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BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 11 Sep 2021 1:58 PM | Anonymous

    The BMW Junior Team extends successful run at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in the NLS. After recording wins in races four and five, Max Hesse, Dan Harper and Neil Verhagen in the #44 BMW M6 GT3 remained involved in the battle for victory to the end of Saturday’s seventh race. After six hours of racing, they claimed the second spot on the podium. The new BMW M4 GT3 also made its debut at the seventh NLS race, driven by Philipp Eng and Augusto Farfus.

    The BMW Junior Team extends successful run at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (GER) in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). After recording two wins in races four and five, Max Hesse (GER), Dan Harper (GBR) and Neil Verhagen (USA) in the #44 BMW M6 GT3 remained involved in the battle for victory to the end of Saturday’s seventh race. After six hours of racing, they claimed the second spot on the podium. The new BMW M4 GT3 also made its debut at the seventh NLS race, driven by Philipp Eng (AUT) and Augusto Farfus (BRA).

    The BMW Juniors secured fifth position on the grid in Saturday morning’s qualifying session. A great, error-free performance from all three drivers swiftly put the trio on course for the podium as they battled for another win. They also set the fastest race lap with the #44 BMW M6 GT3. Hesse, Harper and Verhagen finished second to secure another podium, crossing the line less than 20 seconds behind the victorious Manthey Porsche.

    The new BMW M4 GT3, which is still in the test and development phase, made a racing debut out of competition in the SP-X prototype class. Cars in this class have to start at the back of the GT3 field, regardless of their result in qualifying. Farfus and Eng then worked their way up into the top ten with the #55 BMW M4 GT3. Running the tank to empty was part of the planning for the day, and the car then rolled to a stop at the entry to the pit lane once the fuel ran out in the final minutes.

    The #35 BMW M6 GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport also recorded a top six finish. Jörg Müller, Mario von Bohlen, Dennis Fetzer (all GER) and Thomas Neubauer (FRA) finished in sixth position. Starting from tenth on the grid, David Pittard (GBR) sprinted up to second in the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3, before a double dose of tyre damage knocked him and his team-mates Christian Krognes (NOR) and Ben Tuck (GBR) a long way back. The team’s #36 BMW M6 GT3, driven by Henry Walkenhorst, Jörg Breuer and Andreas Ziegler (all GER), crossed the line in 14th place overall, and in second place in the SP9 AM class.

    This was a first taste of the Nordschleife for Jake Dennis (GBR). Having finished third in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship 2021, he had made his GT racing debut for BMW M Motorsport last weekend in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Endurance Cup and is now aiming for his Nordschleife permit. In the seventh NLS race, Dennis shared driving duties with Niklas Krütten (GER) in the #652 BMW M240i Racing from the Adrenalin Motorsport Team Alzner Automotive. The duo claimed second place in the BMW M240i class. 

    Reactions after round seven of the 2021 NLS.

    Mike Krack, Head of BMW M Motorsport: “We had a successful day all round on the Nordschleife. Congratulations to our three BMW Juniors Max, Dan and Neil – they battled for their next NLS win right up to the final lap in their BMW M6 GT3 and can be very satisfied with second place. The three gave an error-free performance, delivering impressive proof that they are certainly one of the real top teams on the Nordschleife. Our new BMW M4 GT3 also enjoyed a successful race debut. The car ran like clockwork and we had no problems at all during yesterday’s testing or in qualifying and the race today. Augusto and Philipp were delighted with the performance of the BMW M4 GT3 and confirmed how great the BMW M4 GT3 drives on the Nordschleife. Overall, we are very pleased with this NLS Saturday.”

    Max Hesse, #44 BMW M6 GT3, BMW Junior Team: It was a good six-hour race for us. The team gave a top performance and it was very, very close at the end. Of course, it was a bit of a shame that we didn’t quite manage to grab the win but we will try to do that again in two weeks. To be honest, the Manthey guys are really strong here at the Nordschleife. The drivers are the reigning champions in the 24-hour race and so we can really pleased to have kept the gap to below 20 seconds after a six-hour race.”

    Neil Verhagen, #44 BMW M6 GT3, BMW Junior Team: “When you are so close to the win, it is obviously a bit bitter-sweet but I think we can be super happy with today. BMW Team RMG, Max and Dan and myself, I think we all achieved pretty much the maximum that we could today. We knew that we really need to put everything together to be competitive and that is exactly what we did. So I am super happy with the team and with my team-mates. Thank you to BMW and to everybody involved to make this possible because it was definitely not easy. We fought over the entire race and it was just down to the wire. Now we keep pushing to return to the top step.”

    Dan Harper, #44 BMW M6 GT3, BMW Junior Team: “Overall, I am very happy with the result. Obviously on the back of two wins, the second place and even being so close to first place, can be a bit disappointing but we can for sure be very happy. The team and us three drivers we have done a good job, we achieved the maximum that was possible and collected good points for the championship. And it is always nice to spray some champagne.”

    Philipp Eng, #55 BMW M4 GT3: That was so much fun. It was an honour for me to complete the debut race for the BMW M4 GT3 together with Augusto. The car drives extremely well. If you compare it with the BMW M6 GT3, it is even easier to drive but the performance is even better. The Nordschleife was a busy place again today and I had a few situations with other cars but it helped that you can overtake offline with the BMW M4 GT3 too, without getting yourself into trouble right away. Overall, I feel that it went great. The race was smooth and I would be happy to start the 24-hour race with this car right away.”

    Augusto Farfus, #55 BMW M4 GT3: “It was a very emotional day because I remember my first rollout in Dingolfing and after so many months, we come to the Nordschleife and I did the first race start with the new BMW M4 GT3. It was just great. Thanks to BMW who did an amazing job, the car ran trouble-free. We could experience and measure the speed of the car against the competition so it was a great lesson today. The car feels very, very good and I can’t wait to be back at the Nordschleife with the car.”

    Jake Dennis, #652 BMW M240i Racing: “It was fantastic to finally experience the Nordschleife. It certainly lived up to my expectations. Everybody had warned me how difficult it is and entire circuit is just impressive. There is not really one combination what makes it superior to any other, it is just 25 kilometres of challenge. It is so on the edge and when the conditions are mixed as well, as we had them in this morning’s qualifying, it makes life even more challenging. But that’s part of the Nordschleife and that’s what makes it so special. It has been a great experience and the BMW M240i Racing is a great car to learn the circuit. And to finish second in the class was obviously very nice.”

    BMW PRESS

  • 6 Sep 2021 6:00 PM | Anonymous

    With the BMW i Vision AMBY, the first high-speed pedelec for urbanists, the BMW Group is presenting a visionary two-wheeled solution for the urban mobility of tomorrow.

    With the BMW i Vision AMBY, the first high-speed pedelec for urbanists, the BMW Group is presenting a visionary two-wheeled solution for the urban mobility of tomorrow. From the outside, the BMW i Vision AMBY looks similar to an e-bike, but it offers significantly more possibilities. It is one of five different concept vehicles with which the BMW Group is presenting its vision of individual mobility in cities and their surrounding areas at the IAA Mobility event. Under a single umbrella spanning electric mobility, digitality and sustainability, the five pioneering concepts create a versatile mobility mix on two and four wheels fuelled by sustainable thinking which comprehensively addresses an extremely wide range of mobility needs.

    The BMW i Vision AMBY and BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY.

    AMBY is a neologism for “adaptive mobility”. The BMW i Vision AMBY and BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY Vision Vehicles (see also the separate press release on the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY) interpret the basic idea of adaptive urban mobility on two wheels in different ways. The two vehicles are both fitted with an electric drive system with three speed ratings for different types of roads. The drive system enables speeds of up to 25 km/h (15.5 mph) on cycle tracks, up to 45 km/h (28 mph) on city-centre roads and up to 60 km/h (37 mph) on multi-lane roads and outside urban areas. However, insurance plates and a corresponding licence are required for the higher speeds. While users of the BMW i Vision AMBY high-speed pedelec have to constantly pedal in order to benefit from the assistance of the electric drive system, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY accelerates via a throttle grip/throttle lever and has motorcycle-style footrests instead of pedals.

    The modes available to the rider are stored in the app on the smartphone linked with the “AMBY” Vision Vehicle. Manual selection of the modes is perfectly feasible, as are automatic recognition of location and road type via geofencing technology and the associated automatic adjustment of top speed. In the absence of any existing legal framework for a vehicle of this kind with a modular speed concept, the “AMBY” Vision Vehicles set out to prompt the introduction of such legislation and by consequence developments of this nature. The BMW Group is therefore showing its keenness to remain part of the mobility conversation in cities, even if in the years ahead those cities offer motor cars an increasingly small space in which to function.


    Defying categorisation.

    “Everywhere you look, apparently established categories are being blown apart – and that’s a good thing. In the future, classifications such as ‘car’, ‘bicycle’ and ‘motorcycle’ should not determine the nature of the products we think up, develop and offer,” explains Werner Haumayr, Vice President BMW Group Design Conception. “Rather, this paradigm shift gives us the opportunity to tailor products to people’s lifestyles – as we can see with the BMW i Vision AMBY high-speed pedelec. This vehicle occupies the space between a bicycle and a light motorcycle and allows our customers to decide for themselves which roads or routes they want to travel on through an urban area. They have all the flexibility possible, at the same time as turning the pedals and keeping themselves fit. The modes and clever route selection are intended to make it one of the fastest travel options through a city.”

    The BMW Group views the BMW i Vision AMBY as an attractive means of transport for the future in larger cities. As a second vehicle for a family or an entry point into the world of pedal-driven, electrified two-wheeled vehicles, the BMW i Vision AMBY offers an extremely varied range of applications. It hugely expands the usage scope of a conventional e-bike through clever technologies related to the three riding modes.

    The design: more than an e-bike.

    The design of the BMW i Vision AMBY is defined by visual lightness and powerful athleticism. And every detail promises that it is capable of more than a regular e-bike. The frame structure is larger and the impression is one of greater strength and stability in every respect. The modern frame geometry feels like a mixture of racing bike and sporty e-bike. The upper frame tube, crafted from four sculptural aluminium profiles, represents an expressive and modern statement of intent – and not only in visual terms. A slightly rising sweep to its design underscores the dynamic intent. The space between the profiles also offers stowage room for a backpack or laptop bag. Located just before the handlebars is the smartphone integration pad, which holds the device safely in place using magnets and ensures it is highly visible.

    The battery is positioned in the centre of the frame. Its 2,000 Wh enables a range of up to 300 km (186 miles), depending on the riding mode. Thanks to fast charging technology, it recharges in only three hours. The drive unit, which is positioned close to the pedals and is also black in colour, only provides assistance when the pedals are being turned. Power transfer is by low-maintenance toothed belt, and the transmission is integrated into the drive system. A sophisticated single-sided swinging arm otherwise unique to BMW Motorrad links the rear wheel with the frame. 120 mm of suspension travel front and rear is ideal for all applications in and around town at speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph). The 27.5-inch wheels are fitted with larger and wider tyres than normal in order to ensure exceptional comfort and safety even at higher speeds.

    Impressively integrated details and ease of transportation.

    The design of the handlebar stem as part of the frame has a very technical and high-quality feel. A slim, horizontal LED light strip is integrated into the wide handlebars and underscores the cutting-edge, technical look of this frame section. Likewise fully integrated brakes and internally routed cables set the seal on the aura of technical modernity covering the handlebar area. The vertical LED rear light is integrated into the seat post. Below it, an e-ink display shows the riding mode in use.

    The rear wheel with central fastening can be released and removed easily for optimum ease of transportation. The wheel in the front suspension fork can likewise be removed in the classical way with a screw. The result is a compact construction, and the battery can also be removed and stored separately, which reduces load weight.

    Focus on sustainability.

    A pedal-driven two-wheeled vehicle brings many benefits to urban conurbations as a means of transport – in terms of zero emissions functionality, traffic area development and energy efficiency – through its underlying concept alone. The BMW i Vision AMBY two-wheeler also forms part of the circular economy messaging for the BMW i Vision Circular, which is likewise celebrating its premiere at the IAA 2021 Mobility. The frame can be clearly recognised as being made from the same anodised secondary aluminium as the main body of the BMW i Vision Circular. Added to which, parts of the handlebars and battery cover are manufactured from “floating grey polymers”, a recycled plastic also employed in the bumpers of the Vision Vehicle. These materials can be fed back into the BMW Group materials cycle more easily once the product has reached the end of its life. An oil derived from rapeseed is used as brake fluid. And the BMW Group was also careful to ensure the components of the BMW i Vision AMBY were produced locally in Germany and – with the supply chain in mind – transportation distances for them were kept to a minimum.

    More details on the sustainability-related themes around the BMW Group’s concept vehicles at IAA Mobility 2021 can be found on the BMW Circular Lab microsite at bmw.com, in the BMW Circular Hub at Max-Joseph-Platz in central Munich and in connection with the BMW i Vision Circular Vision Vehicle.

    Smartphones act as a key.

    Users can prime the BMW i Vision AMBY for use, load their stored licence classes and apply the required level of insurance cover on demand using a specially developed app. The app therefore takes on the role traditionally performed by a vehicle key. It uses familiar smartphone identification functionality (e.g. facial recognition) in the same way as the Digital Key, which was introduced by the BMW Group in an automotive industry first and turns a compatible iPhone into a digital car key by allowing customers to unlock, lock and, of course, start their BMW safely and easily. Other basic functions and status requests (e.g. the current and scheduled charge level) are also available, as when using the BMW app. The electrically adjustable seat post is optimised biometrically to match the profile stored in the app, with the settings adjusted according to pre-entered data – such as the height and inside leg measurement of the user – before setting off. Over-the-air updates allow customers to download software updates and adjustments at any time. The smartphone shown on the Vision Vehicle charges inductively on the magnetic bracket low down in the rider’s field of view. These connectivity options also bring theft-proofing and the free programmable immobiliser as a basic function. And the search function “Where is my BMW i Vision AMBY” is just a click on a smartphone away.

    Geofencing technology plays a central role.

    Instead of the user choosing the riding mode themselves, geofencing technology – in combination with the detailed HERE map service – is able to create the relevant parameters for automatically setting the speed mode (25/ 45/ 60 km/h [15.5/ 28/ 37 mph]) and corresponding insurance cover. This geofencing technology enables the vehicle to recognise the type of road being used and automatically adjusts the maximum permitted speed accordingly. This means the BMW i Vision AMBY can turn from a pedelec into an S-pedelec-type vehicle or even one similar to a motorcycle. Manual mode control is, of course, also provided in order to give the user maximum freedom when it comes to using the various types of route. However, intelligent technology ensures the relevant traffic and safety rules are still kept to at all times. The mode engaged is shown on the display using e-ink technology – this makes it easy for other road users to identify the mode activated/selected.

    Other technological functions that could be included in the BMW i Vision AMBY are an ABS system optimised for bicycles, an automatic high-beam assistant and brake light assistant, and a daytime riding light – all of which could increase safety. A tyre pressure monitoring system similar to that fitted to BMW Group motorcycles is also a possibility. Meanwhile, a proximity radar operating over a range of up to 140 m gives the user a visual and acoustic warning (via the app) of vehicles approaching from the rear, and rounds off the range of possible safety features.

    Performance data for the BMW i Vision AMBY

    • Battery: 2,000 Wh 
    • Charging time:  three hours (fast charging) 
    • Vmod1: up to 25 km/h / 15.5 mph 
    • Vmod2: up to 45 km/h / 28 mph 
    • Vmodmax: up to 60 km/h / 37 mph 
    • Range: 300+ km / 186+ miles (up to 25 km/h / 15.5 mph Vmax)
                  180 km / 112 miles (up to 45 km/h / 28 mph Vmax)
                  75 km / 47 miles (up to 60 km/h / 37 mph Vmax)
    • Wheelbase: 1160mm (frame size M/ L) 
    • Suspension travel: 120 mm front & rear 
    • Weight: approx. 30 kg

    BMW PRESS

  • 4 Sep 2021 8:00 AM | Anonymous


    MONTH IN REVIEW 

    Dear members


    You may have been wondering whether we'd forgotten about our newsletter this month because we're a little late!  We were holding off on the hope we'd be able to give you some new information about the Club Permit Scheme, however the news hasn't come through just yet.

    We were lucky to start August with a weekend at Broadford for round 7 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship with AROCA.  We are hoping it won't be our last outing of the year!

    ____________________

    Our August members meeting was luckily already planned to be a virtual meeting.  It was great to see quite a few members log on for our short presentation on some of the new initiatives we've introduced to the club, such as our Welfare Team and our Officials Officer.

    ____________________

    Some of us then got up (or stayed up) in the early hours of the morning on Saturday 28 August to join BMW Clubs and Community Management in Munich for a tour of BMW Classic and a casual chat with the team.  We are hoping to see more of these in the future, and hopefully not all in the early hours of the morning!

    ____________________

    Unfortunately we did have a number of events we had to cancel over the last month and some we've had to cancel coming up this month.  We are hopeful that soon we will be able to see you all again in person. 


    We did receive some good news in August.  We were successful in applying for some Government grants, giving us $11,000 to spend on new equipment for the club and sending some of our officials to first aid training.

    ____________________

    MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 626 MEMBERS

    Welcome to our new memberMark Mackenzie, Chris Kondos, Nashwa Salib, Anthony Saint Ange, Blake Atkinson, John Chiodo, Kelvin Khoo, Mark Grover, Mat Shields and Samuel Cox. We look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

    ____________________

    Don't forget to catch up with this month's update from our President, Graeme Bell here.

    THE MONTH AHEAD

    Here's what we've got planned in September:

    Tuesday, 7 September
    Virtual car show and catch up
    If you haven't registered or sent photos of your car through to Lawrence, please do so as soon as you can!

    Tuesday, 21 September
    Annual General Meeting
    All members should have received their notices about the AGM now.  It's definitely worth all members attending to select the committee for the next 12 months.  There will also be some raffle prizes up for grabs!

    Be sure to keep an eye on our calendar to stay up to date with our events.

    NEWS & BLOG 

    Our blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW from all around the world!  We welcome you to submit any articles of your own. 

    Club blog.

    Motorsport Australia.

    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!

    FROM THE WELFARE TEAM

    Be good to people. And don't forget that you're people, too.


    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

  • 31 Aug 2021 8:02 PM | Anonymous


     


    Dear members,

    Unfortunately, August for most of us, has been spent in lockdown, and I know we have all been suffering with these current restrictions, but we have been doing our best to keep in contact with you all and give you something to look forward to. It is looking like we will be restricted for a while yet, so keep positive and look forward to when we can get back out and together again.

    We did manage to get out for one weekend on 1 August for round 7 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Broadford. It feels like a distant memory now but it was great to see so many take advantage of it and have a great day out at Broadford. It was a beautiful sunny day and fun was had by all. 

    Our August members meeting was always scheduled to be a catch up via Zoom and it was great to see so many of our members log on.  We had a short presentation explaining some of the new initiatives we have introduced to the club, like our Welfare Team and our Officials Officer.

    It was great to be able to introduce all of the Welfare Team and our Officials Officer to those who logged in and to also explain what their roles are within the club.  Members can view the August update from the Welfare team here.  At our meeting we also just had time to chat and go over some of the new merchandise items now in the store, so if you missed out be sure to check out our new items here.

    We were then invited to join BMW Clubs and Community Management in Munich for a video tour on Friday 27 August, which was actually 2am on Saturday morning for us. A few of us logged in and were treated to a tour of the BMW Classic warehouse and a casual chat with the BCCM Team. It was great to chat to our friend Eva and see what is happening in the world of BMW. This virtual meeting will become a monthly item on our calendar and we have been assured that it won’t always be at 2am our time. They will try and make it a better time for us that will suit everyone else as well. They are very happy to answer any questions about BMW Classic or particular cars, so, if you want to know anything look out for the link to the next one and log in.

    As a result of lockdown, we did have to cancel quite a few events, such as:

    • 7 August - Winton Festival of Speed Display (cancelled)
    • 15 August - Coffee & Cars Beaumaris (postponed)
    • 21 August - Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 8 at Phillip Island (cancelled, but a new date added in November)
    • 22 August - Maling Road Display – (postponed until 6 February 2022)
    • 29 August - German Auto Show (postponed to 30 January 2022)

    Where possible we will postpone our own events to later dates, rather than cancelling them. As we go from week to week we will keep making announcements about the upcoming events. With this week’s reports that lockdown will continue into September, we will just have to keep playing it as it comes. This means Saturday’s Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 9 at Sandown is cancelled and the following weekend, our already rescheduled trip to Port Fairy to go whale watching will be postponed again, likely until 2022.

    We have been invited to join the BMW Drivers Club NSW on Friday, 3 September for an online Trivia night.  If it’s like the one we held last year it will be a bit of fun to join in on.

    Then, until we can have some certainty in life again, we will go back to virtual events again, starting with a Virtual Car show via zoom on 7 September.  If you haven’t registered or sent photos of your cars into Lawrence at secretary@bmwdcm.com.au please do so as soon as you can.  It will be great to see what we are all hiding in our workshops and garages.  We will be happy to look at any projects you have happening too so these do not have to be photos of perfect cars, or even BMWs, we would just like to see what it out there.

    The next display event was going to be at the Shannons Nationals at Sandown on 18-19 September, but the event has also been cancelled.

    Our AGM will be held this year via Zoom on 21 September. You will have received your notices about the AGM, there are some great raffle prizes on offer for those logged in on the night, so make sure you register here and if you are unable to log in on the night, please send through your proxy vote so that the event can go ahead. We do need a quorum to hold the AGM, so please do virtually attend if you can.

    We did receive some good news in August. We were approved for two of the Government grants that we applied for. One for equipment and one for training, totalling just over $11,000. Once we can, we will be sending 10 of our members/officials to do a first aid course at no cost to them, see the expression of interest on the website if you are interested in doing a first aid course to help us at events.  We will also be purchasing more equipment that we need to run the excellent club events we run. Things like the hi-vis official’s shirts, UHF radios and other items we need for track days. So, thank you to the Victorian Government and Minister Ros Spence for granting us the money to help our club grow. A full report on the grants received and how we spend the money will be tabled at the AGM in September.

    If you have nothing to do one of these lockdown days, you should download the Wild Apricot Member App (click for Android or Apple) to your smartphone, log in to our database and update all your details - from cars you have, to just checking your contact details are up to date.  You can now also opt in or out of having a physical membership card because every member now has a digital card in the App. So if you don’t want to receive a plastic card each year, you can now let us know not to send you one.

    Until we see what happens with this current lockdown and how long we are kept restricted we will just have to be patient and follow the rules. As soon as we can, we will set up events again and get back out and do the things we all love. Keep an eye on your emails and our Facebook group to see what is coming up. We have a lot of event ideas, as always, and we will get back out again as soon as we are allowed.

    For now, take care, stay safe and get a jab so we can get past this and get back to what we love doing. Keep thinking about the future and look forward to when we can get back to normal. If you are feeling sad or lonely, pick up the phone and give me or the Welfare Team a call, we are here for you all, any time.

    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 Aug 2021 10:43 PM | Anonymous









    Event date: early hours of 28 August 2021

    For those of you who couldn't stay up late last night, you missed a great catch up with Eva and the BMW Clubs and Community Management Team in Munich.

    Members were invited to join in the video hook up for the first of what will become a monthly casual catch up with the BCCM Team to keep up to date with what is going on and coming up in the world of BMW.

    Last night we met the team and had a tour of the display housed in the original BMW building that is open for members to go and see, once we can travel again.

    We have been there a few times and it is well worth the visit if you get the chance. But for now, it's great to be able to have a video tour of the facility and see some of the cars that make up the BMW Classic Collection, as well as catch up for a chat with the people that run the BMW Club network worldwide.

    The BMW Collection comprises more than 1,500 cars and bikes a couple of boats and even an Aeroplane, but there are only a hundred or so on display at any one time. It is very interesting to note that nearly all of these cars and bikes on display are registered for use on the roads and are often used for displays and historic events. Some are even raced in historic race meeting still.

    Was great seeing the new Motorrad gallery, that has been added since we were last there, too.

    We will let members know when the next hook up is scheduled, and you too can log in and have a chat with the team. They were very happy to answer questions and asked if there is anything we would specifically like to see to let them know.

    Graeme Bell | Member #1
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 


  • 27 Aug 2021 1:14 PM | Anonymous

    At our presentation dinner earlier this year, we had a raffle with the prizes being paid for by money provided from BMW Australia under BMW’s BMW Club and Community Management Support Program.  The funds raised from raffling such items have to be donated to charity.  The committee decided to send off the proceeds of the raffle as a donation of $535 to The Smith Family.  We received a thank you letter from The Smith Family and information that our donation was being used for the Student 2 Student Literacy Program.



    Children cannot choose their circumstances.

    For one in six Australian children and young people growing up in poverty can limit their choices, opportunities and outcomes in life.

    Investing in the education of a disadvantaged child delivers long-term positive benefits for them, their family and potentially generations to come.

    As Australia’s largest national education-oriented charity, The Smith Family support disadvantaged Australian children to participate fully in their education, giving them the best chance at breaking the cycle of disadvantage. The learning support and mentoring programs help children in need to fit in at school, keep up with their peers, and build aspirations for a better future for themselves.

    Disadvantaged children often miss out on developing the building blocks of early learning. Children who are read to more frequently at an early age enter school with larger vocabularies and more advanced comprehension skills (Mol & Bus, 2011). Yet without books to stimulate learning in the home, or encouragement from a parent who is aware of its importance, disadvantaged children often don’t have the same shared reading time with their parents or carers as their more advantaged peers.

    {The Growing Up in Australia study has found that up to 35% of lower social-economic households have less than 30 books, 10 % less than 10, for children to read and up to 20% of these children were not read to by their parents in the week preceding interview. 93 % of higher socio-economic households have over 30 books}

    Alarmingly, disadvantaged children are already well behind their peers by age four, and by age six, many are around seven times more likely than other children to be doing badly at school. Providing early learning resources and support in the home is vital for a child’s future potential. The reading gap in primary school between the lowest socio-economic students (SES) and the highest SES is equivalent to almost 3 yrs of schooling.

    The literacy foundations built by children during their primary and early secondary years are crucial to their ability to do well at school. Research identifies a clear link between the development of cognitive skills such as literacy and numeracy at an early age and higher levels of education achievement, greater employability, higher earnings and greater social participation.

    The Smith Family Student2Student program

    Our student2student program works by matching students who need to improve their reading with peer buddies who help and encourage them with their reading. Peer support is central to the program’s success. Evidence indicates that one of the best ways to support students who have reading difficulties is for the help to come from others near their own age.

    student2student involves three groups of participants:

    • Students in Years 3 to 8 assessed as being up to two years behind in their reading development and want additional support to improve their reading.
    • Reading buddies with good literacy skills who are at least two years older than the student. The buddies are trained by The Smith Family to help their students develop reading confidence and skills, using the ‘Pause, Prompt, Praise’ reading support method. 
    • Volunteer Supervisors who provide support for up to 10 reading buddies, helping them with problems and ensuring that they are supporting the students effectively.

    Each student and buddy receives an identical book pack from The Smith Family. The reading buddy then telephones the student two to three times a week for at least 20 minutes, over an 18 week period. The student reads to the buddy, who uses the skills learnt in their training to assist the student with their reading and offer encouragement and praise. The buddy keeps a simple record of each phone call and reports progress to a Volunteer Supervisor fortnightly. Student2student operates nationally via landlines, mobile phones and digital.

  • 17 Aug 2021 5:21 PM | Anonymous

    Event date: 31 July 2021

    At the start of this year at the age of 52 I decided I needed to live life a bit more courageously and among the list of things I have done included changing jobs, creating new friendship groups, buying my first BMW and then coming to the Come and Try Track day held at Broadford last month.  

    I was terrified. I am not a car person.  I bought my brand new BMW XI M-Sport because the boot has push button close, it fits my two dogs comfortably, I love the heated seats and massive moon roof and feel at my age where I have put everyone in front of me (husband, kids etc) for the past 20 years that I deserved something nice.  I also had my 18 year-old son doing his best lobbying to direct my choice of car purchase.  Pester power just gets stronger as kids get old I am sure. But I am glad he did as I love it and I love driving my car. 

    The night before Broadford though I finally really closely read through the fine print of the day’s requirements.  I totally freaked out.  What had I signed up for if you need a helmet, stickers on your car (what about my paint work?) and even fire extinguishers.  I thought the day would be a little zip around the track, a few chats with new friends, and the chance to buy some fun merchandise.   I called Jo Mawson, who has been so encouraging and supportive of me and she assured me all would be ok. 

    My son Daniel and I had both signed up to attend.  He has only had his Red P Plates since January and is a confident driver so I was keen for him to have some coaching from the volunteers.  We were really thrilled at the start of the day that Daniel was announced as winner of the scholarship for the day.  He wrote about how he had strongly encouraged me to buy the BMW – we test drove dozens of cars across all brands over every weekend in January when I was looking.

    I could not believe when I arrived how friendly, supportive and patient everyone was – and willing to help calm my nerves.  It was lovely and I felt welcome and my lack of car knowledge didn’t matter at all.  Daniel and I were coached by terrific volunteer Anton (thank you) who taught us both how to manoeuvre around the track, forgetting traditional road rule standards (ie you can drive anywhere on the road if there isn’t a blue flag) but focussing heavily on keeping us safe on a race track.  By my third lap session I was feeling a lot more confident.  I loved it totally. It was amazing how exhausting driving for 15 minutes can be though – and in normal times I commute 40 minutes along the Calder Freeway and Bulla Road to work each day so didn’t think it would affect me at all. 

    Taking part in Broadford was a bucket list achievement for me but I am adding it back on and now have a goal to drive all of the tracks for Come and Try days.

    If you haven’t done a Come and Try day and if you aren’t a car enthusiast, or even own at BMW you should still give it a go – just like us.  There’s young people who are building up their own cars they are making themselves, real car pros, people who just love getting out and about, people who love BMW and people like me who just bought a car and wanted to do something different in their life this year.  I hope to meet you there at the next Come and Try day. 

    Nicole Laurie | Member #690
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 13 Aug 2021 7:14 PM | Anonymous


    Today I enjoyed some of the extra benefits that being a member of the BMWDCM brings.  I will start by letting you all know that I am that 50+ year old that loves these cars, doesn't need a GPS (it's in my head), will have a go at fixing most things, and suffers from very high testosterone levels which leads to male pattern baldness, so no blonde moments here.

    Anyway I was at my local service station this morning and taking my red rocket for a run to stretch her legs as the day was what can only be described as a beautiful spring day in winter.  Removing the nozzle from the pump housing I attempted to open the fuel latch but it would not budge.  I spent 15 embarrassing minutes trying to open the bloody thing.  I ended up giving up my manhood and made a call to those that should know. 

    Firstly I went right to the top to ask some troubleshooting advice from our president.  I think he must have my number in his phone and when I call it comes up with "pest".  He chose not to answer.  Not letting this deter me I made a call to the V.P who answered my mayday call.  Jo made "the pres" talk to me after I explained my predicament.  The conversations that transpired and instructions following I have been asked to tone down to a "G rating" for the wider reading group. 

    Anyway, the solution was to manually override the locking mechanism for the fuel flap.  To do this, I was advised to open the boot, look for a small cut out on the drivers side boot liner at the rear of the wheel arch just behind the line of the fuel flap.  Anyway,  so I merely had to insert my finger into the hole and press the magic little button (the override button) which resulted in "the release of the flap".  

    Success and a beautiful day cruising around.

    Thank you both very much.

    Andrew Dickson | Member #248
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

  • 1 Aug 2021 11:00 AM | Anonymous


    MONTH IN REVIEW 

    Dear members

    July began with round 6 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Philip Island.  We saw many new and familiar faces and all seasons in the one day.  It was Shannon and his dad's first time at the Island in their new E30.  They had quite the eventful day, which you can read about here.

    ____________________

    We then had our July members meeting at Waverley BMW where we were joined by the 540d Touring Highway Patrol car on display for our members to see. We raised over $300 on the night for the Blue Ribbon Foundation so thank you all to our very generous members who helped support another worthy charity. 

    ____________________

    Unfortunately we then went into another lockdown and we had to cancel our Christmas in July event for the second year in a row.  We're really sad to have to postpone one of our favourite events again and we're hoping that we will be able to hold it soon.  Any excuse to get the Christmas outfits out!

    ____________________

    We wrapped up July with our delayed Broadford Come and Try/Driver Training Day yesterday. We had good registration numbers and it was a fun day as always. 

    ____________________

    MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 624 MEMBERS

    Welcome to our new memberLeon Puszka, Prakash Shrestha, John Nauta, Jim Suggate, Tim Trainor, Emily Trainor, Joseph Barbieri, Sam Marsh, Yuanlin Zhou, Guy Allen, Andrew Hayward and Errol Stubblety. 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 August:

    Sunday, 1 August
    2021 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Round 7 at Broadford
    Good luck to those competing at Broadford today!

    Tuesday, 10 August
    August Members Meeting via Zoom
    Please join us for an informal meeting from your home where we can all just catch up with all the upcoming events and what has been happening in the club.

    Sunday, 15 August
    Coffee & Cars Beaumaris
    All members and non-members are welcome to join us for the morning at Flavours Patisserie Cafe in Beaumaris.

    Saturday, 21 August
    2021 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship | Round 8 at Phillip Island 
    Phillip Island is a very popular track, get your entries in quick to avoid disappointment! 

    Sunday, 22 August
    Maling Road - Autoclassico
    Visit the event page to register your interest now.  We are strictly limited to the number of cars that can attend.

    Sunday, 29 August
    German Auto Show at Sandown
    German Auto Show brings the best German vehicles together in Melbourne in one spot, with some of the quirky and now defunct brands being included.

    It is a great setting, raising funds for a good cause, and with lots of interesting vehicles to look at and fascinating company.

    Be sure to keep an eye on our calendar to stay up to date with our events.


    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. 

    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!

    FROM THE WELFARE TEAM

    Taking one day at a time is all we can do.  We can't go back to yesterday, we can’t predict tomorrow. Focus on today and take the day as it comes.


    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


  • 31 Jul 2021 5:00 PM | Anonymous


     


    Dear Members,

    Hi and welcome back again for another report just out of lockdown.

    Sadly, we are getting used to these snap lockdowns and they are playing havoc with our social and motorsport schedules.

    July started with our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 6 at Philip Island, and we had a fabulous turnout considering we had every season in one on the day as well. Thank you to all who attended, as it was a wild and woolly day, with breaks of sunshine interspersed with arctic winds and rain but everyone stuck it out and still had a lot of fun.

    6 July was our members meeting at Waverley BMW with the BMW 540d touring Highway Patrol car on display for our members to get up close and personal with.  We had some items for sale and raffle care of the Blue-Ribbon Foundation and by the end of the night the tin was full.  We raised over $300 on the night so thank you all to our very generous members who helped support another worthy charity. The presentation by Sergeant Mark was very interesting and informative. You cannot hide from them these days, they can see you and know who you are long before you can see them.

    Then the incursion from north of the Border brought us to a screeching halt and dropped us into a 5-day circuit breaker lockdown, which ended up being 2 weeks. I guess we should be thankful that we are so used to following the lockdown rules and it did end up being a short stop, as we see our NSW friends aren't having the same luck. I feel for them, we did it last year for months on end and I'm sure none of us would want to go through that again.

    Christmas in July had to be postponed again, which was a shame but we do say postponed, not cancelled.  We will try to do this event later in the year.  Christmas in August or September possibly - watch out for event notices. Once we see what happens over the next few weeks we will try and squeeze it in somewhere.

    We wrapped up July with our Broadford Come and Try/Driver Training Day, which was supposed to be earlier in the month, but was moved due to lockdown.  Luckily we managed to secure 31 July.  We had good registration numbers, and it was a fun day as always.  Similarly, our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 7, that was to be on 18 July following our Come and Try Day, was pushed back two weeks as well and will be happening on 1 August.

    August is pretty well booked out and will be a very exciting month, with lots to keep us all busy and give you plenty of events to choose from, if you’d like to come and join us at one or more of them.

    On 7 August we have Winton Festival of Speed display (pending COVID rules allowing spectators). Keep an eye on event notice emails if you want to come to this, as we know, things can change pretty quickly.  This is a prime example of why you should register your interest in events so that if we need to change things, we know you are planning on coming and we can let you know.

    8 August is a one-day Race Meeting at Phillip Island for Round 5 of the E30 Racing Championship. Quite a few of our members will be down at the Island racing with the E30 Racing club and looks like a bumper field of entries for the one-day meeting. It was to be a normal two-day race meeting but due to restrictions in place at the moment the organisers decided to shorten it to one day, with the same number of races. It will be a very busy day for us!  

    On 10 August we have our August members meeting via Zoom. This will be a nice catch up meeting for a chat on Zoom.  We always try to get out and about for our meetings where we can but we thought it might be nice to do another zoom meeting to enable those that can’t get to physical meeting to attend and catch up with everyone too.

    On 15 August we have Coffee & Cars at Beaumaris (take two!). This was bumped back during Lockdown V4, looking forward to catching up with Christopher and sampling some of his delicious cakes!

    On 21 August we have Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 8 back at Phillip Island again, entries opened last Friday, so get in quick, it always fills up very quickly! 

    On 22 August we have Maling Road Car Show, with very limited spots to display.  If you want to display in Maling Road send in your expression of interest as soon as possible.

    We'll finish August with German Auto Show on 29 August.  This is going to be HUGE! If you have a German car, bike, truck, plane, tank, race car, what-ever, bring it along and show the world. We will have trade stands, food and drink vendors, Shannons will be there, you name, it will be there.  We are even trying to organise some WW2 planes to do a fly-over. The German Auto Show has outgrown the space at St Kilda Road and we are running it this year for the VW Club so come along and help make it a fantastic day. All proceeds on the day go to Beyond Blue and thanks must go to Shannons for helping cover the cost of the day so that everything we make on the day will go to the very worth charity.

    If you are unable to attend but still want to donate, please use this link. 

    Other events to look out for:

    • 4 September - Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship Round 9 at Sandown, entries will be out soon.
    • 10 September - Port Fairy Whale watching weekend. Take 3, due to being postponed twice, we will try again to go and see some whales whilst they are still around. 
    • 23 October - Scenic Drive and Karting at Stony Creek, always a fun drive and afternoon on the go-kart track.
    • 26 October - Tassie tour. Looking forward to getting down to Tassie for a burn around the Island, it’s been too long, and if you have never been down there, you should com along. It is very beautiful, and the roads are amazing fun. There are a lot of people coming already, so it will be a fun week with a fantastic bunch of people, as always.

    As you can see above there is a lot to look forward to and we hope to see you all at one or more of them over the next few months.

    Coffee & cars will be at one of our club members’ cafe, so be sure to pop in and say hi to Chris and we will have vouchers for discount coffee and yummies.

    Our Tassie trip is filling up quickly so if you want to join us on this please register as soon as possible.

    We have some great new items in the online store, such as our new full size umbrellas and UHF radios with accessories to go with them too.  We thought it would make life easer for our members if we had the radio of choice in our store for you to order and pick up on the morning of the drive, or earlier if you wish.  Check out our store for other great items too.

    Our welfare team is up a ready to help anyone who might need help.  We would like to thank Shannon Cooper and family for supporting our team and enabling them to be able to offer as much support as we can moving forward. If you need someone to talk to or a shoulder to lean on, talk to one of our welfare team, they are available for anything you need help with.

    We would like to thank Makulu Storage for supporting our Come and Try days this year and sponsoring one driver each round. Nella Santisi was awarded the prize for our Sandown Come and Try day and Daniel Laurie won the prize for today's Broadford Come and Try day.  Well done both Nella and Daniel. 

    Membership is still growing, currently we have 624 members and we are so happy to see new faces out at our events each month, as well as the regulars.  It is fantastic to see the Club healthy and growing.

    You may have heard that our wonderful Vice President/Event Organiser/Energiser Bunny, Jo has been laid up lately. Jo had her second hip replacement two weeks ago and is slowly on the mend now.  It won’t be long and she will be back on her feet running and around again. We wish you all the best Jo, we all look forward to your recovery.

    I look forward to seeing you at an event soon and, as always, drive careful out there and take care.

    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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