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BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 9 Dec 2021 9:23 PM | Anonymous

    Detailed 1:5 scale model of the BMW superbike.

    Today, BMW Motorrad and the LEGO Group reveal the LEGO® Technic BMW M 1000 RR, or the M RR for short, which is set to go on sale on 1 January 2022.  This intricate set brings the supreme racing technology of the 156 kW (212 hp) superbike, which is designed to meet the highest performance demands in motorsport and road use, to people’s living rooms.

    The record number of 1,920 individual pieces and the impressive 1:5 scale provide an indication that the 45.5 cm long LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR is a model motorcycle in a class of its own. As well as meticulous attention to technical details, the model version of the M RR offers a number of features that are sure to appeal to model building and motorcycle enthusiasts alike.

    These include fully functional components such as the three-speed gearbox, the upside-down fork and the rear swingarm with suspension, as well as the dashboard with three different display options and the gold-coloured drive chain. The included paddock stand and pit board also provide authentic racing flair.

    Ralf Rodepeter, Head of Marketing and Product Management at BMW Motorrad: “When the management of BMW Motorrad announced the first M model on two wheels, the BMW M 1000 RR, everyone knew that it would be something special. In the same way, the LEGO Technic team realised they needed to come up with something unprecedented to pay tribute to the M RR. The result is a motorcycle and a technical model that each represent the state of the art in their respective fields.”

    The LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR sees BMW Motorrad and LEGO continue their successful partnership and offers fans the opportunity to build the first model M motorcycle of BMW Motorrad that, like its real-life counterpart, stands for technical excellence and attention to detail.

    Samuel Tacchi, designer at the LEGO Group commented: “It’s been so much fun getting underneath the skin of such a significant model for BMW Motorrad. There’s a reason why these beautifully engineered bikes are so universally loved by the biking community, and we are confident our LEGO Technic version is a winner like its real-life namesake.” 

    The LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR will be available exclusively in LEGO stores and on www.lego.com/BMW from 1 January 2022, and from other retailers from 1 March 2022, at a recommended retail price of €199.99 / $229.99 / £174.99.

    The highlights of the LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR:

    • Model dimensions: 27.7 cm high / 45.5 cm long / 17 cm wide.
    • Model on an exhibition stand: 32.6 cm high / 45.5 cm long / 17 cm wide.
    • Model on a paddock stand: 27.7 cm high / 46.9 cm long / 17 cm wide.

    • 1,920 individual parts.
    • Fully functional gearbox (three gears + neutral).
    • Front and rear suspension.
    • Gold-coloured drive chain.
    • Three different dashboard options.
    • Supplied with paddock stand and display plate – perfect for presentation.
    • Price: €199.99 / $229.99 / £174.99.

    BMW PRESS

  • 7 Dec 2021 9:19 PM | Anonymous

    Pieter Nota: “Already have next target in our sights: We aim for two million electrified vehicles on the roads in just two years” +++ Plans to double BEV sales in 2022 +++ Around two million fully-electric vehicles delivered to customers by 2025 +++ BMW and MINI Charging provide access to more than 250,000 charging points in Europe +++

    Shortly before the end of the year, the BMW Group celebrated the delivery of its one-millionth electrified vehicle: Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales handed over the milestone vehicle, a BMW iX xDrive40 (Power consumption in kWh/100 km: 22.5-19.3 WLTP), to its owner at BMW Welt on 6 December. The company included a special bonus with the delivery: The customer not only received the keys for his new vehicle, but also a BMW Wallbox, including installation, to enable safe and convenient home charging, as well as a credit for public Europe-wide charging with BMW Charging.

    “The delivery of our one-millionth electrified vehicle marks a milestone in our transformation – and we already have the next one in our sights: We aim to break through the two-million mark in just two years,” said Nota. “Thanks to our steadily growing product range, we are setting ourselves ambitious sales targets, in particular for fully-electric vehicles: In 2022, we aim to double this year’s sales. By 2025 the BMW Group will have delivered around two million fully-electric vehicles to customers. We expect at least one out of every two BMW Group vehicles sold to be fully electric by 2030,” Nota continued.

    The BMW Group released two key innovation flagships, the BMW iX and the BMW i4, onto the market in mid-November. Both models are being very well received by customers worldwide – as reflected in new orders from around the globe.

    Over the next year, the BMW Group will expand its electrified product line-up to include fully-electric versions of the BMW 7 Series and BMW X1. The high-volume BMW 5 Series will be added to the electric portfolio in 2023. The successor to the MINI Countryman and the all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre will follow. By 2023, the company will already have at least one fully-electric model on the roads in about 90 percent of its current market segments. Over the next ten years or so, the BMW Group plans to release a total of about ten million fully-electric vehicles onto the roads.

    The Neue Klasse, which is uncompromisingly geared towards electric drive trains, will make a significant contribution to BMW Group sales volumes from the middle of the decade.

    The MINI product range will already be exclusively all-electric by the early 2030s and Rolls-Royce will be an all-electric brand from 2030 on. All future new models from BMW Motorrad in the field of urban mobility will also be fully electric.

    The successful ramp-up of electromobility will depend on swift and comprehensive expansion of charging infrastructure. The BMW Group is making a vital contribution to this. “Electromobility needs holistic thinking and implementation. That is why we don’t just offer our customers highly attractive electrified cars; we also make sure charging is easy and convenient. Our commitment spans the entire value chain: from compelling products and services through strategic investments, all the way to building our own company charging infrastructure,” says Dr Andreas Aumann, head of Strategic Product Management at the BMW Group.

    BMW Charging and MINI Charging provide customers with access to one of Europe’s largest charging networks, made up of more than 250,000 charging points. With the “Active” tariff from BMW and MINI Charging, customers can charge at an attractive market-specific fixed rate that ensures full transparency. The BMW Group also offers various home charging solutions with its wallboxes. With the pan-European high-power charging network IONITY, in which the existing shareholders and new investor BlackRock additionally invest a total of 700 million euros for network expansion, the roaming partner aggregator Hubject and the strategic mobility provider Digital Charging Solutions GmbH, the BMW Group holds a stake in three companies that will play a key role in the continued ramp-up of electromobility. With more than 5,000 charging points, the BMW Group also operates one of Germany’s largest company charging networks.

    BMW PRESS

  • 5 Dec 2021 4:00 PM | Anonymous


    MONTH IN REVIEW 

    Dear members

    First and most importantly, Happy Bathurst Day!  

    We're sorry for the delay in getting our newsletter out this month, part of our committee are at Bathurst volunteering and it's otherwise been a very busy time leading into Christmas.

    Looking back on November, it was great to be out and about again catching up with members.

    6 November was our first face to face meeting in quite a while, returning to the Naked Racer in Cheltenham. It was great to finally catch up with many of you and meet some new members.

    ____________________

    On 21 November we found ourselves with a double up of events with our drive to Stony Creek Go Karts event and our postponed final round of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship.

    Approximately 20 members took some fun winding roads to Stony Creek for an afternoon of go-karting fun, while another 20 members got some track time and some training from Graeme at Phillip Island.

    ____________________

    On 27 November we had our monthly Zoom with BCCM to hear about some exciting things coming in 2022.  It was another early start at 4am but the next one will be at a much easier 8pm - watch your emails for the event notice so you can login to say hello to our friends in Munich.

    ____________________

    On 28 November we held our Annual Christmas Show and Shine Picnic at Cruden Farm. The weather was perfect, there was a gentle breeze with beautiful blue skies. We estimate we had over 100 cars and over 180 attendees throughout the day with everything from BMW to Mercedes Benz, VW, Holden, Ford, Mazda, Austin Healey, Porsche, MINI and Datsun in attendance.The display looked fantastic.

    We also raised $920 from our raffle which will go to The Smith Family and $203.50 in donations from our breakfast BBQ egg and bacon rolls which will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal. Thank you to Matt Kenny from All Commercial/All Residential Real Estate for bringing his BBQ trailer and his band of merry men and women to cook away all morning. Thanks also to Phil Kolar for donating the eggs and Bell Motorsport who donated the bacon and rolls.

    Thanks to Santa for bringing all of the children (big and small) a lolly bag and hanging around for photos. And finally thanks to those who volunteered to judge our show and shine.  The winners were Paul Caruso for his E21 Alpina C1/2.3 (pre-2000 class), Chris Teazis for his M2 Competition (post-2000 class) and Jim Bradley for his AMG GTR Pro (other marques class).

    ____________________

    CHRISTMAS BREAK

    Our very hard-working committee will be taking a short break over Christmas. If you have any club permit paperwork that needs to be signed or new cars to be added to our register, please don’t leave it  until the last minute as we won't be able to assist.  Please think ahead, plan ahead and get in early. We'll otherwise be back in January to help you with anything you need.

    We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year.  It's been a trying year and we look forward to making the most of 2022.

    ____________________

    MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 639 MEMBERS

    Welcome to our new memberPhilip Bonvino, Simon Hernan, Gabriel Salib, Robert Leung, Glen Slater, Suraj Songh, Steve Thunder, Jamie Wise, James Potter, Tom Kehoe, Scott Gore and Duncan Ryan. 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 December:

    Friday, 10 December
    December Twilight Drive
    Our last official event for 2021 - a sausage sizzle and twilight drive leaving from Jay Leno's Garage Car Products in Airport West.

    Sunday, 12 December
    Invitation: Cars and Coffee with Jay Leno's Garage Car Products
    Members are invited to attend Jay Leno's cars and coffee with a number of other clubs and different cars for one last outing before Christmas. 

    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 

    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!

    NEW BMW, BMW MOTORRAD AND MINI RANGES

    You can now order BMW Group Calendars and more from the BMW, BMW Motorrad and MINI Range.  Click the links below to view the products available and don't forget to use this code at checkout for an additional 10% off: KAL4U22A

    BMW Range
    BMW Motorrad Range
    MINI Range


    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
    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

    Zagame Autobody

  • 30 Nov 2021 5:00 PM | Anonymous


     


    Dear members,

    It’s so nice being out and about again. Since the lockdowns have ended and all the restrictions have slowly lifted, we’ve returned to our busy schedule of running all the events you love to come to, and we love to run for you.

    6 November saw our first face to meeting for what seemed like years, returning to the Naked Racer in Cheltenham. This was very strongly attended, and we had a fantastic night with lots of old and new members coming along to see everyone and grab a very nice dinner, also take in the amazing collection John has accumulated there.

    Due to covid and rescheduled dates, we had a clash of events on 21 November with our Go Karting event and our final round of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for the year clashing.

    The Stony Creek Karting event started with a drive through some amazing roads to end up at Stony Creek Karting where approximately 20 members enjoyed some fun on the go karts.

    At our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship final round at Phillip Island we had over 20 members enjoying the track and some getting some on-track training from me, as I lead a group of E30 race cars out on the track, to show some of our new E30 racers their race lines. They all loved this and all achieved PBs while doing this.  Weather was amazing too, so everyone went home extremely happy. Thank you again for AROCA for putting on these great events and inviting us to join them again this year.

    25 November was our third regional Drop in Donuts at Geelong, these nights are growing in popularity, and it looks like this will be a regular occurrence going into 2022.

    On 27 November we had our monthly hook up with BCCM, again attended well and some great information from Munich about new and exciting things to come in 2022. It's just a pity it was on at 4am here. The good news is that the next one is a much more respectable 8pm - watch your emails for the event notice and log in and say hello to our friends from Munich.

    On 28 November we held our Annual Christmas Show and Shine Picnic at Cruden Farm. What can I say? The weather was amazing, gentle breeze with beautiful blue skies. A perfect day to bring out the family and your pride and joy for a wonderful day in the sun. Jo has excelled herself again, finding us the perfect location and organising another amazing event to cap off another very successful year for the club.

    We arrived to set up at 7.45am and were soon followed by a steady stream of cars which just seemed to grow and grow, which was amazing. We had all sorts of beautiful cars, a large range of BMW, Mercedes Benz, VW, Holdens, Ford, Mazda, Austin Healey, Porsches, Minis, Datsun, so many beautiful cars, I am sure there were more brands, the display went on and on it looked amazing. I’m guessing at 100 cars plus and over 180 attendees.

    If you have never been to Cruden Farm I suggest you pay it a visit, such a beautiful estate with beautiful gardens to stroll through.

    We raised $920 from our raffle which will go to the Smith Family and $203.50 in donations from our breakfast BBQ egg and bacon rolls, which will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal. Thank you to Matt Kenny from All commercial/All Residential Real Estate for kindly bringing his lovely BBQ trailer and his band of merry men and women who cooked away like professionals all morning. Thanks also to Phil Kolar for donating the eggs and the wonderful people at Bell Motorsport who donated the bacon and rolls etc to feed the hungry hoards.

    We were very lucky to have Santa attend as well, who gave out lolly bags to all the children, big and small. Thank you also to Paul Holliday for taking some photos, which I am sure you will have seen on or social channels by now.

    The day was just perfect. Weather, lots of cars, lots of people and an amazing place to hold it. This will become our Christmas picnic location from now on. I must say a huge thank you to everyone that helped on the day too, Jo, of course, for everything you do, planning and organising, then running around all day like an energiser bunny. Shaaron and Lawrence, with set up, staging the cars on display, selling raffle tickets, judging cars, then packing up at the end. Paul and Jo Holliday for all your help setting up, photos, selling raffle tickets and everything else you do. Tim Oh, for all your help setting up and then packing up, directing cars and judging, Steve, Andrew, Mark, your help in judging the cars and everyone else I have missed, thank you. Our events like this are so fantastic because so many pitch in and help out and makes our job so much easier and even more enjoyable.

    We really appreciate the help packing up at events like this and makes it a lot easier for us when we get home. In fact, this time, as soon as Jo and I got back we unpacked the club trailer and put it away, hooked up our caravan and loaded up ready to head to Bathurst at 5am the next morning, as we are both Officiating at the Bathurst 1000 over the next 6 days. It will be a huge event and it makes it so much easier when everyone pitches in to help us pack up, so thanks again.

    Something you may have seen in the photos or on site if you were there, is our new club trailer. This will be officially launched at the German Auto Show we are hosting in January, but those on site got a glimpse of what we have been working on over the last few months. It is a great asset for the club and makes it so much easier to bring all the club gear to any of our events and provide a base for everyone in the club to work from at events. By the time you see it again it will finished being customised to suit our needs and it will be wrapped and look amazing, you won’t be able to miss it!

    10 December brings us our last official event for 2022, which is a Twilight drive, leaving from Jay Leno Garage Products in Airport West. We will be meeting there at 5pm for a sausage sizzle then heading off at 6pm sharp for a lovely drive to Werribee South.

    On 12 December Jay Leno Garage Products have invited our members, as well our other clubs, to a cars and coffee event, so this will be an unofficial BMW Drivers Club Melbourne event, but we encourage you all to attend as it should be a great day.

    A bit of a reminder too, your very hard-working committee will be taking a short break over Christmas. So, if you have club permit paperwork that needs to be signed or new cars to be added to our register, please don’t leave it until Christmas Eve and expect we will be available to help you out. As much as we do love you all and bend over backward to help all our members, even we need a couple of weeks off over the Christmas/New Year period to enjoy some down time. So, think ahead, plan ahead and get in early.

    Looking forward to 2022, our first event will be Round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for 2022, at Phillip Is Grand Prix Circuit on 16 January. It's fantastic to have Traction Tyres/Yokohama back on board, sponsoring our Drivers Championship again in 2022. Thank you very much for your ongoing support of our club Andrew Mc Cathie, make sure you talk to Traction if you need track or road tyres and mention you are a member to obtain your discount.

    The 2022 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship will again run over the four tracks in Victoria as well as a Hillclimb at Morwell. We have also booked four Driver Training/Come and Try Days at Sandown and Broadford spread over the year, so if you want to get out on the track, gain some instruction and have a load of fun, check out the Motorsport and Driver Training calendar for 2022.

    On 26 January we have our Australia Day drive to Marysville, which we will be giving away prizes for the best dress Australiana car and member.

    On 28 January is our German Auto Show, which is shaping up to be huge this year with trade stalls, lots of food vendors and of course everything German on display.  If you are wanting to display your German vehicle, be it Motor Bike, Car, Truck, Bus or Army Vehicle, I would suggest you pre-register to make your entry as smooth as possible on the day. We are expecting large crowds. All proceeds will be going to our Charity for this event Beyond Blue.  We will be at Sandown on Red Hill, so lot of room to spread out and make your display areas look amazing.

    Finally, there is, of course, the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals being held in Canberra in March,over the Labour Day long weekend. It will be an amazing event with lots of very interesting things to do for all ages. Check out the website which is now open for registrations. If you have never been to a Nationals Event, you should come along and check it out. It is a great weekend away, we will do a group trip up to Canberra and it is a great weekend meeting and catching up with all our BMW Club friends from all over the country.

    Again, it is so great being out and about and pretty much back to normal. Thank you all for coming to our events again and making all the hard work worthwhile.

    If we don’t get to see you at our last events for the year, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you in 2022. Thanks again to everyone that has joined our little club and comes and helps us make this club so fantastic, whether it be helping with running the club, or just coming to events and sharing our passion for what we love. We really appreciate you being a part of our BMW family.

    Take care, stay safe, have a great Christmas and see you next year.

    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

  • 30 Nov 2021 11:58 AM | Anonymous

    Event date: 28 November 2021

    Just a short note to express our thanks for the effort the committee put in to make the day as enjoyable and successful as it turned out to be. Both Pauline and I were very impressed with the venue chosen and the setting in the background. The gardens were glorious and I have never seen a tree with a National Trust Listing in my life. The array of cars on show and the interaction of all the members definitely made for a memorable day ( at least for a couple of banana benders like us ). We are looking forward to your next event to see if you can beat this one – it will be difficult I think.

    Wishing you and yours all the complements of the season and hoping for a VERY PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

    Chris & Pauline Buckley | Member #532
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 29 Nov 2021 1:15 PM | Anonymous

    Event date: 25 November 2021

    With 23 members in what is loosely called the “Geelong and District” group we are holding a few meetings or drives in the Geelong area – open to all now lockdowns are gone but most attractive to those living near by.

    We’ve hit on a regular venue at Daniel’s Donuts as it has outdoor but sheltered seating right by the car parking area.

    There is no format or agenda, just rock up and have a natter. Any car will do but BMWs are especially welcome.  The conversation is not confined to car talk, although that does tend to take up a fair bit of time.  Issues we discussed this month in a free ranging conversation went from “Do we like ABS brake?” (mostly Yes but some prefer to go native) “Should the i8 have had a much more powerful engine that the 1.5 litre one?” (mostly Yes to make a proper supercar but is that what was intended?) and “Are house painters allowed to use stilts to reach higher walls and ceilings?” (seems not, but we don’t know hay).  Don’t ask me how those topics got joined up but in the course of an hour and a half or so a lot of ground can be covered, even allowing for some car looking at time.

    Lawrence Glynn | Secretary, Geelong resident and Member #3
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 27 Nov 2021 11:53 AM | Anonymous


    Event date: 21 November 2021

    7:30am Sunday, 21 November begins at Phillip Island with drizzle after a weeklong forecast graduating from rain to mostly sunny.  I arrive in the hope the weather bureau has got it right, not keen on the wet after a long break.  I’ve not driven the PI Circuit since 2019 and even then very much an amateur of this circuit.  My best lap time 2.14.8.

    On arrival I’m met by Jo Mawson, who proudly presents my D Class Winners Trophy, funnily enough also from 2019.  Looking back, our BMWDCM track days aren’t so much about lap times as they are about consistency.  In 2019 I obviously attended enough track day events with reasonable enough results to warrant that Trophy.  A big thank you to our club, a very nice looking Trophy to boot!

    For those of you who don’t know me, I drive a club plated 1987 Red BMW E30 325i Coupe.  Whilst not fully race prepared and albeit road driven to each sprint event, it does run a set of AD08R tyres & EBC pads along with race seats, harness, extractors and strut brace.  I purchased it in late 2016 as a factory auto (believe it or not) with Bell Motorsport converting to manual early 2017 ready for track day events that year.

    So back to where I started.  My practice and session one were very disappointing, totally off my lines, braking & gear selection abysmal.  Best lap time 2.17.0, losing 2.2 secs since 2019. Then after lunch I overheard Graeme Bell suggest the race prepared E30’s line up together to follow him, so as to improve their form & lap times.  Well I decided to follow suit, lined up behind and followed the 5 E30 race cars around the circuit for as long as I could keep up, losing them out of sight after about 3 laps.  

    So the remaining 3 sessions of the afternoon were spent doing just that.  This pushed and motivated me to keep my speed up, follow their lines, braking & accelerations points.  Well what a difference that made, having achieved a 2.11.6 by end of the day.  So I left the day feeling pretty chuffed with myself, 5.4 secs better for that event and 3.2 secs better than 2019.

    See you at the next one guys and thank you to AROCA & BMWDCM for a great day!

    Simon Meens | Member #45
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 25 Nov 2021 1:08 PM | Anonymous


    Event date: 21 November 2021

    Driving go karts on a wet track is a lot of fun, but messy. Not only do you get wet but the little bits of rubber which come off the tyres get stuck all over you.  Not everyone thinks the combination of fun, wet and mess is a good idea! I do.

    Leading up to our drive from Caldermeade to Stony Creek Go Karts the weather forecast was for rain, if not all day at least some of the day. So, a messy but fun day looked like what we would get. But no. The day was actually lightly overcast but mainly sunny without being too hot. One has to admire the bravery of weather forecasters giving us hour by hour weather predictions!

    Using another of Peter Williams’ world famous how-to-make-a-sortish-journey-longer-but-much-more-interesting drive routes we departed from the BP on the side of the freeway at Caldermeade heading for Korumburra for a toilet stop and then on to Stony Creek Go Karts, taking about twice the time of the most direct route but at least 4 times the fun.

    Peter was unable to join us due to a knee swelling up dramatically (now under control but the fix may take time) so I assumed the role of lead car and Tim Oh graciously agreed to be bring up the rear and make sure we did not leave anyone stranded.

    With a lovely collection of cars of different vintages and capabilities we had an enjoyable drive along a mix of easy and twisty sections, arriving in time to have lunch before the karting session if one choose to.

    The Stony Creek track is excellent, challenging enough to require actual braking and throttle modulation and wide enough to allow overtaking by faster karts (the session is not run as a race so position means nothing). I definitely prefer overtaking to being overtaken but experienced both.

    The timing system records each lap time and outputs a sheet for each driver of their times each lap, fastest lap, fastest lap in that session, rather deflatingly the fastest time ever, and a “race position” based on average lap time. The honours went to Mark Mackenzie for fastest average over the two sessions and Luke Devlin for fastest outright.

    We don’t yet have a “fun-o-meter” but if we did I think the readings would be very high all round. Perhaps more importantly everyone improved from session 1 to session 2, so we all learnt something.

    Lawrence Glynn | Member #3
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 24 Nov 2021 11:48 AM | Anonymous

    On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the classic "BMW Motorsport" emblem returns – on request for BMW M automobiles and BMW models with M Sport package. Kick-off to a year full of product highlights and major appearances by the performance brand.

    May 24, 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the foundation of BMW M GmbH. Almost a quarter of a year earlier, the BMW Group subsidiary is already demonstrating a sense of tradition and anniversary spirit on its current products. Customers who opt for a BMW M automobile or a BMW model equipped with an M Sport package with a production date from March 2022 can have their vehicle’s front, rear and wheel hubs decorated with emblems inspired by the classic "BMW Motorsport" logo. As an alternative to the conventional BMW emblem, it signals passion for racing and for the roots of the BMW M brand. This unique offer in the history of BMW M will be available for order from the end of January 2022.

    In addition to the emblems, 50 iconic and historically significant BMW M paint finishes will be offered for selected models in the anniversary year 2022. Style-defining colors such as Dakar Yellow, Fire Orange, Daytona Violet, Macao Blue, Imola Red or Frozen Marina Bay Blue refer to the various eras of BMW M's 50-year history.

    The BMW logo with the shifted semicircles in blue, violet and red was first used in 1973 on the racing car of BMW Motorsport GmbH, which had been established a year before. In 1978 and with the debut of the BMW M1 the three color stripes slanted to the right and leaning on the letter M followed. Even beyond the motorsport scene it became a trademark with particularly high recognition value and identification power. The legendary BMW M1 was the only BMW M high-performance production vehicle to bear the historic motorsport emblem in addition to the logo with the three color stripes. In both logos, the blue stands for BMW, while the red symbolizes racing and the violet expresses the connection between the two. In the meantime, the violet has given way to a dark blue, and BMW Motorsport GmbH has been operating under the name BMW M GmbH since 1993. Nothing has changed the high symbolic power of the brand and logo. In its 50th year of existence, the company is more successful than ever as the world market leader in the performance and high-performance automotive segment.

    "With the classic 'BMW Motorsport' emblem, we would like to share our joy about the anniversary of BMW M GmbH with the fans of the brand," says Franciscus van Meel, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH. "We have a great year ahead of us, which will be celebrated with unique product highlights and exciting performances. The M has long been considered the strongest letter in the world, and in our company's anniversary year it is stronger than ever."

    BMW M GmbH is also aiming for another sales record in 2021. Its performance and high-performance automobiles are enjoying steadily growing popularity worldwide, which will be fueled once again with new product highlights in the anniversary year. For the first time, the company is launching a BMW M3 Touring in the course of 2022. In addition, particularly performance-oriented fans of the brand can look forward to a spectacular special model of the BMW M4 Coupé series. The successor model to the successful BMW M2 is also already at an advanced stage of its series development process. In parallel, the electrification of the BMW M brand is also being driven forward. In the anniversary year, the first electrified high-performance model in the history of BMW M GmbH will be launched.

    BMW M GmbH will not only celebrate its anniversary with attractive new products, but also with numerous events. Anniversary performances are planned in May 2022 at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on Lake Como in Northern Italy, followed by the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Great Britain and the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach, California. The 24-hour race at the Nürburgring is also a welcome occasion for BMW M GmbH to review its own successful history together with fans and to thrill them for the future of BMW M GmbH.

    BMW PRESS

  • 16 Nov 2021 4:34 PM | Anonymous

    Event date: 9 November 2021

    Last Tuesday we had our first face to face meeting since lockdown.

    What a great way to start back at a great venue where we could have a couple of drinks a meal and catch up with fellow members of BMWDCM.

    Of course when we arrived we had the smiling faces of Jo and Graeme greeting us and  making sure we all checked in and were double vaxed!

    After that we were free to wander around the amazing Café/motorcycle and motor memorabilia venue that is The Naked Racer! I remember the night when the birth of BMWDCM first took place at its first meeting at this exact venue. It’s amazing how our club has grown over the time since then as has the Naked racer Café in its size and display!

    After a look around and a chat with members by the fire, Jo took the reigns and welcomed us all back with a short meeting and brief on events that are coming up. Once that was over we all sat down and had a great meal that we had pre-selected earlier. I must say, that was my first Burger since lockdown ended and it was amazing.

    Thanks Jo and the team for organising a great way to get back together again. Looking forward to seeing you all at the annual Show and Shine at Cruden Farm. What a venue. Fingers crossed for great weather!

    Matt Kenny | Member #98
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 



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