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BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 6 Mar 2022 7:00 PM | Anonymous


    Month in review.

    Dear members,

    We're sitting here putting the newsletter together as it rains outside and it's clear that summer is gone already.

    We kicked off February with a beautiful twilight drive, leaving from Berwick BMW.  Our evening started with a look around the Berwick dealership and a catch up with the friendly staff before taking off on another of Peter Williams' scenic drives. We were glad to be joined by so many new members and their families - it was lovely to meet you all for the first time!

    ____________________

    On 12 February we had a huge field of competitors join us for Round 2 of our 2022 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown with the weather turning on a stunning day and everyone having a ball.

    ____________________

    On the same day but on the other side of town we also had a pre-Torquay Motor Show drive down the Great Ocean Road with a nice selection of cars. The group finished their night at the Torquay Hotel for dinner, ready for the Motor Show on the Sunday.

    The Torquay Motor Show never disappoints with so many different cars on show. It was great to see so many new people interested in our display, and we signed up quite a few new members on the day - so welcome to all who joined. 

    ____________________

    On 19 February some of our members attended the Shannons Auto Caffeine morning with a large collection of cars ready for their auctions. It's always a joy to catch up with all the Shannons staff that we have not seen for what feels like years, have a chat and a coffee and a look over some of the cars ready to find their new homes.

    ____________________

    On 20 February 100 members and friends joined us for a private tour of Lindsay Fox’s museum and wow what an incredible display of cars. We were there for just on two hours, but we're sure that many of us could have spent the whole day there. There is so much history in the building alone, let alone all the cars on display.

    ____________________

    We then had our monthly virtual hook up the BCCM on 25 February. We really enjoy catching up with our Munich friends, we highly recommend attending one of these if you get a chance.

    ____________________

    Quite a few of our members then finished the month competing at Sandown on 25-27 February for Round 1 of the E30 Racing Championship. We also had one of our members doing their Observed Licence Test, passing of course! Well done Shannon Cooper - we can't wait to see you out there racing. It's great to see four new members joining the E30 field for 2022. Congratulations also to Alex Jory for starting the season with a round win.

    ____________________

    We're searching for idrive magazine content!

    Do you have a story to tell that you want to share with our members?  Please get in touch with Jess to discuss how we can include it in our next idrive magazine.

    ____________________

    MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 691 MEMBERS

    Welcome to our new memberMichael Curtain, Chris Gaetjens, Pat Berry, Robert Forte, Markus Bonang, Peter Davidson, Gary Redlich, Joel Carson, Andrew Chau, Terry Braddock, Nicholas Tate, Bill Boledziuk, Uthsara Kodituwakku, Lucy Walsh, Rashmika Silva, Katherine Benic, Stephen Wesson, Alana Thomas, John Curphey, Neil Barton and Adam Trapski. 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 March:

    Saturday-Sunday, 5-6 March
    Geelong Revival
    Celebrating 50 years of M, we hope those who attended enjoyed Geelong Revival.  It's always a fantastic event that we love being part of.

    Tuesday, 8 March
    March Virtual Members Meeting
    Join us for a zoom meeting to discuss all the events we've got planned for 2022.


    Friday-Monday, 11-14 March

    BMW Clubs Australia Nationals
    Unfortunately registrations have closed, but we look forward to catching up with our interstate BMW friends over the long weekend!

    Saturday-Sunday, 12-13 March
    Phillip Island Classic Festival of Speed Car Display
    About the best race meet in Australia (after the Grand Prix). Racing includes the Heritage Touring Cars (Groups A and C) which includes the fabulous JPS Team BMW cars, Sierra Cosworths, F5000, F1, "big banger" sports cars and more. Display your car and get discounted entry for the weekend!

    An event not to miss in April:

    Saturday, 2 April
    International Women's Day Driver Training and Come & Try Day | Broadford
    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? Join us at our annual International Women's Day Come & Try Day.  It's the perfect opportunity to get on track and have a go in a safe and relaxed space.

    Our friends at AROCA are also running a sprint day (not part of our championship) at Winton on Sunday, 3 April.  If you'd like to enter, you can find out more information here.


    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.

    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. 


    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.

    ____________________

    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

    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
    South Yarra BMW

    Southern BM

    Traction Tyres

    Waverley BMW

  • 28 Feb 2022 5:00 PM | Anonymous




    Dear members,

    After a great start to the year with a busy January, we went straight into February with a member meeting and twilight drive leaving from Berwick BMW.  We had a fantastic turnout with many members attending to meet with the staff at Berwick BMW before we headed out to the car park for a driver briefing and went off on another of Peter Williams' drives.  We had a perfect summer night and quite a few new members join us, it was also great to see some families coming out for the fun too.

    We were supposed to join the Maling Road display on 6 February but this was postponed again due to Covid. This is planned to be rescheduled to some time in May.  As soon as we get confirmation we'll let you know the details. It will be a limited event as there are only so many places allocated to each club.

    On 12 February we had a huge field of competitors join us for Round 2 of our 2022 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Sandown with the weather turning on a stunning day and everyone having a ball.

    We also had a Pre-Torquay Motor Show drive down the Great Ocean Road on 12 February with a nice selection of cars.  The group finished their night at the Torquay Hotel for dinner, ready for the Motor Show on the Sunday.

    The Torquay Motor Show never disappoints with so many different cars on show. It was great to see so many new people interested in our display, and we signed up quite a few new members on the day - so welcome to all who joined.  Welcome to all the other new members who have joined us recently, we are currently at 686 members and still growing strongly each month.

    On 19 February some of our members attended the Shannons Auto Caffeine morning with a beautiful collection of cars ready for their auctions.  It's always a joy to catch up with all the Shannons staff that we have not seen for what feels like years, have a chat and a coffee and a look over some of the cars I may or may not have bid on… although I didn’t win it anyway.

    On 20 February 100 members and friends joined us for a private tour of Lindsay Fox’s museum and wow what an incredible display of cars.  We were there for just on two hours, I'm sure I speak for everyone who attended when I say we could have stayed there longer.  There is so much history in the building alone, let alone all the amazing cars which were on display.  

    We finished February with our monthly virtual hook up the BCCM which again did not disappoint.  We really enjoy catching up with our Munich friends, we highly recommend attending one of these if you get a chance.

    Quite a few of our members were then competing at Sandown on 25-27 February for Round 1 of the E30 Racing Championship.  We also had one of our members doing their OLT (Observed Licence Test) and passing, well done Shannon Cooper.  It's great to see four new members joining the E30 field for 2022.  Our very own Jess Bell qualified third, her best starting spot to date, well done Jess. Alex Jory won the round to start off the year where he left off last year, well done Alex. I even slipped into a seat for the weekend when Shannon took ill and couldn’t race on Saturday. It was a lot of fun, although I now see Shannon’s car needs a bit of engine work to give it some extra go!

    On the Sunday it was also Jess’s 30th birthday and it was fantastic to have a bit of a party at the track with all of the E30 and DCM members joining us to help celebrate. Jess does a fantastic job in the background for the club, pretty much everything you see, from the website and the newsletter to idrive magazine, it's all Jess’s hard work behind the scenes to make us look as good as possible and function so well. Thank you Jess and happy birthday for Sunday!

    Speaking of birthdays, 4 March is our very own Vice President, Jo’s, 60th birthday and seeing as we will be in Geelong for the Revival, make sure you drop in and say Happy Birthday to Jo over the weekend! Jo does so much for the Club and we are so lucky to have her driving the events and organising just about everything we do. She is a dynamo and deserves our thanks for her tireless efforts to help the club be as good as it is.

    We will be taking our BMW club of the Year Award to all events for everyone to see too, another reason to come along and have a selfie with the trophy, as it is an award for all the members.

    On 4 - 6 March our club will have a huge display down at Geelong foreshore for Geelong Revival, so if you have not registered yet, please do.  There are a few ///M cars we are still looking for so contact Lawrence on secretary@bmwdcm.com.au and even if we have one like yours, we will be happy to have another.

    On 8 March we will be holding a Zoom member meeting to run through all our events for 2022 and boy do we have a load. 

    As you will all know by now, we have the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals being hosted in Canberra this year.   Registrations have closed but we're really looking forward to catching up with our interstate friends over the long weekend.

    While the Nationals is happening up in Canberra the Phillip Island Historics will be on both Saturday and Sunday,.  It's a great opportunity to display your car and watch the Historics race over the weekend.

    On 25-27 March our racing members are at Winton for Round 2 of the E30 Championship. If you’d like to come to some fantastic State level racing you are more than welcome to join us.

    Looking ahead to April on 2 April we have our first come and try day at Broadford.  This is focused on women being our International Women’s Day event, but men and boys are more than welcome to join us on the track or as officials on the day.

    Straight after our International Women’s Day Come and Try is the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne. We have been looking forward to the F1 cars coming back for two years now and we will have another amazing display of cars on show. So if you are at the Grand Prix, come and say hello!

    On 30 April we are holding our presentation night and fourth birthday dinner, so be sure to register for this.  While the theme is to come dressed as someone famous from history or the silver screen, if you are not comfortable then just come dress in smart casual wear.

    Lastly, we have our new limited-edition shirts and caps to celebrate our award for winning International Club of the Year in 2021. They are available as a special edition and so are limited, so if you want one, get in quick! They look great and if you are in Geelong for the Revival, we will have them available there.

    Thanks for reading, as always, keep an eye on your emails and our event calendar, it is packed with all sorts of events to suit every taste.

    Drive safe out there and I look forward to seeing you at an event somewhere 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

  • 28 Feb 2022 11:43 AM | Anonymous

    Event date: 13 February 2022

    A glorious two days around the Torquay Motor show started with a Saturday drive from Geelong to the Great Ocean Road via Forrest before joining the pre-Torquay Motor Show Cruise from Lorne to Torquay. An excellent collection of BMWs and an even more excellent collection of members and family set off along the Geelong Ring Road on a surprisingly clear day which provided splendid views from the Princes Highway out towards the coast.

    Turning off at Birregurra we started the descent through the cool and shady tree arched winding roads down to the coast.

    A quick stop in Forrest confused my Google Maps - which I was trying to use for turn buy turn instructions as a back up to paper instructions in the hope I would get the route and radio calls correct! The Google Maps wanted to go to the centre of Forrest but the toilets (which is where we wanted to go!) where on a parallel road. Unable to figure out how to correct this in time or on the move meant my phone was desperate to go to Forrest even when we arrive at our final destination.  As we pulled into the lunch stop car park at Kafe Koala some 50 kms away it was urging me to perform a U turn! 

    Putting the distractions of a hair-brained sat nav to one side once on the Great Ocean Road the vista opened up with amazing clear views out to sea and forward to the promontories ahead. This certainly lived up to the road’s name.  Sadly other people were also enjoying the view and our progress towards Melbourne seemed barely faster than a container ship we could see out on the water.

    After lunch we drove further along the GOR to Lorne golf club and assembled with interesting selection of about 50 other cars.  We had enough time for as quick look around, a bit of a chat and a short address from a representative of Rotary (who organise the Torquay Motor Show) before droving to Torquay in a sort of convoy, forming a small scale car show at the Elephant Walk grounds overlooking the beach.

    There was live music and a BBQ for those who wanted it and more opportunities to look at cars (more than had been at Lorne) and conversations for as long as one wanted.

    Many of our group met up again for dinner at the Torquay Hotel to cap off an enjoyable day.

    Sunday saw us back at Elephant Walk for the car show proper in a slightly sheltered spot with beautiful views out to sea amongst an eclectic range of about 340 other cars.  Although the air temperature was a bit high (35- 37) the gentle breeze kept things comfortable. It is a lovely spot and a very popular show with plenty of passing foot traffic and other attendees. Our display was consistently popular and many engaging conversations arose.

    Around 2 pm the wind picked up dramatically and the decision taken to take down the marquee before it headed off to Tasmania.  I am very grateful for the ready assistance provided by those of our members close by at the time. We took down the rest of the flags etc too as people were starting to leave. However, the fact that there was still a reasonable number around at 3:45 when we called it a day shows just how well the show went.

    Thanks to all of our members who came along to make the weekend so special and to those who helped me set up and pack down at the show.

    Lawrence Glynn | Member #3
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 22 Feb 2022 11:38 AM | Anonymous

    Event date: 20 February 2022

    Last Sunday was a great morning out for all who attended the Lindsay Fox Car Museum site visit. 

    The collection is housed in the historic two storey red brick Queens Warehouse at Docklands. From my rough count there were up to 50 immaculate cars on display, with more cars housed elsewhere, ready for rotation duty. 

    There were many cars from many eras.

    • Volks Wagon Beetles,
    • Porsche speedsters from the 1950s,
    • Porsches through the 1960’s and up to the present with an extensive line of ‘electric blue coloured’ cars,
    • 1930 Mercedes Benzes – immaculate condition,
    • a 1950s Gullwing Merc., and Convertible SL,
    • SS, XK 120 and XK 220 Jags,
    • Healey 100M works version,
    • Ferrari, Maclaren, Rolls Royce, etc.,

    Too many to mention and more than enough to satisfy most tastes.

    Attendants ran casual tours to discuss and answer questions on the cars – most enlightening. For instance, the 1950’s Porsche Speedster on display, is the car produced one chassis number away from the car James Dean died in.

    Future expansion of the display is currently in the planning stage, which can only improve the enjoyment of visiting this Fox establishment.

    Lindsay deserves a great vote of thanks for sharing his love of motor cars with the general public.

    Chris Mcsteen | Member #267
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 22 Feb 2022 11:33 AM | Anonymous

    Event date: 16 January 2022

    I recently joined the BMWDCM because I was interested in getting involved in more driving events such as track days.  I drive a very original 1999 523i (E39) certainly no rocket ship but a great handling car.

    I saw the invite come out for the sprint event at the iconic Phillip Island track hosted by the Alfa Romeo Owners Club (AROCA). As it was my first event and really wasn’t sure what to expect I reached out to Graeme Bell explaining my stock standard car and lack of racing experience. Graeme was extremely supportive, told me to sign up and encouraged me by letting me know that they would look after me on the day.

    So I sent off my application and was excited when I received the confirmation email back from the organisers with all of the details for the day.

    In preparation for the day, I decided to fit some EBC performance brake pads and as I was due for new tyres, I fitted some semi slick tyres. The car is not a daily driver, so I was happy with this set up.

    With a 7am start at the track I booked a motel for the night before so I was closer to the track and organised a car trailer so I knew I could get home if the car had any troubles.

    The day finally arrived, I drove the short distance to the track and lined up with several other cars ready for the gates to open at 7am. It was a stunning morning and the day ended up being perfect with clear skies and very little wind which was unexpected for such an exposed site.

    There was a good turnout of BMWDCM members with a mix of daily drivers to E30’s set up for racing.

    The organisers arranged for any first timers to have their own practice run accompanied by an instructor. I found this invaluable as the instructor was able to give me some helpful tips about the track.

    I had about six 10-minute runs over the day. My car ran very well, the brakes and tyres performed flawlessly and gave me great confidence through the corners. I didn’t have the top line speed of the other cars but still had a lot of fun.

    I was made to feel very welcome by everyone from BMWDCM, thank you very much to everyone. I had a great day at a great track and can’t wait for the next event!

    Tim Trainor | Member #745
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 14 Feb 2022 7:37 PM | Anonymous

    From today, the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink is on display in the new BMW i exhibition at BMW Welt.

    At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the BMW Group presented the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink – a unique technology that enables the exterior to change colour. From now until the mid-March, visitors to the BMW Welt have the opportunity to view the spectacular vehicle in the recently opened BMW i exhibition.

    What is the technology behind the color change and what is the added value?

    The special paint finish works in a similar way to the technology in e-book readers. A special body foiling integrates several million colour capsules. Negatively charged white or positively charged black pigments are stimulated by electrical signals and collect on the surface and in this way change the exterior colour. "In this way, we give drivers the freedom to express different sides of their personality to the outside world and redefine them on every journey," says Stella Clarke, Project Head of BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink. With the ability to change the exterior colour and to display different patterns, the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink opens up new worlds for an individual driving experience. But the technology also offers numerous potential areas of application beyond the customer experience, for example to improve energy efficiency. The electrophoretic paint in the BMW iX Flow featuring E Ink differs from displays in that it does not constantly consume energy. Only when switching over is electricity very briefly required. The matching exterior colour actually improves the energy efficiency of the vehicle. A white surface will reflect sunlight significantly more than a black one, meaning the interior heats up less. Changing the colour thus reduces energy consumption. The colour change in the all-electric BMW iX not only boosts the mood of the passengers, but also the vehicle's range.

    BMW PRESS

  • 14 Feb 2022 12:30 PM | Anonymous

    50 years of BMW M. In 2022, the commitment as Official Car of MotoGP™ is all about BMW M GmbH’s special anniversary. The first highlight is a first in the BMW M safety car fleet. The BMW M2 CS Racing is the first thoroughbred race car to be used as the lead car in MotoGP™. The BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGP™ Safety Car heads the fleet of powerful BMW M safety cars in the 2022 season.

    50 years of BMW M. In 2022, the commitment as Official Car of MotoGP™ is all about BMW M GmbH’s special anniversary. The first highlight is a first in the BMW M safety car fleet. The BMW M2 CS Racing is the first thoroughbred race car to be used as the lead car in MotoGP™. The BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGP™ Safety Car heads the fleet of powerful BMW M safety cars in the 2022 season, which begins on 6th March with the Grand Prix of Qatar.

    “M stands for Motorsport – something we are underlining with the new BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGP™ Safety Car,” said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH. “BMW M GmbH combines high-performance production automobiles and motorsport under one roof. It is for this reason that we selected a race car from our BMW M Motorsport range to be the new MotoGP™ Safety Car – an appropriate choice to mark the 50th anniversary. The BMW M2 CS Racing has been successful in a wide range of championships – and, as a thoroughbred race car, is perfectly suited to leading the field as the safety car in the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. We are looking forward to our 24th season as ‘Official Car of MotoGP™’ and to seeing the BMW M2 CS Racing in action as a safety car for the first time in Qatar.”

    “BMW M has been our partner since 1999 and, over the course of this long-term collaboration, has always thrilled us with new highlights,” added Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna Sports. “With a safety car based on a real race car, BMW M is once again setting new benchmarks this year. The BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGP™ Safety Car shows how deeply rooted BMW M is in motorsport. It is also more proof of just how intensively BMW M GmbH brings its passion for motorsport to play in our partnership. We would like to congratulate BMW M on its 50th anniversary and are looking forward to an exciting new season together.”

    The BMW M2 CS Racing is part of BMW M Motorsport’s extensive range of race cars. It is successful in championships around the world, and there are also multiple international and national one-make cups featuring the BMW M2 CS Racing. BMW M Motorsport drivers and teams also score points towards the BMW Sports Trophy on their outings with the BMW M2 CS Racing. The competition is the only one of its kind in the world for drivers and teams who compete with BMW M race cars in various series and at renowned racing events. The most successful of them are rewarded with an attractive amount of prize money.

    As well as an engine generating up to 450 hp (depending on the version), the race car also has motorsport-specific driving aids like ABS and DSC, a mechanical limited-slip differential with pre-load and separate cooling, as well as specially manufactured drive shafts and a carbon roof. For its role as the MotoGP™ Safety Car, the BMW M2 CS Racing only required modifications in a few areas, including the addition of light bars and front lights. The livery of the new BMW M2 CS Racing MotoGP™ Safety Cars is a reference to the 50th anniversary and based on the anniversary logo of BMW M GmbH.

    Completing the BMW M fleet for the 2022 MotoGP™ season are the BMW M3 Competition Safety Car, the BMW M4 Competition Safety Car, the BMW M5 CS Safety Car, the BMW M8 Competition Gran Coupé Safety Car, the BMW X5 M Competition Medical Car, and two BMW M 1000 RR Safety Bikes. The fully-electric BMW i4 M50 Safety Car will also lead the field in the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup, the electric motorcycle series held on the MotoGP™ support programme.

    For more information about BMW M GmbH and the involvement as the ‘Official Car of MotoGP™’, see: www.bmw-m.com

    BMW PRESS

  • 3 Feb 2022 11:42 AM | Anonymous


  • 3 Feb 2022 11:00 AM | Anonymous


    Month in review.

    Dear members,


    How are we already through a month of 2022?  Where has the time gone!

    We kicked January off with the first round of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island.  With over 30 BMWs on track on a perfect day, the smiles were aplenty. 

    ____________________

    On 10 January we held our "Very Important Zoom Meeting" to make some announcements to the 100+ members who attended.  The first item on the agenda was to show off our new mobile HQ and club trailer.  The second item on the agenda was to congratulate our Vice President, Jo for being awarded the Clubs Australia Award of Excellence and a Motorsport Australia Service Award.  

    The next announcement for the night was that we have now grown to become the second largest BMW Club in Australia. 

    The final and most important announcement of the night was that we have been awarded the 2021 BMW International Club of the Year.  We cannot underestimate what this award means to us and our Club.  This award recognises not just the Club and it's activities, but the way we represent the values and ideals of the BMW brand, how we interact with other clubs and how we give back to the community. We should all be so proud of this achievement. 

    ____________________

    On 26 January we then had our Australia Day Drive  to Marysville.  Our drive began in Officer and finished at Elevation 423 for lunch.  It was an incredibly hot day, with some members choosing to stay and enjoy the scenery after lunch and others going for a swim in the stream to cool off.

    ____________________

    On 28 January we then had our monthly BCCM live link with Munich.  The Munich staff were very impressed with the number of people that logged on.  We were surprised to see that our award was already on the Wall of Honour at BMW Classic.

    ____________________

    We finished our month on 30 January with the biggest event we had ever run, German Auto Show. This event was a long time coming, being postponed in 2021 due to Covid.  Picture over 500 German vehicles and over 1,000 visitors through the gates to have a look, resulting in an incredible $10,500 being raised for Beyond Blue.  We must thank our 30+ volunteers on the day, we just couldn't have done it without you.

    ____________________

    We're searching for idrive magazine content!

    Do you have a story to tell that you want to share with our members?  Please get in touch with Jess to discuss how we can include it in our next idrive magazine.

    ____________________

    MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 668 MEMBERS

    Welcome to our new memberAndrew Dyson, Ronald Lutton, Micah Biggs, Josh Griffith, Glenn Scott, Martin Manev, Kuldip Medhe, Emillia Affandi, Robert Hughes, Rob Phillips, Layla, Aaron Sharman, Simon Amar, Aaron Wimalajeewa, John Ristell, Mitchell Baker, John Butler, Cameron Clark, Nicholas Corr, Nicole Cordia, Beau Scharenguivel, Khaled Hamoud and Kevin John. 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 February:

    Friday, 4 February
    February Members Meeting at Berwick BMW and Twilight Drive
    Our first members meeting will kick off at Berwick BMW for a snack and a quick meeting before we head off on a twilight drive for the evening.

    Saturday, 12 February
    Round 2 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship
    Round 2 of the Drivers Championship is at Sandown - be sure to get your entries in quick to avoid missing out!

    Saturday, 12 February

    Pre Torquay Motor Show Great Ocean Road Cruise
    For those not hitting the track at Sandown, we'll take a drive off the highway through the Otway hills to the iconic Great Ocean Road at Skenes Creek and then drive along part of the more interesting section of the road to Lorne where we will join the Torquay Motor Show Cruise to Torquay.

    Sunday, 13 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 (over 350 in 2020) in a scenic and enjoyable location with plenty to see and do.

    Saturday, 19 February
    Shannons Auto Caffeine
    Members are invited to attend Shannons Auto Caffeine where you can check out the vehicles coming up in the next auction and catch up with the Shannons team, have a 
    coffee and a bite to eat.

    Sunday, 20 February
    Visit to Fox Museum
    Unfortunately this event is now sold out. We look forward to seeing those who have registered there!

    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.


    News & Blog.


    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.

    ____________________

    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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  • 31 Jan 2022 9:00 PM | Anonymous


     


    Dear members,

    This year we didn’t have much of a break over the Christmas/New Year period because we wanted to keep on doing the events we all love whilst the weather is great and while the Covid conditions continue to allow us to run events. As we have seen over the last two years, things can change in an instant.

    2022 kicked off with our first event at Philip Island on 16 January - round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship.  This event was very well attended, the weather was amazing, and it was also the first time we got to show off our newly wrapped club trailer/HQ.  Over 30 BMWs hit the track and lots of smiles were on faces as they left the track. 

    18 January was our Very Important Zoom Meeting where we had over 100 members log in to hear some very special news.  The first item on the agenda was to show off our newly wrapped mobile club HQ/Trailer which we are very proud of.  The second item on the agenda was to announce that our Jo had been awarded the Clubs Australia Award of excellence last year, this award was for 2020 but is always awarded in the year following.  Jo has also been award a Motorsport Australia Service Award for 2021 and this year due to COVID there will not be a live presentation but a video presentation which will be streamed on Facebook on 23 February at 7pm.  More details will follow once we know the full details of the live feed.   We are very proud of Jo and it is fantastic she is being recognised for her efforts and volunteer work, not just by us or BMW Clubs Australia, but by Motorsport Australia too. Well done, Jo.

    We also mentioned at the Very Important Zoom Meeting that we are now the second largest BMW Car Club in Australia! In only 3 years, 8 months and 2 weeks, our Club has gone from an idea to the biggest Victorian BMW Car Club, and we are continuing to grow. It continues to amaze me the way the Club has grown, but it shouldn’t. Like they say, build something good and they will come. Together we have all built an amazing Club, with a true family atmosphere and a friendly and welcoming ambience at every event we run. Well done and thank you all for joining or family.

    The final and most important announcement on the night, was that our little club, which is not too little now currently at 669 members, was awarded BMW International Club of the Year for 2021.  This award has only been given to 8 clubs worldwide previously and we are now #9 and the first club in Australia to be awarded.  I am so very, very proud of our Club.

    It cannot be underestimated, what this award means. It is recognition and affirmation of what we already knew, that we are members of the best BMW Club in the World. This is not something that is given lightly or even every year. Once a club is nominated it has to be scrutinised by both the BMW Clubs International Council and BMW Clubs and Community Management in Munich and takes a year to be decided upon and awarded. It is a huge honour that recognises not only the Club and it’s members activities, but the way the Club represents the values and the ideals of the BMW brand, how we interact with other clubs, how we give back to the community and our charitable and volunteer work. Each and every member of our Club should feel proud that they have played a role in us being awarded this great honour. As it is each of you that come to events, help out, enjoy the activities and give freely of your time to grow the Club, it is you that have earnt the Award. 

    On 26 January we all enjoyed a beautiful day out with 44 members joining in our Australia Day Drive to Marysville.  We started in Officer to then enjoyed another of Peter Williams’ drive routes via some amazing roads through Warburton and arriving in Marysville for a beautiful lunch at the Elevation 423.  Some then stayed and enjoyed the scenery and we had a swim in the stream to cool off as the temperature was quite high. 

    On 28 January was our BCCM live link with Munich and again we had a great attendance, and the Munich staff were very impressed with how many logged on.  We were surprised with an announcement that our Club’s Award was already on the Wall of Honour at BMW Classic which we are hoping to be able to visit in person one day.

    30 January was our biggest event for the year, German Auto Show.  This event has been in the planning since May 2021 as it was supposed to be held in August 2021, but due to Covid it was held and rescheduled to 30 January.

    It turned into the biggest event we have run to date, by far. Picture over 500 German cars, over 1,000 visitors through the gate to have a look, a beautiful Melbourne Summer’s Day, and all up resulting in $10,500 raised for Beyond Blue! What an effort, what a day it was. Thank you to the 30+ volunteers we had helping us on the day, we couldn’t have done it without you and every single one of you deserve a medal.

    What a huge month we have already had and there is so much to come in 2022. Keep an eye on the calendar and your emails for upcoming events. We aren’t taking a break, with an evening visit to Berwick BMW this Friday night (4 February), to check out the newly released BMW 2 Series Coupe, then off for a twilight drive through the hills to the Yarra Valley. Should be another fantastic event.

    The following weekend we have Round 2 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, at Sandown on Saturday and Torquay Motor Show on the Sunday, another very busy weekend!

    The last weekend in February also sees the first round of the E30 Racing Championship at Sandown. It would be great to see a lot of you come along and cheer on our members that will be racing there, be sure to come and say hello if you do. The Club Mobile HQ will be there, so you will be able to find us.

    There are lots more events coming for you to enjoy through February and with other huge events, like the Geelong Revival Show and the BMW Club Nationals in Canberra both in March, the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, weekends away and all the other events you love, 2022 will be our biggest, busiest, and best year yet and I look forward to sharing it all with you.

    Drive safe and see you 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



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