R 12 nineT is a purist, powerful classic roadster which offers a wealth of conceptual options for almost unlimited customizing and personal individualisation.

Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad: "The R nineT and its customising concept established the new Heritage experience for BMW Motorrad's 90th birthday and has become an indispensable cornerstone of our model range. The new R 12 nineT consistently continues the successful heritage story surrounding the legendary BMW boxer engines with an even more classic, reduced design language, even greater degrees of freedom when it comes to customizing and, last but not least, new and innovative technology.”

Original 1200 boxer engine with redesigned airbox and exhaust system delivers classic riding pleasure.

100 years ago, the very first BMW motorcycle - the R 32 - was already based on the flat-twin engine. The boxer's unmistakable design, powerful acceleration, unique power delivery, hallmark sound and smooth running quickly made it a legendary synonym for BMW motorcycles. With its air/oil-cooled boxer engine, the new R 12 nineT continues this great tradition. The number 12 in the model designation refers to the engine capacity as with many models in the history of BMW Motorrad - such as the current R 18.

Even more classic, purist design, great attention to detail and even more customizing options.

Even more than its predecessor, the new R 12 nineT combines the beefy character of the boxer engine and the design language of traditional motorcycle eras with innovative technology and a modular concept that offers the rider a maximum of customisation options. Reduced even more to the essentials, it delivers high emotional appeal. A purist, classic look and the attention to detail were at the top of the agenda when it came to designing the bike.

Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad: "The purist design language is dominated by the clear tank/seat/rear line, in the style of the traditional /5 or the legendary R 90 S of the 70s. At first glance, the tank itself is a classic BMW boxer tank, with a typical bend in the lower edge and classic knee contact. The new R 12 NineT also features side covers in the area of the frame triangle in the authentic Roadster look - another reminiscence of BMW motorcycles of the 1970s."

Particular attention to detail is also evident in the redesigned front mudguard, the LED main headlamp with black-surround light guide element and the two round instruments in the traditional style of days gone by. As is tradition, attractive customization options are offered as part of the the original BMW Motorrad accessory range. With customizing in mind, the new R 12 nineT also features an LED rear light unit integrated into the seat, which now makes it easy to realise a "short tail".

The highlights of the new BMW R 12 nineT:

Classic, purist design.
Workmanship with great attention to detail.
Air/oil-cooled 2-cylinder boxer engine.
Designed for customizing.
One-piece tubular space frame with bolted-on rear frame.
Classic wheel guides with high-quality upside-down telescopic forks at the front and Paralever at the rear.
Left-side exhaust system with double silencer and conical end pieces.
Radially mounted 4-piston monobloc calipers, steel braided brake lines.
Tailor-made, high-quality original BMW Motorrad accessory range.

BMW Motorrad will publish further information on the new BMW R 12 nineT in the second half of 2023.

BMW PRESS

May Mid-Week Drive

Thu, 11 May 2023 07:48:00 GMT

Event date: 10 May 2023

On 10 May the club held its first mid-week drive for those who were available for a Wednesday morning drive followed by lunch. We met at Lillydale Lake then headed east on a relaxed, scenic tour of the Yarra Valley taking in Woori Yallock, Yarra Junction and Powelltown. The weather cleared and we were treated to some stunning scenery. Our last section was a loop around Neerim with the finish in Noojee where we were treated to a fine lunch at the Toolshed bistro.

The Toolshed was a fantastic venue decorated in a rural theme of timber and corrugated iron. Native birds were visible outside the windows and captured our interest. We were amazed by the very sizable meals, particularly the largest steak sandwich ever witnessed. A variety of participating vehicles included 2 series, 3 series, X5s and an Alpina. Thanks to Peter Williams for organising a great event.

Guy Nutting | Member #669
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Thank you from The Smith Family

Wed, 10 May 2023 07:19:37 GMT

BMWDCM's Firth Birthday & Presentation Dinner

Mon, 08 May 2023 11:33:22 GMT

Event date: 6 May 2023

The events on Saturday night were absolutely fantastic! Thank you to the team for creating such a good night. Just being there re-lit the flame of wanting to be a part of the club more often and has also made me think about possibly getting into a cheap banger to start motorsport racing. I know it would be fun!!

Aaron Sharman | Member #809
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

What a fantastic night it was. I simply cannot express how delighted I was to finally make it to such a well organised and fabulous event song with the stay.

I'm so glad that I was able to make it this year. Thank you for hosting and inviting us to such a joyous occasion. Loved everything about the night, right from the melodious songs sung and your dance floor moves. Such a delightful experience to be able to meet and be a part of this family.

Thank you again !!

Sudesh Tarkar | Member #624
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Some people are a member of our Club because they like talking cars and racing. I am not one of those people – and my partner Brett owns a (ahem - Mercedes). I am a member of our club for the terrific trips and social events and Brett is joining after now attending three Club events and having a great time with new friends.

This year’s Annual Dinner (the Club’s Fifth Birthday) and Awards night was held at the Park Royal in Clayton in May and was an absolutely sensational evening.

It was a Black-Tie event which we were excited about as we love nothing more than a chance to dress up (well Nicole does) and let’s face it, none of us have had much chance to do this in the past few years. We are going to lobby the Club Executive to introduce a new Award next year – best dressed – as everyone just looked terrific in their evening wear. It was lovely to see friends all glammed up after just a few weeks ago some of us were in our dusty country clothes driving around silos in the Mallee for the ANZAC Day weekend tour.

The whole event was classy and glamorous – and the fact the Coronation was happening at the same time made it feel a bit special too. We really liked the singing of God Save the King and our National Anthem to mark the occasion. We also really respected that some people chose not to stand for God Save the King – and that was ok. Our club is inclusive, apolitical and accepts everyone. There was no judgement for those who did and those who didn’t. Live and let live – until it comes to bad parking, then we will have a go at anyone in jest.

The evening started off with pre-dinner drinks before the 80 guests moved into the function room, complete with photo booth, fun historic BMW videos and photos on the screen, a silent auction, raffle ticket sales and entertainment by Matt and Heather Little who sang classic songs from the 1930’s – 1950’s – perfect for romantic dancing with your partner.

The Awards were also a highlight. It showed the depth of our Club and the passion that people have in being part of this group with the various classes of vehicles and participation in events.

We were also happy to meet some more new people – we reflected after the night that everyone we meet in our club is interesting, has a great story to tell and is so friendly. If you are wondering about going to any event please be assured you will always be made to feel welcome, supported and regardless of your age, gender, kids in tow or no kids. You are going to have a good time, have a few laughs and quickly make new friends regardless of your car knowledge.

All too soon the formalities were over but in true Club fashion there was more fun to be had with a random after party complete with whiskey sampling (although we bought along a salted caramel liqueur which we don’t think anyone wanted to taste), a late night Maccas run lots of laughs and stories - isn't there always at every event???

Thanks to Jo and Graeme, our sponsors and everyone who made the night so special. We hear next year’s event will be a Karaoke Ho Down so we will have a wonderful excuse to hit the shops to search for that costume. We hope to see you there next year.

Nicole Laurie | Member #690
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

MINI John Cooper Works with 6-speed manual transmission from Bulldog Racing will compete in the 51st edition of the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, driven by Charlie Cooper (GBR)

Thu, 04 May 2023 05:09:34 GMT

Following successful test runs in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) and RCN in the 2022 and 2023 racing season, Bulldog Racing takes up the challenge at the Nürburgring with two MINI John Cooper Works.

A completely new MINI John Cooper Works with a 6-speed manual transmission will complement Bulldog Racing's line-up, competing with Start Number #126 in the VT2-FWD class at this year's 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.

In addition to that, the crowd favorite red MINI John Cooper Works #112 from last years’ 50th anniversary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring was continuously developed during the winter break in Nürburg and will again start in the SP3T class.

"On our path to becoming an all-electric brand, we are working very intensively on concepts for John Cooper Works models with an electrified drivetrain. We are delighted that two MINI John Cooper Works race cars from Bulldog Racing are flying the flag for us in this 24-hour race at the Nürburgring” says Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI Brand.

Charlie Cooper (GBR), whose grandfather John Cooper invented the Mini Cooper in 1961, will be making his 24-hour race debut after having already completed two NLS races in 2023. Prior to that, the Englishman had successfully qualified for his DMSB Permit Nordschleife. The rest of the driver line-up, as well as technical details of the race cars, will be announced at a later date.

BMW PRESS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 60 | May 2023

Wed, 03 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

Looking back at April we started the month with our display at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. We can't believe it's already been a month since F1 was in Melbourne! We had a great display with a mix of cars from all eras.

____________________

On 4 April we held our April members meeting at Melbourne BMW where we were given a private tour around the impressive facility comprising of not just BMW, but MINI and Motorrad. Dealer Principal, Daniel Odman and his team put on a lovely evening, delicious snacks and had discounted merchandise available for those who attended.

____________________

On Good Friday we held our annual Good Appeal Coffee and Cars morning supported by Flavours Patisserie in Beaumaris. It was great to see such a large turnout despite the weather forecast. We had over 60 cars attend and collected over $2,000 in support of the Good Friday Appeal. Thank you to those who attended and gave so generously.

____________________

22-25 April was our annual Anzac long weekend away. Our weekend started at Calder, where we headed for Bendigo then Swan Hill for the night. Our drive took us past many new silos covered in artwork. We also saw one being painted as we drove by. On Anzac morning most of us attended a Dawn Service, where we also donated over $300 to the Horsham RSL. The donation was raised with a raffle of photo portraits kindly donated by Ben Potter.

____________________

28 April was our monthly catch up with Munich. We sadly said goodbye to our contact Eva, who is moving to another department within BMW. We wish her all the best for her new adventure. For those of you that don’t know, Eva was a huge support in helping us form BMWDCM and has been a wonderful host to anyone visiting Munich, arranging tours of the BMW museum and Classic.

____________________

We finished our month with round 2 of the E30 Racing championship where we saw quite a few members compete, some of which were returning to the track for the first time in quite a while. It was great to see so much close racing and battle packs over the weekend.

____________________

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Dev Raj, Nick Mavrikos, Riyan Nurhadi, James Marmarou, John Szwede, Andrew Batty and Joel Bumpstead. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

____________________

Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for May:

Saturday, 6 May
Presentation Dinner & Fifth Birthday Celebration presented by Kalus Kenny Intelex

We are celebrating our fifth birthday at Park Royal, Monash where we will start the evening with complimentary drinks in the foyer before entering the elegant ballroom for a two course dinner, entertainment and prizes. This is a formal black tie event.

Tuesday, 9 May
Simulator Challenge Round 3 sponsored by Shannons
All competition spaces have been filled, but feel free to come and join in the fun in support of those competing!

Wednesday, 10 May
Mid-week drive - Lilydale Lake - Jindivic
Join us for our first mid week lunch time drive for those of us who find they have a little more time on their hands. This will be a relaxed drive, taking in some of the beautiful scenery to end up at the Jini Cafe for lunch.

Saturday-Sunday, 13-14 May
Shannons Speed Series
Shannons have shared with us a special offer for Shannons Club members to receive free entry, click the title of the event for more information.

Saturday, 13 May
Round 3 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown
Limited entries remaining. Get in quick to secure your spot!

Sunday 21, May
National Motoring Heritage Day Drive and Show
A day to celebrate and showcase our motoring heritage on the move and on display. It doesn't have to be "old" (yet) or even BMW. Other brands and clubs welcome. Join us for a bayside drive to the National Steam Centre where we will join a road vehicle display.

Saturday-Sunday, 27-28 May
VIP Display at Historic Winton

We have been invited to put member's cars and bikes (BMWs), 25 years or older, on display in the indoor carpeted VIP display area at this year's Historic Winton race meeting.

____________________

EVENT PHOTOS

2025 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals.

If you are interested in attending or getting involved as a helper, click here for more details.

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

The BMW i7 M70 xDrive

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Jess Bell

Proudly supported by:

All Commercial / All Residential Real Estate
Berwick BMW
Bill Lowe Events
BM Tech
German Auto Haus
Kalus Kenny Intelex
Melbourne BMW
Mornington BMW
Shannons Insurance
Shepparton BMW
South Yarra BMW

Southern BM
Traction Tyres
Waverley BMW

An update from the President | April

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

What a huge month April has been, with the AGP finishing on the first weekend of April and so many other things happening. Lots of members attending this event and lots of members also officiating over the weekend. Great fun had by all.

4 April was our members meeting at Melbourne BMW, this was a great night with a private tour of the showrooms and also behind the scenes, great facility and great to have them back on board with their new showroom.

7 April was our Good Friday Appeal Coffee and Cars morning supported by Flavours Patisserie in Beaumaris. We had an amazing turn out despite the weather forecast scaring a few people that the weather was turning wild. It was a mild morning of around 23c and we had over 60 cars turn up and managed to collect over $2000 for the RCH Good Friday Appeal. This is such a fantastic charity and we are always trying to raise more funds for them each year. Thank you to all who came and gave so generously and to those who just volunteer and help us with this event.

22-25 April was our Anzac long weekend away with a large group of our members attending. We started in Calder an headed up to Bendigo then Swan Hill for the night. With another great drive route from Peter and great venues to visit organised by Jo we had a great time. The new silos were spectacular and we even got to see one being painted which was a great treat. Anzac morning most of us attended the Dawn Service and the club donated over $300 to the Horsham RSL, which was raised with a raffle of photo portraits kindly donated by Ben Potter, won by the Taylor family and the Masotti family. Congratulations guys.

28 April was our monthly catch up with Munich and it was sad to say goodbye to Eva who is moving on to another department with BMW. We wish her all the best for her new adventure. As per normal we had a great turn out and another fantastic informative video link with them. For those of you that don’t know, Eva was a great help to us in forming the Club and has been a great help to anyone visiting Munich with tours of the Museum and Classic, which we can still arrange for you if you are going to Munich, will just be with Matias instead.

28-30 April was round 2 of the E30 Racing championship and it was great to have some new drivers out on the track. We were lucky with the weather and only one small incident but great racing all weekend.

Our first event for May is our Fifth Birthday Presentation dinner proudly presented by Kalus Kenny Intelex. This is going to be a fantastic night with over 80 members attending and some amazing prizes for auction and raffle. We will be raising money for The Smith Family with the raffle and auction, so we are hoping for great total on the night.

9 May is is our Simulator Challenge round 3 proudly sponsored by Shannons Insurance and we are looking for a good turnout. We still have spots left for this event so please register to make it a fun evening. If you are not wanting to compete, come along and support those who are. It is an informal club meeting night, not just the Sim Challenge, so come along and have a chat and catch up with everything going on in the club.

10 May will be our first midweek drive, leaving from Lilydale Lake then having Lunch at Jini café. Always a good feed there. Come along and join those who have a bit more free time on their hands.

13 May is round 3 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. Registrations are going well. Make sure when you call Brendan for a garage booking you mention you are part of the BMWDCM group as we have reserved a block of garages to keep everyone together.

That same weekend Shannons Speed Series is at Phillip Island. They are offering free entry to spectators and are also looking for officials, if you’d like to get really close to the action, you can see the flyer here.

On 21 May we are doing a drive from Brighton Beach for National Motoring Heritage Day. The drive will take us to assemble at the National Steam Heritage Centre for a display and a look around.

26 May is a VIP display at the Winton Historics. We have been invited to an indoor display area, and this entitles you to free entry each day.

Other dates to take note of:

2-12 June - Adelaide Tailem Bend Kings Birthday escape (shorter version is available on request)
24 June - Alex Baxter Memorial Come and Try/Driver Training Day at Broadford (registration open soon)
9 July - Christmas in July at Phillip Island
23 July - Motorkhana and Driver Training - Calder Park (registration opening soon)
27 August - German Auto Show - Calder Park Thunderdome
25-26 November - Challenge Bathurst – NOTE CHANGE OF DATE now Saturday and Sunday!
10 December - Christmas show and shine and family picnic at Cruden farm.

Keep an eye on the calendar as it is changing and being updated all the time!

Very soon you will be receiving edition 5 of our fantastic annual, idrive. We are very excited about this and I am sure you will have many hours of great reading ahead of you. It is great to see that we have more sponsors on board this year with more dealerships supporting us, offering our members great deals. Make sure when you pop into any of our sponsors, mention that you are a BMWDCM member.

Challenge Bathurst is a great event, and we will need officials to help out on the Thursday and Friday flagging. Don’t worry if you are not experienced, they will give you training prior to going out. Free camp ground will be offered to anyone officiating and there are limited Uni rooms also available for volunteers as well. Be sure to contact Jo Mawson on 0412661900 to let her know your availability.

We have a sale on at the moment with some of our summer merchandise, go to our store to purchase some stock.

Remember if you have taken photos at an event and they are hi resolution, please send them or a link to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and we will share them on our photo gallery.

Our welfare team are working hard in the background looking after members who are bereaved, sick or just not coping with life atm. Thank you guys your work is not seen by us all but appreciated by those lives you touch. This has been a great initiative, and whilst most of what they do is in confidence, I can tell you that some of the people we help are very appreciative, and it’s great to see we make a difference to some of our members days.

The Club rooms are coming along great, and thanks to one member, Killean, we now have some lovely timber Honour Boards to hang on the wall. These will be unveiled at the Presentation Night and then be on display with other awards and certificates etc the Club receives. The Club Rooms at 213 Marine Pde Hastings are there for anyone to drop in for a chat, get your Club Permit forms signed or purchase merchandise, so if you are in the area drop in and say hi. Jo is there most days and always happy to chat. If you are coming down for something specific though, possibly call ahead to make sure Jo is there on 0412 661 900.

Thank you for reading, thank you for joining us on our journey that is now 5 years old and welcome to our Club family to all of you that have joined or come on board as supporters. We really appreciate your support and love seeing the club grow as it continues to.

As always, take care out there, I look forward to seeing you at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

The BMW i7 M70 xDrive

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 08:46:01 GMT

The most powerful all-electric BMW model: BMW M is introducing an all-electric performance model to spearhead the new BMW 7 Series range. The BMW i7 M70 xDrive (electric power consumption combined: 23.8 – 20.8 kWh/100 km in the WLTP cycle) is the most powerful model with an all-electric drive system in the overall BMW Group portfolio. Equipped with an electric motor at both the front and rear axle generating a maximum system output of 485 kW/660 hp* and an M-specific chassis, the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive delivers the perfect combination of electric mobility and performance, resulting in a driving experience unique in the luxury segment. The range-topping model of the new BMW 7 Series line-up accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.7 seconds, making it the fastest all-electric BMW model. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph).

Producing the highest output ever for an all-electric car from the BMW Group, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive marks another milestone for BMW M GmbH in its electric mobility transformation. Following the launch of the BMW i4 M50 – BMW M GmbH’s best-selling model worldwide in 2022 – and the BMW iX M60, this is now the company’s third performance model to have an all-electric drive system. The success of electric propulsion among BMW M brand enthusiasts, the consistent expansion of the product offering and the repeated increases in drive system output clearly highlight the huge potential of electric tech to deliver performance that captures the imagination.

The new all-electric performance model from BMW M will make its global debut at the Auto Shanghai international motor show (18–27 April 2023) in China. It will be built at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing, together with all other model variants of the luxury sedan. As well as being the lead plant for luxury models, the production facility in Lower Bavaria is also home to the competence centre for electric drive system production, which manufactures both the electric motors and the high-voltage batteries for all variants of the BMW i7 on site. The worldwide launch of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive will start in the second half of 2023.

* when M Launch Control or the M Sport Boost function is activated.

All-electric BMW M Performance in the luxury segment.

The fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology installed in the BMW i7 is being constantly developed in order to further improve both power output and efficiency. This applies not only to the powertrain and power electronics, but also to the high-voltage battery and charging technology.

The BMW i7 M70 xDrive is equipped with highly integrated drive units at the front and rear axles, which bring together the electric motor, power electronics and transmission within a single, very compact housing. The two motors work according to the principle of an electrically excited synchronous motor. This type of design makes it possible to completely avoid the use of rare earth metals (required for magnetic components) in the manufacture of the rotor.

The most powerful BMW electric motor.

An M-specific configuration of the drive system enables the BMW i7 M70 xDrive’s rear-axle motor, in particular, to achieve unprecedented levels of power density. The drive unit has a six-phase design with a dual inverter. This forms the basis for a very substantial increase in peak output that remains on tap up to high speeds, endowing the BMW i7 M70 xDrive with the power delivery characteristic of M models. The motor’s power density of 2.41 kW/kg represents an increase of 25.5 per cent over the unit that drives the rear axle of the BMW i7 xDrive60 and means that the BMW i7 M70 xDrive is fitted with what is currently the company’s most powerful electric motor.

This new standard-setting figure can be attributed to a BMW Group-patented innovation developed under the umbrella of BMW EfficientDynamics, which uses six excitation windings in the motor’s stator instead of the customary three. The resulting “double excitation” compared with conventional units allows the electric motor to generate an extremely high output, despite its exceptionally light and compact design, and to maintain it continuously into the higher echelons of the speed range. This solution is also far superior to a drive configuration using two motors at the rear axle in terms of both power density and efficiency.

Developing maximum power with the M Sport Boost function and M Launch Control.

The motor powering the rear axle generates peak output of 360 kW/489 hp. Its precisely coordinated interaction with the 190 kW/258 hp motor at the front axle creates an electric all-wheel-drive set-up generating system torque of 1,015 Nm (748 lb-ft) in Sport mode and as much as 1,100 Nm (811 lb-ft) when M Launch Control or the M Sport Boost function is activated. The drive system in the BMW i7 M70 xDrive therefore offers outstanding pulling power. Capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in an impressive 3.7 seconds, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive is the fastest purely electrically powered BMW model. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). The performance characteristics of the drive system are also characterised by sustained power delivery, which ensures rapid speed increases even in higher speed ranges.

With the M Launch Control function, both drive and traction control are integrated into the engine control unit. This ensures the power generated by the electric motors is metered extremely precisely, allowing the drive system’s M-typical performance characteristics to be instantly converted into stunning acceleration without any loss of traction.

The M Sport Boost function is activated with the shift paddle on the left of the steering wheel and is visualised by Performance-specific graphics in the instrument cluster. At the same time, the standard BMW IconicSounds Electric by Hans Zimmer provides a fitting acoustic accompaniment by switching to a particularly exhilarating, M Performance-specific note.

The soundtrack’s character varies according to the vehicle setting selected, with a clearly perceptible acoustic distinction between the My Mode Personal and Sport. In Sport Mode, the spectrum of sound is particularly dominant and powerful. The drive sound composed specifically for fully electrically powered BMW M models therefore helps to give an even more intense experience of the performance characteristics.

Extremely dynamic performance, excellent long-distance capabilities.

The extremely dynamic performance of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive is allied to excellent long-distance capabilities. Credit here goes not just to the efficiency of the highly integrated drive units, but also a wealth of measures for reducing power consumption. These include adaptive recuperation of braking energy and the heat pump technology used in the integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and powertrain. The BMW i7 M70 xDrive posts a combined electric power consumption of 23.8 – 20.8 kWh per 100 kilometres in the WLTP test cycle.

Another factor alongside this optimised efficiency is the high-voltage battery’s impressive energy density. Located in the vehicle’s underbody, the battery provides 101.7 kWh of usable energy. This gives the BMW i7 M70 xDrive a range of 488 – 560 kilometres (303 – 348 miles, WLTP cycle), making it eminently suitable for everyday use. The Combined Charging Unit features exceptionally advanced charging software designed for charging the high-voltage battery faster and more efficiently. The BMW i7 M70 xDrive is capable of AC charging at up to 22 kW as standard, while DC power can be taken on board at a rate of up to 195 kW. This means the range can be extended by as much as 170 kilometres (106 miles, WLTP) in just ten minutes during a mid-journey stop at a high-power charging station.

MAX RANGE operating mode: extra range at the push of a button.

The car’s range can be extended while on the move by activating a new drive system setting. The launch of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive marks the introduction of a MAX RANGE mode for the all-electric models in the new BMW 7 Series range. In this mode, drive power and top speed are carefully restricted and comfort functions scaled back, allowing range to be increased by some 15 to 25 per cent.

The MAX RANGE mode was mainly devised for situations where drivers are unable to recharge mid-journey as originally planned because, for example, the charging station they were heading for is out of service. Switching to the My Mode Efficient and activating the MAX RANGE setting extends the range by a comfortable margin for the journey to an alternative charging point for the high-voltage battery. To this end, the vehicle’s top speed is limited to 90 km/h (56 mph). At the same time, the climate control system for the cabin is deactivated and the rear window heating switches to a lower setting, while seat heating, seat ventilation and the steering wheel heating are all disabled too in MAX RANGE mode. A popup window appears in the control display indicating the resulting gain in range as a distance. The information display also blanks out the section of the speed gauge beyond 90 km/h (56 mph) and shows the extra range.

The MAX Range mode can be triggered using the control display’s touchscreen functionality, the Controller or voice commands to the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. It can also be deactivated by hard in-gear acceleration (kickdown), engaging the M Sport Boost function or switching windscreen ventilation to maximum.

Powertrain and chassis technology in an M-specific application.

In addition to the extreme power of the drive system, chassis technology tuned precisely to deliver M-specific performance characteristics contributes to a unique performance experience in the luxury segment.

The electric all-wheel drive, the steering, the dampers and the driving stability systems are each underpinned by the M-specific application of all control systems, ensuring superbly judged driving characteristics in all situations. The overall package of measures was fine-tuned during an exhaustive programme of testing and produces exceptionally sporty handling for a model in this class, accompanied by high comfort over long distances. Helped by the almost silent drive system, passengers in the rear seats, in particular, can enjoy sumptuous levels of comfort. On the other hand, when the driver is exploring their sportier side, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive unveils the blend of dynamism, agility and precision with which BMW M models are synonymous and which is without parallel in this class. The My Mode Sport activates powertrain and chassis settings that are all geared purely to dynamic performance for an exhilarating driving experience.

Standard specification for the BMW i7 M70 xDrive includes M‑specific adaptive two-axle air suspension with electronically controlled dampers and automatic self-levelling. M-specific air springs with reduced volume and an adapted rolling contour increase the number of vibrations on the front and rear axles by six in each case and provide a noticeably direct connection to the vehicle body. M-specific hydraulics are also used to optimise damper response.

An additional shear panel between the bulkhead and spring strut towers produces a substantial increase in body rigidity at the front end of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive. Also to be found on the standard equipment list are Integral Active Steering and the Executive Drive Pro chassis package including active roll stabilisation with Active Roll Comfort. As well as helping to increase comfort, these two systems – together with the stiffer body – hone the car’s handling dynamics. This translates into an appetite for corners, which are taken with sharp and precise turn-in characteristics.

The blue M Sport brakes with M logo fitted as standard come with large brake discs for increased stopping power. Brake callipers painted in black are available as part of the optional M Performance package. This is also the first time that sport tyres have been offered as an option for a purely electrically powered BMW 7 Series model. The standard 21-inch M light-alloy wheels on the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive feature an exclusive, aerodynamically optimised design with a Jet Black solid finish and high-gloss metal inserts.

Sporting presence, luxurious elegance, stylish individuality.

The superior performance of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive, which results from the most powerful drive system ever developed with BMW eDrive technology and from M-specific chassis technology, is authentically reflected in its confident design. Fronted by M-specific design features like the M exterior mirrors with distinctive twin-stalk design, the BMW kidney grille with M badging, bespoke inlays in the rear bumper and M logos on the front side panels, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive flies the flag for a new era of all-electric mobility in the luxury segment. At the same time, its extravagant appearance marks another milestone in the electrification of the BMW M brand.

The new top-of-the-range-model of the BMW 7 Series brings extra sporting potency and the expressive aura of a BMW M model to the captivating visual presence of the latest model generation. In combination with the luxurious elegance generated by the sedan´s proportions, this creates a stylish individuality that corresponds to the exclusive character of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive.

Like all members of the new BMW 7 Series model line-up, the BMW i7 M70 xDrive embodies the outstanding innovative power of the brand. Helping the car set new standards in the luxury segment – alongside its pioneering drive system technology and revolutionary design – is an array of innovative equipment features. Among the highlights also bringing a sense of progressive luxury to the range-topping model and enhancing the feeling of wellbeing over long journeys are the BMW Interaction Bar in the cockpit and the Executive Lounge with optimised reclining function in the rear. The unique BMW Theatre Screen and Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System with optional in-seat exciters turn the rear compartment into an exclusive personal cinema on wheels. Comfort and safety are elevated another notch by advanced systems for automated driving and parking. For example, the Parking Assistant and Manoeuvre Assistant can now also be controlled remotely using the My BMW App. This allows customers to enter and exit tight parking spaces with significantly greater ease.

Opening and closing the doors automatically using the My BMW App and BMW Digital Key Plus.

Since March 2023 it has been possible in some countries to open and close the optional automatic doors of the new BMW 7 Series individually from outside the car and at a distance of up to six metres using the My BMW App – by pressing the relevant buttons on the smartphone display. The BMW Digital Key Plus, a smartphone-based digital vehicle key, ensures that getting into and out of the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive is now even more comfortable. Making the difference here is an extended lock/unlock function for the automatic unlocking of the doors when approaching the car and the automatic locking process when walking away. It now also includes a contact-free opening and closing function for the driver’s door.

The driver’s dooropens automatically when the smartphone on which the BMW Digital Key Plus is installed comes within a certain distance of the car. After getting into the car, the driver can close the door again by pressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the BMW Digital Key Plus links up with the integrated collision protection functions for the automatic doors in order to stop the movement of the door if an obstacle is detected. The extended BMW Digital Key Plus is expected to be available from summer 2023 for all new BMW 7 Series cars fitted with automatic doors.

Distinctive front-end design signals superlative dynamism.

Exclusive accents and M-typical design elements reflecting the technical requirements of a car when driven with sporting commitment ensure that the BMW i7 M70 xDrive stands apart from the other models in the 7 Series model line-up with its exterior looks. Its distinctive aura signals the cars dynamism and highlights at first glance the performance potential of the most powerful electrically powered model in the BMW Group product range.

At the heart of the front-end design for the new flagship model is the new interpretation of the hallmark BMW twin circular headlights and kidney grille. The light functions are divided into two separate areas. The extremely slim strip of lights set higher up in the front end brings together the daytime driving lights, sidelights and turn indicators. Available as an option, the BMW crystal headlights Iconic Glow create a unique light effect. The low-beam and high-beam headlights are positioned in the dark lower units chiselled deep into the front apron.

An extra touch of exclusivity: illuminated BMW kidney Iconic Glow available for the first time together with the M Performance package.

The imposing presence of the front end gains additional visual impact with the contour lighting for the BMW kidney grille. On cars specified with the optional M Performance package, it combines with a grille surround in Black high-gloss for the first time on the BMW i7 M70 xDrive. This creates an unmistakable light signature, and the front end of the car is additionally showcased to impressive effect by the richly contrasting visual interplay between the brightly illuminated contouring and the dark shimmer of the grille surround.

Another eye-catching feature of the performance model’s front-end design is the surfacing above the BMW kidney grille. The indented sweep running down the centre of the bonnet extends to the upper edge of the BMW kidney grille, providing an eye-catching border for the BMW badge.

The BMW kidney grille – which sports an M logo, underlining the range-topping model’s dynamic character – is bordered by Black high-gloss surfaces, giving it even greater visual prominence. Large air guide elements painted in body colour jut out from the outer sections of the front apron, framing the black centre section, and steer the onrushing air to the air curtains positioned at the extreme left- and right-hand edges of the apron.

Flanks and rear with M-specific design features.

M-specific design features along the flanks and at the rear of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive clearly showcase the performance character of the top-of-the-range model variant. Eye-catching M side skirts, M logos with embellished borders on the front side panels, M High-gloss Shadowline trim and black M exterior mirrors with twin-stalk design add sporting flourishes.

A model-specific rear apron with diffuser insert rounds off the expressive appearance of this fully electric M Performance model. Cars specified with the optional M Performance package feature a black M rear spoiler, a black accent strip between the rear lights and an inlay – also in black – for the rear apron.

New variants of the BMW Individual two-tone paint finish.

A large selection of exterior paint shades is available for the BMW i7 M70 xDrive, including variants of striking matt-sheen Frozen paint finishes. Owners can add an extra layer of visual extravagance with BMW Individual two-tone paintwork, which can now include BMW Individual special paintwork colours. Available from the launch of the BMW i7 M70 xDrive is the combination of BMW Individual Liquid Copper metallic for the lower section of the body and Saphire Black metallic for the upper section. An exquisite, precisely drawn coach line separates the two colour zones from one another like a delicate signature.

In addition, the range of exterior colours offers customers extra scope for giving their car a bespoke look. For example, eight two-tone variants and well over 100 BMW Individual special paintwork colours allow them to find a variant that precisely matches their tastes and therefore brings a very personal touch to the appearance of their BMW i7 M70 xDrive. All BMW Individual special paintwork colours are applied in a separate manufacturing process, with a higher proportion of the work carried out by hand.

Sustainably produced Frozen paint finishes based on biomass.

The BMW Group is the first automotive manufacturer worldwide to use matt paints made from biomass instead of crude oil at its European plants. The Frozen paint finishes available for the BMW i7 M70 xDrive are produced using this innovative process. Renewable raw materials such as bio-waste or waste from sewage treatment plants, which can replace the organic components of paint, serve as the starting material for these “biomass balance” paints.

The biomass balance process does not involve changing the formulation of the product; instead, it is about procuring the raw materials from carefully calculated sustainable sources. In fact, these sustainable paints are chemically identical to equivalents using fossil raw materials and meet the same high quality standards that the BMW Group applies for all the materials it uses. The use of sustainable paints made with biowaste not only reduces consumption of fossil resources, but also avoids the CO₂ emissions associated with the production, transport and processing of crude oil.

Sporting aura and maximum interior individualisation.

Customers wishing to customise the ambience inside the BMW i7 M70 xDrive as well as the looks of the outside can do so in a variety of ways. The i7 M70 xDrive comes as standard with M-specific equipment details that accentuate its sporting flair and enhance its concentrated sense of driving pleasure. These include illuminated M door sills, M Merino leather trim in Black/Atlas Grey, an M leather steering wheel, M-specific content on the BMW Curved Display and an M driver’s footrest.

Among the items on the options list are the BMW Individual interior with and without exclusives in a total of nine color variants as well as the BMW Individual leather merino/wool-cashmere combination with exclusive features in two variants, which is also offered in Black/Dark Grey. As an option for the i7 M70 xDrive a Carbon Fibre M interior trim with Silver Threads, in conjunction with surfaces in Piano Black is offered.

BMW Individual Manufaktur produces bespoke one-off creations.

For the ultimate in customer focus, products made to measure and a razor-sharp eye for quality, BMW Individual Manufaktur should be your first port of call. The BMW Individual Manufaktur specialists develop and produce exclusive one-off creations with design and equipment details for the exterior and interior that precisely reflect the customer’s desires. These include bespoke upholstery options, e.g. in a bi-colour variant, embroidery on the head restraints, and customised door sill plates and interior trim elements.

Individual solutions conjured with creativity, precision and masterful craftsmanship produce designs that faithfully reflect the owner’s personal style. In order to ensure that the BMW Group’s standards of quality and safety are maintained, every component from BMW Individual Manufaktur is put through the same testing procedure as standard parts.

Updated BMW iDrive with QuickSelect and BMW OperatingSystem 8.5.

The BMW i7 M70 xDrive is one of the brand’s first models to feature the updated version of the control/operation system BMW iDrive with QuickSelect and BMW Operating System 8.5. In order to make selecting and operating numerous functions and digital services even more intuitive and comfortable, the latest generation of BMW iDrive offers a newly designed home screen and QuickSelect functionality. This brings an improved menu structure that takes its cues from consumer electronics devices. By showing the right information in the right place, the new BMW iDrive helps to deliver a focused, assured driving experience.

The BMW iDrive update also enables a broader offering of digital content for information and entertainment, shorter function update cycles, better information on charging points for electric vehicles and improved access to a host of specific online services. BMW iDrive with QuickSelect also teams up with the BMW Curved Display and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, and so focuses squarely on operation using the touchscreen and natural language.

BMW iDrive with QuickSelect is based on BMW Operating System 8.5, which is making its debut in a series-produced model. The BMW i7 M70 xDrive therefore not only represents a new dimension in driving pleasure with an all-electric drive system, it also ushers in the latest digital display and control/operation concept and infotainment.

Functions are shown on a single level and can be activated using rapid-access tech.

The new home screen displays the navigation system’s map view or other individually configurable graphics at all times. On the same level, function icons appearing in a vertical arrangement on the driver’s side of the user interface can be selected with a swipe of the finger. QuickSelect allows the associated functions to be accessed directly and without having to pass through a submenu. And once the relevant settings have been chosen, a quick tap on the home icon at the lower edge of the display is all it takes to return to the home screen.

The new menu structure makes activating functions and settings much faster and simpler. The on-board digital content – just like the hardware, in the form of the BMW Curved Display – is designed to enhance the driver focus for which BMW is renowned. BMW iDrive provides the right information in the right place and at the right time. To ensure intuitive operation while on the move, the graphical interface and menu structure feature a layout developed by BMW Group Design that is both consistent and characteristic of the brand.

M-specific content in the BMW Curved Display.

The emotionally engaging performance experience on board the new BMW i7 M70 xDrive is further enhanced by M-specific content in the BMW Curved Display. In key areas, the typography and presentation of graphics reflect those in the cockpit of high-performance models from BMW M GmbH. The numbers in the speed read-out on the information display appear in a platinum/silver colour. Plus, activating the M Sport Boost function triggers a typically M visual accompaniment.

The BMW iDrive with QuickSelect is underpinned by an upgraded version of BMW Operating System 8, as employed in current BMW models with the BMW Curved Display. BMW Operating System 8.5 uses the latest generation of the infotainment head unit, which takes care of graphics processing, among other things.

BMW Maps with new charging-optimised route guidance.

Other highlights of the new BMW iDrive include the extended functionality of the cloud-based navigation system BMW Maps. It now offers not only Augmented View on the information display behind the steering wheel, but also improved functions for even more precise charging-optimised route planning. This helps to make long journeys in the BMW i7 M70 xDrive particularly comfortable, efficient and swift.

Added to which, the services and apps already introduced in the new BMW 7 Series are also available with BMW Operating System 8.5. For example, the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant and other voice-controlled assistants, BMW ConnectedDrive Upgrades, BMW Remote Software Upgrades, video streaming on the control display, smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay^® and Android Auto™, My Modes and the Personal eSIM can also be used in the BMW i7 M70 xDrive.

BMW PRESS

Thank you from Good Friday Appeal

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 02:01:10 GMT

2023 Australian Grand Prix

Sun, 09 Apr 2023 02:07:57 GMT

Event date: 30 March - 2 April 2023

Between the 30 March and 2 April I walked 41km and lost over a kilo. I’d not started a new exercise program but was a volunteer at the Australian Grand Prix. Along with 950 other volunteers I was at Albert Park before dawn and didn’t leave until after dusk to help deliver an unforgettable experience for over 440,000 fans (and millions around the world).

The Australian Grand Prix weekend Began under gloomy skies with highly prepared cars, a credit to their owners driving to Albert Park in the rain to bump in at the appointed time. The display area was part of the Albert Park Golf course and as we mustered inside the gate in preparation to moving to the allocated area. A number of other cars had already bumped in so it quickly became apparent that some cars may spin their wheels as there was minimal traction. Some of the other groups that bumped in later had a lot of mud over them and under the wheel arches. The cars were arranged and backed into place, then a quick clean up before heading off. I was fortunate to get a ride back with Shannon straight away so headed back.

I worked Thursday & Friday so missed the initial days of practice and setting up around the circuit before Saturday.

Being my first attendance at the AGP I thought that I would get there early and have a look around before heading to our allocated site. It was interesting seeing how it was all set up at the entrance and where the drivers and crew walked through and also the Shannon’s display of a wide range of vehicles was a highlight.

Moving off I came to the merchandising area and the wide range available but more so the price. It was evident that the crowd was supporting their local driver with a significant queue at the McLaren area with the Oscar Piastri merchandise. If you are wondering the price, a cap any driver $90 and t shirts in the region of $220.

The racing had started and you could either watch on the screens or gather along the fence and watch the cars pass. The sound was outstanding with the v8 supercars as they ran. Then there was FP3 which gave me the first look at the F1 cars live and after the porches and V8 Supercars the level of sound was underwhelming as I perched near the Lauda stand peering through the marshals area it became apparent that it is a lot better and a lot easier to identify cars travelling towards you rather than away from you particularly in DRS areas where the flap was open.

After a while I started to move around the circuit and passed several gates. These gates tended to be congregation areas with food, toilets, merchandise and first aid. I took seat on the concrete block outside gate 10 to watch the F2 race hoping that Jack Doohan would put on a good showing but unfortunately is race was a short one and there were no point for Jack out of that race.

Speaking to the staff at the Customer Service centre they suggested that our car display was just around the corner so I stopped for highway robbery otherwise known as lunch. A very basic Schnitzel burger was $20 and a 600ml drink $6 but it was cold and damp so had lunch before moving on.

There was the Mercedes area and then started getting in the MGs and Porsches but it was apparent that there was still a long way to go. Moving past the Golf rooms I arrived at the display area in time for qualifying and see a Red Bull in the kitty litter early on which would lead to a shake-up in starting places the following day. Oscar did not fare a lot better and did not get out of Q3.

Lawrence was greeting passers-by and the isetta was the star attraction drawing a lot of people to at least take a picture if not to talk. The display area had no amenities which seemed unusual considering the number of spectators on the bank at the top of the straight area as well as the number of people taking their time to view the cars. It was starting to get really cold and as racing finished, we headed off through gate 5 and into the evening.

After an early start I tried a different approach on Sunday getting the train to Flinders St and heading to gate 8 to reduce the distance to our display area. The day started off reasonably warm and under clear skies I arrived in time to see the Porsches run looking forward to a good day.

As different events came and went our crew either moved to the track or viewed the events on the big screen. It was quieter than on Saturday.

Jack did better in his F2 race and we were treated to spitfire display initially and then the roulettes put on a lengthy show of precision flying. I thought that the display on Sunday was tighter than the day before.

The Grand Prix got underway under ideal conditions at 3.00 and it was not long before we had a red flag after Alex Albon landscaped the corner with stones out of the kitty litter.

Some cars had pitted under safety car before the red flag was shown and this had a significant impact on Russell who was leading and some of the mid field teams.

The race recommenced with Perez working his way towards the front but with 3 laps to go there was another red flag due to a wheel shattering putting carbon fibre on the track which needed to be cleared.

At this point Sainz was 3^rd and Piastri was in 11^th so out of the points.

This quickly changed in the first couple of corners on restart.

I would like to thank everyone that participated in the event as an official or participant in our club display as the display was a credit to the club knowing that the club has many more quality that weren’t shown.

Adrian White | Member #606
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

2023 Grand Prix – a view from the pits

Fri, 07 Apr 2023 01:32:39 GMT

Event date: 30 March - 2 April 2023

BMWDCM members were represented across numerous roles at the event, including our own Graeme Bell. I was part of the 50 strong “Team 28” – Pit Lane and Grid – a role you’ll possibly have seen me in at events at Phillip Island, Sandown, and Broadford. It was great catching up with international and interstate friends I’ve not seen since last year, and making new ones.

Our job is to help control vehicles and people along the 500 metres of Pit Lane, and manage Pit Entry and Exit for both the F1 and Support lanes. We also set up the starting grid before each race, and manage the green and yellow flags, and grid light boards. We also man the radar to monitor speed in the lane, have a dedicated Safety officer, and when the F1 cars are out have people on standby wearing insulating gloves in case of problems. While we are literally everywhere in the lane, we also must be very careful to remain in the background, not distract the teams or drivers, and help ensure visitors to the lane have a great, but safe, experience. While it may sound glamorous, you’ve got to stay motivated and focused right to the end of very long, sometimes cold, or wet, days.

At the Support end of the lane are the Supercars garages, and this year the space was shared with the Porsche Carrera Cup teams so there was a fair amount of traffic and movement of cars, people, and support buggies to take care of. At the F1 end of the Lane, as well as the teams in garages we had to work closely with the F2 and F3 Paddock Team to manage those cars and their support in and out of the lane.

Just like at any Club or State event it’s still important to remember the basics – keeping the fast lane clear and ensuring a safe and fair environment – just with a lot more people, and higher speed limits! With three fires, a Formula 3 car stopping at Pit Entry, and of course the drama of the F1 race there was plenty of excitement!

If you’re interested in applying to any of the teams at the Grand Prix, the best starting point is www.motorsport.org.au/officials and between now and next year get as much experience as you can to help your application stand out.

Jeremy Cath
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Photo credit: Bec, Revved Photography

BMW Clubs Australia Nationals 2023

Thu, 06 Apr 2023 01:26:09 GMT

Event date: Wednesday, 17-21 March 2023

With a click of your fingers here we are at the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals 2023; hosted by BMW Club Gold Coast in sunny Coolangatta.

My trip begun really smoothly as I was met by Paul Holliday at checkin and given VIP treatment and given express walk through security as he works at the airport. We sat down and had a great chat before he sent me off at the gate.

Wow, Gold Coast weather was hot and humid; after checking in to my hotel room at the mantra resort and having a rest, it was time to catch up with everyone at the Meet and Greet party, which was conveniently held at the Horizon function room inside the Twin Towns clubs hotel complex in which both the Mantra and Sebel hotels were situated. This was the accomodation all of us attending the nationals were given special rates for.

It was great to catch up with a few familiar faces I'd met last year at the Canberra nationals and also nice to meet some new people from other BMW clubs from around Australia. We were served a nice selection of cocktail food snacks, as well as some alcoholic beverages.

Saturday was the Show & Shine at Queen Elizabeth Park not too far from the hotel. Ann and Rob from Queensland were nice enough to offer me a ride in their M2 to the show. It was a very sunny and warm day for it. There was a great showing of cars3 from old to new; M2 to M3; Z cars to M5 cars. My highlight was definitely the handful of E36’s.

NSW police also had one of their BMW highway patrol cars come down and the officer driving it took the time to chat to us.

It was lunchtime by the time the show and shine finished; Rob and Ann invited me to join them, so off we went to Club Tweed for a meal with a few others.

In the evening we were picked up by bus and taken to Currumbin Beach surf club for a buffet meal, I reckon dessert was the best part

On Sunday a few of us decided to be a bit of a rebel and go on our own drive and visit a gin distillery. I was passenger with Ian from the Gold Coast BMW club in his beautiful E24 635CSI. His car just glided across the road; no squeaks, rattles or clunky noises a older car normally makes. Husk Distillery was about 25 minutes from the hotel, but we took a bit of a scenic route, so we took a little longer to get there, but when you're travelling in such a nice car, especially when it's a BMW, time doesn't matter!

Along on our trip was Rainer, Phillip and Leonie, who are also from the Gold Coast BMW club. Husk Distillery was a trendy, upmarket place that was also a nice stop for us to enjoy a lunch meal. We then started slowly making our way back towards Tweed Heads (where the hotel is). Ian was kind enough to let me drive his E24. What a treat that was! It may be an older car, but it drove so smoothly; not a squeak or any other sound to be heard that older cars make. It was such a beautiful ride, I really enjoyed driving it. We stopped long the way for gelato and enjoyed a nice scenic drive along the twisty roads.

A bit of a rest was next before we got glammed up again for the Presentation/farewell dinner back in the Horizon room at the Mantra. Today was like a meat free day for me because at lunch I had fish and now for dinner I was given a nice mushroom risotto for entree and if I remember correctly; mains was a fish dish as well!

The awards for the show and shine were also presented; it brought a smile to my face seeing so many E36's receiving awards, I counted at least half a dozen! and the people's choice award going to Rod Campbell and his E9 3.0 CS Alpina B2 Replica and Ian Farrell's E24 635CSI ( the very car I had the privilege of riding in that day!).

Another important part of tonights proceedings was passing the 'baton' (the flag of the BMW Nationals) to the next host club for 2025 and that was our club, BMWDCM! after seeing Jo's presentation for BMW Driver's Club Melbourne's 2025 Nationals I'm super excited and can't wait. Now that I've also made more new friends in the clubs Australia community, I look forward to seeing them all in 2 years time.

But Nationals Gold Coast 2023 has been a lot of fun with many memories made, Congratulations to Sandra and Roger Way from BMW Club Gold Coast with assistance from Garry and BMW Club Queensland on putting on such a fabulous 2023 nationals. All your hard work has really paid off.

Tim Oh | Member #538
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

AROCA - Sprint series, Round 3, Winton

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Event date: Sunday, 2 April 2023

A few members are enjoying a fabulous day at Winton. The weather is perfect with clear skies and a dry track.

Due to the AGP there is only about 55 vehicles in attendance which means plenty of track time!

Along with a smattering of BMW’s there are some nice Alfas, MX5’s and Lotus enjoying the perfect conditions.

Tim Trainor | Member #745
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 59 | April 2023

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 06:06:22 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

March kicked off with the BMW Clubs Australia AGM and on the same weekend, the first round of the E30 Racing championship at Phillip Island, where a number of our members competed.

Be sure to follow E30 Racing this year for some of the best and most exciting grass roots racing there is to see.

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7 March was our first official club event for the month, the Shannons Sim Challenge. We had a changing of the guard this round, with Peter Williams winning, and James and Mark finishing second and third respectively.

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11-12 March was our display at the Phillip Island Historics, where many members were treated to some of the best historics racing there is on offer. Our display was filled with many old and new BMWs, and some of our attendees also got to do some parade laps on the Saturday. Thanks very much to the team at Shannons Insurance for inviting our members to participate.

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17-20 March was the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals hosted by BMW Club Gold Coast. We had a small group of members head up for the event, which you will read more about in the next edition of idrive.

BMWDCM will be holding the next BMW Clubs Australia Nationals in 2025 and we can't wait to share with you what our plans are.

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On 19 March a group of members attended the HMAS Cerberus open day as part of a display at the request of the Base Command. It's always great to be part of these events, particularly to take a close look at the base down at Cerberus.

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23 March was our final twilight drive until the days are longer again. We started with a sausage sizzle at Westerfolds Park in Templestowe, with 20 cars then taking off on another of Peter Williams' fantastic drives. We finished our drive in Coldstream just near the distillery where a few went in for a night cap and others headed home.

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We finished our month with our annual display at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. If you are heading down over the weekend, be sure to pop past and say hi to some of the other members!

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NEW DISTRACTED DRIVER RULES

How you are allowed to use electronic devices while driving has changed. The new rules apply to portable, mounted, inbuilt and wearable devices.

Specifically, for all device types you must not, while driving:

enter text, numbers or symbols;
scroll (such as on websites, social media, playlists);
play videos or games or take video calls;
display text messages, social media, emails, or photos; or
rest a device on any part of the body, or pass a device to a passenger.

You can read more about these rules on the VicRoads website.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members David Pye, Andrew Cameron, Joel Smith, Conroy Cheers, James Woodlock, Peter Cairncross, Brian Pickersgill, Tim Boydle, Linda Boydle, Clinton Snell and Robert Dunstan. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for April:

Tuesday, 4 April
April Members Meeting at Melbourne BMW

Melbourne BMW is the one of the first Melbourne BMW dealerships to have the new BMW corporate identity fit out and wow does it looks spectacular. Come and take a look around this state of the art dealership and enjoy a guided tour by one of their dedicated staff members.

Friday, 7 April
Royal Children's Hospital Appeal Good Friday Coffee & Wheels Morning
This year we will be holding our Coffee & Wheels morning in Beaumaris at our favourite coffee shop in Melbourne. Join us in support of a wonderful cause.

Friday-Tuesday, 22 - 25 April
ANZAC Weekend Silo Tour
We will spend our weekend in North West Victoria enjoying the best silo art the state has to offer, finishing with the dawn service on ANZAC Day.

Friday, 28 April
BMW Club Community Management Team live from Munich
The April BCCM live session will feature a presentation on topics suggested by BMW Clubs.

An event for later in the year to put in your calendar now is German Auto Show. Those that attended last year will remember the huge success of the event, which we aim to repeat again in 2023. The 2023 German Auto Show will be held on 27 August at Calder Park. Click here for full details and registration.

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EVENT PHOTOS

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

E36 cruise to Mount Donna Buang

BMW around the globe.

From the Arctic Circle to the foothills of the Alps: The new BMW i5 performs impressively in winter testing on ice and snow

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Jess Bell

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Waverley BMW

An update from the President | March

Fri, 31 Mar 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

And just like that we are in Autumn, but in my opinion, this is the best time of the year in Victoria.

The first weekend in March was very busy for Jo and I, being the BMW Clubs Australia AGM and also Jo’s birthday. There are some interesting things coming out of the annual meeting of BMW Clubs. Some of you may not know that we are a part of a world-wide network of official BMW Clubs, over 800 of them in fact.

On the same weekend some of our members were at the first round of E30 Racing at Phillip Island, which all went well with lots of close and exciting racing and three different race winners over the weekend. It was great to see some new members join the grid too, with some more to follow later this year. Be sure to follow E30 Racing this year for some of the best and most exciting grass roots racing there is to see.

11-12 March was our display at the Phillip Island Historics and as usual, this was a fantastic event. Our display was even better than previous years with a great show of old and new BMWs. Thanks to Shannons Insurance, some of our members were lucky to have the opportunity of doing parade laps at lunchtime on Saturday. It was also great to see some DCM members out on flag points helping the organisers run this great event too. Remember without volunteers these events don’t happen. Thank you to all who helped Lawrence and I over the weekend as both Jo and Shaaron were sidelined due to having new parts installed in various parts of their bodies. I’m happy to report both are out of hospital and doing remarkably well.

17-20 March was the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals hosted by BMW Club Gold Coast. We had a group of members travel up, but sadly due to Jo’s health and time factor we had to fly. Thankfully we were still able to take part in all of the events we wanted. It was great to catch up with so many of our friends from other states and also make new friends.

At the end of each Nationals there is a hand over of the Clubs Australia Banner to the next state to be holding this event and I am very happy and proud to say that the next BMW Clubs Australia Nationals will be held in Melbourne by BMWDCM in 2025. If you have never experienced a Nationals now you have no excuse, as it is being hosted in your home state by your own club. Stay tuned for updates on this, which we’ll have very soon.

We will need a lot of helpers for this event, so watch out for emails for help over the next two years. It might seem like a long way away, but we have already started organising and booking venues, it will be here before you know it, and being such a large event spread over four days there will be plenty to do between now and then.

On 19 March we had a group of club members attend the HMAS Cerberus open day and put on a display of cars at the request of the Base Command. The open day is an event we all love but sadly it conflicted with the Nationals so some of us missed out. Those who did attend had a ball and their cars looked great on display. We are hoping to make this an annual event so watch out for an invitation to the next one.

23 March was our last twilight drive until daylight saving resumes. Starting with a sausage sizzle at Westerfolds Park in Templestowe, we had a brilliant turn out on an evening which quite possibly could have been cancelled if we had listened to the weather forecast, but fortunately it turned into a warm balmy evening. 20 cars all took off on what was (I say this all the time) possibly one of Peter’s best shorter drives. The roads were stunning and so was the scenery. We managed to all keep together with no one getting lost which was brilliant. It is great to have both Peter and Jo on the UHF radios relaying instructions, as sometimes to pack does get a little spread out. We finished in Coldstream just near the distillery where a few went in for a night cap and others headed home. It was great to see families out on the drive and even a couple of corgis.

Don’t have a UHF radio? Click here to purchase one before the next run.

Watch out, as we will be doing a few midweek day time drives for those of us who are not working or able to take time off when needed. As the midweek drives are popular, we will just move them to during the day until the evenings get longer again.

On 25 March a few of us met out at Calder Park for a site visit for our upcoming joint event with VW Club, the German Auto Show, returning to it’s original date on 27 August. This is going to be a great event again and there is plenty of space for all marques to be displayed with heaps of room for spectators to move around.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the BMW R32 Motorcycle, so we will be having a display of BMW motorcycles at German Auto Show from the BMW Motorcycle Club Victoria to help them celebrate the milestone. So if you have a BMW motorcycle bring it along too!

Remember this event is about all things German - bikes, cars, trucks, buses, micro cars, anything German. Tell a friend and let’s raise even more money this year for our charity, Beyond Blue.

This event will be even bigger than last year, so we need your help put this together. If you are available to help with marshalling on the day, please email Jo at events@bmwdcm.com.au.

On 29 March we had 30 BMWs bump in to the Australian Grand Prix, alongside E30 Racing with another 9 racing cars on display. If you are at the Grand Prix, come along and see our beautiful display and say hi to all the members who have done a great job to get their cars here again this year.

There will be few of our members volunteering again at this year’s Grand Prix at different points of the track and in different areas, such as flagging, sector marshalling and pit lane. This will be my first at the Grand Prix as a Senior Scrutineer for the F2 and F3. I’m not enjoying the very early starts but it is very interesting being involved in the top level of our sport.

Our last event for the month is a Zoom hook up with Munich tonight, it’s always a lot of fun and full of great information. Just remember when you sign in, make sure the you have BMWDCM as part of you name so they know where we are all signing in from.

Now we look ahead to April and of course the first event is our Display at the Grand Prix.

On 4 April will be our members meeting at Melbourne BMW, which is has been open now since the full rebuild. Come and join us, this will be a great night.

7 April will be our Coffee and Wheels morning in Beaumaris to raise fund for the Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Get behind this great event, we will have raffles on the day and also our friend and fellow member Christopher will be opening Flavours Patisserie for us all to grab a coffee and something really yummy to eat on the day.

Some of us will also be displaying our cars at Flinders Motoring Heritage event, on Easter Sunday. For anyone wanting to attend, this is a great event and you can still register via their website. The Club isn’t doing an official display this year, but you are still welcome to go along and support the event.

On 22 April we are heading off for a 4-day break on a Silo tour for ANZAC Day long weekend. We did a silo tour four years ago which was great, so if you haven’t registered yet, there is still time! There are more Silos to see this time, plus some other attractions, so come along and join us. For those who have already registered, have you placed your lunch orders yet? If not, please refer back to your confirmation email for the links.

6 May is our black-tie Fifth Birthday Celebration and Presentation Dinner. We’re had lots of interest, with only a few seats left. Please ensure you register as soon as possible to avoid missing out. We have some great auction items on the night as well as raffle prizes and of course all the presentation of awards and trophies from the year past.

Other events to mark in you calendar:

2 June - Adelaide Tailem Bend 10-day tour (shorter options available)
24 June - Alex Baxter Memorial Driver Training at Broadford
9 July - Christmas in July at Phillip Island
27 August - German Auto Show at Calder Park
23 November - Challenge Bathurst (limited spots remaining)
10 December - Christmas Show and Shine Family Picnic

Challenge Bathurst this year is going to be amazing, and we have 55 spots to fill. Don’t miss out, tell a friend, anyone is welcome. You only need a Motorsport Australia Level 2 Speed licence – it’s definitely a bucket list item for all car enthusiasts. Don’t have a car but still want to be part of the fun? We need flag marshals to help out for the two days we are on track. All volunteer flaggies will receive either free camp group spots or accommodation in the university. Don’t leave it too late to register for these volunteer spots as accommodation and campgrounds fill up fast.

For those who want to attend and camp but don’t have anything to use, go to www.campify.com.au and they will get you a van to your campsite (you will still need to book a campsite through Challenge Bathurst) all set up ready for your stay, then pick up and take it away once you have left.

Some other fantastic news - we now have an association with the Accor Group of Hotels and Resorts, and for members booking accommodation you can get a discount by using the discount code found in the member benefits area of our website. This is great news for anyone that travels or wants to stay at an Accor or Mecure hotel when attending any of our events.

Our membership continues to grow steadily, we passed 750 members at the end of last year and it is great to see so many people joining us to enjoy our passion and everything our club has to offer. Welcome to all of our new members, we hope you enjoy what we put on for you. Of course, if you have an idea for an event and you think others might enjoy it too, let us know and we will see if we can do an event or help you set it up and run it.

As always, take care out there, if you need anything don’t hesitate to drop us a line or if you need help get in touch with our Welfare Team.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

From the Arctic Circle to the foothills of the Alps: The new BMW i5 performs impressively in winter testing on ice and snow

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:08:54 GMT

One-year testing phase of all drive and chassis control systems under wintry weather conditions +++ Fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology displays high level of maturity +++ Unique torque control optimises traction, dynamism and driving stability of the first-ever all-electric BMW 5 Series Sedan

The first-ever BMW 5 Series with a fully electric drive system has yet to make its global debut, but it has already come through the ultimate endurance test. The new BMW i5 repeatedly demonstrated both the stability of its electric powertrain and its dynamic performance qualities over the course of arduous test drives in wintry conditions. The programme of testing on ice and snow lasted about a year in all, from the initial test runs to the final stages of fine-tuning. During the extensive testing on country roads, motorways and specially prepared test tracks, the development engineers mainly focused their attention on the car’s ability to drive at low temperatures and on surfaces offering little grip.

The innovative powertrain and chassis control systems on board the new BMW i5 do a great deal to optimise its traction, dynamism and driving stability, and nowhere is this more apparent than on a solid blanket of snow, icy mountain roads or frozen lakes. It was only right that the dynamic winter testing of the purely electrically powered sedan recently finished exactly where it began: in the biting cold of the BMW Group’s winter test centre at Arjeplog, northern Sweden.

Endurance test for BMW eDrive technology, operating continuously at extreme sub-zero temperatures.

As part of the production development process, the new BMW i5 first had to prove its mettle back in February 2022, when it completed a road trip from Munich to the BMW test centre at Arjeplog. A prototype model of the all-electric BMW 5 Series fully camouflaged with a special wrap, plastic attachments, grilles and provisional headlights and rear lights set off on a five-day test drive from the foothills of the Bavarian Alps up to Denmark, then on to the edge of the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland.

The journey of around 3,000 kilometres (1,850 miles) provided an early opportunity for the motors, power electronics, high-voltage battery and integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and battery pack to demonstrate their advanced level of readiness on a long-distance journey. Featuring cutting-edge battery cell technology and intelligently controlled thermal management, the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology – further upgraded for the new BMW i5 – forms the basis for long ranges and short charging times during breaks in the journey, even in extreme sub-zero ambient temperatures.

The final destination of Arjeplog provided the team of development and test engineers with the ideal venue for their test programme. The snow-covered roads and frozen lakes of northern Sweden, with their vast expanses of ice, create the perfect setting for exploring how the chassis components, steering and braking systems, and driving dynamic and driving stability systems all interact with one another in extreme outdoor conditions. As a result, the groundwork for the authoritative, assured and characteristically sporty handling of the new BMW i5 were already laid in the first test drives in Arjeplog.

Testing in everyday driving and on wintry roads in the foothills of the Alps.

This was followed by more testing over the course of 2022, both at other BMW Group test facilities and in everyday driving in and around Munich as well as in the vicinity of BMW Group Plant Dingolfing. The task here was to continue refining the car’s chassis technology and acoustic properties under a wide variety of conditions, as well as honing the drive unit’s power delivery, in order to produce a well-resolved driving experience at all times.

Here again, part of the development work was deliberately carried out during the colder months on icy and snowy roads in the Alpine foothills. This last winter, BMW i5 prototypes – now sporting less camouflage and near-production headlights – were regularly sent out for testing to verify the functionality and reliability of their powertrain and chassis control systems in extremely demanding road and weather conditions. The BMW engineers involved in the vehicle project were able to directly inspect the current state of development through testing in the BMW brand’s native Bavaria before it was time to return to endurance testing near the Arctic Circle in February 2023.

BMW i5 thrills with its unrivalled handling on ice and snow.

The purpose of this second round of testing in Sweden was to fine-tune all powertrain and chassis control systems. Thanks to their low-grip surfaces, the test areas sited on frozen lakes around Arjeplog were particularly well suited for delicately adjusting the drive torque control system in the BMW i5 under precisely reproducible conditions. In the new BMW i5, the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system, the near-actuator wheel slip limitation function and the drive torque control system are interlinked so that they can interact and complement each other flexibly in any driving situation. As a result, the all-electric sedan performs at least as proficiently as any conventionally powered model on ice and snow.

The integrated application of all powertrain and chassis systems underpins the outstanding handling abilities displayed by the BMW i5 in winter testing. The more challenging the conditions, the more impressive were the speed and precision of the control systems in the fully electric version of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan. The BMW i5 serves up a harmonious blend of optimum traction when pulling away and supreme driving stability when cornering or braking, which is unique in the competitive environment.

BMW PRESS

E36 cruise to Mount Donna Buang

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 08:25:08 GMT

On a cloudy, mild Melbourne day 17 BMW E36s gathered at Heart and Soul Coffee Lounge for our long-awaited cruise.

We were going to head up to Redwood Forrest, but Marcus said we'll go to Mount Donna Buang because Redwood was closed. It was in the same direction as Redwood Forrest anyway. None the less it was still going to be a great drive. My E36 was surrounded by friends! it was amazing seeing so many E36's in the one place, I hadn't seen this many in well.. since the Gold Coast Nationals; which I was still reminiscing over. It was nice to put names and faces to the people from our E36 group chat and in turn match them up with the cars they drive. I dunno about others, but I sometimes tend to remember people by their car!

After a much-needed coffee and some breakfast from Billy Goat Hill Brasserie or Harry's Bakehouse across the road plus admiring each other's cars and getting ideas from another car on what additional bits and pieces can be added to our own cars and having long discussions concerning all things BMW we decided it was time to hit the road.

Two cars had to head off elsewhere, so 15 E36's begun the trek towards . Our convoy of E36's ended up in two groups as half of us got stopped at a red light. But keeping in contact with UHF radios we caught up to the first group when er stopped for a short while at Warburton to regroup.

The temperature dropped as we made our way through the windy roads with tall trees on either side of us.

But what a backdrop it was to park up against a backdrop of tall greenery to enjoy open space and fresh but cold air of Mount Donna Buang.

There was even natural forest water for those game enough to try it!

Thank you to Marcus Mimmo for organising our E36 cruise; with so many attending it was a fun day.

Tim Oh | Member #538
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 58 | March 2023

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

As we farewell summer we look back on the month that was February. It may have been a short month, but there were plenty of things happening to keep us all busy.

Our month started at the Bathurst 12 Hour. We were also joined by members from NSW, Canberra and the Gold Coast clubs. It was great to see the BMWs back on the grid and be treated to a garage and pit tour of the BMW team.

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7 February was our February members meeting at SEA Electric. Those who attended were fascinated by all of the information Glen had to share about their work. It's really inspiring to see some of our members leading the way in electric truck technology.

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11 February was our pre-Torquay Motor Show drive, many of our members also stayed over for the Motor Show the following day, giving everyone the chance to enjoy some dinner on the Saturday night.

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12 February was of course the Torquay Motor Show. We always enjoy this display, and were very pleased to see one of our members, David Pye, take out the 'best car on the day' award, even though he didn't have a BMW!

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On 12 February we also had our second round of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. The day started a little drizzly before turning into a beautiful sunny afternoon. It was really nice to see so many members attend in support of those driving on the day.

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19 February was our annual family fun day, this year at Enchanted Maze, Arthurs Seat. We hired a party pavilion so that our members had a base to come and go from. There were activities for everyone from searching through mazes to tube slides!

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22 February was our mid-week twilight drive. This time we were in the Geelong area, enjoying a drive and dinner at the Meredith Royal Hotel.

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24 February was our monthly catch up with the BMW team in Munich, where we were given an update on BMW Classic and their plans for 2023. These events are growing in popularity each month, which is great to see.

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26 February was our final event for the month, where we attended the AOMC British and European Car Show at Caribbean Gardens. Between us and the other Victorian BMW Club, it was nice to have so many BMWs on display. There was something for everyone, from early 60’s to modern cars for the crowd to enjoy.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Deborah Maxwell-Wright, Chas Christodoulides, Tibi Varga, David Beal, Terry House, Harnish Panchal, Ronald Whitehead, James Ruiz, Ben Grice, Shaun Lynch, Cameron Dwight, Qiqin Yu and Werner Ihle. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for March:

Tuesday, 7 March
Simulator Challenge Round 2 - Sponsored by Shannons
There are still a couple of spots left to register to compete in round 2 of our simulator challenge!

Saturday-Sunday, 11-12 March
Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed Car Display
Join us for our annual display at the Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed. You can attend one or both days and will receive discounted entry as part of the display.

Friday-Sunday, 17-19 March
BMW Clubs Australia Nationals 2023 - Gold Coast
Registrations are now closed. We hope those who are attending have a fantastic time!

Thursday, 23 March
Twilight Drive - Westerfolds Park - St Andrews - Coldstream
We'll start at Westerfolds Park for a catch up, sausage and cold drink, before heading off through some beautiful driving roads, to hopefully watch the sunset in Coldstream.

Wednesday-Sunday, 29 March - 2 April
Formula 1 Grand Prix Display
Registrations are now closed and the event itself is sold out. We hope those attending have a fantastic time!

Friday, 31 March
BMW Club Community Management Team live from Munich
The March BCCM Live Session will feature a presentation of the new additions to the collection.

One event for later in the year to put in your calendar now is German Auto Show. Those that attended last year will remember the huge success of the event, which we aim to repeat again in 2023. The 2023 German Auto Show will be held on 27 August at Calder Park. Click here for full details and registration.

Be sure to keep an eye on our calendar to stay up to date with our events.

If you're attending a social drive or weekend away, we recommend checking out our event tips to help you get the best out of the event.

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EVENT PHOTOS

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

Wine Fundraiser.

Last year BMWDCM set up a fundraising project with "Personalize Your Wine" to be able to offer our members a keepsake for winning 2021 International Club of the Year.

All funds raised through purchase of the bottles will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

If you haven't already placed an order but would like to, you can do so here.

Get behind your club and a great charity.

From the Welfare Team.

"If you don’t leave your past in the past, it will destroy your future. You have got to live for what today is offering, not for what yesterday took away from you."

Click here for more Welfare Team updates and their contact details.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

BMWDCM Membership Promotion.

The following winners were drawn at 7.35pm on 9 January 2023:

First prize: Thomas Schneider
Second prize: Garry Pakenham
Third prize: Souhail Raydan
Fourth prize: Andrew Wallace
Fifth prize: Nick Benassi
Sixth prize: Reece Todd
Seventh prize: Simon Bartaby
Eighth prize: Tynan Corbett

Congratulations to the winners!

We would like to thank those sponsors who kindly provided prizes for the competition.
The full competition Ts&Cs can be viewed here.

Club partners.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Jess Bell

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Traction Tyres
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An update from the President | February

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

I hope you are all well.

We started February with a large group of BMW enthusiast and members travelling to Bathurst for the Bathurst 12 hour. It was great to see BMW back at the mountain again this year and to see so many BMW shirts walking around the paddock.

We were lucky to have members from BMW clubs from Melbourne, NSW, Canberra and Gold Coast join us at the event. Thanks to Jo we also enjoyed a tour of the BMW garages and got up close to the drivers and the cars.

We are looking at doing a private suite next year so watch this space.

7 February was our February members meeting at SEA Electric which was absolutely fascinating. It was a brilliant turnout and it was wonderful to see so many members just so enthralled by Glen’s commentary. Thank you again the Margaret and Warren Fairweather for putting on this night and for the lovely nibbles. All went away very knowledgeable and well fed. Just amazing that this growing Aussie business is leading the world in electric trucks and even better that they are building them here!

11 February was our pre-Torquay Motor Show drive. It was nice to see lots of people staying over ready for the event the next day. It was also great to be able to share a meal and chat with our members from the other side of the bay.

12 February of course was the Torquay Motor Show. We always have a fantastic display here and it was even better when one of our members taking out best car on the day, sadly not a BMW but still one of our members, so well-done David Pye and his beautiful Mercedes AMG Black even if it is orange!

On 12 February we also had our second round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. There was a little bit of drizzle in the morning and then the sun came out for the rest of day. Thank you to all the members who just came along to support the others competing on the day.

On 17 February two of our club’s members did their OLT (Observed License Test) at Sandown and I was one of the Testing Observers. I am happy to say, even through the sweltering heat they both passed. Congratulations to them both. Well done Adam and Jesse, you now have a licence to spend more money on motorsport!

19 February was our annual family fun day, this year at Enchanted Maze, Arthurs Seat. It was another beautiful day and the weather being perfect. We hired a party pavilion so that our members had a base to come and go from. We were exhausted after walking so may kilometres and dragging tubes up and day the hill for the tube slides, but it was again great to see so many families out and enjoying club life.

22 February was our mid-week twilight drive and this time we left from the Geelong area. It was fantastic to see so many members out mid-week and again enjoying some great Melbourne weather and then a nice social night for dinner.

24 February was our monthly catch up with the BMW team in Munich. These nights are always informative and great for our members to be able to chat with the staff in Munich via the chat option on the link. The events are certainly gaining more popularity, which is nice to see.

26 February was our last event for the month. February being and a short month, but not short on events to keep us busy. This is the first time the AOMC British and European Car Show was held at Caribbean Gardens. We parked beside the other Victorian BMW Club and it was great to have so many BMWs from both clubs there. Everything from early 60’s to current cars for the crowd to enjoy.

Looking ahead, March is here and we have a full month ahead of us.

7 March is Round 2 of the Shannons Simulator Challenge. There are still spots available and even if you are not wanting to compete, pop by and cheer on the competitors. It is a lot of fun, and we would love your support behind this event.

11-12 March will be a big weekend with the Phillip Island Historic Car Display. We have a huge response for this event so far but still have room for more registrants. Get your entries in now to not miss out. Also if you are attending on Saturday you will be able to do parade laps of the track see details here.

17-19 March is the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals Hosted by BMW Car Club Gold Coast. Bookings for this event has now closed and it is looking like being a great event. Watch out for photos from us on Facebook.

On 23 March we have our last twilight drive before the end of daylight savings, starting from Westerfolds Park in Templestowe. This is a great location, and we will be starting off with a sausage sizzle and then heading off in a group to enjoy the sun set.

29 March - 2 April is the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix. This year we will have 30 cars on display so make sure you come by and check out our display area.

Some other events to put in your calendar:

7 April - Royal Children’s Hospital good Friday Appeal Coffee and Wheels. (all welcome, any makes of cars, bikes all brands)
22 April - Anzac Long Weekend Away – Silo Tour
6 May – Our fifth birthday and presentation dinner
2 June - Kings Birthday South Australia 10 day tour (a shorter version will be also available just for the long weekend)
9 July - Christmas in July – Phillip Island
27 August - German Auto Show (this will be huge)
23-24 November - Challenge Bathurst (a group of 55 this year)
10 December - Christmas Show and Shine and Family Picnic

These are just a few of the larger events we have already up and ready for your entry. German Auto Show should be released within the next week or so, look out for that. We will be needing volunteers again as we are anticipating this to be much bigger that previous years. It is also great that we will be hosting at this event the 100 years of the BMW Motorcycles and R32 celebration and BMW Motorcycle Club Vic will be holding their display with us on the day.

BMWDCM have been given a great deal with the West Waters at Caroline Springs for any members who would like to stay the night before or after this event, so please go to this link and make your booking. We also have other hotels which are part of this group who will be offering our members great discounts on your stays with them so be sure to keep an eye on our members area of the website for information on that.

Both Jo and I have been working with BMWMCCV (Motorcycles Victoria) over the last year to get them more involved with joint events with us and we are happy to say that we have had a few already and look forward to having them join us at a few more. We offer a huge welcome to all their members.

We have a sale on at the moment with two of our summer polos being reduced by 50%, so be sure to visit our online store to place your orders. There is limited stock so get in early to avoid missing out.

Remember when your club registration is due, PLEASE do not leave it to a day before it expires then call us panicking that you need a signature. You receive it at least two months before it is due, and it is your responsibility to get it to us in plenty of time. We are all volunteers so you have to fit in with our schedules and sometimes if you just turn up at the club rooms we may not even be there. It is important to call and check first before driving down.

Vic roads also offer an online process which we have had operating for over a year now and this is working great. You complete the necessary form and forward to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au and it is then returned to you within a few days. Again, this is not a guaranteed immediate return as again, we are volunteers, and we could be busy or away. It is imperative you give us plenty of time to get your paperwork back to you.

All new applications must be made by appointment.

On a health matter both Shaaron and Jo are heading off to hospital to have various body parts replaced this month, Shaaron with her knees and Jo with her right shoulder, so please be patient as things will be a little slower while they are both out of action.

Jo has been working very hard to get at least the first half of the year up on the website with events and most of the other half of the year is pretty much nearly completed too. She has done an amazing job to do so, so thank you Jo.

Please also check out the Carbon Offset Scheme. Sign up and help offset your carbon output. It is a great initiative and very proud that we were involved in getting this up and running.

We would like to thank all the sponsors and advertisers who supported our Members Award Program. Please see below the sponsors and winners.

All Commercial Real Estate
Mota Team Australia
Benzina Magazine
Auto Cache
Jay Lenos Garage
All Marque Storage
Eastern Tyres
Bell Motorsport
Traction Tyres

We would like to congratulate the eight lucky winners:

Thomas Schneider
Garry Pakenham
Souhail Raydan
Andrew Wallace
Nick Benassi
Reece Todd
Simon Bartaby
Tynan Corbett

On another point, we are really grateful to the members who are volunteering to help with the different aspects of the club. One area we would like to cover is videographer, we would like to set up a YouTube channel with videos of the club’s events and get more information out to new and current members regarding what we are up to. If you have skills and time in this area, please contact us for a chat.

We are happy to say that we now have some Facebook series captains, E30, E36, E31 and we need a few more, again, chat to us about it if you are interested. If this is something you feel is up your alley, please let us know and we can set this up on Facebook and make you a group moderator.

What will this entail to be a captain, basically as much or as little as you wish. Holding the odd meet up with your series at a coffee shop on a weekend, making sure the content on the Facebook page is up to standard and not breaching any of our social media rules, helping with technical advice or directing the member to the appropriate areas to find this, that sort of thing. It does not need to be a full time job, just a casual group who get to meet up from time to time and chat about all things BMW. Occasionally we do get a call out from BMW Head office for a specific type of car, so this is where these groups will work, being able to just target a small group rather than the whole club.

Our Welfare team is also quietly working away in the background and helping out where required. If you need anything at all, please get in touch with one of the Welfare Team. welfare@bmwdcm.com.au.

We are off to a fantastic start to what will be an amazingly busy year, I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

BMW Group brings hydrogen cars to the road: BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet launches

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 08:44:36 GMT

+++ Important next phase: pilot vehicles in real-world use deliver valuable knowledge +++ Paving the way for potential series production +++

The BMW Group is presenting international media representatives with the first vehicles in a pilot fleet that will go into service this year. After four years of development work, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen vehicle and development project is entering its critical next phase.

The fleet of under 100 vehicles will then be employed internationally for demonstration and trial purposes for various target groups. This active driving experience will therefore be the first chance for people not involved in the development process to gain a direct impression of what the BMW iX5 Hydrogen has to offer.

“Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play in the energy transition process and therefore in climate protection. After all, it is one of the most efficient ways of storing and transporting renewable energies”, said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “We should use this potential to also accelerate the transformation of the mobility sector. Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility. One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen developed on the basis of the current BMW X5 was first unveiled as a concept at the IAA show in 2019. Initial prototypes were then made available at the IAA Mobility 2021 for visitors to experience in action as shuttle vehicles.

Its hydrogen fuel cell system is further proof of the BMW Group’s leading development expertise in the field of electric drive technologies. The BMW Group is systematically pushing forward with development of hydrogen fuel cell technology as an additional option for locally emission-free individual mobility in the future.

BMW’s technological expertise.

The BMW Group produces the highly efficient fuel cell systems for the pilot fleet at its in-house competence centre for hydrogen in Munich. This technology is one of the core elements in the BMW iX5 Hydrogen and generates a high continuous output of 125 kW/170 hp.

A chemical reaction takes place in the fuel cell between gaseous hydrogen from the tanks and oxygen from the air. Maintaining a steady supply of both elements to the fuel cell’s membrane is of crucial importance for the drive system’s efficiency. In addition to the technological equivalents of features found on combustion engines, such as charge air coolers, air filters, control units and sensors, the BMW Group also developed special hydrogen components for its new fuel cell system. These include the high-speed compressor with turbine and high-voltage coolant pump, for instance.

The BMW Group sources the individual fuel cells from the Toyota Motor Corporation. The two companies have enjoyed a partnership characterised by trust for many years and have been collaborating on fuel cell drive systems since 2013.

Fuel cell systems are manufactured in two main steps, based on the individual fuel cells. The cells are first assembled into a fuel cell stack. The next step involves fitting all the other components to produce a complete fuel cell system.

Stacking of the fuel cells is largely a fully automated process. Once the individual components have been inspected for any damage, the stack is compressed by machine with a force of five tonnes and placed in a housing. The stack housing is manufactured in the light metal foundry at BMW Group Plant Landshut using a sand casting technique.

For this, molten aluminium is poured into a mould made from compacted sand mixed with resin in a process specially designed for this small-series vehicle.

The pressure plate, which delivers hydrogen and oxygen to the fuel cell stack, is made from cast plastic parts and light-alloy castings, also from the Landshut plant. The pressure plate forms a gas-tight and water-tight seal around the stack housing.

Final assembly of the fuel cell stacks includes a voltage test along with extensive testing of the chemical reaction within the cells. Finally, all the different components are fitted together in the assembly area to produce the complete system.

During this system assembly stage, further components are fitted, such as the compressor, the anode and cathode of the fuel-cell system, the high-voltage coolant pump and the wiring harness.

In combination with a highly integrated drive unit using fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology (the electric motor, transmission and power electronics are grouped together in a compact housing) at the rear axle and a power battery with lithium-ion technology developed specially for this vehicle, the powertrain channels maximum output of 295kW / 401 hp onto the road. In coasting overrun and braking phases, the motor also serves as a generator, feeding energy back into a power battery.

Production at Munich pilot plant.

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is being built in the BMW Group’s pilot plant at its Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich. This is the interface between development and production where every new model from the company’s brands is made for the first time. Around 900 people work there in the body shop, assembly, model engineering, concept vehicle construction and additive manufacturing.

They are tasked with ensuring that both the product and the manufacturing process are ready for series production. In the case of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, specialists in hydrogen technology, vehicle development and initial assembly of new models have been working closely together to integrate the cutting-edge drive and energy storage technology.

Hydrogen allows rapid re-fuelling.

The hydrogen needed to supply the fuel cell is stored in two 700-bar tanks made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). Together these hold almost six kilograms of hydrogen, enough to give the BMW iX5 Hydrogen a range of 504 km (313 miles) in the WLTP cycle. Filling up the hydrogen tanks only takes three to four minutes – so the BMW iX5 Hydrogen can also provide the driving pleasure for which BMW is renowned over long distances, with just a few, short stops along the way.

Summary of the technical data, performance, fuel consumption and range figures for the BMW iX5 Hydrogen:

Maximum output of overall drive system: 295 kW/401 hp
Electric continuous output of the fuel-cell system: 125 kW/170 hp
Maximum output of the battery (lithium-ion technology): 170 kW/231 hp
Maximum output of the highly integrated electric drive unit: 295 kW/401 hp
Capacity of the hydrogen tanks: 6 kg hydrogen (gaseous)
Acceleration: 0-100 km/h (62 mph) < 6 s
Top speed: Over 180 km/h (112 mph)
Hydrogen consumption in the WLTP cycle: 1.19 kg/100 km
Range in the WLTP cycle: 504 km (313 miles)

FCEV technology contributes to decarbonisation.

The BMW Group is the first German carmaker to have joined the “Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign” led by the Science Based Targets initiative and is committed to achieving the goal of full climate neutrality throughout the value chain.

The next step in this process involves the BMW Group’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions per vehicle over its full lifecycle – i.e. supply chain, production and use phase – by at least 40 per cent by 2030 compared with 2019.

The BMW Group sold more than 215,000 fully electric vehicles worldwide in 2022, which represents an increase over the previous year of almost 108 per cent. Fully electric vehicles accounted for just under 9 per cent of total sales volumes last year, and this share is set to increase to 15 per cent in 2023.

By 2030 at the latest, the BMW Group is looking to reach a situation where fully electric vehicles claim a more than 50 per cent share of its overall sales.

The BMW Group views FCEV technology expressly as a potential addition to the drive technology used by battery-electric vehicles.

Hydrogen as part of global activities for CO2-free mobility.

According to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), hydrogen offers considerable potential as a future energy source in connection with global energy transition activities. Thanks to its storage and transport capabilities, hydrogen can be used for a wide variety of applications.

Most industrialised countries are therefore adopting hydrogen strategies and backing them up with roadmaps and concrete projects. In the transport sector, hydrogen can become a further technology option, alongside battery-electric mobility, for shaping sustainable individual mobility in the long term.

However, this will depend on competitive production of sufficient quantities of hydrogen from green power, as well as expansion of the corresponding filling infrastructure, which is already being intensively pursued in many countries.

The BMW Group welcomes and supports activities to promote innovation in Germany and Europe that will help build a hydrogen economy and accelerate production of green hydrogen. These specifically include the large-scale hydrogen projects classified as Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).

The projects that comprise this European Union initiative, supported in Germany by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Federal Ministry of Transport, span the entire value chain – from hydrogen production to transport to applications in industry.

With the right conditions, hydrogen fuel cell technology has the potential to become a further pillar in the BMW Group’s drive train portfolio for local CO2-free mobility.

BMW PRESS

Kyalami 9 Hour: BMW M Team WRT claims one-two with the BMW M4 GT3 in South Africa

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 03:39:48 GMT

BMW M Team WRT claimed win number two in its third race with the BMW M4 GT3. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) triumphed in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 at the Kyalami 9 Hour (RSA), the second race of this season’s Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC).

BMW M Team WRT claimed win number two in its third race with the BMW M4 GT3. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) triumphed in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 at the Kyalami 9 Hour (RSA), the second race of this season’s Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). This was van der Linde’s second victory at his home race, having also achieved the feat in 2020. The number 33 car, with drivers Philipp Eng (AUT), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Maxime Martin (BEL), came home second to make it a one-two for the team.

After finishing first and third at the 24 Hours of Dubai (UAE) and fourth and sixth at the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS), BMW M Team WRT returned to the podium in Kyalami. Starting second and third on the grid, the two BMW M4 GT3s moved to the front of the field early on in the race and then controlled proceedings throughout the entire race. Van der Linde crossed the finishing line 1.8 seconds ahead of Martin.

Thanks to the points they picked up for the victory in South Africa, van der Linde, Vanthoor and Weerts have moved to P2 of the IGTC standings after two of this season’s five races. The next races is the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL), the home outing for BMW M Team WRT.

Strong technology partnerships.

BMW M Motorsport is supported in the Intercontinental GT Challenge by premium technology partner Shell, official partner Endless, and official supplier KW automotive. Shell has worked with BMW M Motorsport for years on the development of lubricants for motor racing and the road, Endless adds decades of expertise in brake technology to the mix, while KW automotive has developed dampers for the BMW M4 GT3 since the start of the project. “We are pleased to be able to continue and expand our partnership with BMW M Motorsport, which has grown over the years,” said Jürgen Wohlfarth, CEO KW automotive GmbH. “As BMW M Motorsport Official Supplier BMW M4 GT3, we have been involved in the development of the chassis for the BMW M4 GT3 from the outset. As such, we are really proud that the hard work put in by the BMW race engineers and our development department is rewarded with victories and titles for the BMW M4 GT3.”

Quotes after the Kyalami 9 Hour.

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Congratulations to BMW M Team WRT on a fantastic and absolutely flawless performance! It is impressive to see how quickly the new member of our BMW M Motorsport family has reached such a high level with the BMW M4 GT3 that it has been able to win two of the first three races. I hope this strong run with the BMW M4 GT3 at the start of this season will continue into the coming months and that we will have even more cause for celebration! I am particularly pleased for Sheldon van der Linde that he was able to win his home race in front of his own fans. That is a very special experience for him. All the drivers did a perfect job, as did all the members of BMW M Motorsport and BMW M Team WRT. Thank you very much to everybody!”

Vincent Vosse (team principal BMW M Team WRT): “The team and drivers produced a perfect race – just as they did in Dubai and also Bathurst, where we unfortunately did not have the pace to compete at the very front. Everything came together here. I could not have wished for more. The cooperation with BMW M Motorsport is fantastic. It feels as though we have known each other for a very long time. And yet it is just six weeks since our first race together. Thank you to all the BMW M Motorsport employees who support us so magnificently.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#32 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “Every time I race in my home country, it seems to go fantastically well. I have been here three times now and have finished on the podium each time – and won twice. The first victory was very special, but this was even more emotional, as I had a lot of friends and family at the track. I really had goosebumps on the podium. Thank you to BMW M Motorsport and compliments to WRT for that performance in only the third race with BMW.”

Dries Vanthoor (#32 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “A great weekend for us all. Right from day one, we improved the race pace and did a perfect job. The safety car made it a bit close again for the last 25 minutes, but Sheldon brought the win home perfectly. Personally, I took a big step forward here when it comes to understanding the BMW M4 GT3.”

Charles Weerts (#32 BMW M4 GT3, 1st place): “I am very pleased with my first victory in the BMW M4 GT3. I still remember 2020, when I narrowly lost out to Sheldon and BMW. To now stand alongside them on the top step of the podium is a cool story. I feel much more at home in the car after my second race. I am really very happy.”

Philipp Eng (#33 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “That was my first race with WRT and I was very intrigued to see how the team goes about its work. I have to say, I am really impressed. A one-two is obviously a fantastic result, and it is looking very good for both cars in the championship. I had an awful lot of fun here in Kyalami.”

Augusto Farfus (#33 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “From a team perspective, it does not get any better than that. We really did a perfect job. We knew from the start of the weekend that we had a strong package. However, we got the very best out of it. I cannot thank BMW M Motorsport and the team enough. We are now very well positioned in the championship. A great result so early in the season.”

Maxime Martin (#33 BMW M4 GT3, 2nd place): “For the team, you cannot get a better result than a one-two. We had a clean race without any issues and finished runners-up. In the end we were on the same strategy as our sister car, which meant we had to settle for second.”

BMW PRESS

A Wednesday evening drive

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 00:44:53 GMT

Event date: Wednesday, 22 February 2023

A traffic incident in Melbourne prevented us getting to the meeting point on time. However, we contacted Lawrence and met the group as they turned onto Ballan Rd.

Wendy and I were in our G30 530d as the E85 ZM roadster was clean ready for the British/European motor show. We joined in the middle of the group of 13 cars with Lawrence leading the convoy.

It was a beautiful evening and up ahead of us the sun was glinting off the roll protection on Steve’s E89 Z4 as he was cruising with the roof down. After turning off the Ballan Rd a gap opened ahead of us and a very nice E30 John Player Special went zapping past us, it sounded great.

As the sun was going down we turned into Perdrisat Rd to see beautiful views of the Moorabool valley. After the steep descent and climb out of the valley we headed towards the Midland Hwy. I grew up on the corner and when very young I used to drive the old farm ute down to the river with my brothers to fish. The road wasn’t made in those days and was subsequently named after my family. Rather nostalgic and a little sad driving the road and seeing the old family farmhouse.

Then it was up the Hwy to the Meredith Royal Hotel for dinner and a good chat. Good to meet some new people and also see some we have met at other events. Trevor with his nice E31 840i, Wendy and I were the last to leave fleeing the increasingly aggressive mosquitos.

Thanks to Lawrence for leading and organising a great little drive and dinner.

Kent & Wendy Perdrisat | Member #951
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Round 2 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Sandown

Sat, 25 Feb 2023 00:39:12 GMT

Event date: Sunday, 12 February 2023

Arrived at Sandown for the 07:45-08:30 driver check in. Drivers briefing to follow at 08:30.

With Practice commencing just after 09:00 on a relatively dry track (a light shower had come through earlier), the track was unfortunately declared wet after rain halfway through run group 1.

By the time I went out with run group 4 on a very wet and slippery track, there were puddles around the track, it wasn’t a matter of practicing lines etc. it was spotting the laying water and staying off the kerbs. My aim was to make sure the car was running as it should, driving skill was high on the agenda to ensure the car made it through the day. A few people in previous groups having some close calls, I wasn’t out there to set any land speed records.

I have only had my car on the road for about 6 months after replacing the engine, I felt I had a lot at stake.

Session 1 was again a wet track. With it raining in the previous groups. We had missed the rain but once again it was wet when I went out, concentration was at it peek as I kept the car straight staying off the kerbs.

With the track slowly drying out as the session went on and we got more laps in. It was still very wet and fairly unpredictable between turn 2 and 4. Everyone seemed to enjoy the greasy conditions, Luckily with no incidents but there were plenty of smiles at the end of the day.

Session 2 the track was drying out. Putting in some good times and both allowing for faster traffic and trying to maneuver through the slower traffic. This shows how important starting position can be with getting a few good laps in. I do like it when a faster car passes, it provides an opportunity to follow them through a few corners, you can look at their lines and how they are pushing the car. Drivers were patient and allowing easy no fuss passing.

Session 3 and 4 were near perfect conditions. Track was dry, sun was out. The track felt very fast. After going back to the garage and looking on Natsoft.com I was just over a second faster in session 3 than in session 4. With the track conditions improving and getting familiar with lines, braking points and the limits all contributing.

The smiles on the faces in the pits after made me think I wasn’t the only one.

In Session 5 AROCA started to combine groups, some people obviously happy with their times and pulled the pin, some with car issues and others who had evening commitments. The track again was near perfect, Was great to drive with other cars and drivers to get a different feel and compare track speed and lap times.

Session 6 was pretty much all the drivers that wanted an extra session could, I was having a few car issues so I took advantage of it to try and rectify a mechanical issue but also getting my fastest time for the day in the process. I couldn’t believe it. I think it was a combo of the brakes not cooling fully from the previous session, the track temp and knowing it was the last session all contributed.

Over all the day was great, It was my first super sprint with the BMWDC as well as my first event with AROCA. I’ve been a club member of BMWDC for about 3 years but have only ever done the come and try days. The event from what I could tell went smooth and was well organized. With Pizza and Coffee available at the track, friendly people and the opportunity to drive on a national track I will definitely be back.

On top of that I got to take my son 14 (who is a car nut and the main reason I attended this event), for a few laps around such a circuit was awesome. All the help and motivation he gives me to forget about work for a bit and go to the shed and work on my car, it was great for me to be able to reward him for a few laps around a track. Seems little, but the joy it gives both of us is amazing.

I think it is also a great way to get new interest in the sport and get to take their pride and joy for a lap on such a circuit.

Zac Dunn | Member #527
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

70 percent less CO2: BMW Group plans to source aluminium from sustainable production in Canada from 2024

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 04:31:05 GMT

+++ Rio Tinto’s aluminium production relies on local hydroelectric power +++ Innovative electrolysis method eliminates all process-related CO2 emissions +++ Potential to use of up to 50 percent secondary material +++ Set to supply US vehicle production at Plant Spartanburg +++

The BMW Group is continuing its efforts to systematically reduce CO₂ emissions in the supply chain. A particular focus is on CO₂-intensive materials like aluminium, steel and plastics. The BMW Group therefore intends to source aluminium with significantly reduced CO₂ emissions from Rio Tinto’s hydro-powered operations in Canada starting in 2024 and has signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect. Compared to conventionally manufactured aluminium, this approach can save around 70 percent of CO₂ emissions. The planned supply volumes will be used exclusively in vehicle production at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US state of South Carolina, in body components like the bonnet, for instance.

“We have clear goals for lowering CO₂ emissions in the supply chain. By using innovative materials, we can reduce our vehicles’ carbon footprint – even before handing them over to customers. The agreement to supply low-carbon aluminium is based on several pillars: in addition to hydroelectric power and a high percentage of secondary material, we also want to lead the automotive industry by ramping up our use of aluminium with no direct CO₂ emissions from the smelting process,” explains Joachim Post, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network.

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, said: “Canada is a global destination of choice for low-carbon investment. This exciting partnership between BMW and Rio Tinto is proof that Canada is well positioned to seize the economic benefits of the clean economy. I am proud to see that low carbon Canadian aluminum will be going into BMW’s vehicles. Canada will continue to enhance our competitive advantages – abundance of critical minerals, skilled labour, clean energy, proximity to markets – to grow our economy and to support made-in-Canada innovation.”

Owing to its comparatively low weight and other positive material properties, aluminium occupies a firm place in the BMW Group’s intelligent composite construction. In the supply chain of a mid-sized fully-electric vehicle around a quarter of the CO₂emissions are attributable to aluminium. This underlines the tremendous potential of reducing CO₂ in the aluminium supply chain.

Innovative manufacturing process

The ELYSIS technology developed for aluminium production, is revolutionising the smelting process required for manufacturing, by generating oxygen instead of carbon dioxide. The innovative method uses carbon-free anodes to eliminate all process-related CO2 emissions and was successfully tested at industrial level for the first time in 2021. The BMW Group intends to become one of the first customers to use this technology in standard production.

Other pillars of agreement with Rio Tinto

In addition to the carbon-free process, the agreement also covers aluminium alloys produced using electricity from renewable energy sources, with CO2 emissions that are only a third of the industry average. The aluminium production facilities in Quebec run almost entirely on electricity from six local hydroelectric power stations. As a further contribution to resource conservation, recycled content will be mixed in with the end product to potentially reach up to 50 percent secondary material.

The use of Rio Tinto’s blockchain technology also guarantees full traceability of the aluminium, all the way back to the original bauxite mine. This enables end-to-end transparency throughout the supply chain and therefore plays an important part in tracking compliance with environmental and social standards for extraction of raw materials.

BMW PRESS

BMW Motorrad presents the R 18 IRON ANNIE

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 06:27:41 GMT

R 18 custom bike from BMW partner VTR Motorrad AG & VTR Customs in aviation style.

The old "Aunt Ju" Junkers Ju 52, the legendary three-engine commercial and transport aircraft from the 1930s, is still familiar to many people. The Ju 52 with the aircraft registration D-AQUI in the Lufthansa colour scheme grey-black from 1936 became particularly well known worldwide. During its time in the USA from 1970 to 1984 under the American aircraft registration N52JU, it was christened "IRON ANNIE" for short by its then owner Martin Caidin.

It was precisely this aircraft that inspired a customer of BMW partner VTR Motorrad AG & VTR Customs in Schmerikon, Switzerland, to create a very special customized version of the BMW R 18 – the R 18 "IRON ANNIE". Years before, the architect had already had an individual R nineT built entirely according to his ideas at VTR Customs and this time, too, aviation style elements from aircraft construction were to be used.

For example, the dial of the speedometer integrated into the tank, which is intended to be reminiscent of old cockpit instruments, or access panels with quick-release fasteners, as found on many aircraft. And of course, it was imperative to borrow from the Ju 52's characteristic corrugated aluminium planking. At the same time, the seat was to be reminiscent of a riding saddle and, of course, only the "IRON ANNIE" colour scheme in grey and black was to be used for the paintwork.

A BMW R 18 First Edition served as the starting point for the customizing project. First the engine was removed and painted black. All chrome parts were painted black and the fork stanchions also received a black coating in the form of a DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coat.

The cockpit trim was pulled back as narrow and flat as possible to emphasise the streamlined shape. The 7 cm shorter fork and a height-adjustable Wilbers shock absorber emphasise the crouched stance of the motorcycle. "To make the bike look smaller and give it a more filigree appearance between the wheels, we had large 18 and 21 inch wheels made by Kineo," adds Daniel Weidmann, Owner & Managing Director of VTR Motorrad & VTR Customs.

As a further technical treat, racing-style HC3 pumps from Magura were fitted in place of the standard R 18 brake and clutch fittings. The dial of the customized speedometer also received a hand specially made by watchmaker Zeitzone Zurich.

"One of the big challenges with the R 18 IRON ANNIE was the replica cooling fins in the area of the rear silencers. Shaping these parts into parallel and beautiful radii and at the same time still fastening them harmoniously took a number of attempts," says Daniel Weidmann about the aluminium sheet metal work. This consumed countless hours of work, as the fuel tank, the tail with the suggested tail fin of an aeroplane, the side panels and the cockpit were artfully hand-formed from aluminium sheet. Reminiscences of traditional metal aircraft construction are also provided by the numerous lens-head rivets.

"What almost pained us a little when we saw all the handmade, bright aluminium sheets shimmering and shining was that they would have to be painted. However, we are extremely satisfied with the result because the R 18 IRON ANNIE differs even more clearly from our well-known SPITFIRE, which is also designed in aviation style," Daniel Weidmann continues.

The R 18 IRON ANNIE will receive road approval and is sure to turn quite a few heads in its new home on Lake Geneva. It will remain a unique model as promised to the customer.

BMW R 18 IRON ANNIE by VTR Customs specifications:

Base: BMW R 18 First Edition.
Sheet metal parts: Fuel tank, rear, side panels, cockpit, mudguard, Aluminium handmade by VTR Customs.
Fork: shortened and DLC-coated stanchions.
Suspension strut: Wilbers, height adjustable.
Wheels: Kineo front 3.5 x 21", rear 6 x18".
Tyres: Avon Cobra, 120/70-21 and 200/55-18.
Handlebars: ABM Vario Clip.
Speedometer: Customized by Zeitzone Zürich.
Brake / clutch pump: Magura HC3.
Saddle: VTR Customs & Yves Knobel Saddlery.
Exhaust system: Walzwerk.
Number plate holder: Berham Customs.
Side indicator and rear lights: Kellermann Atto.
Headlight: HIGHSIDER.
Paintwork: VTR Customs & Freuler AG, Benken.

BMW PRESS

An enchanted adventure

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 08:40:23 GMT

Event date: Sunday, 19 February 2023

We started the day by waking up at 5 am with dad and Makayla to get ready to go on a road trip with BMWDCM.

We were off on an adventure to an organised club event at enchanted adventure park at Arthur's seat. The sunrise was amazing on the journey down.

After arriving at Enchanted Adventure Park.

Dad had a chat with other club members as Makayla, and I explored the tree suspension bridge before dad eagerly joined us to explore the many treasures and beauty enchanted had to offer.

We didn't go on the tube slides or tree top walk as thought that was a bit scary for us as I myself am only 13 and my sisters 9.

In saying that, though, we had an absolute ball today running through the many garden paths and trickling streams of water before we ran out of energy and then got lunch at the cafe on the grounds. (Dad said we had to grab something healthy, so grabbed wraps and fruit salad).

The best part of the day and park was my sister and I thought was the fountains and the trickling water through the paths.

The day was a fantastic day and we had a ball.

Zavier Robin
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Zero-emission open-air driving fun: The first all-electric MINI Cooper SE Convertible

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 08:32:51 GMT

The world's first convertible with a purely electric drive is a MINI. From idea to small series in less than 8 months. The MINI Cooper SE Convertible sets another strong impulse on the way to becoming a fully electric brand.

Following the positive feedback on the unique specimen presented in summer 2022, MINI is now going ahead with a small series of the all-electric MINI Cooper SE Convertible (power consumption combined: 17.2 kWh/100 km according to WLTP; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km) which represents another big step in the direction of electric mobility. The world's first locally emission-free premium convertible in the small car segment shortens the transition period to the introduction of the next-generation all-electric model family. From April 2023, the MINI Cooper SE Convertible will be available in Europe in a limited number of 999 vehicles.

"Three years ago we launched the all-electric MINI Cooper SE, and today one in five MINI sold in Europe is an all-electric MINI. This success has spurred us to implement the small series of the MINI Cooper SE Convertible within only a few months. I'm delighted that we can offer 999 MINI customers an extraordinary and exclusive open-air go-kart feeling," says Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI Brand.

The MINI Cooper SE Convertible is available in Enigmatic Black and White Silver. Door handles, side scuttles and the surrounds of the front and rear lights are finished in Resolute Bronze. The MINI logos and the model lettering feature in elegant Piano Black to match. The E logo familiar from the MINI Cooper SE is found on the front apron and on the rear, thereby visually underlining locally emission-free driving fun.

Further edition-specific equipment details also adorn the door sill trims and side scuttles and, with the 1 of 999 lettering emphasising the exclusive character of the limited edition open-air MINI.

MINI takes on a pioneering role with the edition-specific alloy wheels. The 17" cast alloy wheels in Electric Power Spoke 2-tone design are made of 100 percent secondary aluminium. The combination of green electricity during production and the use of the secondary raw material can significantly reduce CO2 emissions compared to conventional manufacturing processes.

Extensive interior equipment with MINI Electric Design features.

The sports seats are in MINI Yours Leather Lounge design and feature seat heating and adjustable thigh support. The multifunctional sports leather steering wheel in Nappa leather finish contributes to the fun-to-drive atmosphere and stylish driving comfort and can also be heated. In the lower steering wheel spoke, the MINI Electric Badge highlights the limited character of the all-electric convertible. The exclusive Piano Black surfaces, which can be stylishly set off by the ambient lighting, also contribute to car’s exclusive status. The design of the interior emphasises the fully electric character of the open-top four-seater with yellow colour accents, such as the yellow start-stop toggle switch.

In addition to numerous other features, the high-quality equipment is complemented in the cockpit by the eDrive services familiar from the MINI Cooper SE. These provides the driver with information on current energy consumption, range and tips for an economical driving style. All essential information is summarised on the MINI Head-Up Display while driving. On longer journeys, the Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function and the MINI Driving Assistant, among other features, enhance the comfort of the limited MINI Convertible with all-electric drive as standard.

Pure electrified go-kart feeling.

With a length of 3,850 mm, a wheelbase of 2,495 mm, 1,727 mm width and 1,427 mm height, the dimensions, including the luggage compartment with 160 l load volume, remain unchanged compared to the conventionally powered MINI Convertible. The 135 kW/184 hp electric motor comes from the BMW Group's electric mobility competence centres in Dingolfing and Landshut. Its small size enables particularly harmonious axle load distribution and favours agile and easily controllable handling. The electric drive accelerates the MINI Cooper SE Convertible smoothly from standstill to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds.

With a range of 201 kilometres determined in the WLTP test cycle, open-air excursions are possible well beyond the city limits. Up to 30 km/h, the fully electrically powered and thus particularly quiet textile soft top in MINI Yours style with typical Union Jack pattern can be opened, closed or set as a sliding roof.

From idea to small series.

With the MINI Cooper SE Convertible, MINI highlights its flexibility and has set up the production of a small series for the first time. The MINI Cooper SE Convertible will be produced in a limited edition of 999 vehicles alongside the conventional MINI Convertible in the Netherlands.

BMW PRESS

A day at the Association of Motoring Clubs, Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 08:31:00 GMT

Event date: Sunday, 29 January 2023

The Association of Motoring Clubs, Festival of Motoring was held at Cruden Farm, a heritage listed property of 54 Hectares which was previously owned by Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, on the 29 January 2023.

I left home in my 86’ BMW 635csi in drizzly rain to drive the 5km and join other enthusiasts from the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne at the Hungry Jacks near Karingal Hub. We departed at 9:00am where Graham Bell led the contingent of BMW’s, and one members MGB GT, to drive the approximately half kilometre to the entry gate at Cruden Farm. We joined a long queue of classic vehicles, the requirement of the show was vehicles over 25 years old, for a slow drive along a meandering dirt road to our display location.

The BMWDCM had been allotted a display area adjacent to the event organisers setup and, fortuitously, right near the coffee and food vendors. As I approached the end of the drive in I was greeted by Jo Mawson who directed me to the display area, where Graham assisted in lining the cars up for the BMWDCM display. The clubs display was the only contingent of BMW’s at the event and consisted of Lawrence Glynn’s E21 JPS and Graham/Jo’s E21, two E30 Convertibles and an E30 325i, Richards beautiful E9, Simon’s modified E36, Danny’s very tidy E34 535i, Michael’s lovely Z3, my E24 635csi and a very well presented MGB GT. Some members had arrived early and had set up the club trailer and banners and, of course, the little BMW Isetta. By the time the display was set up the rain had stopped and the rest of the day was overcast but dry.

I believe this was the first time the event has been run since the start of the covid pandemic and the turnout and variation of vehicles represented was impressive. The Mercedes club had a large array of their marque represented with a very impressive 300SL Gullwing Coupe (54’-57’). There was a handful of nice VW Combi’s and early Beetle’s. The German contingent was rounded out with a lovely display of very well presented Karmann Ghia’s. The British displays consisted of a display of Rolls Royce spanning 1947 to the 1990’s, a very large number of Triumphs ranging from Spitfire’s, Stag’s, TR2 through to TR8, the largest collection of E Type Jaguars I have seen at one time and a lot of individual vehicles such as Hillman, Humber, Morris and a very early Lotus racer which is on historic registration. There was a large collection of American cars from the 50’s and 60’s with their massive fins and lots of chrome and one 70’s ‘pimpmobile’ that looked like it was straight out of an episode of the A-Team. Next to the American display, and looking relatively diminutive, was the Italians represented by Alpha’s, Lancia’s and Fiat’s with some very nice cars. Located behind Cruden Farm’s stately house and lining the property’s lake was a huge display of veteran and vintage vehicles covering the early 1900’s. There were many other individual vehicles, representing a huge array of various manufacturers, in various states from concourse to daily drivers. Australian cars were represented in small numbers with a handful of Hardtop Falcons, a couple of Torana’s, a few early 1940’s to 1960’s Holden’s and a standout HZ Premier which was totally original, 2 owners and looked like it had just come off the showroom floor.

The whole day was very enjoyable with lots of conversations with fellow enthusiast of all marques, seeing some unusual vehicles which don’t often see the light of day, and getting to talk to interested people about our cars and the club. I will be looking forward to the next Festival of Motoring event in 2024.

Russell Eastaway | Member #433
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

End of year (2022) twilight drive

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:42:00 GMT

Event date: Tuesday, 6 December 2022

The "End of year Twilight Drive" began at Mornington BMW, which had a range of interesting cars on display, including a superbly appointed new 7 series. It was a beautiful fine evening, and the pre – drive BBQ allowed the chance to socialise and chat while enjoying a tasty snag or two!

This being one of the last drive events for 2022, it was quite well attended. The route chosen followed the peninsula foreshore past Mount Martha, Safety Beach and Dromana, up Arthurs' Seat before meandering along back roads and ending at the Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club car park.

The drive was timed to finish at twilight, so we could enjoy watching the sunset over the beach – and indeed it was a spectacular sight!

Thanks to all Members who organised or supported and participated to make this a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Richard Van Essen | Member #946
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Pre-Torquay Motor Show drive

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:37:23 GMT

Event date: Saturday, 11 February 2023

Another awesome day with the BMWDCM crew.

A nice leisurely drive from Geelong to Lorne, leaving the south bound BP service station on the Geelong ring road, taking a drive up through Bannockburn then heading towards Winchelsea turning left on a nice winding road through Deans Marsh onto Lorne where we arriving at the designated meeting spot to join the cruise back to the Torquay car show site with some of the other entrants. We drove down the Great Ocean Road on another top drive in our cars with radio communications keeping the group together. We all parked up at the show site for a chat and check out some of the other cars there, not all of which would be at the show proper. All up, an amazing 2.5 hour cruise with friendly faces smiling.

In the evening we went to the Torquay hotel for an amazing meal and a drink, Deb and myself making new friends at every meet. We enjoyed great company and the usual BMW chats. I even broke out the new BMW shoes.

Sadly we had family commitments which prevented us attended the show.

Once again thank you to the organisers and Lawrence Glynn for leading the pack.

Look forward to many more adventures with the BMWDCM crew.

Terry & Debbie Braddock | Member #830 & #857
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Phillip Island track day

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 01:15:42 GMT

Event date: Sunday, 15 January 2023

After joining the BMW Melbourne Drivers club it was pleasing to see how active the club is and the range of meetings, events and goings on that the club schedule. Jo and Graeme are the most wonderful folks and were so welcoming to a newcomer and novice as myself.

Living on Phillip Island for many years the opportunity presented itself to become involved in sprint events. I was invited in December to come out to the track and meet everyone and see how a day goes. The day was really fun and I was able to get my first ever run around the track all be it a parade lap with some other fine vehicles. The range of motor vehicles was stunning and the process to get involved was easy to follow. After the parade lap the opportunity to go to the next level were presented, this excited me. Registering with Motorsport Australia for a basic licence in relation to my category was easy.

The vehicle I have is one of two E39's, a 5 series 1997 BMW 540i which although is great comfortable car and a renowned model for BMW in the 5 series, a luxury cruiser, the bug had bitten and I was keen to participate in sprint events. The ability to drive the vehicle in a legal and safe environment away from public roads was so appropriate.

The next event was the first round for 2023 at Phillip Island, a well known and much loved track by so many enthusiasts and professionals. 15 January 2023 the date was set. Entry was straightforward and the costs were not prohibitive. A hobby well worth the time and the small costs to accommodate.

The day came and I could hardly sleep the night before, I had done all my due diligence over and over and the car and myself were appropriately ready for the day. From 'Revolution Racegear' in Mitcham providing friendly assistance for items like a Helmut, shoes and correct attire, On the day it was a great straightforward process to meet all the requirements with officials and scrutineering. Decals and numbers were on and we were all set. Although one small item was missed, Graeme in a jiffy was able to assist in meeting the requirement for a fire extinguisher to be fitted in the vehicle, I had this basically in the car but not secured to Motorsport standards. Once this was done we were away!

I have never felt the exlihiaration of entering the circuit for the first time, my first ever time driving on a race track. Time was gratefully taken to provide a trained professional to guide me on an initial lap and explain every facet and tip for this circuit. Experience could only help develop what learnings I found. The vehicle performed well and within its specifications, I was pumping with adrenalin and almost shaking with excitement after the very first sprint. Times weren't that great but that wasn't overly important, it wasn't a race but an opportunity to exercise the vehicle unlike any public road could legally offer. Speeds up to 180klms an hour were just fine.

Chuffed to be amongst some seasoned vets and amazing vehicles, it was good to be treated so well and learn to observe etiquette and best possible practices among traffic on the circuit, this intrigued me and was no problem. Everyone had a great time. As the day went on I progressed in going out to every call, times slightly improved and the roar of the 540i was sheer pleasure and a rush to experience. Phillip Island racetrack is a quality surface and practice does make perfect, although far from 'Peter perfect' lap after lap, my confidence and ability improved. I had been a good driver for many a year and enjoyed focusing on what I had been guided on.

One brief incident where I had the back end of the car jump out on Miller corner was well handled and caused no incident to other drivers or cars, it was that moment that I felt I may just well be able to handle myself and decided this is the pastime for me.

The day progressed and I met many great people and chatted, lunch was a good meal at the trackside café and the afternoon progressed. Some went home and slowly the group calls became more frequent and eventually all groups right up to the last sprint all went out together. Some 25+ laps that day, it was such an incredible thrilling experience!

The car has done well and I look forward to making some slight improvements to the vehicle as Graeme is a seasoned pro and also has his own workshop. A well versed individual in everything BMW and motorsport. Only recently Sandown Round 2 was just another level, my second outing. Thats another story and a totally amazing experience at such an iconic part of Motorsport history. There we had all 4 seasons of weather in one day! Again everything went well and the journey continues. Great to get the car home again in one piece and no serious issues.

Completely stoked, I so look forward to continuing to participate in events and outings and meet more of the clubs amazing members and their vehicles.

Mike Skomina | Member #958
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

2023 Australia Day drive

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 01:11:36 GMT

Event date: Thursday, 26 January 2023

Wendy and I joined the club late last year with the Christmas picnic show 'n shine being our first event where we met a lot of friendly people all passionate about cars, especially BMWs. The Australia Day drive presented the opportunity to participate in the driving activities, after all it is a "Driving" club . As with every aspect of the club the drive was impeccably organised with email reminders and detailed turn by turn driving instructions issued before the day.

We were second to arrive at Hogans Hotel in Wallan and met Paul and his silver M3 with red trim waiting for the others to arrive, very nice car and owner.

Soon the rest of the gang arrived a total of 18 cars, all well presented. We enjoyed a tasty lunch and good chat at the hotel before the briefing by Jo.

We set off in two groups, the front group following Peter in the lead for spirited driving, Jo and Graeme coordinating from the centre and Lawrence and Sharon bringing up the tail end of the second group to ensure none were lost along the way.

We joined the front group and headed roughly west through Woodend to Spring Hill before turning north through Kyneton to Malmsbury for a coffee and a chance to admire the other members' cars and some more conversation with the club members. After a coffee and snack from the Bakery we headed north and then east through Glenhope, Pyalong and Tullarook. Again, we joined the front group contrary to Wendy's preference, but a great driving experience . Lots of windy roads, great corners and beautiful scenery. The banter on the two-way radio was amusing but also informative with early warnings of oncoming traffic, cyclists and the many potholes and road hazards. The weather was perfect and we did one leg with the roof down but the wind noise it did make hearing the radio difficult and I was beginning to get sunburnt. The dappled light through the overhanging trees was quite picturesque though it added to the challenge of spotting the potholes in time. The winter rains have not been kind to our roads and I did hit a couple of holes harder than I would have liked.

Jo was like a professional sheep dog allowing the mob to spread and stray within the bounds of reasonableness and then calling for re-grouping and rounding us up as necessary. She also saved me much embarrassment by calling me off when I was about to take the wrong exit off the freeway. I was just eager to get back on the windy roads .... well that's my excuse anyway.

From Kerrisdale we headed south through more beautiful scenery to our final desination the Panton Hills hotel. Most of the group where staying on for dinner. Wendy and I couldn't stay for dinner however we had a chat to other members before heading home. We have eaten at the pub before so I am sure there was plenty of good food, company and conversation. Upon leaving we found Paul contemplating a faulty tire valve. In these days of no spare tyres it was a matter of calling the RACV for a tow. At least not too complex or costly to repair and plently of good company while waiting for the RACV. I hope his car is healthy and back on the road again.

It was a great day and we have already registered for another drive and another show and shine.

Thanks to the Committee and all involved for organizing a great day out!

Kent Perdrisat | Member #951
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Diary: Bathurst 12 Hour

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:15:43 GMT

Event date: Thursday-Monday, 2-6 February 2023

Trip up.

Road trip to Bathurst 12 hour started with a car full of flags we are ready, got our BMW coffee mugs and water bottles.

Who said Motorsport can't be glamorous, thank you #sirenepearls for Jo’s amazing black pearls which she will be wearing all weekend.

So, we’ve had a very leisurely drive up to Bathurst this time.

After picking up our rear seat passenger in Melbourne we stopped for a visit and lunch at a lovely venue we wanted to scope out for a future event then drove on up to Junee for the night.

This morning the plan was to start the day with a nice breakfast at the chocolate factory, load up with licorice then head on to Bathurst, but the restaurant is under renovation, so we just filled up with goodies and had breakfast in town at the railway restaurant. So glad we did. What a lovely building and delicious breaky it was.

It’s great to take time and do a little exploring when you travel, you find some real gems of places.

Good to see the roads are slowly getting back to normal and the potholes are slowly getting repaired. The roads were shocking after all the rain through NSW but finally it is getting much better to drive up.

Upon arrival at Bathurst, we checked into the lovely Motel and once settled we went off for dinner and meet up with our friends from Melbourne and Gold Coast BMW Clubs that are joining us this year in the 12 Hour Club.

Looking forward to the next three days relaxing and enjoying the event, it will be great.

Day 1 at the Track.

Where else would you want to be on a beautiful sunny summer’s morning?

The action is underway at ’The Mountain.’

Fantastic first day of on track activities at the 12 Hour for 2023.

Great bunch of BMW Club members from three states here joining us in the 12Hour Club on top of the pit building. Really is a great way to do this event.

Had a visit and chat with Craig Lowndes, who invited us down to his garage for an up close with their car, even let us sign the rear bumper for a charity donation to prostate cancer.

Also had a tour today of the Supercheap Auto garage with triple8.

A couple of drivers came up to show us how to do the mountain on the sims in the 12Hour Club too which was actually funny to watch, as they were complaining about not getting any feedback.

Lots of noise and fun had, lots of chats and catch-ups with people we see at tracks all the time and quite a few new friendships made.

If you love GT cars, this is the place to be.

Looking forward to seeing the Red Bull F1 car tomorrow and out tour of the BMW Garages and more.

Day 2 at the track.

Absolutely awesome day up at Mt Panorama today. No other way to describe it.

Perfect weather, great company, fantastic being in the 12 Hour Club and being able to come and go, eat as much delicious food and drink what we like. Having visits from drivers and teams.

To see and hear the RB7 F1 car and the Camaro playing together was just amazing!

Great having BMW members from clubs up and down the coast coming together and joining us as well.

Then after the days fun we go back to our motel for a rest we get together for another lovely dinner.

We are so lucky to have Jo to work her magic and get us all the extra things too.

Today we had an hour-long private tour of the BMW Garages and compound behind the pits, where we even had a brief encounter with the mythical Valentino Rossi. Roy from BMW Motorsport chatted and answered all our questions and couldn’t be more accommodating to our group again this year.

In the morning we have grid walk passes too. Means a very early start tomorrow but again it will be worth it.

This is such a great event, one you should all think about coming to in the future. It is so worth it.

Day 3 at the Track.

Early morning start but it is always worth it to get this close to the action.

Long day ahead but we are hoping BMW has a great run.

Great to spend this weekend WITH our friends from BMWCGC, BMWDCNSW and BMWCCC.

Very early start this morning to be on the grid for the walk through and then the predawn start.

Great start and going good so far. First hour nearly done and both BMWs running 5th and 6th.

End of an awesome weekend of amazing cars, great racing, great people, delicious food and drinks and too much of it.

Long day today, at the track at 4.45 so we could be in place for our grid walk at 5 before the start of the race. Jo managed to arrange a bunch of tickets for our group, thank you Jo.

Was great to go out and wish the teams luck for the race ahead.

Perfect weather all day and minimal safety cars meant the race broke 2000km in the 12 hours. Amazing.

Both WRT BMWs ran strong all day finishing in 4th and 6th. Sadly, just off the podium, but pretty good for a new car with a new Team.

Already looking forward to next year!

Keep an eye on your club emails, as we are thinking about doing a BMW Club Corporate Box next year, with all the trimmings instead of the 12 Hour Club. If we do there may be options like 1, 2 or all 3 days. We had a meeting with the organisers and will work on prices and see what interest there is.

If you have thought of doing this event, it is well worth it, so watch this space.

Trip Home.

After a fantastic weekend with friends and family, sadly we have to head home.

We did the drive straight through this time but stopped for a leisurely lunch in Old Gundagai and then again in Yea.

Till next year, where we hope to be bigger and better.

Graeme Bell | Member #1
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

SEA Electric Members Meeting

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 05:06:08 GMT

Event date: Tuesday, 7 February 2023

Whilst electric cars are taking all the hype, convincing many that the time to jump off hydrocarbons is here, one company is taking on one of the most visible trucking tasks - urban deliveries/collections.

SEA electric began life back in the early 00s. In a growing facility in Dandenong they now build a range of medium and small fully-electric trucks that service our cities and suburbs.

20-ish DCM members heard from Glen & Warren about how they’re servicing the both ends of human consumption, from the welcoming Woolies truck delivering our groceries, to the smellier end of dustbin (refuse) collection.

We were welcomed on site with nibbles and drinks in the boardroom where we heard about Jo & Graeme’s awesome Bathurst experience.

Glen then gave us the tech insights into the truck fleet, their tech & awesome stats on “energy economy” . I loved personal car history (dreams of his E30 M3, did I spot a tear?) including Fords, Audi, Holden & even a Fiat or 2.

Hearing the passion for the business & tech from Warren, Glen & Margaret was inspiring and lead to 1/2hr of QnA even before the workshop tour.

The tour had us hearing of their super efficient assembly stations, where they piece together the Hino “Airfix” parts, using the right bolts to the right torque from the pre-packed VIN-dedicated parts karts.

I loved their attention to detail of the 400+v wiring and how the elec motor replaces the diesel.

Good luck to SEA electric, an Aussie business taking in the world of trucking.

Thanks for another well considered and organised DCM event to keep us hungry for more.

Martin Taylor | Member #598
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMW Group Poland wins the biggest tender in the history of the Polish police

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 07:30:44 GMT

503 BMW motorcycles for authorities in Poland.

BMW Group Polska has been working with the Polish police for many years. Besides BMW cars already in use, Polish authorities will also rely on BMW motorcycles in the future. To this end, BMW Group Polska achieved its greatest success in the local government business.

As part of the “Safer on the Roads” program, the Polish police purchased 503 BMW R 1250 RT-P motorcycles in a special configuration with police equipment and motorcycle suits. 25 of them were sent to the police training center in Legionowo near Warsaw, where new officers are trained on them. The other vehicles are put into active service on Polish roads. The last shipment was officially handed over in Warsaw on November 24 in the presence of Christian Haririan, Managing Director of BMW Group Polska, Karol Kostrzewa, Director of BMW Motorrad Polska, and representatives from the police headquarters. BMW Motorrad Polska and BMW Motorrad dealer Zdunek were responsible for implementing the order.

“We are proud of the trust placed in us by the Polish police. We are delighted to be working with such an important institution” Karol Kostrzewa, Director of BMW Motorrad Polska.

The BMW R 1250 RT-P - superior all-rounder

Dynamic, agile, ergonomic: The BMW R 1250 RT-P is an all-rounder that stands out for every task. Whether for police operations on the motorway or for escort services in the city: The R 1250 RT-P is not only characterized by its superior ergonomic over long distances, but also its agility. Powered by a BMW ShiftCam boxer engine, it is powerful yet efficient. The R 1250 RT-P is an emergency vehicle that has stood for comfort and a high level of safety for over three decades: This is ensured by the wide range of equipment options for comfort, functionality and safety, which have been developed specifically for their applications. This machine is well prepared for all contingencies — authority at first glance.

BMW PRESS

BMW M Team WRT finishes the Bathurst 12 Hour in fourth and sixth positions

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 04:25:55 GMT

BMW M Team WRT competed its first race in the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS). The endurance classic also marked the first official outing of the team together with BMW M Motorsport. After twelve hours of racing, held in sunny summer weather, the #32 Shell BMW M4 GT3 took the chequered flag in fourth position.

BMW M Team WRT competed its first race in the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS). The endurance classic also marked the first official outing of the team together with BMW M Motorsport. After twelve hours of racing, held in sunny summer weather, the #32 Shell BMW M4 GT3 took the chequered flag in fourth position. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), Dries Vanthoor (BEL) and Charles Weerts (BEL) shared duties in the car. The #46 BMW M4 GT3, driven by Augusto Farfus (BRA), Maxime Martin (BEL) and Valentino Rossi (ITA), crossed the line in sixth place.

While Farfus, Martin and Vanthoor knew Mount Panorama Circuit already, Bathurst rookies Rossi, van der Linde and Weerts first had to get acquainted with the extremely tricky and partly very tight rollercoaster circuit. They mastered the challenge brilliantly and all three quickly found their rhythm.

Sunday morning at 5:45 local time, the #46 BMW M4 GT3 started the race from sixth position; the #32 was ninth on the grid. After eventful first hours of racing in which accidents caused several safety car periods, BMW M Team WRT was temporarily running within the top three but both cars lost positions again as the race went on. With two and a half hours to go, the #46 car needed to head to the garage for a quick repair due to a small issue with the brake light.

Round two of the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge will be held in three weeks’ time, the Kyalami 9 Hour in South Africa from 23rd to 25th February. There, Valentino Rossi will be replaced by BMW M works driver Philipp Eng (AUT).

The BMW M Motorsport IGTC project is supported by strong partners. Oils produced by Shell, Premium Technology Partner of BMW M Motorsport, are used for the complete powertrain in both BMW M4 GT3s. Part of the project are also Endless as Official Partner of BMW M Motorsport and the KW suspension experts as Official Supplier of BMW M Motorsport.

Reactions after the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport: “The Bathurst 12 Hour is always a fantastic event, and that was the case this year when we returned to Mount Panorama. A unique circuit and many passionate fans – that has been great. From a sporting point of view, the result has been disappointing in the end after all drivers and the entire team did a faultless job. Unfortunately we have not been competitive enough to fight for the podium and so the great effort has not been rewarded with the corresponding results. We take the positives: we brought both cars to the finish and we gelled well with BMW M Team WRT in our first official race together. The BMW M4 GT3 once more proved to be very reliable; we just had one minor technical issue with the #46 car. A big thank you to the drivers, to BMW M Team WRT and everybody involved at BMW M Motorsport for the superb job. Now we continue to work and prepare for the next race at Kyalami.”

Vincent Vosse, Team Principal BMW M Team WRT: “We had a disappointing result. Obviously we did not have the tools to fight for anything better. This is an incredible event, an incredible track and it’s a pleasure to be here, but in these circumstances it is a bit difficult. There is a very positive point and that’s the line-ups. All six drivers have done an outstanding job. They made no mistakes at all, they all had a similar speed. We also need to mention what Vale did; that was on a very high level for his first attempt at Bathurst. It was also really a pleasure to have Augusto in the team for the first time, and great to have Sheldon back with us after a few years. Now we are looking forward to Kyalami.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#32 Shell BMW M4 GT3, 4th place): “It’s honestly my favourite track on the calendar now, that’s for sure. I really had high hopes coming here and my expectations raised even higher when I drove the track for the first time so I am really thankful to BMW M Team WRT and BMW M Motorsport for giving me this chance to finally come to Bathurst. I already want to come back next year because I feel we have unfinished business. Unfortunately the race did not go as we kind of planned but we will have another chance in the future.”

Dries Vanthoor (#32 Shell BMW M4 GT3, 4th place): “It’s not the result we would have hoped for and we came for but everybody did a great job. Team, BMW M Motorsport, car, drivers – nobody made any mistakes. It was just the maximum we could do this time. I think you can say that we are the best of the rest. I hope that at the next rounds we will be capable of fighting with the other cars because at the moment we can’t. What we can do is to continue to work on the car and on ourselves but everybody did a great job.”

Charles Weerts (#32 Shell BMW M4 GT3, 4th place): “It has been my firsttime at Bathurst and my first race with BMW M Motorsport, so I am happy that the car is still in one piece. That was obviously the first goal. Fourth place is nothing dramatic but obviously we came here to Australia aiming a bit higher but the Mercedes have been way too fast for us and we could not do anything more. The strategy was good, the start was good, the car was good and we executed the job like we had to do it. We can be happy about our job and now we move on to the next one.”

Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW M4 GT3, 6th place): “My first Bathurst experience has been very good because it’s a great place. For us Europeans, it is a legendary place because we always play it on the simulator. To have the chance to race here and experience the real track is great. It is a fantastic circuit. You have to maintain attention but it is very enjoyable when you drive. I think that also my speed and performance were good. I feel good in the car; it is very good to drive, but during the race, especially in the hot conditions, we need a bit more pace. We could have been in the top five but overall it was a good race, and being the first experience, it was very positive.”

Augusto Farfus (#46 BMW M4 GT3, 6th place): “I am very happy. It was the first experience with BMW M Team WRT and it was great. Unfortunately we have not been rewarded with a better result. Vale did an incredible job as the whole team did. I think we have a great base to build on so I can’t wait to go to Kyalami soon. Thanks to BMW M Motorsport, to the team and my team-mates – everyone has done an incredible job.”

Maxime Martin (#46 BMW M4 GT3, 6th place): “We had a good start to the race. We have always been in a good pack and with the safety cars and so on we were running quite okay in the morning, but then we definitely lacked a lot of pace and we could not fight anyone. We also had a small issue. We were hoping for more than P6 but I think we can improve and am looking forward to the next one.”

BMW PRESS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 57 | February 2023

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

After a well deserved break, we are straight back into plenty of events, making the most of the summer sunshine.

We started January with our first round of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. It was great to see so many members at our first event of the year, and many PBs (personal bests) being achieved.

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26 January was our annual Australia Day drive. Once again, Peter Williams excelled himself with a drive full of brilliant sweeping roads from Wallan to Malmsbury to Panton Hill Hotel.

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27 January was our first monthly live hook up with BCCM, where we were treated to a presentation celebrating 100 years of BMW Motorrad.

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On 29 January we attended Cruden farm for the AOMC Festival of Motoring. We had prime positioning and a perfect display of BMWs ranging through the years - even an Isetta.

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On 31 January we held our first round of the Shannons Insurance Simulator Challenge and our January members meeting. It was great to see so many members join us to support those competing. A very big congratulations to Killian Treacy for taking out the win over Alex Jory and Royce Lyne.

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Multi-Club Trip to Europe in 2024

Our friends at the Mercedes Benz Club are organising a trip to Europe in 2024 and are seeking an expressions of interest from members. If you would like to learn more about the trip, please click here.

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2023 CLUBS AUSTRALIA NATIONALS

What is ‘The Nationals’ and why should you be a part of it.

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne is an Official BMW Club. We are one of over 800 BMW Clubs in the world, which is divided up into regions. Our region is overseen by BMW Clubs Australia.

Every 2 years BMW Clubs Australia runs the BMW Club Nationals, which is hosted in a different state in Australia each time it is held and each time a local Club hosts the event.

In March 2023 the Nationals will be held on the Gold Coast, hosted by BMW Club Gold Coast. The Nationals will consist of fun-filled events over 3 days for everyone coming to enjoy and experience the host location. It is a perfect way to meet other Club Members from across Australia who share your passion for the cars and the Marque, make new friends and catch up with old ones.

It is also a great way to see that we are a part of a larger group of enthusiasts, that extends across the globe and make associations with other like-minded people that share your passion. Lifetime friendships have been made at these events and families are encouraged to come along too.

If you are driving up, please let us know so we could arrange for you to join to drive group up, or if you choose to fly like a few of us are, then we will join you all at the welcome event on Friday night.

Registration closes for the March 2023 Nationals at the end of February, so if you are thinking of attending, please ensure you register as soon as possible so that you don't miss out. If you have any questions, talk to any of the committee members, we have been to lots of Nationals and can answer any of the questions you might have.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Deborah Maxwell-Wright, Chas Christodoulides, Tibi Varga, David Beal and Terry House. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for February:

Thursday - Monday, 2 - 6 February
Bathurst 12 Hour
Registrations are now closed. We hope those who are attending have a fantastic time!

Tuesday, 7 February
February Members Meeting - SEA Electric
Unfortunately this event is now sold out.

Sunday, 12 February
Torquay Motor Show
Located only metres from the beach in one direction and the cafe strip and bustling retail hub in the other, the Torquay Motor Show hosts a wide range of vehicles in a scenic and enjoyable location with plenty to see and do.

Sunday, 12 February
Round 2 of the 2023 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown
Entries must be submitted via the Motorsport Australia events portal and are filling fast!

Sunday, 19 February
Enchanted Adventure Family Day Out
Enchanted Adventure is an award-winning natural attraction nestled in the beautiful hinterland of Arthurs Seat on the Mornington Peninsula. Join us for a fun adventure and picnic lunch (BYO or purchase at cafe).

Wednesday, 22 February
Geelong Area Mid-Week Twilight Drive
Join us for a short but interesting drive and dinner at the Royal Hotel Meredith.

Friday, 24 February
BMW Club Community Management Team live from Munich
Featuring BMW Group Classic updates and a 2023 season overview.

Sunday, 26 February
British and European Motoring Show
Celebrate all British and European motoring at a Caribbean Park, Scoresby. There will be food and children's entertainment as well as trade stalls and cars!

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EVENT PHOTOS

Alex Baxter Driver Training Memorial.

As many of you know, in late 2022 we lost a great friend of the Club, Alex Baxter. After purchasing his M140i and making several modifications throughout Covid, Alex found himself attending his first track day. From that moment and until he passed, he was hooked.

In loving memory of Alex, his wife Lucy would like to support one deserving member and offer them the opportunity to get out on the track and have fun like Alex did.

If you would like the opportunity to have your registration paid for the next come and try day at Broadford, please email us at motorsport@bmwdcm.com.au and tell us why you believe you should have your entry paid for. We'll then select one lucky member to have their entry paid for the next come at try day at Broadford.

Please note you must be over the age of 18 or have your parent/guardian's permission to enter. You must also have your own vehicle and the required equipment for the day (as stated in the Supplementary Regulations for the event).

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

BMW around the globe.

Wine Fundraiser.

Last year BMWDCM set up a fundraising project with "Personalize Your Wine" to be able to offer our members a keepsake for winning 2021 International Club of the Year.

All funds raised through purchase of the bottles will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

If you haven't already placed an order but would like to, you can do so here.

Get behind your club and a great charity.

From the Welfare Team.

"Be a hand that reaches out. Be a smile for those who have no reason to smile. Be a light for those who live in darkness."

Click here for more Welfare Team updates and their contact details.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Graeme Bell

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An update from the President | January

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

I hope you all had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year! After our much-needed break, we are back to full swing with lots of events happening in January already.

15 January was the first round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, and it was wonderful to see all our friends and members out on such a beautiful day. PBs (personal bests) were made and there were a lot of smiling faces on the day.

26 January was our annual Australia Day drive, which I must say was one of the best drives we have done for a long time. Peter Williams excelled himself with brilliant sweeping roads, and Jo Mawson had us fed and watered at two venues. It was also great to be joined by families attend and see so many out in their Australiana gear.

27 January was our first monthly live hook up with BCCM, where we were treated to a presentation celebrating 100 years of BMW Motorrad.

On 29 January a small number of members attended Cruden farm for the AOMC Festival of Motoring. Our club had a prime position and a lovely display of BMWs ranging through the years. It was nice to see the little Isetta make an appearance again along with all the member cars.

This evening is our first round of the Shannons Insurance Simulator challenge and our January members meeting. If you missed out on a place in the challenge, don’t forget you are more than welcome to come along to watch! We welcome and encourage members who aren’t competing to come along and cheer on those who are. It’s also a perfect opportunity to catch up with your fellow club members. These events will be help bi-monthly and will always include a member meeting as well. Remember the simulators are static and not the full motion machines which are prone to making competitors travel sick. The winner of tonight’s event will have their entry fees for next round paid!

Looking ahead to February - we start the month with our annual road trip up to Bathurst for the 12 Hour. It is wonderful that we have members from Gold Coast and NSW joining us too. We have some members attending the 12 Hour Club and a large group camping at the top of the mountain.

7 February will be our February members meeting at SEA Electric Trucks. This event has sold out, but we are taking names for the waitlist and we are hoping to be able to get a few more in on the night.

12 February is Torquay Motor Show which is always a fantastic day out with so many different car clubs attending.

We also have the second round of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship on 12 February at Sandown. Entries are out and filling fast. If you are wanting a pit garage, call Brendan at Sandown and let him know you’re with BMWDCM and to be given a garage with all the other BMWDCM members.

19 February is our family fun day at Enchanted Adventure Maze where we will have a private area for you to leave your picnic stuff while you enjoy the park.

On 22 February there will be a midweek twilight drive leaving from Geelong for all of our members over that side of the bay.

24 February is our February hook up with BMW Munich, featuring BMW Group Classic updates and a 2023 season overview.

26 February will be our last event for the month - the British and European Motoring Show at Caribbean Gardens in Scoresby.

Looking further ahead, make sure you register for and put the following events in your calendar:

11 March | Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed display
17-19 March | BMW Clubs Australia Nationals
7 April | Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal
22-25 April | Anzac Long Weekend Silo Tour
6 May | Fifth Birthday & Presentation Dinner
2 - 12 June | Adelaide & Tailem Bend 10 day tour
9 July | Christmas in July

Our Motorsport and Come and Try dates are out. There may be a slight change in venue for the October come and try but this will be confirmed soon, so keep an eye on your emails and calendar.

Our presentation dinner this year will be our fifth birthday and we will be doing a black-tie event to mark this very special occasion. There will be entertainment on the night, and some great giveaways, but most of all you will be supporting those who have won awards for 2022. Come along join in the fun and have a great night.

Our June SA tour will be also encompassing a visit to Tailem Bend where some of our members will be racing with the E30 Racing club. This should be a great event to come along and watch some of your friends race (and possibly even your club President).

Jess is putting together the next edition of idrive so if you have something interesting for our members to read, please forward to editor@bmwdcm.com.au with some high resolution photos.

Jo is heading back into hospital early march for a new shoulder and will be out of action for at least two months. She had been flat out setting up events for the year. Please make sure you visit our calendar and check out what has been released so far. There are plenty more to come!

A reminder to have a look at the AOMC Carbon Offset Program that we helped set up. It is a great way to offset the emissions from out older cars and help the environment at the same time.

Lastly, it’s great to see that our membership base is steadily growing. To any new members, welcome - we hope you love what we do as much as we love doing it for you.

It’s great to be back out doing events in the lovely Melbourne summer weather. I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Roar before the 24 Hours of Daytona: BMW M Hybrid V8 prototypes start from the fourth row of the grid

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 02:34:56 GMT

The ‘Roar before the 24’, the traditional three-day test event one week before the Rolex 24 at Daytona (USA) ended on Sunday with the qualifying sessions determining the starting grid for the 24-hour race. The two BMW M Hybrid V8 prototypes finished the GTP class session in seventh and eighth places and will start the season-opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from the fourth row of the grid next Saturday.

The ‘Roar before the 24’, the traditional three-day test event one week before the Rolex 24 at Daytona (USA) ended on Sunday with the qualifying sessions determining the starting grid for the 24-hour race. The two BMW M Hybrid V8 prototypes finished the GTP class session in seventh and eighth places and will start the season-opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from the fourth row of the grid next Saturday. BMW M works drivers Philipp Eng (AUT) and Nick Yelloly (GBR) were at the wheels of the #24 and #25 cars. BMW M Team RLL used the test sessions to get mileage on the newly developed cars and gain valuable experience with regards to the big challenge ahead.

Throughout the three test days the BMW M Hybrid V8 ran without any major issues and preparation proceeded as planned. Next week, five more test sessions offer the opportunity to further improve performance, driveability and reliability of the cars.

In GTD class qualifying, Turner Motorsport finished seventh in GTD PRO with the #95 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Bill Auberlen (USA). The #96 sister car driven by Robby Foley (USA) will start the race from P12 in GTD class. Right ahead of him, Madison Snow (USA) finished the GTD session in eleventh place with the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3.

Reactions after the Roar before the 24:

Brandon Fry (Technical Director BMW M Team RLL): “There has been a lot of work going on with the two cars during all sessions here at the Roar. The focus always was on race performance. We’ve had a lot of good running and collected a lot of data. We are improving step by step on our way to prepare for the race. In qualifying today things looked pretty good until the red flag came out. After that, others improved their lap times while we stayed where we were, but for this race there is a lot more to focus on than just outright performance. We are very confident that there is a lot more in our cars going into the race.”

Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M Hybrid V8, 7th place): “Of course it would have been nice to start from the very front, but in a 24-hour race starting positions don’t really matter too much. We didn’t focus on outright pace in all practice sessions we had. It was much more about making the car behave predictably and be driveable for us. That’s key in an endurance race like this – especially with a new car. It’s most important that reliability and operations are good. If you tick these two boxes, then you’ve already made it quite far.”

Nick Yelloly (#25 BMW M Hybrid V8, 8th place): “Since I wasn’t able to go out on track during warm-up, I didn’t get a read of the strong wind that changed significantly from yesterday where we had a decent balance in the car. Even if qualifying wasn’t the ideal session for us, we still learned something – like we did in every session here at the Roar. Now we have a couple of more practice sessions next week before the race starts. We have to make sure that we set up a car that is comfortable and good to drive over 24 hours.”

BMW PRESS

Ultimate companion – through real and virtual worlds: BMW presents BMW i Vision Dee in Las Vegas

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 05:18:36 GMT

BMW Mixed Reality Slider: into the virtual world in five steps. +++ Advanced BMW Head-up-Display in NEUE KLASSE from 2025. +++ Full-colour E Ink technology enables up to 32 colours.

The BMW Group is sharing its vision of the future digital experience, both inside and outside the vehicle, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. BMW i Vision Dee is the futuristic mid-size sedan with a new and pared-down design language. The name “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience – and that is precisely its aim: to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars going forward. Future digital functions will go far beyond the level of voice control and driver assistance systems we are familiar with today. The BMW Head-Up-Display extends across the full width of the windscreen, providing a glimpse of the next vehicle generation. From 2025 onwards, this innovation will be available in the models of the NEUE KLASSE. The BMW Group has also refined its use of colour-change technology. Having unveiled the BMW iX Flow Featuring E Ink, with the ability to change from black to white, at the last CES, BMW i Vision Dee can now curate its exterior in up to 32 colours.

“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers – and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “At the same time, BMW i Vision Dee is another step on the road to the NEUE KLASSE. With this vision, we are looking far into the future and underlining the tremendous importance of digitalisation for our upcoming product generations.”

With its intelligent, almost human capabilities, BMW i Vision Dee accompanies drivers not only through real-life situations on the roads, but also in their digital environment.

“A BMW lives by its unparalleled digital performance. BMW i Vision Dee is about perfect integration of virtual and physical experiences,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “Whoever excels at integrating the customer’s everyday digital worlds into the vehicle at all levels will succeed in mastering the future of car-building.”

BMW Mixed Reality Slider: into the virtual world in five steps

The BMW Mixed Reality Slider, in combination with the advanced Head-up Display, is the digital highlight and central operating control of BMW i Vision Dee. Using shy-tech sensors on the instrument panel, drivers can decide for themselves how much digital content they want to see on the advanced Head-Up Display. The five-step selection ranges from analogue, to driving-related information, to the contents of the communications system, to augmented-reality projection, right up to entry into virtual worlds. In parallel, dimmable windows can also be used to gradually fade out reality. Mixed reality can be experienced in BMW i Vision Dee in an immersive way that engages different senses without requiring any additional tools, creating a new dimension of driving pleasure for the user.

Advanced BMW Head-Up-Display: in NEUE KLASSE from 2025

The BMW Group is known in the automotive sector as a trailblazer for the Head-Up-Display and has systematically refined this technology over the past two decades. In BMW i Vision Dee, projection across the entire width of the windscreen allows information to be displayed on the largest possible surface – which only becomes recognisable as a display once it is activated. In this way, the BMW Group demonstrates the huge potential of projection technology and BMW i Vision Dee visualises how a advanced Head-Up-Display could also be utilised in the future for the display and operating concept. The standard-production version of the BMW Head-up-Display extending across the full width of the windscreen will be used in the models of the NEUE KLASSE from 2025 onwards.

Welcome scenario with voice and phygital icons

The digital experience already begins outside the vehicle, with a personalised welcome scenario that combines graphical elements, light and sound effects. Natural language serves as the simplest, most intuitive form of interaction, enabling perfect understanding between humans and their vehicles. The headlights and the closed BMW kidney grille also form a common phygital (fusion of physical and digital) icon on a uniform surface, allowing the vehicle to produce different facial expressions. This means BMW i Vision Dee can talk to people and, at the same time, express moods such as joy, astonishment or approval visually. BMW i Vision Dee can also project an image of the driver’s avatar onto the side window to further personalise the welcome scenario.

World premiere for full-colour E Ink technology

Following the spectacular debut of the BMW iX Flow Featuring E Ink at CES 2022, the BMW Group is now unveiling a full-colour version of the E Ink technology in BMW i Vision Dee that will be used as the outer skin of the vehicle for the first time worldwide.

BMW i Vision Dee, rather than simply alternating between black and white, now showcases a multi-coloured, fully variable and individually configurable exterior. An ePaper film from the BMW Group’s cooperation partner, E Ink, is applied to the body to create this magical display of colour. Up to 32 colours can be displayed.

The body surface of the BMW i Vision Dee is divided into 240 E Ink segments, each of which is controlled individually. This allows an almost infinite variety of patterns to be generated and varied within seconds. The laser cutting process used to trim the films and the electronic control design were developed in partnership with E Ink. The adaptation of this technology for curved surfaces and the programming of the animations, were developed by BMW Group’s in-house engineers – enabling a form enabling a form of customisation that is unique throughout the automotive sector worldwide.

Reductive design – inside and out

The design of BMW i Vision Dee has been deliberately pared down to focus attention on the digital experience and the DNA of the BMW brand. The exterior is defined by the classic three-box sedan design that forms the core of the BMW brand. Traditional design elements, like the BMW kidney grille, twin circular headlights and the Hofmeister kink, are reimagined, with phygital icons replacing analogue elements. This gives BMW i Vision Dee its own digital, but human, character.

Inside, digitalisation goes hand in hand with reductive use of materials, operating controls and displays to ensure nothing distracts from the digital experience and the new feeling of enhanced driving pleasure. The unconventional design of the steering wheel, with its central vertical spoke, creates touchpoints that come to life when approached or touched and can be operated by moving the thumb. These phygital touchpoints control selection of the content projected onto the windscreen and, together with the Head-Up Display, thus support the principle of “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road”.

“With BMW i Vision Dee, we are showing how the car can be seamlessly integrated into your digital life and become a trusty companion. The vehicle itself becomes your portal to the digital world – with the driver always in control,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design. “Implemented the right way, technology will create worthwhile experiences, make you a better driver and simply bring humans and machines closer together.”

Another milestone on the road to the NEUE KLASSE

The future of the BMW Group is electric, circular and digital. BMW i Vision Dee represents the digital aspect of this trio and will be another milestone on the road to the next vehicle generation, the NEUE KLASSE. The BMW Group will provide further insights and glimpses of the revolutionary vehicle concept of the NEUE KLASSE over the course of 2023.

BMW PRESS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 56 | January 2023

Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

Happy New Year! We hope you are all keeping safe and well over the Christmas and New Year period.

Before we dive into 2023, we look back on our last month 2022. We started December with our last round of the 2022 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. We had quite a few members attend on a very hot Phillip Island day. They were also joined by many of the E30 Racing members, using the day as a practice for their final round of the year.

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6 December was our final twilight drive for the year. We kicked off our evening at Mornington BMW, getting up close and personal of the new 7 Series and the iX. 40 cars then went on another fantastic drive by Peter Williams, finishing up at the Sorrento Back Beach for the sunset.

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On 10-11 December several of our racing members attended the final round of the E30 Racing Garagistic BMW Drivers Cup down at Phillip Island. The weekend was a mix of sprint sessions, passenger sessions and racing. It was great to also see some of our members competing in the sprints.

Congratulations to Alex Jory for winning the E30 Racing championship again in 2022. It was also great to see Royce Lyne join the E30 Racing field, and do really well. He'll definitely be one to watch out for in 2023.

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On the same weekend, we also held our Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm on 11 December. We were joined by nearly 100 members, some amazing cars, Santa and his elves, who so kindly gave our lolly bags to all of the big and little kids. We also managed to raise approximately $1,000 for the Royal Children's Hospital through egg and bacon roll sales.

Thanks very much to all those who volunteered throughout the day, this was a huge event. We can't do these big events without your help!

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Our final official club event of the year was one last live hook up with BMW Classic in Munich on 16 December. We really enjoy seeing what's on show at BMW Classic, as it's always changing.

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There was then one final unofficial club event for the year, with Bell Motorsport hosting a Christmas BBQ at the Club offices on 17 December. It was really great to have so many members and friends popping in throughout the day.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Terry Lane, Luke Tomyn, Roman Miller, Vei Kwok Phoon, Michael Alexis, Adam Krauel, Stefan Vucetic, Phil Clayton, Graeme Wagland, Ray Haddad, Tynan Corbett and Ian Jack. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned for January:

15 January
2023 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Round 1The first round of our 2023 championship will kick off at Phillip Island with AROCA. Ensure you register as soon as possible to avoid the disappointment of missing out.

26 January
Australia Day Drive
We'll start at lunch time at Hogans Hotel bistro and then head off on a scenic drive via Malmsbury, finishing at Panton Hill Hotel for dinner.

27 January
BCCM Team Live from Munich
Featuring 100 Years of BMW Motorrad Special

29 January
Festival of Motoring
The Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm is open to all historic, veteran, vintage and classic vehicles over 25 years old. Even if you don't want to put your car on display, there's always some amazing vehicles to see!

Looking beyond January, there are some events that you should register for as soon as possible to avoid missing out:

2 - 6 February
Bathurst 12 Hour
Our annual trip to the Bathurst 12 Hour - a weekend of some of the best motor racing you will see in Australia.

15 - 22 March
BMW Clubs Australia Nationals - Gold Coast
A perfect opportunity to come together with BMW Club members from around the country.

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EVENT PHOTOS

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

AOMC/Greenfleet Carbon Offset Scheme

BMW enthusiasts can now balance their love of their vehicles with helping to look after the planet for as little as $18 per year. BMWDCM is proud to have assisted the AOMC to develop a new partnership with Greenfleet, a leading not-for-profit environmental organisation that protects the climate by restoring native forests.

You can read more about the initiative and how you can get involved here.

BMWDCM'S Quarterly Membership Promotion.

As a thank you to new and loyal members, BMWDCM is starting a quarterly promotion! When you renew your membership, refer a new member or join as a new member you will go into our draw for some amazing prizes.*

How does it work?

If you pay your renewal or sign up before 31 December 2022, you will automatically receive an entry. Or if you refer a new member (who signs up before 31 December 2022 and they nominate you on their application form), you will automatically receive an entry for that referral. It’s as simple as that.

Thank you to our sponsors who have generously provided the prizes this quarter.

See here for full Ts&Cs. You can also watch the draw live on Zoom at 7.35pm (AEDT) on 9 January 2023.

Working With Children Check.

If you have a Working With Children Check and are volunteering with BMWDCM it is important that you nominate the club as an organisation you are working with.

If you would like to volunteer with BMWDCM, you can do so for free by nominating BMW Drivers Club as the organisation you're volunteering with.

Whether you've just signed up or already hold a WWCC, it is important that you provide us with your WWCC number if you are intending on volunteering with the club. You can do so by logging into the BMWDCM website and updating your profile information.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo: Simon Withington

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An update from the President | December

Sat, 31 Dec 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Now for my last message for 2022 and welcome in 2023.

What an amazing year we have had, busy, but great being back to a full year of events again after the hardships we all experienced through Covid, but first let me finish with December and some of the great events that happened this month before we launch into 2023.

4 December was the last round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for 2022 at Phillip Island with AROCA and the weather was amazing! We had a fantastic turn out of BMWs, with quite a few E30 Racing competitors joining us to practice for the following weekend’s final round of the E30 Racing Championship. It was great to see so many new faces and of course some old familiar ones on the day, enjoying the perfect conditions. Thank you to all the members who joined us there, it is a great family group, and it is also wonderful when most set up around the club’s trailer and help each other when they have a few technical issues or just join in the banter re-living their fun on the track.

6 December was our final twilight drive for the year, leaving from Mornington BMW and it was great to start the evening with some up close and personal viewings of the new 7 series and the new iX. The staff are always very obliging at Mornington BMW, so be sure to pop in if you need some advice or wanting to purchase a new car. Following Peter’s fantastic drive instructions, we headed along the beach road on what was just a beautiful evening with over 40 cars in procession. We tried something different this time and split the groups to make it easier to keep everyone together. This worked well and we will do this again with larger groups. We finished the drive at Sorento Back Beach, which I must admit, I have never been to before. Living on the Peninsula, I am guessing there are still lots of undiscovered spots for us to explore in time to watch the sun set. Thank you again to Peter Williams for all his fantastic drive instructions and to Jo who works very closely with Peter to book all the venues we go to on these drives.

10-11 December was E30 Racing’s last event for the year at Phillip Island. This event was a sprint and race meeting with some sprint sessions amongst the race sessions, allowing some of our new aspiring racing drivers to get out as well and have a spin around the track, whilst seeing a race meeting happen around them. It will be a great field next year with at least five more competitors that we know of, joining the field and possibly a few of the old competitors coming back on the track next year too. Congratulations to Alex Jory for winning the E30 Championship again this year, it is always great to see his orange BMW leading the field. He will have some tough competition with young Royce Lyne in his yellow E30 in 2023, as he was putting in some really quick times out there in his first appearance. Well done, Royce.

Unfortunately, I could not attend both days as we had our Club’s Christmas Show and Shine on 11 December at Cruden farm, where nearly 100 members and their amazing cars attended what will be an annual event at this venue. Cars started rolling in from 8.30am, with volunteers arriving earlier to help us set up. Thank you to all who volunteered either at the start or at the pack up, this makes life so much easier for us all.

With the show and shine cars all in their areas, the judging started while others enjoyed egg and bacon rolls donated by Bell Motorsport and cooked by Matt Kenny and crew, which helped us raise funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital. The staff from Cruden Farm were very busy making coffee while all members were able to enjoy some time catching up with old and new friends in the beautiful gardens. Thank you also to the ladies who sold the raffle tickets for some great prizes, I think most families went home with a prize! We are very lucky to have Celebrations Cellars Clarinda donate some amazing prizes so our members could go away with something on the day.

We were also very lucky to have Santa and his Elf turn up just before lunch to have photos taken while the Elf handed out lolly bags to all the old and young kids.

We also had Club sponsor, Sonax Australia, there with some last-minute Christmas bargains. I would also like to thank Peta and Stephan for donating a fantastic detailing pack as a raffle prize too. Stephan took some time out to also buff up our little Isetta on display, it really shone after his hard work.

With the breakfast and raffle sales we managed to raise close to $1,000, which is just brilliant. Thank you all who donated generously and those again who cooked and sold raffle tickets.

16 December was our last live hook up with Munich for the year. All who join these events always enjoy what is on show and the information we received from Munich. Thank you to the staff at BMW Classic for putting on these events and also thank you for allowing us to log in at a great time for us on the opposite side of the world.

On 17 December Jo and I put on a BBQ at the new Bell Motorsport storage facility which doubles as the new BMWDCM Club office. Unfortunately, Jo was taken away to hospital by ambulance around 12pm with severe back pain and she didn’t get to enjoy a day which was her making. She insisted I stay behind to welcome you all and ensure you all knew she was in good hands. We had club members and customers alike turn up to just chill and enjoy the day. This also will be an annual event, so please look out on our Facebook page for your invitation. Thank you to all who helped Jo while she was in dreadful pain, especially Jo Holliday and Tim Oh, this was very scary and also allowed me to not stress as much about how much pain she was in. Thank you to those who stayed till the end and helped pack everything away. You are all like family to us and we really appreciate everything you all do.

Just a quick update on Jo, she discharged herself that night so she could help me cook Christmas lunch for her family then we took her back in to hospital in more pain on Sunday night for her to be told total bed rest for at least a week, those who know Jo realise how bad it must be for her to actually listen to these instructions and do it. Lots of test were done so we will see the specialist in the new year. You will also see a slower Jo in the new year, doctors orders!

Looking to 2023 - January events will start pretty much straight away, as we are only having a couple of weeks off to recuperate after the busy year that was 2022.

As I type this, sitting in our caravan down the beach, I can see Jo still doing club stuff, organising the coming year, but at least we can sit back and relax whilst doing so, looking out at the beautiful view.

Our first event will be 15 January with the first round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship kicking off at Phillip Island. I'm not sure if there are still spots left, but make sure you get your entries in asap if there are.

Thank you to Andrew and all the crew at Traction Tyres/Yokohama for again coming on board to sponsor our Drivers Championship in 2023. If you need any track or performance tyres, or indeed any tyres or advice at all, give Andrew or Shane a call. They are always happy to help, and continue to support our club and members in any way they can.

26 January is our Australia Day drive starting with at lunch from Hogans Hotel in Wallan and finishing at Panton Hills with dinner.

27 January is our first live hook up for 2023 with BMW Classic in Munich.

The AOMC Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm on 29 January looks like this will be a huge event, so something to look out for.

We do have another event planned for January, which isn't yet up on the website, as we are just waiting for confirmation that the venue is ok. As we've previously mentioned, we will be running a Simulator Challenge for 2023 and Shannons Insurance have come on board as the sponsors for this event. We will run 6 nights over the year, hopefully starting at the end of January and then each second month at Shannons during our club members meetings. The winner of each event will get free entry to the next round. Thank you Shannons for sponsoring this championship. I think these nights will be lot of fun. Watch your email once dates are confirmed, as we will only have 20 spots and the last one sold out within a day. Members not competing are more than welcome to attend.

I did mention this special message in my Christmas email, please look out for each other over the festive season, it is very important to make sure we all stay in contact with our friends and loved ones. Some of our members are on their own over this period and it is nice to know other members have invited them into their home to enjoy the Christmas love.

This is one of the things I especially love about our club is that we are not just a club of car enthusiasts, but we all care for one another, as we are one big happy family. Thank you.

We have been invited to display our cars at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix again in 2023, with an even larger display next year than any club has ever had. With our cars and the E30 Racing cars side by side again, we will have the largest single make display at the event, by far! Expressions of interest have just closed for the display, but if you have something very special, we may be able to get you in still. Let us know if you do. It will be an amazing display of BMW’s history, ranging from the Isetta and 700 through to the latest cars available, with two special cars joining us from BMW Melbourne.

Some other special dates to mark in your diaries for next year:

2-6 February – Bathurst 12 Hour. There are still spots available and possibly Daniel Ricciardo will be there driving the Red Bull F1 car around the Mountain… I can’t wait to see that!
19 February - Enchanted Maze family day out. There will be a private picnic area reserved for us.
15-20 March - BMW Clubs Australia Nationals on the Gold Coast. A bi-yearly event to catch up with all our friends from the interstate BMW Clubs.
Anzac Weekend Away – details TBC
6 May - Our Fifth Birthday Celebration Formal Dinner! Yes formal, black tie for this one! Somewhere special in the city, to be announced very soon, once we tie up some loose ends, sponsored by our new Club Sponsors: Kalus Kenny Intelex, Lawyers. Welcome aboard KKI!
King’s Birthday Week Away – South Australia – Tailem Bend. Dates and itinerary to be released soon but finishing up at Tailem Bend to support our members racing with the E30 Racing Series)
10 December - Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm

Keep watching your emails as Jo is working on some great events for 2023 and they will be released soon.

Jess has already started working on our fantastic magazine, idrive, for 2023 and we have some great articles for our fifth birthday edition. I know Jo has asked a few of you to write some special feature articles, if you can please get them back to Jess, asap with high resolution photos this would make her life so much easier, when they arrive late Jess has to re do a lot of her work. Not ideal.

If you have been at an event and have taken some great photos, please send them to photos@bmwdcm.com.au and we will put them up on our photo gallery.

Importantly, please check your Club Plate Scheme renewals and make sure you are driving a registered car. If you are caught without club membership or without a valid renewal, your car is both unregistered and uninsured. The fine is over $900 and I think 5 demerit points. It is your responsibility to have these documents up to date, don’t go calling us the day of expiration panicking that you need a signature. Remember we are all volunteers and sometimes we do have a life outside the club. There are so many ways to get your renewal done, there really is no excuse. Email your renewal to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au is probably the quickest and easiest way, or bring it to an event.

As mentioned in my previous emails, your hard-working committee are taking a break from club life until 9 January, we will be happy to assist you after then, or if it is urgent, send us an email and we will respond between swims or dozing on the banana lounge.

That is all from me for this year. I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas with your loved ones, and I personally wish you all a safe and Happy New Year. Thank you all for being a part of this amazing club and for your continued support and friendship, you will never know how much it means to us to have you with us.

Drive safe over the holiday break and we all look forward to seeing you at an event in 2023.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Valentino Rossi to become new member of BMW M Motorsport works driver family

Thu, 22 Dec 2022 02:59:48 GMT

The BMW M works driver squad for the 2023 season is gaining a well-known 21st member. Valentino Rossi (ITA) and BMW M Motorsport have agreed a works commitment that goes beyond the race appearances with BMW M Team WRT announced last week.

The BMW M works driver squad for the 2023 season is gaining a well-known 21st member. Valentino Rossi (ITA) and BMW M Motorsport have agreed a works commitment that goes beyond the race appearances with BMW M Team WRT announced last week. The nine-time motorcycle world champion, who called time on his long-standing, successful career on two wheels back in autumn 2021, is set to contest the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS and Bathurst 12 Hour in the BMW M4 GT3 next year – and will also be available for further race and test appearances in BMW M Motorsport racing cars.

“Valentino Rossi needs no introduction. As one of the most successful motorcycle riders of all time, he has made history. His successes on the racetrack and his personality have quite rightly made him a living legend,” said Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “But Valentino has proved that he is also an excellent racer on four wheels. He has shown that car racing has become his second motorsport home, and he brings all his passion, skills and commitment to this new chapter of his career. It’s fantastic that Valentino will be joining our BMW M Motorsport family as a new works driver next year. We’re really looking forward to working together – welcome aboard Vale!”

"I am very proud to become an official BMW M works driver and it is a great opportunity,” said Rossi. “Last year I started racing seriously in cars and I finished my first season with the WRT team with whom I got on very well and I am very happy that the WRT team chose BMW M Motorsport as a new partner. I have already had a chance to test the BMW M4 GT3 twice and the feeling with the car is very good. I think we could be competitive next season. Also, BMW M Motorsport has given me the opportunity to race with two very strong drivers next year, Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus. I still have a lot to learn and improve, but I hope to be up to the task and fast enough to fight during the race weekends.”

Rossi celebrated his first world championship title in the 125cc class in 1997. He followed this up with the title in the 250cc class two years later. He was promoted to the highest Grand Prix category at the time in 2000, the 500cc class, where he was crowned world champion in 2001. This category was superseded by the MotoGP the following year, and Rossi remained the measure of all things. By 2005 he had added a further four world championship titles to his collection, with titles number eight and nine following in 2008 and 2009. Rossi continued to do battle for the world championship crown regularly after that. ‘The Doctor’ has also long been committed to youth development with his VR46 Rider Academy – a ‘school‘ that helps young Italian riders with the goal to bring them to MotoGP.

Rossi also took part in testing in various racing cars early on – including a Formula 1 Ferrari and Mercedes. There were also starts at the Monza rally (ITA) in 2009 as well as two races in the World Rally Championship, one in 2006 in New Zealand and one in 2009 in Wales. In 2019, Rossi competed in an endurance race in Abu Dhabi (UAE). After retiring from active motorcycle racing after the season finale in 2021, Rossi embarked on a new chapter of car racing. He contested the GT World Challenge Europe with Team WRT in the 2022 season.

The new year will see him compete in that race series and in the endurance classic at Bathurst (AUS) alongside his BMW M works driver colleagues Maxime Martin (BEL) and Augusto Farfus (BRA). His status as works driver also gives him plenty of other options. In addition to his current fixed engagements, Rossi will be able to make further race and test appearances in various BMW M Motorsport racing cars. The 43-year-old will also have the opportunity to represent BMW M Motorsport. Details will be announced at a later date.

BMW PRESS

As blue as the sea, as stunningly white as the beach: the MINI Convertible in the Seaside Edition

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 04:02:36 GMT

To mark the 30th anniversary of the sporty open-top MINI four-seater, the MINI Convertible now appears in the Seaside Edition with exclusive design and equipment features, optionally in the body colours Caribbean Aqua and Nanuq White.

Waves rolling gently onto the beach and the endless horizon in view – a day at the seaside offers refreshingly expansive perspectives and a feeling of freedom. In line with this, the MINI Convertible in the Seaside Edition celebrates 30 years of individual style and maximum fresh-air driving fun. To mark the anniversary of the open-top four-seater, MINI now presents the sporty classic with exclusive equipment and design features – optionally in a shimmering blue Caribbean Aqua paint finish or in the light Nanuq White bodycolor. The Seaside Edition of the MINI Convertible is available as the Cooper (combined fuel consumption: 6.4 – 5.9 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 145 – 135 g/km according to WLTP) and the Cooper S (combined fuel consumption: 6.9 – 6.5 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 157 – 148 g/km according to WLTP).

Currently the world’s only premium convertible in the small car segment and with an impressively distinctive look in traditional brand style, the MINI Convertible embodies individual open-air driving pleasure. In the MINI Cooper S, a 2.0-litre, 131 kW/178 hp 4-cylinder power unit with MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology enables acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds. The MINI Cooper also provides typical MINI go-kart feeling, featuring a 3-cylinder petrol engine with an output of 100 kW/136 hp. The black, electrically operated soft top takes things at a more leisurely pace: it can be opened or closed automatically up to 30 km/h.

From February 2023, the limited Seaside Edition of the MINI Convertible will accentuate this stylish model’s hallmark features with an edition-specific design in the exterior and interior. Double decorative stripes in white run from the side doors to the rear of the vehicle, and the exclusive exterior design is rounded off with a unique graphic on the front apron, where a stylised 30 once again refers to the model’s anniversary.

This contrasts elegantly with the maritime-inspired paint finish Caribbean Aqua, emphasising the sporty character of the open-top four-seater. In the Nanuq White finish, the consistently light-coloured bodywork has a particularly elegant appeal: here the MINI Convertible is reminiscent of spotted clouds against a deep-blue summer sky.

The side scuttles with the edition’s discreet “Seaside” lettering pick up on the 30th model anniversary with graphically designed numerals in light and dark blue. The round birthday is also celebrated with exclusive “Seaside” lettering in sporty orange on the rear. Meanwhile the 18-inch alloy wheels in Pulse Spoke design are reminiscent of pulsating waves in the water. By contrast, the specific wheel caps stand still: here, the number of the anniversary appears once more. A weight behind them ensures a perfect appearance at all times.

Even as you enter the vehicle, the trim strips on the vehicle doors in edition design with two white stripes and Seaside lettering convey the exclusive aura of the interior. The Carbon Black leather seats with comfortable knee rolls and armrests in the doors offer comfort as well as harmonising perfectly with the two exterior finishes Caribbean Aqua and Nanuq White when the soft top is open.

The decorative trim strips on the front dashboards also appear in edition-specific design: both the printed pattern and the lettering bring the round anniversary to mind once again. This pattern also appears on the floor mats in the form of a graphic badge. The lower spoke of the sports leather steering wheel features the eponymous “Seaside” lettering of the new MINI Edition. The vehicle key featuring the edition-specific graphic wave pattern in iridescent blue tones picks up on both the open atmosphere and the pure elegance of the sea, enabling the owner to take a piece of this exclusive edition home with them. The integrated “Seaside” lettering underlines the model’s unique flair – definitely ruling out any potential key mix-ups.

For the driver, the latest generation of the MINI operating system optimises quick and intuitive control of the vehicle functions, audio programme, communication, navigation and apps, while newly compiled equipment packages enable specific individual preferences to be fulfilled in terms of driver assistance and connectivity.

BMW PRESS

BMW M Team WRT driver line-up confirmed for Bathurst and GT World Challenge Europe

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 07:32:02 GMT

BMW M Team WRT will undertake its first works-supported race outing with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour, the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, in February 2023.

BMW M Motorsport returns to Australia after an enforced three-year absence. BMW M Team WRT will undertake its first works-supported race outing with the BMW M4 GT3 at the Bathurst 12 Hour, the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, in February 2023. This is followed by the GT World Challenge Europe which begins in April 2023. The two cars will be occupied by top-class drivers, including nine-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi (ITA), who will share the #46 BMW M4 GT3 with BMW M works drivers Maxime Martin (BEL) and Augusto Farfus (BRA). Challenging for top results in the #32 car will be the two new BMW M works drivers Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL), together with DTM champion Sheldon van der Linde (RSA).

“It is fantastic to return to this legendary motorsport venue with BMW M Motorsport for the first time since 2020, and to see the BMW M4 GT3 in action for the first time at the Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst,” said Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “There is something magical about the event, and we hope to be able to convey that magic on the track. We feel the prospects of a strong debut from the BMW M4 GT3 and BMW M Team WRT are very good. The combination of a strong team and equally strong drivers means we can approach the 12 hours of racing with confidence and hope for good results. I am particularly pleased, on the driver side, to see some new faces in our cockpits, coupled with the proven class of Augusto Farfus and Sheldon van der Linde. The race in Bathurst forms the start of an intensive and, hopefully, successful season with BMW M Team WRT, which continues with the Kyalami 9 Hour in February and then in the GT World Challenge Europe.”

“I am delighted to have such strong driver line-ups for our programmes in the GT World Challenge Europe and the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Thank you to BMW M Motorsport for this fantastic opportunity,” said WRT team principal and CEO Vincent Vosse. “I have been trying for a long time to work together with Maxime Martin in my team. It is awesome that this is now possible. I would also like to welcome Sheldon van der Linde back to the team having raced together a few years ago. He knows Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts well and I am sure they will form a strong team. Having Augusto Farfus, with all his know-how and experience, and Maxime alongside Valentino Rossi is also a fantastic combination. I can hardly wait for the 2023 season and to fight to bring trophies to Munich.”

Vanthoor and Weerts will contest all the sprint races in the GT World Challenge Europe as a duo, and will be supported by van der Linde in the endurance races. “I am really pleased to continue my successful partnership with Charles in the GT World Challenge Europe. We have been very successful in the past three years, winning the title in the Sprint Cup,” said Vanthoor. “The opposition will be even tougher in all the races, but I am confident that we will also be successful with the BMW M4 GT3, together with WRT and BMW M Motorsport. The front-engine car will be a change and a challenge for me, but my impressions from the initial tests have been very positive. The BMW M4 GT3 has great potential.” Weerts said: “Our goal for the Sprint Cup is obviously to challenge for our fourth title in a row, even if I still need to adapt to the BMW M4 GT3 a little better. It is also fantastic to get to know new circuits and to race at Bathurst for the first time in my career.”

Maxime Martin will contest the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup together with Valentino Rossi. Providing valuable support as the third driver in the Endurance Cup and in Bathurst will be Augusto Farfus. “I am looking forward to the new challenge on my return to BMW M Motorsport,” said Martin. “Working with BMW M Team WRT and Valentino Rossi will definitely be a fantastic experience. I am also delighted to share a car with my friend Augusto Farfus again, and hopefully to pick up some wins.” Rossi said: “I’m very happy to continue my collaboration with the WRT team in 2023. This will be an important season as we will have a new car. The tests with the BMW M4 GT3 have been very good so far. I can’t wait to go racing with it.”

BMW PRESS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 55 | December 2022

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

A late newsletter this month, so that we can take the opportunity to wish you all a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year break. We know that this time of year is not always great for everyone, so we do hope that whatever it is you get up to, you are able to make the most of it, enjoy it, and take a well deserved break (if you can). We can't wait to catch up with you all in 2023.

Before we finish up for the year, let's take a look back at November. Many of our members started the month in Tasmania on our first bi-annual tour of Tasmania. With nearly 30 members in attendance, we had a great time touring around Tassie.

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On 6 November we were invited to display our cars at the Sandown Historics. It's always a great opportunity to see some great cars both on and off the track.

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11 November saw is at the German Tivoli Club for our first All German Fest – Oktoberfest car display. Despite the thunderstorms keeping many away, we still had quite a few members attend, with Jo Mawson also winning best dressed in the Oktoberfest competition!

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25-27 November was our first Challenge Bathurst, where we had 18 cars entered. It was really great to have a such a large mix of BMWs out on the track from M2s to E28s to E30s - we really had it all. It was also nice to see members from some of the other BMW Clubs around Australia, who we don't often get to see unless we are at the Nationals.

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25 November was also our first back to Munich hook up meeting for a few months. We do really enjoy these events to find out first hand what's happening at BMW in Munich. If you haven't yet attended one, there are quite a few in our calendar for 2023 already that you can register for.

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Our last event for November was the Geelong area mid-week drive. We had a great turn out and it was really nice to catch up with our members after at dinner. Thank you to Peter Williams for taking over the lead of this drive in Lawrence’s absence.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Kai Li, Zixuan Luo, Xuli Gu, Tony Vallone, Michael Skomina, Terence Crook, Jhdara Jones, Svetlana Yarosh, Kerry Kornhauser, Corry O'Shannassy and Nic Mulhall. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here .

The month ahead.

We have one final event for December:

Friday, 16 December
BCCM live from Munich
Our last event for the year - a catch up with BMW Munich for a wrap up of 2022.

Looking ahead to January and beyond, there are some events that you should register for as soon as possible, to avoid missing out:

15 January 2023
2023 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Round 1
The first round of our 2023 championship will kick off at Phillip Island with AROCA. Ensure you register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

26 January 2023
Australia Day Drive
We'll start at lunch time at Hogans Hotel bistro and then head off on a scenic drive via Malmsbury, finishing at Panton Hill Hotel for dinner.

2 - 6 February 2023
Bathurst 12 Hour
Our annual trip to the Bathurst 12 Hour - a weekend of some of the best motor racing you will see in Australia.

15 - 22 March 2023
BMW Clubs Australia Nationals - Gold Coast
A perfect opportunity to come together with BMW Club members from around the country.

29 March - 30 April 2023
Australian F1 Grand Prix Display
Please note that expressions of interest are now open and close on 31 December 2022. If you wish to display your car, you must complete an expression of interest so that you can be considered. All successful members will be notified as soon as possible after the cut off date.

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EVENT PHOTOS

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

BMW M Motorsport presents works drivers and race programme for the 2023 season

Motorsport Australia.

Speed Read | December 2022

AOMC/Greenfleet Carbon Offset Scheme

You can read more about the initiative and how you can get involved here.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

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BMW M Motorsport presents works drivers and race programme for the 2023 season

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 23:40:29 GMT

The squad of works drivers at BMW M Motorsport for the 2023 season includes more prominent newcomers. Belgians Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts receive works driver contracts and join the BMW M Motorsport family. They will compete with BMW M Team WRT in the coming season, among other outings. The initial race programmes for the BMW M Motorsport teams and works drivers have also been confirmed.

The squad of works drivers at BMW M Motorsport for the 2023 season includes more prominent newcomers. Belgians Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts receive works driver contracts and join the BMW M Motorsport family. They will compete with BMW M Team WRT in the coming season, among other outings. The initial race programmes for the BMW M Motorsport teams and works drivers have also been confirmed. They include appearances in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the new BMW M Hybrid V8, as well as starts with the BMW M4 GT3 in GT World Challenge Europe, the Intercontinental GT Challenge and the Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER). More race programmes – including the DTM that is undergoing a major transformation at the moment – are being planned and will be announced at a later date.

“After celebrating 50 years of BMW M and looking back on the glorious history of BMW M and BMW M Motorsport in 2022, we have an exciting season ahead of us in 2023 on the road to the future of motor racing,” said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “Taking centre stage is the BMW M Hybrid V8, which will be the first hybrid race car from BMW M Motorsport to appear in the IMSA series. The car is the symbol of the transformation of BMW M towards electrification, meaning it also plays a crucial role beyond motorsport. I am looking forward to the races with BMW M Team RLL and the parallel test work being undertaken by BMW M Team WRT, which will start with the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2024. I will also have my fingers crossed for all the teams and drivers doing battle for victories and titles in 2023 with the BMW M4 GT3, the new BMW M4 GT4 and the BMW M2 CS Racing.”

Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport, said: “After a successful 2022, including title wins in the DTM, we are shifting up another gear next year. We have improved what was already a very strong squad of works drivers with René Rast, Maxime Martin, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts. On the team side, we are continuing our collaborations, which have grown over many years, including with BMW M Team RLL, BMW M Team RMG and ROWE Racing. Of course, we also plan to continue with our DTM champion team Schubert Motorsport, although we weren’t able to fix anything yet due to the current DTM situation. We also welcome BMW M Team WRT as a new BMW M Motorsport team. We are facing some exciting sporting challenges in 2023 and the years to come, for which we need the best teams and drivers. After all, the goal is to add to the success story of the BMW brand in motor racing.”

The 2023 works drivers.

Vanthoor and Weerts are the latest members of the BMW M Motorsport family. 24-year-old Vanthoor can already look back on some impressive successes. He has won the Nürburgring 24 Hours twice (2019, 2022), was Sprint Cup Champion on three occasions in GT World Challenge Europe (2020, 2021, 2022) and was crowned overall champion in GT World Challenge Europe in 2021. Vanthoor has also tasted victory at the 24h Dubai (UAE), the 12h Bathurst (AUS) and took class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).

Weerts is 21 years old and has enjoyed success alongside Vanthoor in the past. This includes winning the title in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup in 2020, 2021 and 2022, as well as the overall title in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe.

The BMW M Motorsport squad for the 2023 season now comprises 20 works drivers, including newcomers René Rast (GER) and Maxime Martin (BEL), who were announced a while ago. Other drivers without a works driver contract will also start for BMW M Motorsport in races and tests in BMW M race cars.

Debut season for the BMW M Hybrid V8 in North America.

A new era dawns in 2023 when the new BMW M Hybrid V8 contests its debut season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in North America. BMW M Team RLL will field two new hybrid prototypes in the highest class - GTP. They will be driven by Connor De Phillippi (USA), Nick Yelloly (GBR), Philipp Eng (AUT) and Augusto Farfus (BRA). Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Marco Wittmann (GER) will bolster the IMSA squad in the BMW M Hybrid V8 at the endurance races at Daytona and Sebring (both USA). Colton Herta (USA) will also be involved at the season-opener, the 24 Hours of Daytona in January.

BMW M Team WRT in IGTC and GTWC.

BMW M Team WRT will run a double programme with the BMW M4 GT3 in 2023, both in GT World Challenge Europe and at races in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The works programme for BMW M Team WRT begins with the 12h Bathurst on the first weekend of February. The exact driver line-ups for the team’s BMW M4 GT3 will be announced at a later date. Before travelling to Australia, the team will use the 24 Hours of Dubai in January to gain experience with the BMW M4 GT3 under race conditions, as part of a customer outing organised by the team itself. At the same time, BMW M Team WRT will also be preparing for the 2024 season, in which it will appear in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the BMW M Hybrid V8.

ROWE Racing in GTWC Endurance and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

The 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is one of the highlights of the race calendar every year. It has already been confirmed that 2020 winners ROWE Racing will again start the classic in the Eifel mountains with two BMW M4 GT3s for BMW M Motorsport. The team is also planned to continue to race in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with two works-supported BMW M4 GT3s next season.

BMW M Team RMG: 24h Nürburgring contender and development team.

Parallel to the many race outings, BMW M Motorsport will also continue its development work with various BMW M race cars in 2023. BMW M Team RMG remains largely responsible for the test and development work. In addition to that, the Andernach-based team will again compete in its home race with the BMW M4 GT3, the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Race action and new roles for Bruno Spengler.

BMW M works driver Bruno Spengler (CAN) will be behind the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 in 2023 and contest multiple international races next season. He will also have a bigger role within the BMW family in other areas. Spengler will be BMW SIM Racing Ambassador and BMW Group Classic Ambassador from 2023.

BMW PRESS

Diary: BMWDCM at Challenge Bathurst

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 04:04:39 GMT

Event date: 25 - 27 November 2022

Thursday

An early start on Thursday for our convoy up to Bathurst for the Club’s first Challenge Bathurst.

Perfect day for driving, very easy drive until you turn off the Hume, then it’s spot the pot hole and try not to fall in. Great to see the countryside drying up a bit and they’re out working on the roads, but still lots to fix.

Fantastic travelling with a group, makes the journey so much easier and more fun.

The Mountain is looking beautiful now it’s dried out since the Supercars weekend. Very different without the throngs of people there though, but just the same with the sound of race cars zooming around the hill.

This will be a great experience for the club members, to be able to drive this track is something that anyone that loves driving aspires to. A real bucket list event. Can’t wait till the end of the first session to see the smiles on their faces and hear the stories.

I remember the first time I raced here, it never leaves you, as a driver it is one of things you just have to do.

Friday

Friday at The Mountain.

Was great getting up yesterday, means we can get set up and have the day today to look around, get the drivers and crews checked in, cars Scrutineered, then move into the pit lane garages once the ‘Sprint’ competitors had moved out.

A pretty relaxing day and great just taking it easy for a change whilst getting everything ready for the weekend’s fun.

By the end of the day all our lot have turned up, unloaded and have their cars tucked in the garages ready to go bright and early tomorrow.

The day starts off with a briefing then a familiarization session.

You can hear the excitement in some of their voices, tomorrow will be the realization of some people’s dreams, driving around the best track in Australia and one of the best in the World.

Got to say thank you to the organizers for inviting DCM to bring a bunch of people to the Mountain and of course all the officials that make this happen. For the average person that would otherwise not have the opportunity to drive around this amazing place, this is the best way to do it!

It is a great event and looking forward to the next two days of fun.

Saturday

Saturday at The Mountain.

There are some things in life you just cannot explain to someone until they have actually done it. There aren’t words to express some experiences until you’ve done it yourself.

Driving Bathurst at speed is one of those things.

The looks on the faces and the excitement and exhilaration in their voices after their first familiarization laps just explains it all. Then that only intensifies after more sessions and time on track.

Bathurst isn’t just another racetrack, it is the pinnacle of Motorsport in this country for a driver, and quite possibly one of the best tracks in the world.

It is so hard to explain what it’s like to drive here, and as much as you try and as many in car videos or sim sessions you do, nothing compares to driving here. The only thing that tops doing an event like Challenge Bathurst is actually racing here!

Today was just perfect, the weather, the track, the organization, the company… where else in the world would you want to be?

We have an awesome bunch up here with us, some great fun on the track and then some great fun sitting around telling stories of the day and other days here or elsewhere.

If you want to join us next year, when entries come out you need to be quick! Something not to be missed.

As always, thanks to the teams of officials and organizers for giving of their time to run events like this for those that love to drive. We can’t enjoy what we do without an army of volunteers, so, like some of us that came all this way to help others enjoy their fun, you too can join in even if you’re not driving. It is still almost as much fun.

One day to go then the long drive home on Monday.

Sunday

Sunday night and the end of a fantastic weekend of doing what we all love, driving, at the pinnacle of Australian Motorsport.

Everything was perfect, the weather was amazing, the track awesome, the event itself went off perfectly.

Well done to the organisers and officials and thank you to Greg Evans for inviting DCM to run a group of BMW Club Members from all over Australia to experience the best track in the country. Hoping we will be invited back to run a bigger event next year.

Most have packed up and headed off in different directions for home, our little convoy will head off in the morning back to Melbourne.

It’s been an awesome weekend and if you get the opportunity to come and do this event, take it!

Monday

Everyone safely home from an amazing weekend up at Bathurst.

Safe to say everyone had a ball, such a great event and such a great bunch to do it with.

So many pics and videos to go through over the next few days.

Just a few more tonight though.

Thank you for coming, thank you to the officials and organisers that make it all possible.

Graeme Bell | Member #1
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

An update from the President | November

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

We started November in the middle of an event and boy what a great event that was, with nearly 30 members travelling around Tasmania together. This will be a bi-yearly event, so watch out for the next one in 2024.

On 6 November we had a great display of cars at Sandown Historics. We were lucky with the weather and even luckier with the position we were in. There were plenty of great cars to see both on and off the track.

11 November saw us at the German Tivoli Club for our first All German Fest – Oktoberfest car display. We had a great turn out despite the threat of thunderstorms, which did keep a few away, but those who did attend had a great time chatting to all the other car owners and then coming upstairs in the Tivoli club to join us all for some German food and catch up with some new members too. it was fantastic to see so many members from our friends from Mercedes, Porsche and VW clubs. Jo won best dressed in the Oktoberfest competition, and I would like to thank everyone who took the time and effort to dress up, it makes these nights a bit more fun.

25-27 November was our first Challenge Bathurst, where we had 18 cars entered. This was our total allocation for the event. We could definitely have filled more spots as this event sold out within the first few days! Wow what a fantastic event and it was great to have a great mix of BMWs out on the track from one member’s beautiful M2 which had some pretty cool looking decals on it to an SA member’s E28 complete with bowls hat on the parcel shelf. We had a great mix in between and a really friendly mix of competitors. These events are wonderful as members who normally don’t get to catch up until the nationals can come together and really bond over the things they love, BMW and speed, on the best track in the country. We were really lucky to have amazing weather and also some great volunteers who came up to help the team. Thank you to Sam and Angelo who are just really great people and always help when they are able to.

25 November was also our first back to Munich hook up meeting for a few months. As with previous hook ups, we had a great turn out of members logging in and it was full of great information from Munich. We have all the next hook ups on our calendar already so feel free to register so not to miss out.

A new piece of news is the new Carbon Offset Program, developed with the AOMC that is now available to join. This is a great incentive to help offset the emissions from older cars and very cheap to be a part of to help the world move toward a carbon neutral future.

December is full of events starting with Round 8 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island. This event is always so popular, and I know it sold out within the first couple of days of entries opening. Spectators are welcome to come and support those who were lucky to get in.

On 6 December we will all be meeting for a sausage sizzle at Mornington BMW then heading down to Sorento to watch to sun set after a drive along the beautiful coastline. Don’t miss out on our last Twilight drive for 2022.

Then on 11 December is our Christmas Picnic and Show and Shine at Cruden Farm. All are welcome make this your family picnic and bring the kids as Santa will be there for photos and possibly lolly bags. There is gold coin donation for egg and bacon rolls in the morning and online link to yummy grazing boxes which can be ordered when you register. We encourage you to bring out your “other cars’ too as there is a section in the Show and Shine for non-BMWs.

Our last event for 2022 will be another hook up with Munich featuring a review of all that happened in 2022.

Save the dates:

Looking ahead to 2023, the motorsport calendar for is nearly complete so keep an eye open for that, we have only just received confirmation on the Supercars rounds so now we can set about confirming all our events.

With regards to club plate renewals, can I please stress that it is up to the member to make sure you have your registration paperwork completed on time and back to VicRoads. We have had quite a few emails of late from members who have forgotten to complete their paperwork or let their renewals laps and then get cranky with us as they can’t get them signed when they want to. VicRoads send the renewals out around six weeks before they are due, so you have plenty of time to get them signed. Please remember all your committee are volunteers and some work full time and try to run a business. When you have your paperwork signed it is your responsibility to ensure it is completed, sometimes we may miss a spot due to life distractions. We apologise if this has happened but again remember we are volunteers and don’t get paid and some work many unpaid hours to make sure this club is running in tip top condition.

As I have said in a few of my previous reports, if you have a club registered car, make sure your registration is paid, go out and inspect your cars now and check the dates. Jo has managed to help a few members who have had let their registrations laps but her friendship with VicRoads can only go so far. The fines for driving an unregistered club permit scheme vehicle is now over $900.

We also offer the online system, which is working quite well and again, it is up to the individual to ensure the uploaded paperwork is correct before sending it into VicRoads.

As you would have seen in the save the dates above, the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals will be held next year on the Gold Cast. We encourage you all to follow the link on the event and check it out. The Nationals is a fantastic event where we catch up with all our fellow club members from around Australia and this one will be another fantastic event. Join us up there in 2023 for another fantastic Nationals.

Our new membership incentive is doing well, and we have had a lot of new members sign up and we look forward to drawing our first winners in January 2023. This is not just for new members but for all renewals in each quarter. How it works is when you renew, your name goes into the running for some fantastic prizes. When a new member signs up their name goes into the running for the prizes. But best of all if you refer a member your name goes into the running as well, as long as the new member list you as the referring member. As they say on TV “you got to be in it to win it”.

Jo has also been working tirelessly re-signing sponsors for 2023. If you own a business and would be interested in being part of our clubs sponsorship, please drop Jo an email on v.president@bmwdcm.com.au and she will be happy to forward you the relevant information and even drop out to have a chat.

Jess has been out over the past weekend doing a photo shoot for the next idrive and it sounds like it will be a great cover, again. If you have not submitted any articles yet which you think might be worth reading in the next edition please forward them, with hi resolution photos to editor@bmwdcm.com.au.

Well, this is all from me, I am hoping that December will give us some warmer weather as we have some great events coming up to enjoy in the sun. As always, thank you for being a part of our DCM family and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Thank you from Victorian Flagmarshalling Team

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 04:02:23 GMT

Just wanted to send Jo and Graeme and the BMWDCM a special thanks for your incredible support and efforts in asking members of the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne for trackside support at the recent Island Magic event at Phillip Island, particularly at such short notice.

Please pass on our heartfelt thanks and appreciation on behalf of myself and the VFT to Adrian White, Chris Allen, Marlin & Simon Lee for their amazing efforts. The guys fitted in with the team very well and were excellent contributors to the weekend.

It was a pleasure to work with them all and without their support and enthusiasm it would have been difficult to provide the service the VFT is renowned for.

Again, thank you to the BMWDCM for your assistance, we take this opportunity to wish you and the entire BMWDCM family a very Merry Christmas and safe and prosperous New Year.

Mark Thompson | Chief Flag Marshal
Victorian Flagmarshalling Team Inc

Broadford in July

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 03:42:44 GMT

Event date: 16-17 July 2022

I’d only driven the Broadford track once before, so I was keen to deploy those skills & improve my lap times.

We also gifted a birthday track day to Jenny’s eldest kidult (Jay) & partner (Cozzie). That demanded more cabin space so Jenny drove my E93 and I in the Toyota 86 (all marques welcome). The 86’s race suspension made it a harsh ride, but it was an uneventful drive up.

We met the DCM crew for Friday dinner at the Broadford Hotel, a 10min walk from the Sugarloaf Motel; so DUI was eliminated.

Day one was a “come & try day” and was overcast and cool, with rain forecast so it was going to get interesting, especially for the newbies.

I was feeling apprehensive about teaching the kidults in my 86, so I expected to have someone else do the coaching. At the briefing we got the details of the rules and running order and as it turned out the newbie numbers were up & coaches were stretched, so I just went with it & did the coaching (good decision).

I conducted the orienteering laps, explaining “cut here, stay wide there, adverse camber over the top , watch the outside (it falls away)”. Then I got a bit more focussed on a real session (just to warm up the car ;) ).

The coaching laps kicked off and my appreciation rapidly turned to solid enjoyment of the coaching role (not rolls, Phew).

My day then got busier, as I also coached a newbie from the AROC, who had me coaching in a CX3 Auto, not my 1st or 100th choice of track car, but it was great to hear from Yit Yuan (Eatyen) that she was there to learn about how her car performed at higher speeds on straight & corner (she certainly got that).

The students listened & tried. Mistakes were made improvements were rapid.

We reviewed & planned on the whiteboard back in the office, discussing lane position, braking strategy and turn-in locations.

My nerve held across the 3 students and I only had to slap the dash “BRAKE!!” A couple of times. I got back in the zone via my own fun behind the wheel too, which added up to a very busy day.

More DCM fun at the hotel for dinner, with even a birthday cake (thank you so much for that surprise!).

Day 2 (Sunday) was a bit more serious, both in driver experience and weather (lots of rain). Whilst lined up for my 2nd session I thought I spotted an E30 in the group, which wasn’t in the first session. I then found it chasing me down the home straight, it could only be our President (Graeme Bell). I pushed hard around turn 1/2 in the rain and backed off when I felt the rear end go light. I had nervous fun for the rest of the session, then Graeme came for a chat in the paddock. “Play with the oversteer in the wet, push to the light-feeling then feather the gas to maintain that slide, enjoy it [rather than avoid it]”. I took that advice to my next sessions & I had so much fun! Yes, I lost the rear end on that adverse camber section, but I kept it on the black stuff.

What a weekend! Great fun with the DCM crew, some teaching skills developed, some awesome lessons & track time for me.

Thanks Jo and committee for giving us the chance to safely “give it the berries”.

Martin Taylor | Member #598
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

All German Fest - Oktoberfest Car Display

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 03:59:18 GMT

Event date: 11 November 2022

I must admit as this was the first time I had attended an Oktoberfest event, I wasn't sure what to expect. But it turned out to be a lovely and relaxed evening for the young (and young at heart!) to enjoy each other's company, swap stories, and enjoy a hearty meal of exquisite German food (and of course, sample some superb German beer, cider, or wine).

Although the weather was on the cool side and threatened to rain, the car park was filled with a fine variety of German cars to admire - including a Bell Motorsport racing BMW, Porsches, Mercedes, and of course several classic and modern BMWs.

Thanks to all Members who organised or supported and participated to make this an enjoyable evening.

Richard Van Essen | Member #946
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Fun with flags!

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 02:33:47 GMT

Every time I’ve thought about writing this article, I wanted to use that title – “Fun with flags” … and for the geeks out there, yes – it always makes me think of Big Bang Theory! Although that is where the similarity ends.

I decided to try flagging as my partner, Martin, is always going to track events and I’m either tagging along or don’t go because he’s not on the track and just chin-wagging. I’ve been really enjoying my time at the track and add to that super enjoying the BMWDCM community, so I wanted to be more a part of it – but I didn’t want to drive.

There is always a need for volunteers, so I signed up. I didn’t expect to be flagging. I thought I’d get an admin / numbers task, given my accounting background. The first volunteer opportunity asked of me was flagging – I was thinking ‘I have no clue!’, but Jo assured me I would be trained, and she was more than true to her word.

I was buddied with Andy and lucky enough to be at start / finish for the morning, which gave me great exposure to that flagging element. Andy was great in training me in all the flagging requirements, even those that weren’t needed on the day. With the combination of my inquisitive nature and Andy’s open and easy-going style, we rehearsed all the flagging requirements, embedding a great foundation for my understanding and flagging future!

It was a cold day, and in the afternoon, I became even colder – to a point I would usually not tolerate, but the activity was so enjoyable that it didn’t’ bother me and I simply moved to keep warm and continue enjoying the day. As I crewed my post, I recognised the cars of those I knew from BMWDCM – I was so close to the action! Each time they came around I could see right away how they were performing compared to the other times.

This was extra cool as not only was I recognising our members, but I was looking out for my partner, my son and his fiancé’! The timing of our trip to Broadford for the ‘come and try’ day coincided with my eldest’s b’day and with our timing of selling the car that Martin takes on the track.

It’s important to deviate from the track-side to something else wonderful about this trip and to acknowledge a very special lady, Lucy, who bought a b’day cake for my son, which was brought out at the evening dinner. She had the whole BMW crew helping us celebrate! Thank you, Lucy!

Ok, this is also where I need to fess-up that we took a Toyota 86 to Broadford, not a BMW (but don’t’ be disappointed, it was a means to an end, and it’s now gone with an E30 in its place).

I recognised the “family” race car each time it came around the track, but the driver was another matter! I thought the kids were getting really brave, only to find out later the lad that yelled and waved out the window was just Martin, my partner.

I loved my day of flagging. I spent the afternoon at a different spot with a different buddy and looked forward to doing it again.

This happened at Philip Island. And this is when I truly realised, I LOVE FLAGGING!

The call went out for flaggers for Philip Island and aligned with a break from my workload, so I went for it! I encouraged my partner (usually a driver/ pit-crew) to give it a go also, which he did (and loved, but he can tell that story). I was given my own post – just me. I was a little nervous, but confident and excited. I also took the time to get a lift out with the flag deliverer – helping drop off the flags whilst testing out my memory on the requirements and gaining the local insights.

This time I had come more prepared – suncream and hot packs! I was on my own, but I remembered my training and I went into action! It was extra challenging and therefore extra fun adapting to the different events. The two Porsche in one event meant the blue flag was a constant – as they were lapping everyone! In other rounds the vehicles rarely needed a blue flag – but other course action was prevalent with a few gravel detours, and we even had a lack of adhesion opportunity. That was a good refresher that now all flags are waved – some need to be held.

A huge thank you to Andy for the great training and to Jo for setting me up for success! I’m very much looking forward to flagging again and I recommend you give it a go - at least once!

Jenny Rose | Member #887
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Trip to Tassie

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 02:14:54 GMT

Event date: 26 October - 1 November 2022

Most of our group of 26 departed on the Spirit of Tasmania on Tuesday evening at 6.45pm for the overnight sailing to Devenport. We all met for a 6pm buffet dinner, before retiring for what turned out to be a very smooth sailing - we all arrived in good spirits on Wednesday morning, before heading off to McDonalds to join up and have brekkie.

8.30 a.m. saw us depart for Cradle Mountain on quite narrow and winding roads - lots of roadworks to contend with in this area. Beautiful backdrop of craggy mountains, and the sun obliged by emerging just as we arrived at 10.00 a.m.

We all split up and went our own way for the morning - some for walks around Dove Lake, after exiting the shuttle bus, some just enjoying the scenery with a coffee in the lodge. the Enchanted walk was just like stepping back in time and being in a wonderland. Lunch was at the Peppers Tavern with a large log fire to send us to sleep! The lodge has resident wildlife, including kangaroos, wallabies and quite a large wombat.

Casey from Launceston BMW joined us for lunch, and subsequently lead the group out from Cradle Mountain for the drive back to Devonport.

Unfortunately on this drive, which was in the rain, Adrian White's 525i had a top hose failure. Lawrence was "Tail end Charlie" and noticed steam coming from under the car. Once we were aware of this, the group all pulled over whilst Graeme made a temporary repair to the hose.

Adrian was then able to travel slowly back to Launceston to try and arrange a replacement part, followed by Lawrence and Shaaron to make sure he arrived safely. The rest of the group continued back to Devonport - we separated into two groups in the town of Wilmot - some chose to drive the direct route to Devenport, others to go the "long" way round on some Targa sections.

This reinforced to all of us some of the reasons we belong and travel in a group - there is always someone there to help, and in this instance the the Glynns and Graeme and Jo came to the rescue.

We arrived back in Devenport at 5.00pm and 6.00 pm respectively, just in time to have another meal!

I think most had an early night - the weather had turned quite drizzly and cold by this stage.

Our second day in Tasmania, Thursday, started with an 8.00 a.m breakfast at the motel, ready for a 9.30 am departure. Again, light drizzle and quite cold, the drive was again along some winding sections with lots of roadworks enroute.

We had a 10.30 am stop at Sheffield for morning tea, which allowed time to view numerous murals in the town.

Off again at 11.15am for Longford, again interrupted by roadworks and rain most of the way, with the occasional burst of welcome sunshine.

Lunch was organised by Jo at the historic Longford Pub, which gave us all a chance to view the

memorabilia. We were joined by Simeon's family for lunch, (they had flown over earlier that day to join up with the rest of the group). It was lovely to also celebrate Elsie's 13th birthday, with a small cake which Jo managed to purchase from a local bakery. Weather by now had really taken a turn for the worse and it rained heavily as we left for the drive to Hobart for a 5.00 pm arrival. The trip was again interrupted by lots of roadworks.

Once we arrived at the Wrest Point Casino, we all went in different directions and organised our own activities. By now, Adrian was still in Launceston on his own trying to obtain the part he needed for his car - as it was going to take too long, Graeme and Jo were able to source and collect the part and coolant in Hobart for him. He was able to drive very slowly to Hobart, (with a little help from the RACT), and arrived late that night. Fortunately Graeme saved the day again and the car was quickly repaired and back on the road in the morning, and he was able to join a group doing a great drive down to the Huon Valley.

Some went to Bruny Island, others to Port Arthur, Salamanca Markets, Mt. Wellington, and fortunately the weather had started to improve, so by Saturday the sun was shining for us. Jennifer Rose had been on the trip, and had taken over as lead "navigator" to give Jo a break on the drive to Hobart - unfortunately she had to leave us on Saturday morning due to work commitments.

Thank you for a job well done. So Martin was now traveling solo.

Monday, we headed off to St. Helens, via Richmond to view the historic bridge - such a popular place that we couldn't find a parking space so kept moving on to Swansea for lunch. By this time, whilst the rain had gone, it was so windy it was almost impossible to stand up straight! Numerous fallen trees and foliage on the roads, lots of road crews cleaning up the mess - (we called into Freycinet, for a quick look) - all added to the time it took to arrive at St. Helens for our final night.

Lovely motel (Anchor Wheel), where the owner Attilla provided exceptional pre-dinner hospitality, even driving some to the local hotel for dinner. If ever in St. Helens, you must stay there.

Tuesday (Melb Cup Day) was another fine day, with an 8.30 am start. After a winding road, lots of road debris, we called into the Pyengana Dairy for a quick stop, and to purchase some lovely cheeses to bring back home. We then travelled on to Legerwood to view the stunning outdoor wood carvings a Anzac memorial.

Continued on the main road to Launceston, where we stopped at the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm for a pre-arranged lunch - another fabulous venue organized by Jo. We farewelled Simeon's family, as they were flying back to Melbourne in the evening; he was traveling back on the Spirit with the rest of the group.

Last stop on the way to the ferry was the Anvers Chocolate Factory- we all had good intentions but managed to sample their delicious fare, and most of us also purchased more chocolate than we needed.

From Anvers, it was just a 15 minute drive to the ferry terminal - the weather had stayed fine until then - once we were all on board it started to rain quite heavily. A buffet dinner again on board at 6.00pm the ferry crossing again was reasonably good - a little rough through the heads but not enough for anyone to be unwell, and we arrived on time in Geelong at 6.00 am.

Eight of the group managed to make the 8.00 a.m. Queenscliff to Sorrento ferry crossing, to enjoy our final "Tassie trip" coffee together.

Can't finish this without mentioning the two non-BMW drivers.

Both Rob and Mary in their Audi, and Terry and Anne in their Jeep, copped quite a bit of flak- Terry in particular for some reason - they were all such good sports about it - particularly Terry and his quickly re-badged "BMW Jeep"! I don't know how you sleep at night Martin.

Last of all, we know that all the participants would like to send their thanks to the organisers of the trip - Peter Williams for all the pre tour work, although not able to join in, Graeme and Jo, Lawrence and Shaaron - no doubt there are others in the background we haven't mentioned; thank you to all of you for arranging such a fabulous holiday for us.

Jeff and Jill Palmer | Member #949
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

See the next issue of idrive for more member articles and photographs from our holiday!

THANK YOU BMWDCM

We both would like to say to you all (at least the Tas trippers) a heartfelt thank you for the way you accepted us into your group for what turned out to be the time of our lives in the apple isle.

Even though we were from Mars (Jeep drivers mostly are), we both commented on the fact that there were no disapproving glares upon meeting you for the first time.

Thank you for the efforts of Lawrence who heard of our misery of not being able to get a booking for Tasmania before Terry’s dance with the surgeon on the 7 November …his impassioned plea to Jo (mother duck) worked!

Jo, it was great to pull up beside you in the waiting line to board the ferry and to get your BMW pack (you all know what happened to the BMW sticker) thank you also for the amazing way you organised the trip especially for us virgins.

Special mention for Martin who kept us in stiches with his repartee (Jeep Jesting), thanks mate you are one of a kind.

An extra special thank you to Graham Thomas along with Jeff and Jill Palmer who took time to assuage my obvious nervousness about my upcoming journey into the unknown…(not like me to blurt out personal matters, must have been the beer).

To John, thanks for the lessons on how to park.

To Adrian, your trip was crapped out on day two…bad luck, but you still spent time with us interlopers.

Rob and Mary, I tried lots of times to catch up with you to have a chat about your rocket, to no avail. But when we shared a meal with you both it was an enchanting evening, thank you Mary for spending time with us to say goodbye on the return ferry trip.

To Warren and Margaret thank you both for treating us both to your warmth and we got a kick out of hearing “at least the Jeep was something to follow through the traffic”.

To Simeon, Trent and anyone we may have omitted, you welcomed us into your group that you had all waited for, for two years, we appreciate it.

Until we meet again.

Terry and Anne Lane | Cave #6 Grand Canal
MARS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 54 | November 2022

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 22:30:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

Another busy month has come and gone and dare we say it.. Christmas is just around the corner.

We started October with the Euroa Car Show with a great display of cars and many of them enjoying the drive up to the event.

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On 4 - 10 October, a number of our members officiated at the very wet Bathurst 1000. BMWDCM had volunteers in all sorts of places, from the events office with the Supercars team to working in scrutineering. While it was very wet, the conditions were not as bad as we had been expecting with most of our members managing to stay warm and dry. Read about how some of our members enjoyed the event as officials here and here.

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On 7-9 October we were also invited to display with BMW Group Australia to celebrate 50 years of ///M at Motorclassica. We had a fantastic display of M cars ranging from early to current and there were a few variations through the weekend with some cars coming in and out through the three days. The display attracted great interest from the general public.

____________________

11 October was our first swap meet at All Marque Storage where members were able to sell plenty of bits and pieces. A very big thank you to Matt and his staff for opening for us and holding our event and putting on the BBQ.

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18 October was our monthly drop in donuts coffee night. It was great to see our regular attendees, with some new members popping by to say hi and enjoy the cars, coffee and, of course, the donuts.

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We then held our first twilight drive for the summer season on 19 October which began at our new office in Hastings. The sunset at the top of Arthurs Seat was just beautiful, it was such a clear night you could see for miles.

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On 22 October we held our first Motum Simulator Challenge, which was heaps of fun. A few of our members got some great results and there was some great competitive racing on the simulators.

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On 23 October we were invited to Melbourne BMW for their coffee morning celebrating 50 years of M. We had a fantastic turn out of members. A very big congratulations to Melbourne BMW for putting on such a great event, it was great to be able to tour the newly rebuild dealership and see the four new M cars on display.

On 23 October we also held a display at the Future Vehicles Expo. It was great to see so many members attend to see and learn more about future electric vehicles.

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And finally, we finished our month with 30 members heading off to Tasmania for our first club trip to Tassie. Be sure to keep an eye out in the next newsletter to hear all about it!

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Richard Van Essen, Ryan Taylor, Joel Imbert, Jill Palmer, Lucas Soklevski, Kent Perdrisat, Wendy Perdrisat and Shane Dwyer. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned in November:

Sunday, 6 November
Sandown Historics Car Display
Enjoy discounted entry into the wonderful world of historic motor racing including the "big banger" F5000 cars, Historic Touring Cars (not the Group A/C cars) plus much more - at least 10 categories altogether.

The display area will be on the Red Hill spectator area, which includes a raised area from where you can watch the racing from inside your car if the weather is inclement. A shuttle bus usually operates to take spectators to the pits and paddock area where there will be food vendors. You may also like to bring a picnic.

Friday, 11 November
All German Fest - Oktoberfest Car Display
Join us for a belated Oktoberfest all German fest car display. A fun night for all with prizes for some who join in the Oktoberfest theme such as dressed in German costume.

Friday - Sunday, 25-27 November
Challenge Bathurst regularity - volunteers only
Challenge Bathurst is an invitation only event and we are very lucky to be invited to join in for 2022. Unfortunately competitor entries are closed, however if you are interested in volunteering, we'd love to hear from you!

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EVENT PHOTOS

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

The all-new BMW M2

Motorsport Australia.

Speed Read | November 2022

BMWDCM'S Quarterly Membership Promotion.

How does it work?

Thank you to our sponsors who have generously provided the prizes this quarter.

See here for full Ts&Cs.You can also watch the draw live on Zoom at 7.35pm (AEDT) on 9 January 2023.

Working With Children Check.

If you have a Working With Children Check and are volunteering with BMWDCM it is important that you nominate the club as an organisation you are working with.

If you would like to volunteer with BMWDCM, you can do so for free by nominating BMW Drivers Club as the organisation you're volunteering with.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo by Paul Holliday.

Proudly supported by:

All Commercial/All Residential Real Estate
Adex Detailing

Bell Motorsport

Berwick BMW

BM Tech

Creative Custom Cars
German Auto Haus

Mornington BMW

Shannons Insurance

Shepparton BMW

South Yarra BMW

Southern BM

Traction Tyres

Waverley BMW

*BMWDCM's Quarterly Membership Promotion terms and conditions:

VIC residents 18+ only, who are/become a member of BMWDCM. Between 12.01am (AEST) 1/10/22 & 11.59pm (AEDT) 31/12/22, if not already a BMWDCM member, sign up by visiting bmwdcm.com.au & fill out join form, incl. providing the name of the person that referred you (if applicable) to get auto entry; or if you are already a BMWDCM member, after you have received an invitation to renew your membership, follow the instructions in the invitation email to do so to get auto entry; or if you are already a member of BMWDCM & a new member signs up to BMWDCM & nominates you as their referrer, you will get auto entry. Draw: 7.35pm (AEDT) 9/1/22, 27 Georgia Way, Hastings VIC 3915. Watch the draw live on Zoom by clicking here. Max 1 prize per person. See BMWDCM newsletter following draw winners. Entrants will get future marketing from BMWDCM. See bmwdcm.com.au/terms for full Ts&Cs incl. privacy statement. Promoter: BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc (BMWDCM) (Inc no. A0102695G).

Motum simulator challenge

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 04:04:36 GMT

Event date: 22 October 2022

'Glad it’s not my car’ I thought to myself as I was pinballing off the walls down the Esses at Bathurst. Thankfully I had no financial responsibility for the e30 m3 that would otherwise have been written off; main reason being that we experienced the Mountain in one of Motum’s Virtual Reality state of the art driving simulators.

Showing just how far technology and accessibility to it has come, BMWDCM members were punting around high end machinery around Bathurst, the ‘Ring, and Watkins Glen, trying to beat the score leaderboard or at least the person in the seat opposite them.

Towards the end of the night, a handful of somewhat competitive punters were determined to make it onto the leaderboard, track limits and obstacles be damned.

In all, was a very enjoyable experience and a less physically and financially risky proposition for those wanting to smash pb’s or sample other cars around the best tracks the world has to offer.

Just remember that stepping back into your car that the speeds are real, the obstacles are very real, and there’s no ‘reset’ button.

Igor Kay | Member #151
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMWDCM in Full Motion Virtual Reality

We’re the Drivers Club, we love driving and we love racing even more. But sadly, not all of us are fortunate enough to own a race car, let alone be brave enough to get out onto race track in one. So when I saw Motum Simulators, I thought, this is perfect for our Members who either don’t have a race car or want to experience the next closest thing.

The Motum Simulators are a 6-axis full motion simulator with 360° virtual reality headsets and with endless cars and circuits to race on, they are truly the closest thing to the real McCoy. I approached Motum Simulators to arrange an event evening and they were completely on-board with it. They were aware of our Club and knew we had many racer members.

10 BMWDCM Members quickly jumped on-board with this exciting new event, which booked out in 48 hours, and clearly the enthusiasm maintained right through the evening with some ultra-competitive head-to-head racing.

After we all “qualified”, using the Formula Renault 3.5 at the Watkins Glen International Short Circuit, it was Killian Treacy and Royce Lyne who came out on top. With sub-1 minute times, they were very close to hitting the alltime Motum Leaderboard, missing out by just over 1 second. Regardless of this, their times were incredible - well done to those two guys. For those interested, the current leader is “Colin”, a very smiley Australia race car driver who loves papaya orange and shoey’s.

Thanks for all the Members who supported this unique event and please stay tuned for the 2023 BMWDCM Simulator Driver Challenge.

Mark McDermott | Member #50
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

An update from the President | October

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

This report is coming to you from across Bass Straight, as a group of us are currently touring Tasmania on our first ‘overseas’ club trip. Join our facebook group for daily reports and pictures of the trip. We are having a ball and enjoying lots of Tasmania’s awesome roads as well as everything else our Southernmost State has hidden away.

October was another busy month which was jam packed with events.

On 2 October we had the Euroa Car Show with a great display of cars and many of them enjoying the drive up to the event as well.

On 4 – 10 October, Jo and I headed up to officiate at the Bathurst 1000 with some of our club members, which was just an amazing event. Jo was back in the events office with the Supercars team, and I was working in Scrutineering. The conditions were not as bad as we had been expecting so most of us managed to stay warm and dry. Read about how some of our officials enjoyed the event here and here.

7-9 October our club was invited to display with BMW Group Australia to celebrate 50 years of ///M at Motorclassica. We had a fantastic display of M cars ranging from early to current and there were a few variations through the weekend with some cars coming in and out through the three days. The display attracted great interest from the general public.

11 October was our first swap meet at All Marque Storage where members joined us to sell some of their bits and this went off really well. I would like to thank Matt and his staff for opening for us and holding this event and supplying and cooking up a ton of sausages. We are hoping to hold another event like this in the new year, so if you have some bits and pieces to sell, come along to our next swap meet, set yourself up a stall and empty out your shed of some of those parts you will never need again.

18 October was our monthly drop in donuts coffee night which again was great with some usuals and some new members popping in to say hi and enjoy the cars, coffee and, of course, donuts.

19 October we held our first twilight drive for the summer season, out of our new offices in Hastings. We had a fabulous turn out and the night was just magical. The sunset at the top of Arthurs Seat was one I have not experienced for many years. It was such a clear night you could see for miles. We couldn’t have asked for a better evening, and everyone enjoyed the catch up and drive, and then the views of the sunset were just amazing.

On 22 October we held our first Motum Simulator Challenge, which was heaps of fun. A few of our members got some great results and there was some great competitive racing on the Sims. Next year we will be running a Sim Racing Championship, for those that want to race in the virtual world instead of, or as well as the real world.

On 23 October we were invited to Melbourne BMW for their coffee morning celebrating 50 years of M. What a fantastic turn out of our members and congratulations to the dealership for putting on such a great event. Was great to be able to tour the newly rebuild dealership with the Dealer Principal, Daniel and see the four new M cars on display.

On 23 October we also held a display at the Future Vehicles Expo which again had a great turn out and again, lots of interest for our club members.

Finally, on 23 October, 30 of our members boarded the Spirit of Tasmania to start a weeks’ driving tour of the Apple Isle. We left from Geelong which was a new experienced and boarding was very smooth. So was the crossing it was flat as a mill pond. I have never experienced a Tasmanian crossing like this, and I have done a few.

Watch our FB pages for daily updates of this trip and in the November report there will be some great articles from members who are with us on this trip.

Some events to watch out for in November:

6 November we will be holding a display at Sandown Historics, this is always a great event and we welcome you all to register to display and gain discounted entry.
11 November is our All-German Fest at the German Tivoli Club, please make a table booking if you are wanting to join in the Oktoberfest fun and go in the running to win some prizes. Cars will be on display in the car park. Gold Coin donation for our charity. Space is limited in the carpark, so register your interest on the event page and be there on time so you don’t miss out.
25 November there is a large group of us traveling up to Bathurst for our first DCM Challenge Bathurst. Keep an eye on Facebook for some fun photos from the team up there!

Other dates to watch for:

11 December - Christmas Show and Shine at Cruden Farm
2 February Bathurst 12 hour (still rooms available), watch the event in the comfort and luxury of the Bathurst Club, on top of the pits.
17 March BMW Clubs Australia Nationals hosted by BMW Gold Coast at South Port

We have some great weekends planned with some of Peter Williams fantastic driving roads coming up so keep an eye on the events notices too.

If you are wanting to help at events, please contact Jo on 0412 661 900.

Lastly, please remember the Club is now running out of 213 Marine Pde Hastings and any club related enquiry which would normally go to Bell Motorsport, please direct to this new address unless Jo happens to be out and about. Please call Jo on 0412661900 to let her know you are coming.

Thank you and again stay safe and dry.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Bathurst

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 02:49:30 GMT

Event date: 6-9 October 2022

On 5 October we arrived at Mount Panorama ready for a long and very exciting four days of early morning wake ups and the constant roar of the engines. We decided to stay at a caravan park near the track which had loads of activities for my younger brother and sister. On our first day helping (Thursday) we arrived at the track at 5 in the morning ready for all the action. We found it easy to find a park, however mum was a bit worried due to the mud we had to park in. But it was right at the front gate, so I was pretty excited as less walking for me!! We said hi to many other volunteers that had already started, then climbed a few flights of stairs to be greeted by view of the beautiful mountain, camp grounds and the track. OMG the feeling was amazing, it was quiet still, the sun was trying to come up, street lights were still on but so many volunteers walking around saying hi and very happy.

Once we found our way to the volunteer shed after walking through the paddock with all the team trucks and supercars garages, we signed on grabbed out food for the day and headed to meet the paddock team. We were introduced and briefed on the day ahead of us, before we knew it the heritage revival cars were making there way to the dummy grid once we had lined them all up we had the chance to look at all cars, there was our very own BMW 635 and a bunch of other very nice looking cars. Now my excitement was building as you could hear all the other engines starting up in other garages and it honestly was a sound I could get use to every day.

Our next lot of cars to come out were the v8 Super utes, these Utes weren’t your average farm Ute these were upgraded to the max, nothing stock on them in fact stock isn’t even a word in their vocabulary. After the Utes it was the Toyota 86s turn these guys may have been in a tiny car but they are fast and fun to watch next was the porches these guys are awesome to watch as they fly down mountain and onto the chase. Our last lot of cars was the super2s then it was time for the supercars to have a go at the mountain.

The crowd grew as the day went on but the excitement was on another level. So many people which just wanted to chat like I had met them before, it was such a friendly atmosphere. The rain didn’t deter anyone, people put on gumboots, rain ponchos and umbrellas came out, and still you heard laughter amongst the sounds of engines.

The team I was put in became a second family to me, they made sure I was comfy and happy and helped me when I didn’t know what to do. I loved been in pre-grid as I had best view of the straight, a massive big screen plus was up close with all the cars except supercars.

As the day progressed and jokes kept happening amongst my fellow team, the excitement still kept building. Seeing Jo in the Brock memorabilia tent was definitely a picture moment. Graham was so busy but he always took time to check on me to see if I having fun. It honestly was amazing.

As day 1 came to a close and after seeing loads of races, drivers and eating so much. I actually was pretty excited to bring on day 2.

Day 2 the races ran in the same order, however the lunch pack was even yummier. The rain came and it made everything more muddier, today mum parked ages away…. I had to walk….. The accidents were pretty constant which had some excitement about it. All the smashed cars would come into the paddock I was in. It was pretty cool to see what scrutineers do to review the smashed cars.

On the Saturday we arrived at the same time we had been the past few days ready for another day in the wet. All the categories where going out like normal until around 3 when we got hit by the massive storm, but we were all still so happy. Normally people get sad with storms but the buzz was still around the track. Unfortunately shoot out was cancelled so the day was called to a close.

Sunday was a day like no other, with the crowds, the excitement and the noise. It is definitely something you need to be there to understand. I loved seeing the excitement of everyone even if most people were still wet from the Saturday. The planes came out, and they were LOUD LOUD and LOUD, the entertainment was going off. The cars came out, and one big accident came into my area. I loved the rest of the day hanging out with my other volunteer family members watching the race. Once race finished the next excitement was all the supercars were parked in pre-grid, I wanted to go high-five Broc Feeney, however your not allowed to go near them in pre-grid.

To finish off our weekend, my mum got to drive her car down grid lane….. not sure who was more excited, me or her…. Of course we filmed every minute.

Bring on Bathurst 2023 as its definitely the best experience and a must to do!!!

Emma & Brock Migues | Member #932
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Motorclassica 2022 50 Years of M

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 02:53:25 GMT

Event date: 7-9 October 2022

Motorclassica is the most prestigious car show event on our calendar with the gloriously atmospheric wooden floored Royal Exhibition Building housing up to 200 of the finest cars from yesteryear in Australia. Augmenting this extravagant array of finery, car clubs, such as ours, are invited to display member’s cars for one day each in the outdoor area between the Exhibition Building and the adjoining Museum.

Since our inception DCM has been one of those invited clubs and this year we were elevated to 3 day status to put on a display in conjunction with BMW Australia celebrating 50 Years of M – which has been our display theme all year.

BMW Australia had put together a bold and exciting display stand to showcase M cars new and old and a top secret “significant product reveal” with our member’s cars alongside. Initially intended to be housed in the same space as the club display the location had to be changed at the last moment when the multiple parties involved (I counted at least 8) realised that erecting the stand required a mobile crane and the outdoor display space is actually the roof of the underground car park, which is not strong enough for such a crane.

In the end the result was good for all. BMW Australia’s stand was now in front of the main entrance and our display area was enlarged and right outside the door from the main hall to the outdoor area with seating for the food vendors’ area at our perimeter.

Our member’s provided an excellent selection of M-cars allowing us to tell the story of M from its inception in 1972 (with an E9 3.0 CSL road car) the iconic E30 M3, the start of the “non-homologation” M-cars with one of the early 5 series M models which preceded the M5, the remainder of the M3/4s generations plus most of theM5 family. To add to the narrative we had an E46 M3 CSL back to back with the E9 CSL and a 1M alongside it next to its spiritual successor the M2. Completing the line up we had two XxM models, showing that M is not just 2 door coupes and an M6 to complete the spectrum of M’s modern reach.

To say that our display was popular would be an understatement and I was very glad to have assistance from several members, Steve Garth, Adrian White and Tim Oh in particular.

BMW Australia’s stand featured club member Keith Olsen’s E9 Group 4 3.0 CSL “batmobile” in Motorsport racing colours, the new XM, BMW Australia’s E46 M3 CSL, an F82 M4 GTS, the Jeff Koons M8 art car and the new G81 M3 Touring.

And the secret reveal? The new M2 in a special room with no mobile phones or cameras allowed.

The display of cars inside was markedly different from previous years with a new curator team at work. There were less of the pre WW2 cars and more of the contemporary models – not to everyone’s satisfaction but you can’t please everyone. Whilst I felt this was a change for the better, my own view, if one must find fault, is that too many cars were there because they are special in terms of being expensive or in exceptional condition rather then being special because they are different or historically significant.

Overall, a brilliant weekend. A big thank you to all our members who surrendered their cars to the vagaries of the weather (which included torrential rain on Friday) to make our display so magnificent.

Lawrence Glynn | Member #3
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Cars & Coffee with Melbourne BMW

Tue, 25 Oct 2022 02:56:41 GMT

Event date: 23 October 2022

Sunday 23 October's event was at Melbourne BMW, where we were invited to join the lovely staff for a M Cars and Coffee morning to celebrate 50 years of M and the launch of the newly rebuilt and extended Dealership in Kings Way.

It was great catching up with lots of our members and talking to new people about the benefits of being in a fantastic BMW Club, whilst checking out the new cars and of course the very impressive Melbourne BMW site.

There was lots to see, endless coffee and amazing donuts and snacks, even some simulators to play with and gifts of hats and stickers to take away.

The new building is much larger and built to the new Corporate Identity for BMW Dealerships, along the same design as Shepparton BMW, who we visited last month.

The newly released M Cars were on display, the new M4 Convertible, M2 Coupe, M3 Touring and the XM. Something to suit almost any taste.

The dealership also houses BMW Motorrad and MINI sales areas, the motor bikes on the South end of the ground floor and MINI upstairs with the pre-owned cars. There is also a large spare parts department, fronting on to the next street.

Of course, there is a huge subterranean service department, with lots of service bays, motorcycle hoists, alignment bays, tyre fitting, everything you could ever need in one place.

A very impressive dealership indeed and great having a personal tour with the DP, Daniel.

If you are in town or passing by, drop in and check it out. Lots to see and lots of cars and lifestyle products as well.

Jo Mawson | Member #2
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Future Vehicle Expo

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 04:01:22 GMT

Event date: 23 October 2022

The weather held off for us today and Steve, Stephen, Marcus and myself had a good day talking about cars, answering questions from the public, looking at other exhibitors, and having a feed.

The seminars attracted over 600 people, all the major car brands were represented with their respective EV, as well as an all Australian electric bike, DeLorean, solar car, 1918 Ford, Sonax and live FM radio broadcast.

All in all a very good day thanks to Steve and Stephen!

Michael Mimmo | Member #515
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Volunteering as an official at the Bathurst 1000

Sun, 23 Oct 2022 05:48:08 GMT

After reading Jo‘s article in the club magazine about being an official at the great race, I thought I would give it ago myself as I had been promising to go again.

I haven’t been to Bathurst for over 20 years so I was looking forward to seeing what changes have been made.

The first step was to get my officials licence through Motorsport Australia. This was a simple online training course that took about 20 minutes to complete.

The next step was to volunteer as an official. This was completed on the Supercars website where I was also able to select my preferences for the type of work I wanted to do. Given I haven’t done this before I opted to be a general runner which meant I would be doing all sorts of odd jobs across different areas.

To my surprise the very next day I got excepted.

The next challenge was securing a camping spot!

Unfortunately, all of the officials campsites were booked out so I was on a waiting list. I took the initiative to see if I could get accommodation somewhere around Bathurst even if it was a nearby town. I had a caravan so was pretty self-sufficient.

No surprise, everything was fully booked. After a bit more searching I did manage to find a farm that had unpowered sites available. The property was about 20 minutes from Bathurst so I thought it was better than nothing.

In the meantime, I was getting regular updates about my progress on the waiting list but wasn’t feeling too hopeful.

I had my caravan in getting a few repairs and originally told the mechanic to take his time as I wouldn’t need it until November. Thankfully he was able to finish it early for me so another box ticked in my preparation.

Supercars were pretty good with all of their communication so I was getting regular emails with more information about the event.

To my surprise, about a week out from the event I got confirmation that a campsite had become available in the officials campground. My checklist was quickly becoming complete!

A few days out from the event I completed all the food shopping, had a good list of all the clothes I thought I would need and completely ignored their suggestion that I bring gumboots due to the wet weather, soon to be regretted!

I kept an eye on the weather forecast for Western New South Wales and started to panic a little bit with all the rain they were having and how soggy the ground was. I really wasn’t sure what to expect for arriving on site, getting my van in an all set up so decided to leave a day early expecting that I would be around the middle of the pack arriving on a Wednesday before the great race.

I headed off Tuesday afternoon from Melbourne to make it to Gundagai for an overnight stay. So far uneventful and all the repairs on the caravan were holding up.

The next day I had only around 3.5 hours to get to Bathurst but it rained pretty much the whole trip. With all of the rain they have been having the roads were in bad shape with lots of potholes and roadworks being done.

Thankfully I made it into Bathurst early afternoon, signed in at the accreditation centre and collected my uniform, lanyard and respective passes.

Once I arrived at the track, to my delight the access to the officials campground was straight up the main straight, what an entrance!

I couldn’t believe how many people were already there and the number of grandstands/corporate tents that are now in place compared to my last time at the Mountain.

I was one of the last campsites to be filled in my lane, I later found out that most people had arrived on the Monday.

An uneventful set up leaving me time to have a wander around to start taking the whole experience in.

On the Wednesday night Supercars hosted drinks to welcome the volunteers and it was great to see so many drivers mingling with the crowd getting photographs and signing shirts, flags, anything the volunteers wanted. It was clear they appreciated the help the volunteers do and you that the event couldn’t possibly go ahead without them.

I had to work from the Caravan on Thursday. It made it difficult to explain to my staff and customers that I really was working even though all they could hear was race cars in the background.

I received the great news that I wasn’t to start at 6:30am but 5:30am the next morning….. brilliant!

I was working in the support shed which was where all the other volunteers came to pick up their food packs for the day. We also ensured they had plenty of water and kept their radios fully charged. Basically anything that they needed to do their jobs. It also meant that we looked after the media centre and the race secretary with refreshments and other errands.

It was clear that many of my colleagues had done this many times before as they all had a system for meeting up with their friends, collecting their food packs and anything else they needed for the day. It was amazing how much food everybody got, they certainly weren’t going to go hungry during the day.

After about an hour and serving hundreds of volunteers, the shed emptied out and it was time to do a clean up.

Later that morning we had deliveries of food for dinner and the next day that all had to be put into container fridges etc just to keep fresh. I also got the chance to go around to some of the other stations delivering water and batteries etc which was a great opportunity to meet other volunteers and see what jobs they had to do.

A highlight for me was constantly being able to walk past the pits and all the VIP areas passing many of the drivers. My biggest regret was walking past Zach Brown (CEO of McLaren) and part owner of the Andretti Walkinshaw United racing team. I wasn’t quick enough to get my phone out to get a photo.

Several times I went to the media Centre and was amazed at the hundreds of reporters there for the event. I was told the biggest number they’ve ever had! (Just so you know, reporters love junk food, we regularly had to top up their food boxes!).

I was fortunate to have a few gaps in the day where I could watch some of the action in the pits, around the track and also on the big screen TVs.

With four or five support categories also racing over the weekend it made for a very full pit area with all the race trucks, caravans and motorhomes and other sponsors vehicles. It seemed every meter was being utilised.

Some of the setup‘s were incredible and obviously lots of money invested in equipment and staff.

The weather was horrible. It rained constantly through Friday and Saturday making the racing fun to watch but also kept the pace car and recovery vehicles flat out. Anywhere off the track it was mud.

I was fortunate to be sleeping in a caravan where I could stay warm and dry, I felt sorry for some of the campers and people in swags that couldn’t get off the wet ground.

Nonetheless, with all of the rain it didn’t seem to dampen the spirits too much, everyone just got on with it and dressed appropriately. I think by the second day most people didn’t care any more about their shoes knowing that they were going to have to bin them after the weekend. If only I had packed gum boots!

After heavy rain Saturday night, it was encouraging to hear that the weather forecast was for a mainly dry day on race day but as many of you would’ve seen from the footage it was still a challenge for the drivers to stay on the limit without crossing the line. Soon as they came off the track they had no grip and you would’ve seen many accidents as a result.

I had to get back to Melbourne for work so left shortly after the race ended, to my surprise I got out of the campground pretty easily and the police were well organised directing traffic through town. Within 40 minutes of the race ending I was on the highway heading South.

The traffic was constant but moving along at a good pace. I pulled up in Young for the night before continuing to Melbourne on the Monday with beautiful clear skies and sunshine all the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed my few days in Bathurst, the event has changed in many ways over the last 20 years but in other ways it hasn’t.

It’s still an iconic track and is a great challenge for the drivers. The fans are there in bigger than ever numbers but pleasing to see a much more family orientated event.

I enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes of running a big event like this and the almost unlimited access I got to all parts of the track, pits etc.

For me, I think I picked the right area to be working as I enjoyed the variety of jobs. They are extremely long days, I was starting at 4:30am on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday and not getting back to the van until around 6:30pm.

I will most likely be back again next year and would encourage anyone to get involved.

Tim Trainor | Member #745
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

The all-new BMW M2

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 02:22:04 GMT

The new BMW M2 delivers signature M performance in a highly concentrated form. With its 338 kW/460 hp six-cylinder in-line engine, an optionally available six-speed manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, the second generation of the compact high-performance sports car promises unadulterated driving pleasure. The debut of the new BMW M2 marks another highlight event in the model offensive celebrating the 50-year anniversary of BMW M GmbH, while making the first step into the world of its high-performance cars an even more enticing one.

Compact dimensions together with powertrain and chassis technology adapted from the BMW M3/BMW M4 are at the heart of a vehicle concept that endows the new edition of the two-door model with beguiling agility and handling that remain easily controllable even as the driver explores the car’s limits. This distinct character profile also manifests itself in the expressive exterior design with its athletic coupé proportions. The sophisticated control/operating concept for customising the vehicle setup also helps to produce a performance experience of remarkable intensity. Thanks to these many attributes, the new BMW M2 continues the brand’s tradition of ultra-sporty models with compact dimensions that began in 1973 with the arrival of the BMW 2002 turbo. It is also building on the success of its predecessor, which notched up nearly 60,000 sales worldwide.

The global launch of the new BMW M2 will get underway in April 2023. It will be built alongside the new BMW 2 Series Coupé at the BMW Group’s San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico.

Compact dimensions, extremely powerful proportions.

The athletic appearance of the new BMW M2 stems from its compact dimensions, extremely powerful proportions and hallmark M design features. It measures 214 millimetres less in exterior length than the BMW M4 Coupé models and has a 110-millimetre shorter wheelbase. At the same time, the vehicle and track widths exceed the figures for the new BMW 2 Series Coupé by a considerable margin.

The large, frameless BMW kidney grille with its horizontal bars combines with a three-section lower air intake with almost rectangular contours to give the front end of the car a familiar M look. The design has been crafted around technical requirements in terms of cooling air supply and aerodynamic balance. Clearly designed surfaces, prominently flared side skirts and muscular wheel arches set the tone for the side view. The rear end of the new BMW M2 also has a compact, powerful feel and adds a number of individual touches in the form of the eye-catching spoiler lip on the boot lid, the vertically arranged reflectors, the rear apron’s diffuser insert – with its puristic design – and the two pairs of exhaust tailpipes positioned a long way in from the outer edges.

The choice of five exterior paint finishes available for the new BMW M2 includes the Zandvoort Blue solid and Toronto Red metallic shades exclusive to this model. An M Carbon roof that reduces vehicle weight by around six kilograms is offered as an option.

Six-cylinder in-line engine with instantaneous power delivery and a thrilling appetite for revs.

The version of the straight-six engine developed for the compact high-performance model with M TwinPower Turbo technology and high-revving design stands out with its M-typical performance characteristics. Differing only in a small number of details from the engine employed in the BMW M3 and BMW M4 models, the 3.0-litre unit thrills with its urgent response, healthy appetite for revs and linear power delivery into the highest reaches of the engine speed range.

Developing a maximum output of 338 kW/460 hp, the engine under the bonnet of the new BMW M2 outguns the base unit used by its predecessor by 66 kW/90 hp. Peak torque of 550 Nm (405 lb-ft) is produced between 2,650 and 5,870 rpm with maximum output arriving at 6,250 rpm. The new engine revs to a maximum 7,200 rpm. The pulsating build-up of power is accompanied by an emotionally rich soundtrack generated by the M-specific exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps. The system of oil supply is designed to handle extremely dynamic driving situations when out on the track, as is the cooling system.

A choice of performance experience: eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic as standard, six-speed manual gearbox as an option.

The engine’s power is relayed to the rear wheels via an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic as standard. Its extremely sporty gear shifts, direct connection to the engine and ability to execute multiple downshifts to the lowest available gear form the ideal basis for beguiling, instantaneous acceleration. It is operated by means of a selector lever sporting the latest M design as well as shift paddles on the steering wheel. The Drivelogic function offers a choice of three shift settings.

A six-speed manual gearbox is available as an option for anyone seeking a performance experience in the classical mould, rooted in the intense interaction between driver and car. It lends itself to a sporty style of driving thanks not only to its precisely defined shift action, but also the Gear Shift Assistant, which uses engagement speed control to ensure slip-free operation when downshifting under braking into corners. If required, the Gear Shift Assistant can be deactivated in the M Setup menu.

The new BMW M2 completes the sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) from rest in 4.1 seconds with the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and in 4.3 seconds when fitted with the six-speed manual gearbox. It is capable of powering from 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 13.5 seconds (automatic) or 14.3 seconds (manual). The limited top speed of the new BMW M2 can be raised from 250 km/h (155 mph) to 285 km/h (177 mph) by specifying the optional M Driver’s Package.

Rear-wheel drive, M Traction Control and Active M Differential provide agility, precision and driving pleasure as the occasion demands.

Regardless of the choice of transmission, the new BMW M2’s traditional form of dynamic performance is also embodied by its rear-wheel drive. The linear build-up of lateral acceleration forces characteristic of M models helps the driver to guide the car through corners with controlled drifts, for example. The standard M Traction Control function is also designed to allow the driver to carefully probe the vehicle’s performance limits by setting individual intervention thresholds for wheel slip limitation, with a choice of ten stages.

Another contributor to the sublime dynamics of the BMW M2 is the Active M Differential at the rear axle. Also included as standard, it is able to seamlessly generate a locking effect of up to 100 per cent whenever required. This optimises traction on road surfaces offering different levels of adhesion for the left- and right-hand rear wheel, for example, as well as improving power transfer when accelerating hard out of corners.

Sophisticated chassis technology, precisely controllable handling.

The new BMW M2’s compact dimensions, short wheelbase, almost perfectly balanced 50:50 weight distribution and sophisticated chassis technology combine to deliver precisely controllable, fingertip handling. The car’s agility, dynamism and precision also gain from the excellent torsional stiffness of the body structure and chassis mountings helped by bespoke bracing.

Both the double-joint spring strut front axle and the five-link rear axle come with M-specific kinematics. The standard equipment roster for the new BMW M2 includes adaptive M suspension with electronically controlled dampers, M Servotronic steering with variable ratio, DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) including M Dynamic Mode, and powerful M Compound brakes with six-piston, fixed-calliper brakes at the front and single-piston, floating-calliper brakes at the rear. The integrated braking system presents the driver with two pedal feel settings. The new BMW M2 comes with 19-inch light-alloy wheels at the front and 20-inch items at the rear, each representing an increase of one inch on the diameter of the wheels fitted as standard on the BMW M3 and BMW M4 models. There is also the option of fitting them with track tyres.

Advanced sports car cockpit with BMW Curved Display as standard and the option of M Carbon bucket seats.

The new BMW M2 boasts a cockpit with a driver-centric design featuring M-specific readouts, controls and setup options, as well as the advanced BMW Curved Display. Driving-related information including Shift Lights appears in a new graphical layout on the 12.3-inch information display. M-specific widgets for vehicle setup and tyre condition are just two of the items that can be called up in the 14.9-inch control display. The optional BMW Head-Up Display also features M-specific readouts.

Both the BMW Curved Display and the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant form part of the latest-generation BMW iDrive. Based on BMW Operating System 8, it has been purpose designed for intuitive interaction between driver and vehicle using touch control and natural language. The new BMW iDrive system enables personalisation with the BMW ID and My BMW App as well as allowing a Personal eSIM to be used in the vehicle. Smartphone integration for Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ is likewise included as standard on the new BMW M2, and there is also a 5G antenna system for optimised connectivity.

The driver and front passenger are welcomed as standard by sport seats in a model-specific design with Sensatec/Alcantara surfaces. M Sport seats with integral head restraints and perforated surfaces in Vernasca leather/Sensatec are available as an alternative. The M Carbon bucket seats that can also be found on the options list use carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) in the structural elements of the seat cushion and backrest and also feature cut-outs in the side bolsters and below the head restraints, thereby shaving around 10.8 kilograms off the vehicle’s weight.

Three-zone automatic climate control, BMW Maps navigation system, Setup button and M Drive Professional as standard.

The comfort features fitted as standard in the new BMW M2 include three-zone automatic climate control, BMW Live Cockpit Plus complete with BMW Maps navigation system, ambient lighting and the Hi-Fi speaker system. When it comes to automated driving and parking systems, the Front Collision Warning, Speed Limit Display with no-overtaking indicator, Lane Departure Warning and Park Distance Control functions all come as standard. The Driving Assistant, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function and the Parking Assistant including Reversing Assistant are just some of the options available.

The Setup button on the centre console provides direct access to the settings options for the engine, chassis, steering, braking system and M Traction Control, as well as the Gear Shift Assistant if fitted. Two overall vehicle setups can be stored and then retrieved using the M buttons on the steering wheel.

Besides M Traction Control, the standard-fit M Drive Professional also includes the M Drift Analyser and M Laptimer. Plus, the M Mode button on the centre console can be used to adjust both the level of driver assistance system activity and the content shown in the information display and Head-Up Display, with a choice of ROAD, SPORT and TRACK settings.

Also on the options list is the M Race Track Package, comprising the M Driver’s Package together with the M Carbon roof, M Carbon bucket seats, interior trim strips in Carbon Fibre finish and track tyres.

BMW PRESS

Australian National Euroa Show And Shine

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:30:03 GMT

Event date: 6 October 2022

The show and shine was held in the streets of Euroa this year as the park was too wet. The streets were full with cars parked at an angle at the gutters and cars parked down the middle of the streets. The BMW Drivers Club Melbourne was represented by 3 BMWs (700, M6 & 535is), a Trans Am (Knightrider style) and a Mercedes C320. We also had a BMW motorcycle parked amongst the motor bike display.

Lawrence’s BMW 700 created a lot of interest especially with the engine in the rear and its window banner proclaimimg “The car that saved BMW”. Many stopped and looked and read the interesting sheet in the front windscreen about the car followed by reading the information about its role in saving BMW.

The BMW 700 is a small rear-engined car which was produced by BMW in sedan and coupe form from August 1959 to November 1965. It was the first BMW automobile with a monocoque structure. The 700 was a sales success at a time when BMW was close to financial ruin. The 700 was also successful in its class in motorsport, both in its stock form and as the basis of a racing special called the 700RS.

More than 188,000 were sold before production ended in November 1965. Upon discontinuing the 700, BMW left the economy car market.

My Mercedes C320 was parked behind Lawrence’s 700 and many peered into the two engine bays and remarking on the very obvious visual differences! I think they expected a bigger engine in each case.

There was a lot of interest in Adrian’s M6 and Danny’s 535is as well.

It took around 2 hours to walk around the show of cars looking at the many different makes and models. Holdens and Falcons came out of the barns for display along with Jaguars, Rileys, Austins, Chryslers, Customlines, and the list goes on. A very interesting display of vintage cars was also evident.

Stalls included food, car signs, flags and models, Police (including a BMW X5 Highway Patrol), SES, Ambulance to name just a few.

Overall, a lovely sunny day with gentle Zephyr (a breeze as well as the Ford) with a large crowd wandering through.

I would definitely go again.

Thanks Lawrence and Shaaron for organising the display.

Chris Allen | Member #770
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 53 | October 2022

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 03:30:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

They're saying spring is here, but we're yet to be convinced.. We do hope that you're all making the most of the sunshine we are getting, and those who took the trip to Bathurst this weekend are managing to stay warm and dry!

Our month started on 3 September with Round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. We had quite a few members attend, who also helped Graeme celebrate his birthday with an amazing cake, thanks to Lucy Walsh.

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6 September was our AGM at the German Tivoli Club where all of our committee were re-voted in for another year. We have some really great things coming up over the next 12 months and we can't wait to share them with you.

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On 17 September we had 30 beautiful cars attend our display for the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship Display at Sandown. The day started off cold but sunny and there was rain forecast, but we were all praying it would stay dry. A big congratulations to Glenn Kenneday and Simon Lyne for taking equal first in the people’s choice award. They each received a $100 gift voucher to spend with Jay Lenos Garage Advanced Vehicle Care. Thanks also to Shannons Insurance and Motorsport Australia for putting on a great event, despite the rain, hail and frosty conditions.

While at the event Graeme Bell also received a "Fabulous Official" award from Motorsport Australia for his contribution and efforts in officiating at various motorsport events. Congratulations Graeme! You can read more about this award in this months' Speed Read.

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18 September was our drive to Shepparton BMW, who are our newest dealer and sponsor to come on board and our first regional dealer. Peter Williams, although not in attendance due to illness, organised a fantastic drive for us. On arriving at Shepparton BMW, we were greeted by a nice hot meal waiting for us and hot coffee to boot. Aaron Brain, the Dealer Principal, took us for a tour of the dealership and then showed us some of the new lifestyle merchandise. This followed a quick drive south to the MOVE museum, where there was a great variety of cars, bikes, trucks, phones, radios, stereos, and a really eclectic collection of fashion which spanned over 200 years. If you are ever in the area, it is a must see.

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20 September was our regular regional Drop In Donuts night which always goes down a treat. Who doesn’t like coffee, cars and donuts? It's the perfect combination! Thank you Lawrence for arranging once again, it has really become a really popular night.

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23 September saw around 12 of our members racing at Philip Island at the VSCRC Round 5/E30 Racing Championship. Congratulations to Alex Jory for taking home another round win.

We also had a high number of members who volunteered their time to officiate at the Island. We'd like to extend a big thank you to those who did volunteer, you really do make a huge difference. These events just can't happen without your help.

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On 27 September we finished the month with a Zoom meeting calling for more club helpers. It was really great to speak with you all and see how you may be able to help the club. We even have a circus coach amongst our members! It will be great to see what we can get him doing at some of our family days.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Seth Winkles, Theo Loukas, Rocco Spinley, Isabelle Boers Thornbury, Rob Voerman, Annette Voerman, Robert McQualter, Pavlos Flourentzou, Tracey Mulvogue, Jordan Wentworth and Ian Burke. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

Important Updates.

EMAILS TO THE COMMITTEE

Unfortunately due to some technical issues, the committee's emails were down from approximately Thursday evening to Friday evening. If you have emailed any of the committee members in the last 72 hours, please re-send your email as we may not have received it.

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CLUB PERMIT RENEWALS AND INSPECTIONS (Hastings)

Please note that club permit inspections and renewals will no longer be accepted through Bell Motorsport, unless a prior appointment has been made.

If you have a Club Permit renewal that you need signed, please instead visit 213 Marine Parade, Hastings between 10am and 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. If you cannot attend during these hours please call Jo on 0412 661 900 to arrange a suitable time.

If you have a new vehicle that you would like inspected to be added to the Club Permit Scheme please call Jo on the number above to book in a time.

Now that the weather is improving and much more inviting for our club permitted vehicles, please make sure you ensure your permit is current. If your permit is not current (or if you drive the vehicle without completing your logbook), the vehicle is considered unregistered. If you are caught driving an unregistered vehicle, the fine is now over $900, plus a potential loss of demerit points.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned in October:

Friday - Sunday, 8-9 October
Motorclassica 2022 Special Display - celebrate 50 Years of M with BMW Australia
It's a great weekend to get down to the Royal Exhibition Building if you're around Melbourne - we have a number of M cars on display. BMW Group Australia also have the new M2 available for viewing prior to its official release next week (we can tell you we are really impressed!).

Tuesday, 11 October
October members meeting and swap meet
Have your got a box of bits that have just been collecting dust in your garage, or are you looking for that special little something to finish your project? This is the perfect opportunity to bring your junk for others who think it is their treasure.

Saturday, 22 October
Motum Simulator Challenge
Have you always dreamt of driving a Formula 1 car, V8 Supercar or even a DTM race car?

Join us for an evening of exciting and ultra-realistic Virtual Reality racing simulation at MOTUM Simulators in Southbank.

Sunday, 23 October
Future Vehicle Expo
We have been invited to display 16 cars "from over the decades" focusing on what is most likely to be our motoring future - electric vehicles.

Tuesday, 25 October - Wednesday, 2 November
Tasmania Driving Tour
Unfortunately registrations are closed for our Tassie driving tour. We can't wait to spend the week in Tassie with those who are registered. If you've missed out this time, keep an eye on our website for another trip in the future!

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

BMW Clubs International Council announces new Chairman

Motorsport Australia

Speed Read

From the Welfare Team.

"Being strong means refusing to tolerate people and things that wound your soul. It means practicing self-care when you’re hurting. It means doing what makes happy and being with people who make you feel good."

Click here for Welfare Team updates and their contact details.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Cover photo by Paul Holliday.

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An update from the President | September

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Spring is here and September has been a mix of weather, but as I write this it is beautiful outside and it is looking promising for upcoming events.

3 September was Round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, and as always, we had a great turn out with so many BMWs on the track. It just happened to be my birthday and Jo had arranged with a few of the members to do a surprise birthday at the track for me, which was lovely. Thank you especially to Lucy Walsh for the very decadent chocolate cake which didn’t go to waste. Unfortunately Jo was rushed into hospital with bowel obstructions earlier in the morning, so she was not there to celebrate, but with covid restrictions still in place I was told, very sternly by Jo, to attend as I would not be allowed into the ED and would only be sitting home worrying. Instead I worried at the track but had lots to keep my occupied through the day, and my kids and granddaughter all came to surprise me too. Thank you all for making my day special.

6 September was our AGM at the German Tivoli Club and so many attended which was fantastic. Our committee were re-voted in for another year and we hope to do you all proud.

On 17 September we had 30 beautiful cars attend our display for the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship Display at Sandown. The day started off cold but sunny and there was rain forecast, but we were all praying it would stay dry. Cars all set up, flags and banners up, people choice voting cards handed out and not long after, the heavens opened up. I can say I have not been this cold and wet at a racetrack for many years. I would like to congratulate Glenn Kenneday and Simon Lyne for taking equal first in the people’s choice award and also, I would like to thank Jay Lenos Garage Advanced Vehicle Care for donating 2 x $100 gift vouchers for the lucky winners. I would like to also thank Shannons Insurance and Motorsport Australia for putting on a great event, despite the rain, hail and frosty conditions, all who attended really had a great time.

Jo and I had arrived early as I was told we had to attend the officials briefing. I was wondering why because we weren't officiating. But I soon realised I was receiving an award, and I was humbled by being awarded a service award for Fabulous Official. These awards are handed out to officials who go above and beyond their duties and it was a great honour to receive this.

18 September was our drive to Shepparton BMW, who are our newest dealer and sponsor to come on board and our first regional dealer. We met early to find that the service station had no power so no fuel and no food. A quick re-think and we were all heading to Wallan for a refuel of cars and bodies. Another great drive by Peter Williams, who sadly did not attend due to feeling unwell, but as always, his instructions were faultless and gave us some amazing driving roads. On arriving at Shepparton BMW, we were met by some members who had taken the option of meeting us there, as they all lived close to Shepp. It was good to have a nice hot meal waiting for us and hot coffee to boot. Aaron Brain, the Dealer Principal, took us for a tour of the dealership and then showed us some of the new lifestyle merchandise, which went down well with most of our members, and it was great to see members buying new merchandise. This followed a quick drive south to the MOVE museum, which I must admit was better than I had expected. There was a great variety of cars, bikes, trucks, phones, radios, stereos, and a really eclectic collection of fashion which spanned over 200 years. If you are in the area, it is a must see. Don’t miss the chocolate apple shop too, there's great treats inside for everyone.

20 September was the regional Drop In Donuts night which always goes down a treat. Who doesn’t like coffee, cars and donuts? What a fantastic combination. Thank you Lawrence for arranging this event, it has really become a popular night.

23 September saw around 12 of our members racing at Philip Island at the VSCRC Round 5/E30 Racing Championship. This event is always light on for officials due to it falling on grand final weekend. Jo put out a call for help and it was so wonderful to see so many of our members put their hands up to help out. Some only did one day, some only half a day, but others did the whole weekend which made life so much easier for all the officials running this event. It was really hard, as being an extra long weekend with the day of mourning for the Queen on the Thursday, accommodation was scarce and we really appreciate all who came and helped out. Jo was in the secretary’s office and was exhausted at the end of the event. She thanks those who helped her, with out their help it would have been a very hard event to run. Want to help at an event, go to Working With Children’s Check and complete this application, nominate BMW Drivers club, Motorsport Australia and Victorian Flag Marshalling as your preferred volunteering clubs then go to Motorsport Australia and complete your general official licence. All of this is free and just takes only a few minutes of your time, then you are licensed to help out.

On 27 September we finished the month with a Zoom meeting for a call for more club helpers. Who would have thought what talent was going to be unveiled on the night! We have a circus coach amongst our members, and it will be great to see what we can get him doing at some of our family days.

Moving on to October, this month is going to be jam packed.

2 October we have the Euroa Car Show, which has attracted a lot of interest.

Some of us are also heading North to Bathurst to Officiate, so look out for us on TV! It was nice to know that Jo and my story about officiating at Bathurst in our latest idrive, generated interest in our members and spurred them on to register for this great event. We're looking forward to catching up with you all up there.

From 7-9 October we will be celebrating 50 years of ///M at Motorclassica with BMW Group Australia. This is going to be a fantastic event and I am really sorry that we will miss this. All the spots are now taken, and I am sure Lawrence will put on another fantastic display, along with the cars from BMW Group Australia.

On 11 October we are holding our swap meet at all Marque Storage Cheltenham. Be sure to register, bring along that dusty box in the corner of your shed, your junk is someone else’s treasure. Remember there is cash only on the night.

There will be a BBQ on the night, and we also have the Lux Coach there for those who want to sit back and just be spoilt. Bring your partners and let then enjoy the luxury of the Lux Coach.

16 October was scheduled as our Hill Climb, but due to very slow registrations we have cancelled this event. If you had entered, you will receive a full refund.

22 October is our Motum Simulator Challenge, which sold out very quickly and we are looking at holding another one very soon. Look out for the Motum Simulator Challenge cup in 2023, it will be a lot of fun.

23 October is the Future Vehicle Expo.

On 25 October we have a large group of members heading off to Tasmania for a week touring on some amazing roads and great drive days again coordinated by Peter Williams. Look out for some great photos from this event.

Events to look out for:

2022

11 November – All German Day German Tivoli Club
11 December – Christmas Show & Shine – Family Picnic

2023

2 February - Bathurst 12 Hour
17 March - BMW Clubs Australia Nationals Gold Coast

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne have started a new reward program which will give all members old and new the opportunity to win some great prizes. Each quarter we will do a draw of all members who have renewed their membership, joined as a new member and also referred a new member. How does this work? Well, if you pay your membership, your name goes in the running for a prize. If you join the club as a new member, your name goes in the running for a prize. If you refer a new member, ask them to put your name in the “Referred By” section of the application and your name goes in the running for a prize. Refer 10 new members, your name goes in 10 times. Simple.

We have been looking at new ways of rewarding our members and sponsors who have stayed loyal to us through COVID and this we feel is a great way of saying thank you. This will start from 1 October and run concurrently. All winners will be announced in the newsletter and on Facebook.

We have been working on an exciting new initiative with the AOMC to offset Carbon Emissions from our petrol or diesel driven cars. Keep an eye out for the announcement in the coming days and then jump on board to help the whole car movement become greener.

Day light savings kicks in again this weekend so that means a return of our very popular twilight drives. Keep an eye out on your emails for these to be added, they were very popular last summer, and we look forward to running them at all corners of Melbourne and surrounds through summer again.

Merchandise is selling well, and it is fantastic to see our members at events or out in the world wearing our Club merchandise. So, go here and order yours or come to an event and purchase some.

We also have some news regarding the Club ‘home’. Up until now the Club has been operating out of the office and workshop space of our business, Bell Motorsport, which is great, but at the same time has meant a lot of extra ‘stuff’ packed into our workshop and office. This extra load, as well as the growth in our business has necessitated an expansion of our business to a second location, a couple of hundred yards down the road at 213 Marine Parade, Hastings. There is a lovely office and showroom there, where Jo will be setting up and running the Club ‘office’. This will be the place to go for anything Club related, Club Permit Renewals, Merchandise, having a chat and a coffee… whatever. We will also be holding an event there in the coming months, to welcome everyone along for a look at what we are doing. Give Jo a call before heading down on 0412 661 900 to arrange a time and please head there first and only if not attended call in to the old workshop.

As always, welcome to all the new members, the club continues to grow and build upon everything we have done to date, which is fantastic to see.

Your committee is working on some great new events for 2023, along with all your favourites, so check in on the calendar from time to time and keep an eye out for the event emails.

Take care out there and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

New Club Office

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 06:31:54 GMT

As most of you know BMW Drivers Club Melbourne has been working out of the office of Bell Motorsport since the beginning. For the most part this has worked well but has slowed productivity down slightly, as we all know how people get when they see cars, we all want to look and chat about them.

The club has grown so rapidly (and so has Bell Motorsport) and jointly we have taken on a new yard with nice new offices where you can go for all of your club needs. Jo will be there now from 10am to 4pm (earlier if prior notice given) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday Friday (closed Wednesday), please call Jo on 0412661900 to make an appointment.

Please do not come straight to Bell Motorsport, as we are trying to get all the club's things moved to the new premises to make things run smoothly.

Feel free to pop in and see Jo, have a coffee, look at the merchandise or just say hi, as it will be our new one stop shop.

We will be holding a few events from here too so watch out for events coming up soon.

Graeme Bell | Member #1 | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

BMW Clubs International Council announces new Chairman

Fri, 30 Sep 2022 04:37:14 GMT

Scott E. Blazey succeeds David de Bruyn — new Chairman introduces himself.

BMW Clubs and Community Management of the BMW Group Classic announces that the BMW Clubs International Council has a new chairman. Scott E. Blazey (71), from the United States of America, has been elected to the position, succeeding David de Bruyn from the Republic of South Africa who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year. David de Bruyn was Chairman of the World Council for nine years and has set the decisive course for successfully preparing the BMW Clubs International Council for the future.

Scott E. Blazey is a former president of the BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA), the largest BMW club in the world. He also served as the president of the Kansas City BMW Club, chairman of BMW CCA Club Racing, a delegate to the BMW Clubs International Council, and is currently a trustee of the BMW CCA Foundation, a separate, non-profit charity that promotes teen driver safety among other things.

Blazey says about the future of the BMW Clubs International Council: “The goals for the Council are simple. Building on the previous achievements of the council, we will continue to help existing BMW clubs grow; help new BMW clubs get started; work with the BMW Group Classic to foster a sense of community with and enthusiasm for the brand; and do what’s right to help BMW club members worldwide enjoy the very best possible BMW and BMW club experience.”

Scott E. Blazey is now also introducing himself to the BMW Club community and giving a deeper insight into his enthusiasm for BMW and the BMW Clubs:

When you got the first time in touch with BMW (products)?

Scott E. Blazey: The first time I really noticed BMW was at the 1973 24 Hours of Le Mans, when I watched the BMW 3.0 CSL (#51) win its class. I bought my first BMW less than two years later, but it was not a car. It was a BMW R75/6 motorcycle. My first BMW automobile, a BMW 2002, came less than a year later and from then on, I have always owned and driven BMWs.

Which/When was the first BMW Club you have joined?

Scott E. Blazey: I was with the U.S. Army in Germany when I took delivery of my BMW R75/6 motorcycle in 1975 and joined my first BMW Club, which was the BMW Club Bad Windsheim. It was there I first experienced the camaraderie, fun, and sense of community from BMW enthusiasts.

What makes BMW Clubs and the community so special to you?

Scott E. Blazey: BMW automobiles and motorcycles are great fun to drive but even more, they generate in many of their owners an enthusiasm for driving and for sharing the BMW experience. I love motorsports and through BMW Clubs I have gone racing wheel-to-wheel, won time-speed-distance rallies, and traveled all over the U.S.A and the world. Through it all I met and continue to meet fellow BMW enthusiasts who have become many of my best friends.

As chairman of the BMW Clubs International Council Board, Blazey receives support from Trevor Dean (Vice President Motorrad), Dr. Bernhard Knöchlein (Vice President Classic) and Julio Reyes (Vice President Automobile).

The BMW Clubs International Council (BCIC) was officially founded in July 1981 by Helmut Werner Bösch, then board member of the BMW Club Europe e.V., and Dr. Horst Avenarius (BMW AG).

The BCIC consists of 20 delegates, 16 of whom come from the international BMW Club umbrella associations and four from the BMW Group Classic. The respective number of regional members determines the composition. In addition, each BMW Club umbrella organization can be accompanied by independent observers during the annual Council Meeting. They complement the BMW Clubs International Council.

The BMW Clubs International Council currently represents more than 230,000 BMW Club members in around 800 recognized clubs in 78 countries.

BMW PRESS

Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:00:40 GMT

Event date: 17 September 2022

BMWDCM were invited to participate in a vehicle display on Saturday. 30 vehicles, including five non-marques, were in attendance; all participants met at the Sandown Park Hotel at 7.30 a.m., then proceeded directly to the raceway at 8am.

Lawrence handed out laminated vehicle information sheets to be displayed in the respective windscreens, which was an excellent way to provide the relevant information to racegoers.

Graeme and Jo attended an officials briefing at 7.30am at the race course, where Graeme was recognised and presented with a "Fabulous Official" award -well done!

On entering the racecourse Lawrence directed our display vehicles into pre-arranged parking order for viewing.

Race classes for the day were as follows:

Australian Production cars
Supercheap Auto TCR Australia
Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Aust. Series
Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters
Turtle Wax Trans Am-Series
Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia

Jo gave each member a blank sheet of paper to register the member's choice award on the cars displayed. Thanks to Jay Leno Garage Products for donating two $100 gift vouchers. The winners of these awards were Simon Lynne and Glenn Kenneday - congratulations to both winners.

Unfortunately the weather deteriorated after lunch, which saw quite a few heavy downpours, culminating in a flooded track. The GT Challenge race was called off half way through, due to the weather. The drivers of these incredible cars, including Garth Tander and Shane van Gisbergen stated they had never previously raced in weather like this.

Sitting in the grandstand with the wind blowing and pouring rain was absolutely freezing. We were all glad to retreat to our warm cars when the racing was stopped early. Despite the inclement weather, our display vehicles had a lot of passing foot traffic, and was well worth it.

Another great function organised by the BMWDCM - thanks to all involved.

Jeff Palmer | Member #682
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Drive to Shepparton BMW and MOVE museum

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:12:21 GMT

Event date: 18 September 2022

Well, the day didn’t get off to a good start with the Donnybrook service station suffering a power failure and as such no fuel pumps were working. Then there were late arrivals due to Donnybrook Road being closed and let’s not even mention the overcast weather. Due to all the issues Lawrence had to do some quick recalculations and decided that we would go to the Wallan Road Stop for fuel.

After a pep talk from Jo, the 20 attending vehicles started towards our destination and only a few kms down the road, someone asked if we should take the Northern HWY. After hearing a yes, half of us went off track. Once some of these stragglers got fuel, we set off again determined to get back with the main group.

I took the lead and promptly took the group down the wrong road and was immediately relinquished of the lead duties. The stragglers eventually joined the main group at the Wallan Truck Stop and after another pep talk from Jo we headed off on the Hume Fwy to get back on our scheduled drive.

Along the Hume Jo pointed out the rooster tree (that you can see past the second Clonbinane exit sign) and it sure does look like a rooster up on the hill, so look out for it next time you’re on the Hume.

We got off the Hume Hwy at Broadford, many of us wanted to turn right to have a few laps of the track, but left we went to continue to drive to Shepparton. The roads were wet and it rained occasionally but the back roads were an absolute delight to drive on. The scenery and the sea of green was breathtaking, well for any passengers, as the drivers were concentrating on the curves and avoiding the fallen trees and debris. Whilst driving we learnt what a caveat was with another dictionary lesson from Jo. When we reached the Caveat sign it delighted Jo immensely but by this stage we were all in driving mode and we continued on our journey.

We had a short stop at Seymour for a toilet break and stretch of the legs. Then off again towards Shepparton. After a wonderful two hours of driving we arrived at the most magnificent Shepparton BWM dealership. Awaiting us was a wonderful paella lunch and complimentary coffee. The renovations and new look of the dealership are the first of its kind in Australia and third in the world, in line with BMWs goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

The dealer principal Aaron Brain advised us they are going all in on sustainability and this dealership proved that that as they have 100kw of solar power on the roof and 45,000l water tank. We got to look around the dealership and the magnificently clean workshop which has taken the capability of the Shepparton BWM dealership from being able to service 10 cars a day to 35 a day! Several of us sat in the new iX M60 and M40 and we marvelled at the build quality and beautiful seats.

After an hour of so of enjoying Shepparton BMW's hospitality we moved on to the MOVE museum. MOVE museum has an amazing array of vehicles, including motor-cycles, trucks and cycles. My favourite was the 2007 Aston Martin Vantage such a classic Bond vehicle. If you’re ever in Shepparton, MOVE museum is a great place to stop. After we walked around and took it all in we made our separate ways back home, with some of us adjourning to local accommodation to make a night of it. Thanks again to Jo, Lawrence and the club for a great drive.

Luke Devlin | Member #738
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

We're not just BMW people

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 12:11:37 GMT

Car-boy. That's what my girlfriend, Sarah, calls me. I hate it, but thing is, she's correct. I love cars, and all sorts of them. German cars, American muscle cars, pompous British cars, Japanese cars, and of course, BMWs. I have a number of old BMWs and over the past couple of years I’ve added a 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL, a 1994 Dodge Viper, a 2010 Jaguar XKR and a 1990 Honda Prelude 4ws to the garage.

In the 5 years I’ve been a BMWDCM member, I’ve met lots of fellow club members who like me, have a diverse car collection. The sad thing is that we rarely get to see them. It made me think: how can I gather all my Club friends in one place with their "other" lovely machines? The answer was obvious: Cars & Coffee. I've always wanted to host an event for the club, and I figured why not do something a little different and break the mould, why not host a BMW Drivers Club Melbourne event and ask members to bring a non-BMW car or bike.

I asked our members, what else is in your garage? Come bring something different and join me for a coffee and a chat. And the BMWDCM "What else is in your garage cars, bikes & coffee" was born.

This was my first official club hosting event and I wanted to make sure it worked for members. I needed to find somewhere with plenty of parking, preferably undercover, easily accessible with lots of foot traffic and most importantly, close to a caffeine source. I searched far and wide for venues, but the ideal spot was just around the corner from my house (shamefully convenient).

I was walking my girlfriend’s dog, Raffy, one evening and still racking my brain about where to host the Cars & Coffee event. As I was walking towards Murrumbeena train station, I suddenly found it. This is the spot! It ticked all the boxes: it was easy to access (many of our club members live within 10kms), there was plenty of parking and undercover area, a busy thoroughfare nearby with people jogging, walking, biking and scooting, and most crucially, multiple amazing cafes within 50m of the spot.

So, I had my event and location decided. Now I thought, ‘how am I going to attract members to this event?’ This is the hardest part. Social media is such a strong advertising tool, and I figured if I continuously promote the event (without being annoying) on our Facebook page then I have a strong chance of a great turn out.

My plan was simple: a single weekly post in the month prior and then in the week of the event, I upped the promoting. I received an email from Vice-President Jo Mawson advising me that 50 people had registered to attend, so I was confident that we would have a good showing.

Then it was showtime. It’s not often that I can bring more than one car to a BMWDCM event without the help of a friend or family member to drive the second car, but in this instance, I didn't need one. The venue was so close to my house that I could literally walk home and drive over another car.

Just as I was walking back to collect my second car, my phone began to ring - "Where are you? We're here". It was only 8:45am and there was still 45 minutes to go until the scheduled start time.

I knew then that it was going to be a great event for club members.

9:30am came around very quickly, and by then we had 20-or so cars in the car park. And for the first time, BMWs were outnumbered by 5-to-1. I was completely gobsmacked at the variety of cars and bikes our members own. From a F100 Pickup with 500Hp, to a stunningly maintained Datsun Bluebird station wagon to exotic McLaren and Aston Martins. In total, we had 54 cars turn up - from marques including Honda, Dodge, Jaguar, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, Ford, Subaru, VW, Peugeot, MINI, Holden, Audi, and bikes from Vepsa, KTM. and Yamaha.

Who knew our members would have such a vast array of cars tucked away? When I sat back and reflected on it, we all love cars in different marques, in different shapes, sizes and cylinders. We just happen to be a member of a BMW affiliated Club. We're car-people.

This is what I love about our club: it doesn't matter what you drive, be it BMW or otherwise, we all love and respect all cars.

People are already asking me when the next one will be happening. This has been so encouraging to hear. I must admit I was quite nervous about throwing myself into hosting duties, but it has been so worth it. I encourage anyone who wants to host an event, to just go for it.

Thank you to all the Members who turned out for our first ever "What else is in your garage" cars, bikes & coffee event. Stay tuned for the next one!

Mark McDermott | Member #50
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 52 | September 2022

Sun, 04 Sep 2022 06:00:00 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

Firstly, we wish a very Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers receiving this today. We hope you have had a wonderful day.

Looking back at August, we had a slightly quieter month than usual.

Our month began with a track information night at Shannons Insurance. It was really nice to be back in the club rooms at Shannons and have so many members attend too. Jo put on n informative presentation and each member went home with an information booklet that they may find helpful for future track events.

____________________

On the weekend of 12-14 August quite a few of our members competed in E30 Racing Round 4 at Sandown. There was a field of 17 and two members out on flags on Saturday. It was great to see so many members also attend to help the competitors, especially with Graeme getting back on track to fill in for an unwell Tristan on the Sunday.

____________________

18-21 August was the Penrite Oil Sandown Supercars Super Sprint, which had quite a few of our club members attending as officials. We also welcomed some new members at this event, Emma and Brock, who were part of Jo’s team and just loved the whole experience. We look forward to seeing you both trackside at more events.

____________________

23 August was our drop in donuts night. It's always nice to have a relaxed night with members dropping in and out to enjoy each other’s cars, chat about life and just catch up. Thank you to Lawrence who runs these nights and always enjoys a chat, coffee, and a donut or two.

____________________

Sunday, 28 August saw over 50 cars and bikes attend our "what else is in our garage coffee and cars” event. Special thanks to Mark McDermott who did a fabulous job co-ordinating all the exotic and rare vehicles as they came in.

____________________

2023 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals

Expressions of interest to attend the 2023 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals are now available, here.

____________________

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Paul Mitchell, Victor Agosta, Michael Pigatto, Zachary Boribon, Frankie Kasikci, Greg May, Sharon Sleep, Scarlett Sleep, Olivia Sleep, Robert Fonhof, Peter Staebner, Adam Giosserano, Naomi Driscoll, Emma Keith, Brock Migues, Cameron McKenzie and Philip Flack. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

____________________

Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned in September:

Tuesday, 6 September
Annual General Meeting
This is when your committee will report on the year just gone and the new committee for the next 12 months will be chosen. We encourage as many members as possible to attend this important meeting.

Sunday, 18 September
Shepparton drive including Shepparton BMW & MINI and MOVE

Join us in Donnybrook where we will depart at 9.15am sharp to take a scenic drive up to Shepparton, where we will arrive at Shepparton BMW & Mini for a tour of the dealership and then have lunch with the staff who have kindly come in on Sunday to host us.

We will then leave at approximately 1.45pm to head to MOVE (Museum Of Vehicle Evolution) and enjoy the rest of the afternoon touring the wonders of this great museum.

Tuesday, 20 September
September Drop in Donuts | Geelong
Come along with a car, a warm jacket and maybe a beanie or hat and have a chat and coffee/donut with us.

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

50 Years of BMW M and 20th BMW M Award: the first BMW M3 Competition Touring as exclusive prize for the 2022 winner

From the Welfare Team.

"Failure is when you don't try."

Click here for Welfare Team updates and their contact details.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

Club partners.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

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An update from the President | August

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

August was a slower month but still lots of great events happening along the way.

9 August we started with our members meeting track Information night at Shannons Insurance. It was great to be back in the club rooms and equally nice to have such a huge attendance from club members. Jo put on a great powerpoint presentation and each member went home with an information booklet which I am sure will be very helpful for future track events. Lots of questions were asked on the night and this will definitely be a bi-yearly event for new and existing members to learn more about driving and officiating.

12-14 August quite a few of our club members competed in the VSCRC E30 Racing Round 4 at Sandown and it was great to see so many E30s out there. We had a field of 17, two members out on flags on Saturday, several members joining the Bell Motorsport camp to help prepare the cars ready for the races. Thank you to all who came along, having so many helpers enabled me to get out and race after one of our members woke up sick on Sunday and offered his car to me, to join in the fun. Going from 17^th to 3^rd in the first race on Sunday and then 3^rd to 1^st for a few laps to finally concede the lead to the current champion and also one of my customers Alex Jory. Great racing by all who attended a massive thank you to everyone who came along and supported this event. Great to see I can still do it.

18-21 August was the Penrite Oil Sandown Supercars Super Sprints, which had quite a few of our club members attending as officials. Jo and I were there as well, and we had a few newbies in pit lane loving getting up close and personal to the cars and the drivers. Another great event and this is why Jo pushes so hard about becoming an official, you get to do cool stuff like this and attend for free and get lots of special goodies given to you as a thank you. We picked up a few new members at this event, welcome Emma and Brock who were part of Jo’s team and just loved the whole experience. Great to see these two have already registered for the Bathurst 1000 as officials too. We look forward to seeing you both track side at more events. With each official who attends these events you get a guest pass, which enabled at least 10 of our members free entry over the weekend which is also brilliant.

23 August was our drop in donuts night, this is always a great relaxed night with members dropping in and out to enjoy each other’s cars, chat about life and just catch up. Thank you to Lawrence who runs these nights and always enjoys a chat, coffee and a donut or two.

Sunday, 28 August saw over 50 cars and bikes turn up at our “what else is in our garage coffee and cars” event. While Jo, Jess and I headed up to Armidale for Jess’s graduation ceremony, I’d like to thank Mark McDermott for organising and supervising this event. Great to have new blood helping out our very busy event organising team. The photos looked amazing and great having so many cars come out of the shed for everyone to see. Of course, we are very passionate BMW lovers, but we are also car lovers, and it is great to see there are lots of members with the same passion for other cars as well.

Mark did a fantastic job co-ordinating all the cars and what a great turn out of exotic and rare vehicles. We even had bikes along which was terrific, thank you again Mark for volunteering to run this event, it allowed us time to get away but still offer the members something great to attend.

September will hopefully bring us some warmer weather, as Spring arrives and we have some great events lined up for you to enjoy.

3 September is round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown. If you have entered, Jo has reserved 10 garages under BMWDCM so we can all be parked together, so if you are booking a garage, ask Brendan to use one of those reserved, if there are any left. These days are not racing, it is sprints which is a timed event which you need to just try to better your own time each session. If you have done the come and try days, these are very similar, but with a timing device in your car. It is the next step up for those that want a little friendly competition mixed with their track days. Talk to Jo or I if you want to know more or aren’t sure what to do. Spectators are welcome to join us and watch from pit lane and have a chat with all those driving.

6 September is our club’s AGM. We encourage as many members to attend on this night please, as we will need a quorum for any new items to be voted on and passed. It will be held at the German Tivoli Club again this year and if you want to join in the fun, come dressed in your Dirndl or Lederhosen and have some fun on the night with a German theme. Your committee will be dressed up, so why not come and join us. Come early and enjoy the great food and drinks (at members own cost). After the formalities we will be going through a few positions which we are wanting help with. These are not full-time roles and not roles which need to be voted on, just roles which we need a hand with to make our lives easier moving forward. If you are interested in helping our club grow and become even better than it already is, then please come along and enjoy the evening.

17 September is the next event, we are touring up to Shepparton to our new sponsors Shepparton BMW for a private tour and lunch at their new dealership, which is the first in the country to be built to the new BMW Corporate model and only the third in the world. It's a fantastic dealership and we look forward to holding more events with them in 2023. After lunch we all head off to MOVE (Museum of Vehicle Evolution) which I have been told is just amazing. There will be a couple of special surprises there too, so you’ll have to come along and see what they are.

23-25 September has a large group of us again racing down at Phillip Island for round 5 of the E30 Racing Championship. Come down and help out the crew or just join in the fun on the day. This is a State Championship race meeting, so always lots of different categories to see, as well as the E30s. Jo will be Assistant Secretary at this event, so will be at the base of the tower if you need any help with anything or just want to pop in and say hi.

Events to put in your diaries are:

2023

26 January // Australia Day Drive
17 - 20 March // BMW Clubs Australia Nationals, Gold Coast
29 March - 2 April // Australian F1 Grand Prix
22-25 April // Anzac Long weekend Away (TBC)

Our new merchandise is flying off the shelves, so put in your orders now, so as to not miss out on your sizing. We now have editions 1, 2 and 3 of idrive for sale if you are wanting to collect them and have every edition in your collection. There is limited stock of these so order now to not miss out.

For all those attending Challenge Bathurst, we have a team shirt which does need to be pre ordered. Orders need to be in and fully paid before the end of September.

Membership is still growing strong, and we are very proud of how many new members that join up each month. Welcome to all those new members, I look forward to meeting you at an event somewhere, if we haven’t already met.

As a reward for existing members, we are starting a new initiative. All renewals and new memberships for each quarter will go into the draw for a prize. This will be done each quarter and drawn at the end. We are also encouraging all our members to refer a friend family member or work colleague to join, just remember when your friend sings up, ask them to put your name down as a referral and your name will also go in the draw for the quarterly draw. Your name can go in multiple times, if you refer 10 friends in a quarter you get 10 entries. This will start at the first of October.

I am very proud of how our little club has grown into one of the best clubs in the world, put mainly I am proud of our members who make this club as good as it is. When we attend events as see families with little ones joining in on the fun and parents bringing their learner drivers out on our drive days, this shows me that we are doing it right.

Please remember without you, we are only four people and we need your help, so join us at events, put your hand up to help, even if it is just taking photos or helping pack up at the end of the day. Every little bit makes it easter for us all.

Take care out there and I look forward to seeing you at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

Cars and coffee morning

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 04:39:24 GMT

Event date: 28 August 2022

The “cars and coffee” meet that Mark McDermott organised at Murrumbeena Station could have been called “What haven’t you got in your garage”!

The array of different vehicles – not all were cars – was fantastic and made for a very interesting morning.

The turn out was larger than expected (which is good) and the adjoining parking area was also utilised.

With some foot traffic or just curious passers-by pulling in for a look the event proved very popular.

Being a casual event everyone just walked around and looked and chatted, learning about vehicles we have not really seem before. There was a lot of laughter and some downright amazement – you get 20 hp from that 190cc scooter engine?

Altogether a brilliant day – more than a morning as plenty were still there well past the 11:30 end time.

Big thank you to Mark for having the idea, finding a location and organising a discount on coffee from Daniel Son and setting up in the morning.

Lawrence Glynn | Member #3
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Officiating at Sandown

Sun, 28 Aug 2022 04:33:33 GMT

As a part of my journey into motorsport with my E30 over the last 18 months, I have enjoyed racing at all sorts of tracks, in all sorts of conditions. Blisteringly hot and windy days at Sandown, through to blizzard like conditions at Phillip Island.

And whilst the conditions at each track often vary, one thing is of course constant- the volunteers that make the day happen. These people get out there in all kinds of conditions to allow people like me (and maybe you) to enjoy my day out on the track safely.

Sure, I showed my appreciation to these people wherever I could- a wave to the flaggies at the end of the day, shaking hands with the pit officials, and expressing my thanks to people in admin. But the reality was that until a few weeks ago, I didn’t realise the amazing joy that volunteering at a motorsport event actually brings.

Like just about everyone in BMWDCM, my passion is cars. If you give me anything to do with cars or racing, be it a magazine, a television show, televised races, or anything in the driver’s seat or passenger’s seat, I’ll be happier than a pig in… well you know what…

Jo and Graeme had been suggesting for a while that I should consider doing some event officiating as a part of my development as a competitor. So when the opportunity came to learn the art of Flag Marshalling at Sandown for Round 4 of the Victorian State Racing Series (along with fellow BMWDCM member Jessie Keogh) and as a Pit and Grid Official for the Penrite Supersprint V8 event - I jumped at both of them.

And now that both events are finished- I can tell you something you all should know- it’s the big secret truth about volunteering that you won’t know unless you have done it.

Are you ready for it?

OK…

So the one, big, secret truth about volunteering at motorsports events is this: it gets you closer.

It gets you closer to the action.

It gets you closer to the drivers and teams.

It gets you closer to the cars.

It gets you special access and special permissions. You’re an official. You’re there to do a job, so you do it. If that job happens to be marshalling cars in pitlane - as mine was for Supercars- you can get closer the frenetic pit action. If your job is flag marshalling at Turn 6 (like Jessie and I did for the VSRC), the only people closer to the track than you are the drivers. If you are a grid marshal- something else I did for the supercars, it’s only you and the drivers on the starting grid with two minutes to green. You are so close that the V8 rumble vibrates through you like some sort of six-pointer on the Richter scale. Or, maybe you can get the opportunity to chat with your favourite driver or TV personality- cause you are close to them too.

It get’s you closer. That’s the thing about being a volunteer official.

And standing at Turn 6 at Sandown as a Flag Marshals, Jessie and I were close enough to the cars as the passed the fastest point on that track that we could see the whites of the drivers eyes as they tried to sum up the tricky conditions down into Dandenong Rd.

Jessie and I were schooled in all things Flag Marshalling by Vic Flags Senior Official Simon and Sector Marshall Graeme Darcy. Although, Simon first instruction to us was that if he pull’s us towards him and away from the wall, we need to go with him cause it probably means a car is heading straight for us, was probably not as reassuring as he had hoped. Nor was his “If I yell “get down”, please dot straight away” instruction. Of course, it’s all in the name of safety- but geez, Simon, you need to find a better way to welcome people!

Standing at the peak of Turn 6 at Sandown, really made me appreciate the work that a Flag Marshall does. It requires lots of focussed concentration and decisiveness. And some of those decisions are split second- especially in high-speed sections.

Being privy to all the track communication throughout the day was fascinating too. There are lots of moving parts to an event, and the work done by all involved to make sure that the day runs smoothly, safely and on-time is as challenging as predicting Melbourne’s weather. Especially with the number of accidents and incidents that occurred. I have even more respect for those making decisions about how to best keep the day moving forward and allowing the competition to be run fairly and safely.

Being as close to the action as we were, it was also great to watch how other drivers and cars approach the track with lines and braking points. So it will help my driving too (I hope!).

A week later, I rose early again to head back to Sandown for the Penrite Supersprint Supercars event. Here I was a Pit and Grid Marshal. My Chief Official for the day was Rhys, and the generosity he showed me was second to none. He made sure I got to do everything possible throughout the day- or maybe it was less about generosity and just a ploy to get me back! Either way, Rhys let me roam around the pits ensuring safe and fair competition, marshal the grid into place for the Supercars- where I was able to have a chat with Chaz Mostert and his engineer Adrian deBorre (it was just the three of us in his starting box), and wave the starting grid flags for each competing class. My feet were damn sore after all the walking. Worth it though.

Everywhere I went across both days at each event, I met more and more amazing petrol heads, all because I took this leap of faith in deciding to be a volunteer. I was given lunch, provided with snacks throughout the day, plenty of water, and given a full uniform to keep for the Supercars event.

It was also a great social activity: I felt welcomed into the volunteering family- and also part of something bigger.

Everyone also really appreciated that a competitor was volunteering- it seemed like a really big deal. Of course, for me it wasn’t- but it showed that as competitors we value what they do as officials, and want to learn from them.

So, I am looking forward to my next event, and my next opportunity to learn and grow as a competitor and official within motorsport with the possibility of going interstate or even overseas to participate in other exciting events as an official.

Seriously, volunteering is awesome. So if you haven’t yet done so- hit Meg, GB, Jo (or even me) up and get out there! It will get you closer to motorsport than you can possibly imagine.

Shannon Cooper | Member #599
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Supercars at Sandown

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 04:24:17 GMT

Event date: 21 August 2022

What a great day with Jo, Graeme, Tim O & John S. I started out pretty chilly, then sun baked us for a few hours, then it was jackets on to beat the cool breeze.

We got General Admission tickets with paddock passes (I was just there for the Sunday). I didn’t stray from the grandstand/western areas. Mixing it up between watching some great on-track action, checking out the show n shine display (by the Cruiser group), perusing the merch (how well would a BMWDCM stall go? Amongst all that GM & blue oval gear? [Tim’s idea!]), feeding my face. Getting access to the car prep areas was really interesting (Paddock pass), I’ll opt for that again.

Graeme was madly rushing around on scrutineering duties and Jo was keeping us safe from race cars as they returned to the paddock (lots of whistle blowing).

Lots of great conversations, sharing stories, meeting new members and enjoying our club-stuff.

Martin Taylor | Member #598
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

When my husband said we were offered tickets to the supercar event at Sandown my first thought was…. Oh how boring! But I went along and wow what a great day we had.

I was blown away by the production of it all. The set up of each different race category was huge and the technology and equipment to support each car was unbelievable. I even asked questions!

60 cars in one group and they had 14 sets of tyres for each car!!!

They also mentioned they had changed 1160 tires on Friday WOW

The crowd was buzzing which created an awesome atmosphere.

I couldn’t get close enough to watch the start of the supercars. The sound was deafening but exhilarating.

Slightly different to our club track days but an event I’d be more than happy to attend again.

Lucy Walsh | Member #834
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Sampling a G42 BMW 220i

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:48:15 GMT

I recently had the opportunity of a couple of hours with a G42 220i loan car. Of course, I tried it out on some favourite rural roads as well as around town.

For those unfamiliar, the G42 is based on BMW’s CLAR platform shared by the 3er to 7er cars. It is unrelated to the 2er Gran Coupe which shares the front drive/AWD FAAR platform with the 1er, MINIs, X1 and X2. The G42 is offered here in 220i, 230i and M240i versions. The 220i and 230i use the B48 4-cylinder in 135KW and 190KW versions respectively – basically the same as in the 3er – and are rear-drive only with Msport passive suspension as standard. The M240i uses the B58 6-cylinder (285KW) and has rear-biased AWD, with adaptive suspension. Overseas, a rear-drive M240i is available and may come to Australia.

The G42’s dimensions are surprising. Its overall dimensions match the E90 3er. It’s actually wider than a current G20 3er – because of the bulged wheel arches, I suspect. It’s shorter than the G20 by only 17cm with a wheelbase just 11cm shorter. The difference comes not so much in size, but in being set up more for the enthusiast.

BMW has got the passive Msport suspension right with the G42. It’s firm but not harsh, as was reportedly the case with previous models. It’s adequately comfortable around the suburbs, but stays controlled and composed even on lumpy, winding rural roads. It’s a big step forward from the F22 2er – my former 220i was floaty on lumpy roads even with its adaptive suspension in sports mode.

Handling of the G42 is wonderful. The car is agile, adjustable and playful. Weight distribution is 51/49 on the 4-cylinder models, and cornering is generally neutral, with mild understeer exiting some corners. It’s a car you can balance on the throttle quite delightfully, and trail braking works a treat. It’s much more enthusiast-oriented than the G20 3ers I’ve had as loan cars recently, good though they were. And all this with the 220i having tyres that were good but definitely not performance tyres.

Brakes were fine even on the 220i. The 230i and 240i get Msport Brembo 4-pot brakes as standard, which should be excellent. (I think those are the Brembos on my Clubman JCW, which is heavier than the 230i, and they work very well on that).

Performance was surprisingly good from 135KW, thanks I guess to its broad, flat torque curve. The 230i should be properly fast and I continue to think it’s the sweet-spot of the range, as it was for the F22.

The ZF 8-speed gearbox is magnificent, as always. No manual is available on the G42 (the new M2 will offer a manual) but the ZF is super-fast and smooth when driven as a paddle-shift manual.

On the debit side, the steering is almost completely devoid of feel. Sports mode adds just a little weight but no extra communication. Nevertheless, steering is precise and doesn’t interfere with enthusiastic driving. The light weight does make the car very easy to handle around town. BMW knows how to make feelsome steering (eg my Clubman, M cars) so the lack of feel must be a conscious decision, unfortunately.

Inside, the car is strictly a 2+2, despite its exterior size. The bonnet is unnecessarily and almost comically long, and the space is removed from the back seat. I could sit behind my seating position, but it was very snug – really only useful for older children, young teens or short trips for adults. Up front, though, the car is spacious and it appears identical in every way to a G20 3er. Very good sports seats are standard and, thankfully, are in Alcantara rather than leather as standard (much better suited to Australia in my opinion) but with leather options of course. As in the 3er, a few touch points feel a bit cheap, but mostly the interior is up to BMW’s high standards of quality. Incidentally, the 2er is built in Mexico, doubtless to help a niche model be profitable, but BMW has proven it maintains its standards wherever its cars are built. The G42 boot is large, but sadly any type of spare wheel is notable by its absence.

I should note that the optional sunroof is remarkably quiet even when open at 100km/h. It does impinge on headroom of course, although there is a short raised area behind it over the rear seats.

The G42 has a full suite of up-to-date safety features, although it still only manages 4 stars on the increasingly stringent Euro NCAP ratings, mainly due to a low score in cyclist detection (pedestrians are detected OK) and lack of a central airbag between occupants.

In summary, the G42 seems to be an excellent enthusiast’s 2+2 if you don’t want to (or can’t afford to) step up to an M car. As noted above, I think the 230i is the range’s sweet spot – rear drive, quick and reasonably priced by today’s expensive standards. The 240i would be faster and more capable, but its high price puts it in reach of some stiff competition.

Many thanks to Andrew Niemann at Waverley BMW for arranging the loan car.

Peter Williams | Member #36
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

50 Years of BMW M and 20th BMW M Award: the first BMW M3 Competition Touring as exclusive prize for the 2022 winner

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 09:41:28 GMT

Since 2003, the BMW M Award has been an integral component of the close partnership between BMW M GmbH and MotoGP™ rights owner Dorna Sports. There is a double anniversary to celebrate this year: BMW M GmbH is celebrating its 50th birthday and the prize for the fastest MotoGP™ qualifier is being awarded for the 20th time. To mark the occasion, BMW M is providing an exclusive highlight as the Winner’s Car: the first BMW M3 Competition Touring with xDrive.

Since 2003, the BMW M Award has been an integral component of the close partnership between BMW M GmbH and MotoGP™ rights owner Dorna Sports. There is a double anniversary to celebrate this year: BMW M GmbH is celebrating its 50th birthday and the coveted prize for the fastest MotoGP™ qualifier is being awarded for the 20th time. To mark the occasion, BMW M is providing an exclusive highlight as the Winner’s Car: the first BMW M3 Competition Touring with xDrive (fuel consumption, combined: 10.4 – 10.1 l/100km correspond to WLTP, CO₂ emissions, combined: 235 – 229 g/km correspond to WLTP, NEDC figures: –)*, which celebrated its world premiere just a few weeks ago. The market launch is scheduled for November. The Winner’s Car for the BMW M Awards 2022 will be officially introduced this weekend at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. The first BMW M3 Touring MotoGP™ Safety Car will also make its race debut there.

“2022 is a very special year for us at BMW M, with a host of highlights related to our 50th birthday,” says Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “One of these is the first BMW M3 as Touring model, which generated quite a buzz at its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in late June. It is the flagship of our BMW M model range this year, which is why it makes sense to offer the BMW M3 Competition Touring as the prize for the winner of the 20th BMW M Award. We are delighted to be able to mark this year’s special anniversary with our prize for the fastest qualifier in MotoGP this season. This shows the high esteem in which this competition is held in the paddock. We wish the riders all the best and are excited to see who will prevail in the thrilling races to claim the BMW M3 Competition Touring at the end of the season.”

“The 20th BMW M Award in the MotoGP – this sees us reach another milestone in our partnership with BMW M this season,” explains Marc Saurina, Senior Director Global Commercial Partnerships for MotoGP™ rights owner Dorna Sports. “It is brilliant that BMW M GmbH is celebrating its 50th birthday with a range of highlights in the MotoGP. That underlines how important this partnership is. These highlights include the new BMW M3 Touring MotoGP Safety Car, which will appear for the first time in Silverstone, and the BMW M3 Competition Touring as Winner's Car for the BMW M Award. This sees BWM M continue the annual tradition of handing over the newest and most exclusive BMW M automobile to the fastest qualifier. The standings for this year’s BMW M Award are hotly contested and we are looking forward to plenty more exciting qualifying sessions.”

The first-ever BMW M3 Touring combines authentic motorsport feeling with a very distinct character and a broader spread of practical qualities. Its powertrain technology is focused wholly on delivering beguiling performance and brings together the 375 kW/510 hp version of the six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The latest addition to the range is therefore available exclusively in BMW M3 Competition Touring with M xDrive form. The variable-use interior of the first BMW M3 Touring provides fresh scope for experiencing M-typical performance in everyday use. In a unique manner, the BMW M3 Touring links the characteristic M combination of dynamism, agility and precision with unrestricted suitability for everyday driving and long-distance capability.

The Frozen Black paint scheme provides the BMW M3 Competition Touring for the winner of the BMW M Award 2022 with a more than impressive appearance. In the interior, the electrically adjustable M sports seats with Merino/Black leather upholstery generate true racing feeling without sacrificing comfort. The M Competition brake system guarantees superior handling on the limit.

The BMW M3 Competition Touring with xDrive also provided the foundation for the first BMW M3 Touring MotoGP™ Safety Car, which was also presented to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and will now be appearing on track in Silverstone as the lead car for the first time. It sports a special 50 Years of BMW M livery and all MotoGP™ Safety Cars from 1999 to the present day will be featured on the car, paying tribute to the long partnership with Dorna Sports.

Since 2003, the BMW M Award has been presented to the MotoGP™ rider with the best qualifying results. At each Grand Prix weekend, riders receive points for their qualifying positions, in the same way as points are awarded in the races. The rider who scores the most points by the end of the season will win the coveted BMW M Award. The record winner in the BMW M Award is Marc Márquez, who claimed the prize on seven consecutive occasions between 2013 and 2019. Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have each won three times. Fabio Quartararo has won the BMW M Award twice, in 2020 and 2021. Jorge Lorenzo also recorded two wins during his career. Sete Gibernau and Nicky Hayden have each been best qualifier once.

BMW PRESS

Drivers Club Monthly | Edition 51 | August 2022

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 01:44:16 GMT

Month in review.

Dear members,

Did you know Christmas is now less than 5 months away? Not that this editor is counting..

Looking back at the month that was July, we had an event for everyone - from motorsport to drive days, to cars and coffee days and dinners. We were certainly very busy.

We started our month at Winton for our annual Cross Border Challenge with NSW and round 4 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. While we didn't manage to bring home the Cup, it was great to catch up with our NSW family.

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We then had our monthly members meeting at Waverley BMW on 5 July. We were treated to plenty of snacks and drinks, followed by a tour through the service department. A quick thank you to the Waverley BMW staff for staying back after hours for us to visit, and also congratulations again for winning the award for best BMW Dealer in Australia.

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On 9 July we were off to Sovereign Hill for our Christmas in July celebration. We visited the Winter Wonderlights festival which was lots of fun. It was great to see so many in their Christmas jumpers for our annual ugly Christmas jumper competition.

For those who stayed until Sunday, we spent the day exploring Ballarat. There really is so much to see in Ballarat, it's well worth the visit if you're in the area with some time to explore.

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On 16 July we had our Driver Training and Come & Try day with E30 Racing at Broadford. We were also joined by Eugene Arocca and Chantel Collins from Motorsport Australia who attend as trainee flag marshals.

We must extend our thanks to all of our officials and volunteers to help with these days, without you, they just don't happen.

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Some members decided to stay at Broadford after the Driver Training and Come & Try day for round 5 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. While the weather was quite miserable in comparison, many of our members were able to put the skills they had learnt on Saturday to use in the wet.

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We finished our month on 30 July with Shannons Insurance for their Caffeine and Cars morning. It was amazing to see so many cars lined up in Corporate Drive and in every available car park at Shannons. Thanks very much to Shannons for having us, we had a great morning.

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2022 BMWDCM Annual General Meeting

The Club will hold its Annual General Meeting on 6 September 2022. Nominations are open for election to the BMWDCM committee and will close on 16 August 2022.

All members would have received a Call for nominations for committee positions yesterday via email, please refer to that email for further AGM information, and if you would like to nominate for a position, please consider doing so!

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2023 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals

Expressions of interest to attend the 2023 BMW Clubs Australia Nationals are now available, here.

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MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Welcome to our new members Eddie Li, William Drummond, Aaron Brain, Eugene Arocca, Ross Garner, Paul Minchin, Samuel Fonhof, Christophorus Raymond, Eva Chow, Charles Santoso and Matt Thewlis. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

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Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

The month ahead.

Here's what we've got planned in August:

Tuesday, 9 August
August Members Meeting | Track information night
Join us at Shannons, Heatherton for a fun information night with some of your motorsport instructors and officials.

Sunday, 28 August
First annual "what else is in your garage" cars, bikes and coffee
Own a magnificent Mercedes? Amazing Aston Martin? Perhaps a superb Supra or even a terrific Triumph or historic Harley-Davidson? Come and share your other hidden pride & joy!

We want you!

We are now one of the largest Official BMW Car Clubs in Australia and we need your help.

Have you ever attended one of our events and thought “wow this event was well run” or purchased some of our merchandise and thought “I really like that”? Well, all these things and more happen because your volunteer committee who all work tirelessly behind the scenes to make your day/weekend/event run smoothly and be as fantastic as it is.

Do you have skills we can tap into? Do you have a business we can engage or use the services of? Do you have some spare time you’d like to fill with an interest that gives a lot of people joy, including yourself?

We are putting out an early call to all our members to think if you would like to help our team with any of the day to day running of our wonderful club.

Click here to find out more information.

News & Blog.

Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world! We welcome you to submit any articles of your own.

Club blog.

BMW around the globe.

From the Welfare Team.

"One day, you are going to hug your last hug, kiss your last kiss and hear someone’s voice for the last time, but you never know when the last time will be, so live every day as if it were the last time you will be with the people you love."

Click here for Welfare Team updates and their contact details.

Classifieds.

Have you seen our classifieds page?

Want to sell something? Looking for a specific item? Email us today to list your car/parts/anything BMW related!

idrive magazine.

Everyone has their own BMW story - we'd love to share yours.

Email us to feature in our very own idrive magazine.

BCCM updates

Drivers Guide App

BCCM is pleased to offer, in the BCCM Live-Session Vol. 8, the Drivers Guide App (the digital way to explore your car) including its functions and contents.

This app describes the custom features and the operation of your vehicle. Available in over 30 languages. For BMW and BMW M models from 1997 onwards. For BMW i models from 2013 onwards.

You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

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BCCM: Classic Heart Podcast

At last, the moment has arrived: 'Classic Heart' podcast by BMW GRoup Classic is going on air!

Every fortnight, this BMW Group Classic podcast hosted by JP Rathgen will invite you to tune in for some casual motoring talk.

Topics will include favourite vehicles and collections, the background stories behind the most exciting classic events, insights into dream jobs in this coveted sector, amazing stories, true legends and the passion that unites everyone. It is sure to provide inspiring, informative and non-stop entertainment.

You can listen on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts or Amazon Music.

Club partners.

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As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

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Bell Motorsport

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Traction Tyres

Waverley BMW

An update from the President | July

Sun, 31 Jul 2022 07:00:00 GMT

Dear members,

Just like that, July has come and gone in a flash, and we are now well into the second half of the year. This month we had lots of different events for everyone to enjoy. No matter what your passion is, whether driving on a track, touring our country roads, showing off your pride and joy, standing out on a flag point in icy central Victoria, or just joining a bunch of like-minded friends around a dinner table or two. July had something for everyone.

You should all now have Edition 4 of our wonderful idrive annual magazine. Thank you to all who contributed to the 2022 edition to help make it the world class publication that it is. Jess, our editor, does an amazing job editing and putting it all together, as does Jo, chasing everyone for stories, but it is your stories that make it as special as it is. If you haven’t received your copy yet send us an email and we’ll follow up where your copy is.

2 July saw us at Winton Motor Raceway for our yearly Cross Border Challenge with the BMW Club NSW, and Round 4 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. We had perfect Victorian weather welcoming those from across the border where it hadn’t stopped raining for weeks! The day started out very crisp and cold but sunny, giving us perfect track conditions. The NSW Club again narrowly beat us on points to take the trophy back home again. Next year we need more of our Victorian friends to help us win it back!

5 July was our members meeting at Waverley BMW. After some snacks and drinks and a bit of a chat, we went on a tour through the service department. It was very interesting to see under one of the new hybrid cars and compare it to a normal version of the same car on the hoist next to it. Thank you to all the staff at Waverley BMW for staying behind and the very generous 30% discount off all parts and lifestyle products, which kept the staff very busy all night. There were quite a few happy members walking out with some very nice goodies, including myself and Jo. It was a great way to celebrate Waverley BMW being awarded the Best BMW Dealer in Australia, having the best BMW Club in the World visit.

9 July was our Christmas in July at Sovereign Hill with the Winter Wonder Lights festival. The weather was cold but sunny again and so many families attended to join in the fun. This was a weekend event and on the Saturday night after the amazing light show we all had dinner and it was great to see most of our members and guests wore some amazing Christmas jumpers for our annual ugly Christmas Jumper competition. One of my favourite things about these events is having families along with the kids in tow and enjoying the varied social aspects of the club.

For those who stayed on for Sunday we had time to explore Ballarat, some of us braving the cold in the very early morning to see the sky whales (balloons) being launched. Well, they tried, but the wind was a little strong and one of them popped a seam, so they gave us a show on the ground anyway. After our early morning explorations, we all met for lunch and then some stayed on longer to explore further. With the Victory Arch Memorial, the Prisoners of War Memorial, Botanical Gardens, Historical Ballarat, Lake Wendouree, Wildlife Park, Eureka Centre and so much more. Ballarat is an amazing city with so much history and as much to see. Well worth the visit if you are in the area with a few days to explore.

16 July was a great turnout for our Come and Try/Driver Training Day with E30 Racing. Another amazing winters day, with slight drizzle in the morning but after the sun came out for a fun day. We were lucky to have Eugene Arocca and Chantel Collins from Motorsport Australia attend with VFT and help as trainee flag marshals for the day. A huge thank you to you both. These events are designed to give new Motorsport enthusiast the opportunity to either go on track or officiate in a more relaxed and safer atmosphere. Thank you again for all who attended, we are so blessed to have so many officials who come along to make these days so special. Just a few I would like to thank, Angelo Carideo, who stood out at pit exit all day on his birthday, Matt Thewlis, Andy Oosterweghel, Alex Jory, who literally were in an out of cars all day. Without members like you guys we would not have such fantastic events. Jesse Bryan who gave up his day to offer hot laps to members and officials, I THANK YOU. Of course, all our officials who attended on the day, I THANK YOU. From the guys and girls in pit lane to race control, I THANK YOU. To all the members of VFT, I THANK YOU. To our administration team, I THANK YOU. And lastly to all our members who attended as entrants I THANK YOU. To the E30 committee and members who came along and volunteered, took people for rides, or hopped in cars with them, I THANK YOU. These days would be nothing if you did not attend. This day show cased grass roots motorsport at its best with E30 Racing and VFT. Was fantastic to see so many new drivers as well as new officials, all getting a taste of what we love.

On 17 July some of us stayed at Broadford for Round 5 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship on the Sunday. The weather was not as nice as on Saturday, but it gave our members a perfect opportunity to put everything they learnt the day before into action. It was great to actually get out and have a drive myself, such a great little track for practicing your car control skills in the damp conditions without the worry of concrete or armco to worry about.

On 30 July we finished the month off with Shannons Insurance and their Caffeine and Cars morning. What a fantastic turn out this was with cars lined all up corporate drive and in every available car park. Again, another amazing winters day with the sun out. So many of our members there and thank you again to Shannons for putting on free coffee and drinks. What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning. There were so many amazing cars out on display, not just in the showroom, but out in the carparks and street too.

Looking ahead, 9 August is our members meeting at Shannons Insurance. We’re calling it ‘Learn the Track’. This night will be for all members from beginners to more experienced. We will have officials from VFT to explain what the flags are and the importance of knowing your flags. Staff from Motorsport Australia who will explain the benefits of being part of this great association and what it means to be a Motorsport Australia licensed official or driver. We will have a presentation on everything you want to know about driving, from cornering to heal and toe, and plenty of time for questions. So, bring along your notebooks and don’t be afraid to speak up. This will be the perfect opportunity to learn more and work out what you are doing wrong on the track. Perfect for all those members who are just starting out in E30 Racing too to fine tune their skills and maybe learn a little from some of our more experienced drivers. If you have some in car video you want us the give you some tips on, by all means, bring it along too.

12-14 August is E30 Racing round 4 at Sandown. I know we have some of our members volunteering on flags for this event too, which is great. No better way to learn what the flags are for than to be out trackside.

On 18-20 August Supercars are back at Sandown and Jo and I, and a few other members, will be officiating at this one. Always a great event to go to and no better way to get up close to the action than be an official! Let’s hope the weather is kind to us both. Come by and say hi if you are there.

28 August is our “What Else is in your Garage” Coffee and Cars morning in Murrumbeena. This event is to encourage our members who not only have BMWs to bring out their other beautiful cars and bikes and show us what they have. Of course, you can bring your BMW too. All vehicles are welcome. Make sure you bring your membership card to gain a discount at the coffee shop nearby.

Jo and I won’t be at this event, we are lucky to have Mark McDermott running this event for us, so a huge thank you to Mark for stepping in and organising this event. We will be off to Armidale in NSW for my daughter’s graduation ceremony. As most of you would have read, Jess is now a fully qualified and practising lawyer and due to covid and storms her graduation was put off last year, so we will be heading up to watch her graduate. Very, very proud of you Jess. So is the club.

We have introduced a Club Permit renewal system, where you don’t need to attend to get someone to sign your renewal. This is going very well, and I encourage you to look into this and start using this new system. For all renewals follow this link and email the renewal forms to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au.

Our new merchandise range has been doing really well, we sold out of the smaller sizing within weeks, so a new shipment is arriving this week. Please place your orders as these will not last. They are a larger fit than our other ranges, so take note when ordering. The long sleeve tops and hoodies are so warm it is incredible, just the thing for a Melbourne Winter and they look so good, as you will see in event photos. Great job again Jo, another fantastic design you’ve come up with.

For those who want the full set of our idrive magazine, we have done a limited re-run of edition 1 and orders can be placed here. We also have stock of 2 and 3 for those who do not have the full set.

Some dates to put in your diaries:

Jo has been busy booking things right into 2023 already too, so keep an eye on the event notices coming through. She has some great events planned for us, both in the coming months, as well as into 2023. Always keep an eye on your emails, events often pop up that might interest you and sometimes they can be short notice, so always check the event notices we send out.

Remember we cannot run this great club of ours without volunteers. So please attend the AGM and see what you might be able to help us with to lighten the load on our very hard-working committee. It is a huge job to run a club like this and we welcome any help or input you might like to give us. You don’t need to commit to one of the four main executive committee positions, there are ways you can help us run the club, or events, with as little as a couple of hours here and there. Volunteers are the life blood of any club, so come and join us at the AGM and see what you can do to help keep DCM one of the best car clubs around.

As always, thank you for reading and thank you being a part of our journey.

Take care and I look forward to seeing you at an event soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

P.O. Box 81, TYABB VIC 3913
Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of: BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council
Motorsport Australia Affiliated Motorsport Club

2022 ANZAC Weekend in Lakes Entrance

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 06:34:27 GMT

Event date: 23-25 April 2022

BP Roadhouse, Officer. Early birds, latecomers, and latecomers with traffic excuses merge on M1 heading East towards Gippsland. A cheerful morning, a few rolling convoy poses for Graeme’s video cam, and a gentle start amongst a plethora of Saturday morning traffic. The excitement was tepid, but not for long.

We rolled off the M1 and onto the old Sale Rd (C426). Old houses, peaceful paddocks, and small town-centres with little more than a general store made for a relaxing run along ancient roads. Go right, go left, but go straight ahead? Despite the initial confusion, we discover a dogleg crossing over a main road. 5 kms along this was repeated. There would be more to come in this strange region of ‘Doglegsia’ with its bitumen oddities. Amongst the farmland where patches of dark dense forest craning over the road, and it was lights on in the middle of the day. Safety first.

Early bathroom and coffee stop at Traralgon. Jo confirmed our lunch booking for Paynesville, and we drove around Sale heading for Paynesville with a growing hunger on a warming sunny day.

“Hi.” “Hi.” “We’re here from the BMWDCM club.” “Welcome.” “Hello, can we get some meals?” “Oh nah, the chef doesn’t do lunches.”

Okay, the chef is not here but they still confirmed our lunch booking. “You can get fish & chips next door and eat them in here if you like. We’ve got beer.” Strange.

Not what we expected, but we got a beer, had a feed, and accelerated onwards.

Settling into Lakes Entrance, we looked forward to dinner at the Red Bluff Brewers. A convoy formed, everyone following the lead car. Unfamiliar roads, look, well unfamiliar.

After three laps of Lakes Entrance, Jo – our Queen fish – realised the team was stuck in a fishbowl vortex. “Oh, another roundabout, oh, another roundabout, oh, another roundabout”. Jo woke the BMW Goldfish club with a loud “Does anybody have a clue where we are going? That’s the third time I’ve seen that same roundabout.” The Clownfish was replaced with a navigation system, and off we went to the small brewery for a relaxing evening.

Day 2: Buchan Caves, Orbost and Marlo, here we come. After a cruisy drive, we assembled at the caves. Martin was sporting his tough-as Merrill hiking boots, looking like he had just flown in from Mt Everest. Sally was also proud of her special hiking boots. Leather with 3-inch heels looking she had just walked off a catwalk. Clearly the technology has advanced somewhat when it comes to sexy hiking boots.

Down, down, down, we stepped, learning to duck and squat as we squirmed through the height-challenged cave. And then emerged, into a huge open cavern. High, large, and open, the cavern came with large pool, stalactites (the ones that hang from the roof) and stalagmites. Our brains trust, Tilley, asked some great questions, resulting in more detailed engagement with the tour guide. FYI: So long as water and lime are seeping into the cave network, the stalactites grow at a rate of approximately 1cm every 100 years.

Many formations, from icy/snowy looking bright white flows at edge of pool, and lots of green and rust mineral colouring contrasting the whiter stalactites. Chandeliers, the mystery of the ancient kangaroo bones (even though no visible way in or out at that stage). We left the amazing underground wonderland and noticed a lazy kangaroo lying close to the track. Clearly time for lunch and a bit of sunshine.

We left and returned on an extremely indirect road, finding more bends than a bowl of spaghetti. Legendary Pete leads the way. Martin’s petrol heart was on fire, and he outpaced us in his M3 coupe. The roads got tighter, and Pete’s mini got meaner, with modified brake-lines and tough as ironman fluid preventing break fade. He braked late, and would exit the corner early, relying on front wheel bias to drag the mini out early. We caught Martin, who appeared to have crossed that time of day when an Englishman must pull over for tea and scones. We waved to him on the side of the road, and he re-joined the front pack.

Mello Yellow, that is Angelo’s distinctly yellow SS V8 Commodore valiantly battled on. Later Angelo would explain how his suspension was shot. That is certainly not the first or last time you will hear an excuse as to why it can be difficult to keep up with a BMW. (haha)

After this invigorating drive, thanks Peter, we were off to Marlo Hotel, for a ‘Splendour on the Grass’-like arrangement with live music and good food on the grassy valley, overlooking the Snowy River.

Day 3: Sunday morning. Many got up early for the Anzac dawn memorial in Lakes Entrance and appeared to be quite moved by the occasion.

Next adventure, a large boat to Metung for lunch. We only traversed a small percentage of the Lakes, realising how awesomely large the Lakes inlets are. We saw seals, dolphins, an eagle, and ate chocolate. The young adults, Tilley, Harper and Alice, brought out the youth in us, making it a great family weekend.

Thanks to Jo and Graeme, who ran a tab for some Junior Anzacs at Metung Hotel. It feels good to acknowledge the digger past and present, and they certainly enjoyed the beers.

John Shreeve | Member #579
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

New European Head of the MINI Brand

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 06:28:16 GMT

Ulrike von Mirbach becomes Head of the MINI Brand for Europe.

Ulrike von Mirbach has taken over as Head of the MINI brand for Europe on 1 July 2022. Previously, Ulrike von Mirbach was responsible for the BMW & MINI retail business as part of the "new sales model Europe" project as well as for the overall development of the new sales structures for MINI. In addition to her new role as Head of Brand MINI for Europe, she will also continue working in this role.

Her predecessor Pierre Jalady has taken over the responsibility for the MINI brand in the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa region.

Ulrike von Mirbach has been working for the BMW Group for around 17 years. At the beginning of her career, she was responsible, among other things, for the marketing strategy of the BMW brand in the German market. From October 2015 until the end of 2020, she headed the marketing division of the MINI brand in Germany. On 1 January 2021, she took over the management of the MINI brand in Germany and moved to the European level just one year later.

Ulrike von Mirbach has played a key role in developing the MINI brand in Germany and has successfully driven forward the electrification of the brand. For Ulrike von Mirbach the concerns of the dealer network are of central importance. The good level of cooperation between dealerships and manufacturer as well as strategic brand management and digitalising the brand were decisive success factors advancing the brand on the German market.

Stefanie Wurst, Head of the MINI brand: "I am convinced that Ulrike von Mirbach will successfully lead the MINI brand into the electric future on a European level thanks to her high level of brand and sales expertise. She will set the right strategic framework to ensure successful sales for the brand within the new sales model."

The MINI brand

The strategic focus of the MINI brand is on expanding electric mobility and increasing the commitment to the crossover and premium compact segments. Tapping into new target groups and sales markets will be crucial for the future of MINI. The great success of the all-electric MINI Cooper SE* in Germany confirms the brand's strategy. MINI will make the transition to a fully electrified brand as early as the beginning of the 2030s.

BMW PRESS

Thank you from Beyond Blue

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 03:43:30 GMT

Broadford Come & Try Day with E30 Racing

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 03:38:36 GMT

Event date: 16 July 2022

The BMWDCM Come and Try Day was a fantastic experience that is highly recommended for both competitors and officials wanting to get their first experience of motorsport.

I am very grateful that the Club allowed me to officiate at the event and having the opportunity to experience the sport at entry level was very rewarding. In the past I have volunteered at motorkhanas and I have obviously attended many motorsport events both here and overseas, however, standing at a flag point gives you the best possible perspective on how exciting and demanding our sport can be.

Motorsport Australia has always appreciated the outstanding passion and loyalty of our event organisers and the officials who assist at those events, but the opportunity to actually “work” with them was invaluable.

I want to thank Jo Mawson and her Committee for hosting me and making me feel so welcome. I also wanted to thank all the officials that were there to encourage and support both me and Chantel Collins, who also attended from Motorsport Australia. A particular thank you to my flag buddies Bruce Cameron (post 10) and Andy Kelk (Start/finish) for their invaluable mentoring, direction and conversation.

I am also chuffed to have been invited as an honorary member of the Club (particularly as I love BMWs!).

Eugene Arocca | Member #910
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

It all begin with a 4:45am alarm. Now just to catch you up to speed, mornings and I have never got along, but motorsport seems to be the exception. Half awake, I asked myself, why are you doing this? Because it will be worth it once you get out on the track - there is no feeling comparable. So, after arguing with myself and still only half awake I set out for the two hour drive to Broadford. Did I know where Broadford was, or if it existed until now? No. After this weekend give me a map and I’ll draw you up the coordinates! It now comes as a highly recommended travel destination. A quick trusty maccas breakfast with a then 7:30am arrival at the track. Straight into the motions - find a garage, drivers briefing, safety car circuit laps (for beginners), check in, sort your car, anticipate your first run session.

The weekend was made up of two events, Saturday 16 July BMWDCM & E30 Racing Come & Try Day/Driver Training & Sunday 17 July AROCA Sprint Event - sign me up for both!

As I have never been to Broadford before and this was my second track day, I decided my first few sessions I would go with instructors. You can never stop learning in this sport, everyone has something unique that they can teach you from their own experiences and knowledge. My first instructor’s name was Andy,. He was very informative, patient and calm all great traits for an instructor to have. But even given how lovely Andy was I wanted to add some excitement to his day, so I decided on the third lap to do a spin out on corner 9. Once we’d come to a complete stop to which Andy then said “it’s OK you just went a bit fast around that corner” while only I was left red faced, we continued on in our session. As Andy continued to teach me invaluable tips, I decided you know what Andy I think I’m going to spin out again on corner 9, as I approached at the speed, I heard Andy make a comment that didn't register until after the fact - “this is going to be interesting” he said in his calm tone. But look, this is all about learning, that’s what these days are for to do spin outs (not recommended) to find your footing, to learn the limits of your car, get the feel of the track and to develop your skills. After my session it came to my attention what happens on the track is seen and heard by everyone, but everyone's main concern is always that you are alright.

It came to my second session and a gentleman called Matt entered my vehicle, Matt pushed me to my limits and I needed that. He knew what I was capable of very early on and with that I learnt to trust him. But I thought to myself why should Matt miss out on all the fun? Surely a spin out on corner 9 would just make his day and I thought two times wasn’t enough, that a third was needed and so it was. But this time we did a 180 and ended up off the track on the wrong side facing the wrong way. I really did it, I gave it a red-hot go.

Like Andy, Matt took it rather well - explained why that had happened and how to prevent it from happening in the future (I think I got it out of my system by then and learnt my lesson, that was the last spin out for the weekend). The third session came around and I was contemplating that I would go out by myself but thought one more session with an instructor wouldn’t hurt, it would only be a benefit. So, then the delightful Rod came out with me. Rod is a really laid-back guy and such a pleasure to chat with. Unlike the previous two instructors I decided to spare Rod from the corner 9 debacle, he’s just too nice I thought to myself, don’t you do it Jessie. And so, we had a smooth and beneficial session and I knew the next session I was on my own. It was time. Feeling comfortable and confident enough to give it a go. And it felt like one of the best sessions I had all weekend. I applied what I had been taught earlier and corner 9 was just a distant memory. Finishing with a feeling of achievement, like I had really accomplished something and knew I can now do this.

The long day had come to an end and it was back to the infamous Sugarloaf Motel to check in, have a nice hot shower and just lay still for a minute. Then members of BMWDCM with the likes of Shannon, Wayne, Martin, Lawrence and of course our VP Jo, our leader and President Graeme with others went out for a good old country pub meal at the Broadford Hotel. The social aspect with belonging to this club is both important and a priority which is always welcomed.

Struggling to keep awake it was back to the Motel for a good night sleep. 6.30am alarm, Sunday morning. Back to the track.

Now sprints are a different kettle of fish - but I knew I had to keep my calm and trust I was capable. Take 2 - drivers briefing, check in, sort your car, anticipate your first run session. My first session was as a passenger this time with none other than the man, the myth, the legend, Graeme Bell behind the steering wheel. I remember when I first went in an E30 with Graeme, it never gets old. This is a privilege that should never be taken for granted. The amount you can learn from being in the car with this man at one time and be witness to the skill level that comes second nature is something else.

I was then up, it was my practice session and this time Graeme was the passenger (I started having flash backs to corner 9) keep your cool Jess, just breathe.

Off we went, as well as letting me do my own thing, Graeme gave me direction, pointers, hints & tips and praise all combined fitting nicely into one. What. an. Instructor.

Feeling confident after that, I was ready to do my first timed sprint event on my lonesome. Off I went, I got this. And I did, I had it. Something changed for me over the weekend - I got my confidence, more understanding and learned to trust myself.

But that wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for all support that is constantly shown by Graeme & Jo and the members of BMWDCM. They are always reassuring and encouraging. Associating with people who share the same passion as you and want the best for you gives you a great sense of feeling safe. I have never felt more welcomed by a sporting club in all my life.

x2 Days. 500kms later. Home sweet home. Bed.

Jessie Keogh | Member #894
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

The heart of the BMW M Hybrid V8: P66/3 eight-cylinder hybrid turbo engine drives the LMDh prototype

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 03:30:36 GMT

An intensive period of testing begins in a few weeks for the BMW M Hybrid V8, with which BMW M Motorsport will be battling for overall wins in 2023 in the IMSA GTP class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The project had already reached a key milestone before the rollout: the successful fire-up of the hybrid drive system after installation in the test vehicle at the end of June.

An intensive period of testing begins in a few weeks for the BMW M Hybrid V8, with which BMW M Motorsport will be battling for overall wins in 2023 in the IMSA GTP class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The project had already reached a key milestone before the rollout: the successful fire-up of the hybrid drive system after installation in the test vehicle at the end of June. The BMW M Hybrid V8 is powered by the P66/3 eight-cylinder turbo engine with supplementary electric drive. The combustion engine is based on the DTM unit used in the BMW M4 DTM in 2017 and 2018. During two phases of reconstruction, it underwent comprehensive adjustments to meet the stringent requirements of the LMDh hybrid drive system.

Ulrich Schulz, Head of Drivetrain Design at BMW M Motorsport, and his group had initiated an evaluation to determine which race engine would be best suited for conversion into a high-performance hybrid drive system, even before the BMW Group Board of Management had given the green light to the BMW M Motorsport entry in the LMDh category in June 2021. Time constraints and the need to consider sustainability aspects that are playing an ever more critical role in motor racing, as well as the automobile industry in general, meant that returning to the drawing board to design a completely new engine and building it at great cost was not an option. Consequently, the question was to establish which proven race engine would best meet the stringent requirements and specifications of the LMDh regulations.

The normally-aspirated P66/1 eight-cylinder engine used in the 2017 and 2018 seasons in the BMW M4 DTM was the one that got the nod. As a fully load-bearing component in the BMW M Hybrid V8, it had the advantage that it could be used in a monocoque chassis without an additional subframe and it was also the one that most closely corresponded to the regulatory requirements after conversion to a hybrid turbo engine.

“During the evaluation phase, we also took a look at the P48 four-cylinder turbo engine from the BMW M4 DTM and the P63 eight-cylinder turbo engine from the BMW M8 GTE, but potential problems with the durability of the P48 and the heavy weight of the P63 were negative considerations,” is how Schulz explained the decision to choose the P66 engine. “It is a huge plus that we were able to make use of existing materials such as steel and aluminium from BMW’s time in Formula 1 for the basis of the engine, as well as for individual components – like shafts, housing and small parts. That saved us time and a lot of money and was therefore efficient and sustainable. Efficiency is a critical factor for this project, as we have a very short period of time available between getting started and the first racing appearance at Daytona in 2023. Converting the normally-aspirated P66/1 engine into a bi-turbo and then working with the electric drivetrain colleagues to turn it into a hybrid drive system was very complex. Thanks to the expertise, the great collaboration and the high level of motivation of all departments, we managed to complete the fire-up of the complete drive unit just a few weeks ago. We now feel that nothing is standing in the way of testing.”

The first phase saw the normally-aspirated P66/1 DTM engine converted into an intermediate engine, named P66/2, primarily by adapting two turbochargers and adjusting the crank drive. The focus was on durability, increased performance and temperature management for the engine. The P66/2 completed numerous testing units, including complete racetrack simulations, on the test bench. The next step was the creation of the P66/3 race engine, including a twin-turbo version, adjustments to the specific requirements of the Dallara chassis, final exhaust system, oil tank, cabling and integration of the high-voltage environment. The cylinder block and cylinder heads were recast in the BMW Group foundry in Landshut (GER) and the injection system was rebuilt for direct injection. Engineers who already boasted plenty of experience with electric drive systems from the Formula E project were testing and integrating the electric motor in parallel. The unit that forms the hybrid drive system in the car consists of the e-motor, the inverter and the high-voltage battery. There is a separator clutch between the electric and combustion engines, enabling fully-electric driving – in the pit lane, for example.

The two drive components were connected in the car for the first time at the end of June. The first fire-up for the hybrid system was a success. At the end of July, that will be followed by the rollout in Varano de Melegari (ITA). The intensive test phase begins immediately after that.

Specifications for the P66/3 engine in the BMW M Hybrid V8.

Name	V-shaped Otto four-stroke twin-turbo engine
Capacity	3,999 cc
No. cylinders	8
Cylinder construction	Cast aluminium cylinder block and cylinder head, cylinder lining as iron layer in LDS procedure
V angle	90 °
Bore	93 mm
Stroke	73.6 mm
Cylinder spacing	102 mm
Valves per cylinder	4
Engine speed	max. 8,200 rpm
Output (regulated)	approx. 640 hp
Torque	approx. 650 Nm
Injection	High-pressure direct injection at 350 bar
Oil system	Dry sump system with six-cell oil drain pump and oil tank

BMW PRESS