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

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).

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

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

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

 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.

News & Blog.

Classifieds.

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

Proudly supported by:

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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.   

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.

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.

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

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

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

 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.

News & Blog.

From the Welfare Team.

Classifieds.

idrive magazine.

BMWDCM Membership Promotion.

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

Proudly supported by:

All Commercial / All Residential Real Estate
Berwick BMW
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

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.

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