Dear Members,

June was another very busy month, we started with the Monthly Member’s meeting at South Yarra BMW.  Many thanks to Riley and the Staff for a lovely evening checking out all the new cars and sampling the treats they had for us.  We also had Chris from Geelong Revival come along and tell us all about this year’s Geelong Revival and how the organisers are featuring our Club and BMW in a special area, both to celebrate BMW’s 40th anniversary in Australia, and also to celebrate our own achievements as a Club. It will be a great event to come along to and many thanks to Geelong Revival for offering us this very special opportunity.

We had a few members take their cars up to Winton for the Historics and put on a display and a lot of interest was shown in Lawrence’s little 700, as always, it is such an interesting car.

We had a very special invitation from BMW Group Australia, to come to Head Office in Mulgrave to meet and chat with the designer of the new BMW Z4, Calvin Luk. What a lovely young man. There were around 30 of our members, plus a few from BMW Car Club Victoria and the BMW Motorcycle Club who all had the chance to listen to Calvin tell his story of designing the new Z4 as well as how he came to work for BMW, very interesting. One of those events that can just pop up, so ensure you keep and eye on emails and the club calendar, you just never know when something special like this will happen.

On the Queen’s Birthday Weekend we went away touring the countryside, taking in the Murray Valley, Silo Art Trail and returning through the Grampians. What a fantastic event in every way. We had 40 people from DCM and Club MINI come along and enjoy some fantastic touring roads, lovely nights in nice motels and visited so many wonderful places along the route. Many thanks to Peter Williams for the drive route planning and Jo for her usual impeccable planning. Everyone had a ball and we got to see so many different aspects of our state. The group looked amazing on the road, if you look on the facebook page you will see some videos of us as well as lots of photos.

Next, we went to Broadford for Round 4 of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers' Championship. This was the first time we have hired a track in our own right, and it was a great success. We had lots of members come and help, as well as all those that attended and drove, and I must say a special thank you to them for coming and volunteering to help the club run such a good event. It was perfect weather as well and all had a great day out. There were quite a few people from other clubs there too and everyone had plenty of track time, with no incidents or hold ups to slow the day. Thanks again for coming and I look forward to our next track day at Winton on 20 July.

This month, we also ran a special event at the Shannons facility in Heatherton, where we held St John’s First Aid course for members to come along and learn about CPR, Emergency Life Support and General First Aid. This was an invaluable course, as the skills learned could come in handy at any time and could possible help someone save a life one day. I recommend everyone to do one of these courses if they can, you just never know what is around the corner. I personally have been the recipient of emergency first aid and when it counts these skills will save a life! The committee is thinking of running this as an annual event too, so if you are interested, let Jo or I know. This is actually a RTO Certificate Course, so as well as a few new skills you get a nationally recognised Certificate as well.

Amazingly, half the year is gone already, and July has some great events to look out for, our Members Meeting on Tuesday 2 July looks very interesting, visiting an electric truck company that manufactures and exports electric trucks. Christmas in July is always a very popular and fun event, this year with a drive and lunch in the hills at Noojee. I wonder if it will snow this year, regardless, it will be a fun event, with the usual silly jumper competition etc. Look out for other events on the calendar too, always something coming up, whether it’s one of our events or something we are invited to by one of the clubs we do events with.

At our Driver Training & 2019 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers' Championship Round 5 at Winton, we have invited BMW Car Club Victoria, BMW Drivers Club NSW and BMW Car Club Canberra to join us to continue the tradition of what used to be a fantastic weekend of inter club fun and on track (friendly) rivalry between the NSW and Victorian Clubs and we would love and make this another fantastic inter-club event on the calendar each year. We need our members to enter and compete for the inaugural BMW Club Champion of Winton that we are instigating, where each driver will compete for points toward their club winning a perpetual trophy for the event each year. Not sure how we will work this out just yet, but should be a bit of fun anyway… Of course, if you’d like to come and help us run the event, we are always welcoming of anyone that would like to help as an official for the day.

There are a couple of events coming up in following months that you should start thinking about too. Our first AGM will be in October, if anyone is thinking of standing for a position on the committee, keep an eye out for notices in the next few months. The Bathurst 12 Hour package we did for 2019 is open now. If you’d like to join us at the Mountain for one of the best motorsport events you will ever see, contact Jo for details on inclusions and prices. The December weekend away with NSW and Canberra Clubs will be up soon too, again, another fantastic event that will happen every year.

Membership is now at 402. We are very happy with the retention rate of members and the continued growth of our little club. Thank you to all of you that continue to support the club, and welcome to all the new members, I hope you enjoy everything the club has to offer.

I look forward to seeing you at an event soon. If you have an idea for an event, don’t hesitate to tell us, we are always open to new ideas and welcome member input to make the club what you want it to be.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

P.O. Box 81, TYABB, VICTORIA. 3913
Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of:BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council
CAMS Affiliated Motorsport Club

BMW Group digital services at #NEXTGen.

The digital BMW ecosystem: early insights into myBMW.
The BMW Group #NEXTGen event provided exclusive background information on what the future holds for the myBMW digital ecosystem. All BMW Group and NOW services, along with mobility services and products, will be pooled together under this name. Products and services will be split into My Car, My Life and My Journey categories, presenting customers with a single gateway into an all-encompassing portfolio of personal mobility-enhancing offerings. The BMW Group will reveal further details on myBMW at the IAA Cars 2019 motor show in Frankfurt on 12 – 22 September. 

“Hey BMW, what’s your favourite colour?”. Chatting away with the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
Since March 2019 the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant has been available in a large number of models fitted with BMW Operating System 7.0. Responding to the prompt “Hey BMW”, the intelligent, digital character helps the driver, learns their preferences, knows their favoured settings and is an expert on everything to do with the vehicle. Thanks to the regular Remote Software Upgrades supplied over the air for seamless installation directly into the vehicle, the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant acquires new skills all the time, enhancing and expanding his capabilities. The next upgrade will make it possible to enjoy casual chats with him and engage in brief, entertaining exchanges.

Amazon Alexa in BMW and MINI models.
Seamless integration of Amazon Alexa is now available for a host of BMW and MINI models, enabling customers to access many of the Alexa functions they already use at home while out and about in their car. They can ask Alexa questions, get weather forecasts and traffic information, catch up on sporting events, listen to tracks from Amazon Music or TuneIn, or check out audio books from Audible. Appointments and to-do lists or shopping lists can likewise be managed simply by speaking. Added to which, the Control Display in the BMW or MINI also provides visual feedback for the selected content. And Alexa even makes it possible for customers to operate compatible smart-home devices, such as lamps, thermostats and automatic garage doors, from their car.

The BMW Digital Key turns smartphones into car keys.
The Digital Key dispenses with the need for a conventional car key. Employing Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, it allows the new BMW 8 Series Coupe and other models in the BMW range to be locked and unlocked from a smartphone. Holding the smartphone up to the door handle opens the car. Once inside, the engine can be started as soon as the phone has been placed in the wireless charging or smartphone tray. Accessed via BMW Connected, the Digital Key can optionally be shared with up to five other people. The BMW Digital Key is currently available for all NFC-capable Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 8.0 and above.

Digital charging services for electric cars.
The charging services from BMW put an end to the stress of searching for an available charging station. Customers can check the probable availability of a specific station along the selected route before they begin their journey. Once they are within 20 minutes’ drive of the intended charging station, they can also reserve a space directly from their car. And if that car happens to be a BMW plug-in hybrid, they will additionally earn valuable iMILES bonus points for any sections of electric driving recorded within the BMW eDrive Zones. These can then be exchanged for extra charging credit at all ChargeNow stations.

BMW PRESS

The electrical awakening of the boxer engine.

For more than 90 years, the 2-cylinder boxer engine has been a key element of the BMW Motorrad identity, in both technological and visual terms. But as the BMW Group consistently pursues electrification, the question arises as to what a BMW motorcycle might look like that is electrically powered? And how would it reveal itself at first sight to be a BMW? One possible answer to these questions is provided by the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster, a highly emotional naked bike with electric drive.

“The boxer engine is the heart of BMW Motorrad – an absolute stalwart of its character. But BMW Motorrad stands for visionary zero-emissions vehicle concepts, too. In view of this, one question that arises is: what would happen if we were to replace the boxer engine with an electric motor and the required battery? The Vision Bike shows how we’re able to retain the identity and iconic appearance of BMW Motorrad in distinctive form while at the same time presenting an exciting new type of riding pleasure,” explains Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad. “After all: anyone who’s ever tried it out in practice knows very well that riding on two wheels is just as exciting when its electrically powered! The high level of torque right at set-off makes for breath taking acceleration. This almost brutal power delivery creates a whole new experience of dynamic performance. And the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster puts a face to this experience.”

New drive, familiar appearance.
In a motorcycle, the motor is the centrepiece – it is the fundamental element, providing the basis for the entire architecture. But electrical drive components have completely different requirements in terms of installation space. While in a conventional motorbike the size of the engine is mainly determined by its capacity, it is the battery that takes up most space in the case of an electrically powered vehicle. The electric motor itself is relatively compact. Starting from this new basis, the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster is able to make this transfer – retaining the iconic appearance of a boxer while filling it with a new function. This is why the Vision Bike is instantly recognisable as a BMW motorcycle, revealing its electric nature on closer inspection.

Replacing what would previously have been the engine, there is now a vertically fitted, longitudinally oriented battery. For cooling purposes, two side elements protrude with cooling ribs and integrated ventilators. As in the boxer engine of the BMW R 32 – the development of which was masterminded by Max Friz in 1923 – the cooling elements are placed in the air stream. The cylinder-shaped electric motor is positioned underneath the battery and is directly connected to the universal shaft. The BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster thus demonstrates a clever drive architecture that visually echoes the history of BMW Motorrad while at the same time taking it a step further.

Dynamic performance reflected in the proportions.
In the side view, the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster presents a highly dynamic gesture with clear front-wheel orientation. The low front section and the short, high rear convey a sense of agility. Instead of the fuel tank, a flat, finely-wrought tubular structure spans the vehicle corpus. Its further shaping integrates the seat in a modern form, thereby creating the flyline of a sporty roadster. The frame structure is a key factor in defining the dynamic side view.

The large battery with its laterally protruding cooling systems is positioned at the centre of a frame milled from aluminium. The three-dimensional surface finish on the battery trim conveys a contemporary aesthetic appeal with its precise contours. The cooling elements echo the slight forward tilt of the battery silhouette, giving the side a dynamic momentum. When starting the electric motor, these cooling elements move out slightly, indicating that the bike is ready to go.

High performance with a light touch.
The overall appearance of the BMW Motorrad Vision DC conveys a sense of lightness so as to emphasise driving dynamics. Elements such as the seat and the cooling system appear to hover around the battery. On the frame itself, lengthwise milled grooves create a fascinating visual effect, reducing the perceived volume and highlighting the bike’s longitudinal dynamics. This impression is further underscored by means of openings in the milled aluminium frame and the tubular frame structure arranged above it. High-tech materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium reduce the overall weight and give the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster a technical aesthetic. Meanwhile, red contrast elements and brushed aluminium at selected points such as the battery, frame and cool systems emphasise the bike’s innovative geometry.

High-quality details on closer inspection.
A key element of the BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster’s captivating overall appeal is the elaborate finish to be found in all its details. Within the mainly dark colour concept, it is the mechanical elements such as the exposed universal shaft and the Duolever fork that add striking accentuations. In this case, the two classic BMW features are re-interpreted and elaborately showcased. In the same way, the suggested triangular frame echoes a typical feature of earlier BMW motorcycle models, even recapturing its white lines, which in this instance fluoresce in the dark. The minimalist design of the front and rear lights is an iconic implementation of the hallmark BMW Motorrad lighting, reflecting maximum reduction in modern style. The headlamp shows the LED daytime riding light in a dynamic, flat U shape, while two compact LED lenses on each side provide the low and high beam. This creates a hallmark lighting design that makes the concept vehicle instantly recognisable as a BMW motorcycle – both during the day and at night. The rear light consists of two C-shaped LED elements which are integrated in the aluminium rear carrier in minimalist, technically high-quality form. On the flanks of the tires exclusively made by Metzeler for the Vision Bike, five fluorescent elements, each about the size of a postage stamp, are integrated. They combine innovative design with safety aspects: standing and moving, the lighting elements create an exciting graphic effect. In darkness, they increase the visibility from the side and thus providing more security. They also convey dynamics when in motion.

Smart rider equipment.
The functional two-piece suit is not instantly recognisable as protective clothing: it is an outfit that primarily stands as a modern, emotional fashion statement. The light jacket with large graphics in iridescent colouring and the casually styled black trousers combine fashion sense with new functionalities. The protectors are sewn in almost invisibly, while integrated technologies enable various light functions as well as the digital connectivity of the future. An asymmetrical rucksack vest rounds off the rider equipment for the vision vehicle. Fixed to the jacket by means of magnets, it provides storage space and additional functionality. The permanent magnets means that the rucksack is quick to put on and take off.

Symbol of a new generation.
The BMW Motorrad Vision DC Roadster is a visionary symbol of the future of BMW Motorrad with alternative drive forms. It showcases the electrically powered driving experience in honest, authentic form, in particular creating a new, distinctive aesthetic appeal that is still firmly rooted in the finest BMW tradition.

BMW PRESS

BMW Group Design is already shaping how we will experience Sheer Driving Pleasure in the future. 

How will we be moved in the future? BMW Group Design is already shaping how we will experience Sheer Driving Pleasure in the future. The innovative fields of Autonomous Driving, Connectivity, Electrification and Services (ACES) will open up totally new opportunities and experiences – and, at the same time, herald a paradigm shift in the automotive industry. The BMW Group views design as the key to this future: It gives shape to areas of innovation and brings technology to life. Design also has the power to think beyond the possible and set ambitious developments in motion. The BMW Group already showed this with the first BMW X5, which effectively invented the SUV segment; the iDrive Controller, which is found in virtually every vehicle in one form or another these days, or its BMW i models. They were all the first of their kind and made a permanent impression on the automotive world.

We design experiences.
In the future, drivers will be able to choose whether they want to be driven autonomously (in EASE Mode) or drive themselves (in BOOST Mode). EASE and BOOST moments form the basis for the design of every future BMW model. In a nutshell, the concept is: “EASE your Life – BOOST your Moment.” The EASE and BOOST experiences illustrate what BMW Group Design aspires to and also what future products could look like: The purpose of design goes far beyond deciding shape and form. BMW Group Design creates experiences. The automobile is no longer just a “vehicle”; it can be a place for relaxation, interaction, entertainment and concentration. At the same time, it can also become the ultimate driving machine, enabling customers to experience new aspects of driving dynamics. The car will be transformed into a new kind of living space dedicated to people’s needs and wants. The BMW Group Design is applying the ACES fields of innovation in all their different forms to create this experience space.

EASE your Life – BOOST your Moment.
What these experiences could look like in the future in concrete form is shown by the two Vision Vehicles: the BMW Vision iNEXT, unveiled in 2018, and the brand-new BMW Vision M NEXT. Each represents a prototypical implementation of the future BMW experience worlds of “EASE” (BMW Vision iNEXT) and “BOOST” (BMW Vision M NEXT). EASE encompasses all experiences that occur while the vehicle is taking care of driving tasks itself; BOOST, on the other hand, is all about the ultimate, active driving experience. In the upcoming product range, BMW Group Design will realise a wide range of experiences where these two versions meet in the near future.

BMW PRESS

A first aid course, something more people should do to enhance their knowledge and experience - you just never know when you might need one of the skills we learned. 

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne ran a St John’s First Aid Certificate Course at Shannons in Heatherton and it was excellent. Along with the online pre-course we all did, it packed all the information and practical experience of a two-day course into a full single day certificate course. So, all that attended come away with a nationally recognised first aid certificate. 

The course covered everything from CPR and using a Defibrillator machine to breaks and bruises to cuts and bites and stings, all the things we could come across in life any day. 

Thanks to Owen from St John’s for being an excellent teacher and presenter and helping us all to pass the final exam with flying colours. 

We not only came away with a bit of extra knowledge, but also a bag of bandages, masks and slings and other things that can be a great help in an emergency. 

I highly recommend everyone to do one of these courses if you get the opportunity. You just never know when a little bit of knowledge will be a good thing to have.

Graeme Bell |  Member #1
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Please note the title reads “firsts” and not “first”.  I did not come first, or second, or… in fact, that did not even matter.  From a personal perspective I did get first prize, though an amazing day with great people.

What are all the “firsts” about then?  Well, it was the first time I was at or on a racetrack in Australia.  It was the first time with the BMWDCM, it was the first time with the M5, or any BMW for that matter.  It was the first time with my family.

So how did the day “feel” then, all the new experiences considered?  Let me go back a bit into how all of it unfolded in the first place.  Whenever talking car stuff with my father-in-law, a petrol-head of note himself, he had been correcting me to “when” I track the M5, not “if”, as I had always chosen to word it.  He knew.  He knew how keen I am, he knew about my previous circuit racing and hill climb activities.  I knew, too, but I made myself believe that I would never track the E39.  It has the potential to become a real collectable and is hence, too precious to track, right?  To fast forward now, at the recent club carting event (which was awesome by the way!) Jo pulls me aside and tells me about the upcoming Broadford track day, what a lovely little track it is and how much fun I would have.  Hmmmm… So, a while later I find myself registered for the event, checking the post box daily for my CAMS licence and shopping for fire extinguishers and battery triangle stickers.  What happened?  The inevitable, I guess.

So here we are then, the whole family, arriving at the track after an early start in Melbourne.  With two cars to compete I might add.  Steve, my father-in-law mentioned above, was there with his Holden wagon, crew, trailer with tires, tools and the whole racing bit.  I brought my wife, our baby Sarah, and a tyre pressure gauge, which always lives in the glove box anyway.  I was rather nervous about the entire thing, still plagued with thoughts about whether this was really a good idea.  I took comfort in the thought that I was only there to take it easy, my main ambition was to be able to exceed 100kmh once again, legally.  Comforting, too, were all the friendly greetings and words by various BMWDCM members.

Another lasting impression was how well everything was organised.  Although this was my first track day under Australian regulations, I never felt lost during the event.  It was always clear what was going on, when and where the competitors had to be.  This is important to point out, I have experienced otherwise, and so I would really like to compliment the organisers in this regard.  So, there was the good organisation, an informative driver meeting, plenty of friendly like-minded people.  That all helped my nerves to get back on track.  That changed again during the sighting laps, which were offered to track first timers.  They are a brilliant and important instrument.  Nonetheless after having stretched my neck numerous times throughout the lap to scan over-crest, blind turns I was back to doubting my decision to come there.  Kath had joined me for the sighting lap slowly following the X5, it was fun to have her with, and to have someone in the car to share thoughts about just how freaky those ascends and descends with blind turns appear.  I went back to telling myself “the car only goes as fast as you want it to”.  About that…

So next up was the practice session.  I went out there with probably one of the fewer cars on road tyres, for sure the only car equipped with a wired Siemens telephone and child seat, checked and authorised by the scrutineers.  I went around the track ridiculously slowly, timidly getting off the gas at the crest on the back straight and crawling around the blind turns.  After a few laps and where I could see what is ahead of me, though, I drove the M5 to the point of light tyre squeal through some turns and that was not only really fun, I also got a first taste of the car’s actual capability.  I discovered the E39 is as docile as the “community” tends to rave on about.

Back in the pits, totally pumped, it was time to share all the impressions from the practice sessions.  Veterans as well as Broadford first timers, like me, agree on how amazing the track is.  At this time I was still not a big fan of the blind corners, but the ups and downs of the track really are a treat, and in the following sessions I would discover that blind turns are not all that bad, once you know where they actually go.

Which brings us to timed session 1.  More tyre squealing, first little step-outs of the rear end (which made me smile) and fading brakes (which did not make me smile).  Interestingly, I was clocking 1:14 times, consistently from the first to the last lap.  This was despite the fact that I was backing off more and more throughout that first stint in the light of the brakes not exactly injecting confidence, which only confirmed that a better line and maintaining speed where permissible (as opposed to, e.g., backing off at the crest on the back straight) are more important than late braking.

By session 2 all the “taking it easy” ambitions were out the window.  Knowing myself, this was somewhat expected.  My lap times came down by half-a-second and I was very pleased.  Again, being back in the pits, sharing impressions and the experience with family and fellow sprinters was as good as the lapping itself.  Talking track and car topics is even better when you are presented with a fantastic lunch, and this we all were.  Which reminds me that I failed to mention the good breakfast we were treated to in the morning!

Timed sessions 3 and 4 went through a similar cycle.  Telling myself to look after my brakes and my road tyres had me coming back with smoke pouring off the front brakes as I returned into the pits at the end of session 3.  Lap times had again improved, though, but for session 4 I was going to back off, this time for real I told myself.  Despite my own doubts, I actually did.  I braked much earlier, avoided running into that massive brake shudder again like on the earlier rounds, focusing more on a good line and smoothness.  I was fully satisfied with the day before round 4 even started.  The number of laps we all had the opportunity to do had exceeded my most optimistic expectations and I could have happily skipped the last round.  Then again, another crack at it cannot be resisted either, so I did go out for session 4, but this time with a very relaxed attitude.  Surprisingly, or maybe not at all surprisingly, session 4 produced my best lap time of the day.

So, after rambling on about improved but irrelevant lap times for so long what are the important things to take away from this special day?  I think it is the experienced camaraderie, the fact that a day at the track can be fun for everyone joining in, not just the competitors.  A very big thanks and hats-off to the club and the event organisers in particular.  It was an all-around outstanding day, we had good weather, good food, lots of laughing and safe, competitive fun in a non-competitive environment, if that makes any sense.  

I have just signed up for Winton.

Heiko Hnidey  |  Member #338
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Photos: Jo Mawson (left and right)
Andrew Brown (centre)
Event date: 16 June 2019

On a cool, overcast but thankfully dry winter Sunday in June, some 24 drivers attended the Club’s fourth round of the Yokohama/Traction Tyres Drivers' Championship at Broadford.  My flag-marshalling duties at the start/finish line all day afforded an excellent view of the action on the small, undulating and twisty Broadford track.  There was an eclectic mix of entries, BMWs actually in the minority, but only by one with several MX-5s, Alfas, a Ford Focus, Renault Clio, WRX, souped up Torana and even a Holden station wagon.  BMWs ranged from Rachael’s little 318is to Walter’s new M5.

With five of the flag points manned and Danny at pit exit plus Lucy in timing under Jo’s usual watchful eye in the control tower, the day ran smoothly with no major incidents and (almost) everyone had a lot of track time.  Sadly, Stan Armstrong’s return to the track after 18 months lasted only 2 laps after a valve failure in his new engine.  The Club also came through with catering at lunch, after the track café closed up shop early in the day.

All in all a great day, even despite some further hearing loss for me every time the Subaru went past (sans muffler!). The next motorsport round is at Winton on July 20^th, and will include Driver Training as well.  I would encourage everyone to consider entering as I expect a lot of track time for all once again.

Paul Kertes  |  Member #12
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Photo: Andrew Brown
Event date: 16 June 2019

Day 1 | Saturday, 8 June 2019

Warren and my first ‘outing’ with the BMW Drivers Club (combined with Club Mini) started with meeting everyone at Essendon BMW for pastries and coffee on the Saturday morning at 8.30am.

We had met Jo, Graeme, Shaaron & Lawrence at the Phillip Island Historic Cars in October and it was because of these four people (who were very friendly and told us all about the club) we decided to join.  We were given a booklet of instructions written by Peter Williams and he was to be our lead car and the book of instructions he produced was a work of art!!   The club are so lucky to have someone like him to organise these driving routes etc.   We were also to find over the three days the organisation that Jo Mawson puts into the accommodation, lunches, dinners was impeccable.

We departed BMW en route to Malmsbury, about 88 k’s away it was comforting to have Peter as the lead car, Georgiana & Andrew as The Mini in The Middle, and Jo & Graeme as Tale end Charlie. We felt very secure that we knew we would be found if we got lost !!!!  which we didn’t!!!!     We stopped for our coffee/toilet break in Malmsbury, the weather was magnificent and the little town very picturesque and a very popular coffee shop/bakery there. We had more time to chat & meet the other drivers and admire their cars.

Heading off from Malmsbury we were headed to Maldon, 45 k’s away, stopping at the Berryman’s Café & Tea Rooms for a delicious lunch. We were then able to meander through the township for a little while and we then proceeded through the town and drove up to the Mt Tarrengower Lookout   (this was formerly a hill-climb track and still holds historic events).

After this great photo opportunity  we proceeded onto Barham (203kms) where we were to spend the first night at the Club Barham River Motel, where after checking in we walked across the road to their restaurant and had a really nice dinner and a well-earned glass of wine, once again chatting amongst the members lots of laughs and stories . A great day organised by great people left us looking forward to heading to Horsham on Sunday 

Margaret Fairweather
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Day 2 | Sunday, 9 June 2019
Visit to Catalina Flying Boat Museum – Lake Boga Victoria and Silo Drive 

Waking up in our room at cluBarham River Motel, Sunday morning in the town of Barham, just a short five minute walk to the banks of the Murray River separating the NSW and Victoria border. Our temperature to start the day, a brisk 5°C with an expected top of 16°C. So a hot hotel room sachet instant coffee followed by a hot shower, and warm clothes was the order for our days planned journey.

Making our way across the road to the dining room at 8.30, the morning continued with a BMW Drivers Club Melbourne and club MINI Victoria catered breakfast, providing us with a warm meal and better COFFEE to fuel our energy for drive ahead.

Once the group gathered, the pre-ordered lunch distribution proved to be quite entertaining…   Preparing our drive with a morning brief prior to leaving the dining room carpark, the organisation for the travel for the day (weekend) was well planned and communicated and we were introduced to our weekend dedicated convoy leader, (Itinerary master)  Peter Williams in his blue M3 Coupe, following all the way behind at the rear of our 16 vehicle convey as ‘Charlie’ in a white X5 with a ‘tour guide style’ flag surpassing the X5 roofline, was Jo Mawson and (Drone Master) Graeme Bell, Who also supplied several two-way radios to convey to assist with keeping us all updated on our progress as a duel club convoy to our destinations.

Once on the road, our journey takes along a scenic drive that at times caused some small towns to witness their one and only ‘traffic’ rush hour (well, more like half hour at most) taking us to our first destination between Swan Hill and Kerang to the Flying museum on the shores of Lake Boga.  This being previously the home to the No.1 Flying Boat Repair and Service Depot, A former facility that helped to keep Australia safe from 1941 to 1947 as an integral part of allied defence during World War II.

Extract from Lake Boga Flying Museum website:

Lake Boga – the No.1 Flying Boat Repair and Service Depot.

Following the Japanese attacks on Broome in 1942, resulting in the loss of 16 flying boats, the establishment of a safe haven for flying boats and amphibians was deemed “Essential to the Defence of Australia.” - “South and inland” were prerequisites.

Inspections of Lake Boga and Kangaroo Lake were made, Lake Boga being the preferred site as it was an ideal stretch of water for the flying boats and amphibious aircraft because it was almost circular (offering unlimited choice of landing/take off direction) and free of obstructions.

The required infrastructure was already in place, vacant land around its foreshore, an adjacent railhead and highway, electricity from Swan Hill and telecommunication.

A requisition of property, Priority A1.” was signed on 1st April, 1942. It had been decided to “build Lake Boga”. Multiple sites were required. The repair depot itself with workshops and hangars (on the foreshore), a stores area (on railway land near the Depot), living quarters (west of the township), sick quarters (at Castle Donnington), first-aid and dental post (on the foreshore), a radio transmitting station (on the Depot site) and a VHF transmitting station (west of the township). Construction started immediately.

June 28th, 1942 saw the arrival of the first RAAF personnel under the command of F/Lt. G.S. Moffatt and on July 12th, 1942, the arrival of the first Catalina flying boat carrying a quantity of stores and equipment was flown in from Rathmines, N.S.W. Hangar construction had just begun. The design, an open-fronted, grandstand type hangar with a cantilevered canopy. Eight large steel-framed structures were erected, 120 feet wide by 58 feet deep. These were to be followed by structures to house activities such as administration, signals & cypher, airframe repair, electroplating, engine/hydraulics repair, drafting, metal work, photography, stores, armament repair, propeller testing, machining, crew rooms, control tower. The first Catalina to be serviced at Lake Boga was A24-17, which carried a crew of 4, plus 12 personnel on posting from Rathmines in New South Wales, arriving August 5th, 1942.

During the Depot’s wartime life personnel undertook large volumes of work. 416 aircraft were serviced, repaired, restored, rebuilt or overhauled. These aircraft included Catalina, Dornier, Sikorsky KingFisher, Sunderland, Walrus and Martin Mariner.

In the five years of Depot life, there were more than 1050 aircraft arrivals/departures and an estimated 800 test flights (plus associated “unofficial aerobatics”). In addition to RAAF aircraft, many allied flying boats used the Lake Boga Depot for repairs, including those of the United States of America and the Netherlands.

At peak operation 39 Officers, 802 Airmen and 102 WAAAF’s staffed the depot.

The base at Lake Boga closed in November of 1947. 

The aircraft on display is a Catalina PBY5. It depicts the type and size of aircraft that were used as patrol bombers during World War II and was built in the USA by the Consolidated Aircraft Company. It was originally a Netherlands aircraft that was adopted by the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942 and given the registered number A24–30. After the war it was sold to Kingsford Smith Airlines, who used for spare parts. The body was sent to Lake Boga for scrap, but it was purchased by a local farmer and taken to Nyah. The farmer used some parts but left the rest lying under a tree for forty years. His family donated it to the Lake Boga Lions Club who has painstakingly assembled and semi-restored it to something of its former glory.

Other displays included models of Catalina’s, a ‘willy’s Jeep, a discovery centre that offered a theatrette, library and research area where some of our club members watched a short video of the Repair Depot and were invited to read about and research war history, As well as the original underground communications bunker that had been reconstructed from original memorabilia and old photos.

As our time ends at Lake Boga, The day has warmed up, as a convoy, we are led away driving as we pass small historical towns through the winding country roads. Our lead car brings us to a salt lake for a stretch, light lunch and photo opportunity. Some of us even learning how to style up a brief stop with seeing picnic rugs, tables and chairs that were well stored in driver’s cars (the experienced traveller). 

This stop also provides the opportunity for a daily mid-drive brief on our progress, as well as updates and what is planned for the afternoon.

Arriving at our first silo, we exit our cars excited to explore the detail and think about the logistics it would have taken to utilise this Silo as the artist canvas. known as Patchewollock, Painted by the artist Fintan Magee of local sheep and grain farmer, Nick “Noodle” Hulland. Taking out our cameras, trying to find the best angle to get the whole grandeur of this Silo in the best shot.

Extract from Silo Trail Website:

Completed in late 2016, the artist’s depiction of the famously reserved Hulland portrays an image of the archetypal Aussie farmer – faded blue “flanny” (flannelette shirt) and all. Hulland’s solemn expression, sun-bleached hair and squinting gaze speak to the harshness of the environment and the challenges of life in the Wimmera Mallee.

So the first of our silo experience leaves us with a memory as we pull out of the dusty carpark and continue or road trip to our next destination.

Upon arrival at our second Silo, Known as Lascelles, by Melbourne/Geelong Artist Rone, The direction for our BMW’s and Mini’s to line up in a row as if in the town’s ad-hoc show and shine, displaying the variations of our vehicles, was a great photo opportunity with the ‘Lascelles’ Silo in the back ground, The timing for another club arriving behind us assisted in filling the car park with more BMW’s giving other visitors a unique display of the BMW and Mini Marque.

Extract from Silo Trail Website: 

Lascelles Silo, Rone says that he wanted the mural to portray his subjects as wise and knowing, nurturing the town’s future with their vast farming experience and longstanding connection to the area.

In order to capture the true essence of Lascelles, Melbourne-based artist, Rone knew that he had to learn about the town from those who were deeply connected to it. Here, he depicts local farming couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman, part of a family that has lived and farmed in the area for four generations.

After a bit of wonder, we returned back to our cars and commenced to follow each other in single file back onto the bitumen of the of the Sunraysia Highway to continue our journey.

Venturing along the highway, as the afternoon rain starts to make an appearance, our third Silo just out for the township of Hoptoun comes into view, Rosebery by Melbourne artist, Kaff-eine. This being a shorter stop than previously, due to the wet weather and drive in and out smaller car park.

Extract from Silo Trail Website:

Completed in late 2017, Kaff-eine’s artwork depicts themes that she says embody the region’s past, present and future.

The silo on the left captures the grit, tenacity and character of the region’s young female farmers, who regularly face drought, fires and other hardships living and working in the Mallee. In her work shirt, jeans and turned-down cowboy boots, the strong young female sheep farmer symbolises the future.

The silo on the right portrays a quiet moment between dear friends. The contemporary horseman appears in Akubra hat, Bogs boots and oilskin vest – common attire for Mallee farmers. Both man and horse are relaxed and facing downward, indicating their mutual trust, love and genuine connection.

As we continue our trip back on the Highway, the rain ceased as quickly as it arrived, leaving grey clouds in its place as well as reducing the temperature for the remainder of the afternoon.

Our fourth Silo, Brim by Guido van Helten, due to its size, gives us the opportunity to have another vehicle line up photo opportunity.

Brim Silo was the first silo artwork to appear in Victoria, and soon infused the town’s community with newfound energy and optimism. After gaining widespread local and international attention, Brim’s silo art success shone a spotlight on the Wimmera Mallee region and inspired the establishment of the Silo Art Trail. Van Helten’s mural depicts an anonymous, multi-generational quartet of female and male farmers. Rendered across these four 1939-built GrainCorp silos, van Helten’s subjects bear expressions that exemplify the strength and resilience of the local farming community.

Back on the road, the enthusiasm still remains as we continue onto our fifth and most colourful Silo,  Sheep Hills by Melbourne-based artist, Adnate. This time, we line our cars in a row on a raised car park, pointing out towards to entry, giving the opportunity for a weekend group photo in front of our cars, attempting to put another manufacture that’s more known for the Hilux series, jump in the air to shame..

 Extract from Silo Trail Website:

Sheep Hills Silo by Adnate, depics of Wergaia Elder, Uncle Ron Marks, and Wotjobaluk Elder, Aunty Regina Hood, alongside two young children, Savannah Marks and Curtly McDonald celebrates the richness of the area’s Indigenous culture.

The night sky represents elements of local dreaming and the overall image signifies the important exchange of wisdom, knowledge and customs from Elders to the next generation.

The afternoon is getting on and the best part of the daylight is making its daily farewell, with one more and unique Silo for the day, we make our way to the township of Rupanyup, showing us a delicately nuanced monochromatic rendered onto a squat pair of conjoined Australian Grain Export steel grain Silos. We line and park our cars on a bitumen side street, as this Silo is part of the town.

Extract from Silo Trail Website:

Rupanyup by Russian mural artist, Julia Volchkova, turned her attention to the town’s youth and their great love of team sport. The work vividly captures the spirit of community and provides an accurate insight into rural youth culture.

The featured faces are those of Rupanyup residents and local sporting team members, Ebony Baker and Jordan Weidemann. Fresh-faced and dressed in their sports attire (netball and Australian Rules football, respectively), Baker and Weidemann embody a youthful spirit of strength, hope and camaraderie.

The clouds are looking darker hinting that the evening part of the day is almost upon us, also indicated by our car lights automatically switching from day driving lights to night driving. This stop over gives us the time to prepare to drive to our evening accommodation close out for the informative and appreciation of the history and unique artwork that brings essential tourism back into country Victoria.

The opportunity to share this road trip with members of who we have met previously, to the introduction to new members, the friendships now formed and shared experience has taken us away from our conventional lifestyle and will be a unique recollection collection that we tell our friends and family,  as well as when we meet again.

Paul Holliday
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Day 3 | Monday, 10 June 2019

Ok, after completing an additional 704km for work over the last two days it is my turn to upload my images from the join ClubMINI VIC and BWM drivers club.

So, I'll start with day 3 - yes, I do things in an odd order.

Day 3 of the Murray - Grampians Art Silo tour started with a wet morning matched by the underlying sense that today was the last day off what had been an amazing weekend. Starting the morning with a full tank of 98Ron and the traditional fluid checks the morning came to life with the undeniably sound of a R53 supercharger.

We all know the saying "if you walk away from your car and don't look back, you own the wrong car", well that is the same sentiment when I start the engine.

Day 3 was the shortest day as we departed Horsham for a drive over the Grampians to our lunch spot in Dunkeld. The radios cracked to life with the call that all cars where in the convoy and 16 cars departed. There was a sense of disappointment as we had to avoid the Horsham Antique shop. We made our way along the highway and turned right towards the Grampians. The roads where reasonable for drivers with stock suspension but the few drivers with a lowered sense found them to be less then comfortable but still enjoyable.

Whilst well made the roads where narrow so a few dust clouds and stones where raised. Reed Lookout was the first destination and as we ascended through the fog it was definitely a site to be seen. However, the ClubMINI VIC beanies came in very handy as the cold winds and mist certainly required a few extra layers. As we waited for Peter Williams, the resident photographer to move the sun across the scenery there was an awesome view across the valley. Unfortunately, the second lookout was not such a great vista, fog the natural enemy of good vision won out on that occasion.

We descended down the other side of the Grampians to Halls Gap, which as predicted was very busy so rather then add to the traffic congestion the team moved to the local reservoir to assemble for photos and drone time. As had become custom on our assembled park ups, we all stood pack and admired the fantastic vista of 16 proud vehicles looking at their caring owners. 

The last stretch to Dunkeld was some very spirited roads providing brilliant opportunities for some drivers to use the forward and rearward dash cams to create great convoy footage. Lunch was a quaint cafe that provided comforting food and a sun warmed room.

Drivers departed to their home locations form here, our drive took as through Ararat and surprisingly for the weekend the first major police presence. The poor police officer had to bend over quite a way to lower the breathalyser through the window. Finally arriving home, the unpack begun. Each bag bringing back the memories of the little country stall or shop that we stopped at some near the silos and others just little cafe's or lolly shops.

All in all, if you ever get a chance to do a tour like this, don't just walk, run, get involved. The people are amazing, the cars are stunning, the views are breathtaking and the jokes well they are only appreciated by the humorous among us.

Thanks to ClubMINI VIC and BMWDCM for the experience. Jo Mawson and Peter Williams, you did an amazing job, and to everyone else, thanks for making what to me is normally less than happy long weekend a beautiful memory full of laughter, joy and some really funny stories.

Andrew Weir
Club MINI

The rarefied world of car designers is a pretty select group, normally slaving away over sketch pads and clay models – inaccessible to the general public.  We were fortunate enough to be invited by BMW Group Australia to meet Calvin Luk, the exterior designer of the X1, X3 and all-new Z4, and to have him explain the process and inspiration behind the third generation Z4.

But first he explained in brief how he got to be where his is.
Calvin was born in Hong Kong but grew up in Australia and studied at the University of Technology Sydney.  He and some friends tried to see how many of them could get into the boot of the then new MINI at the Sydney Motor Show, which lead to a conversation with a senior BMW AG employee who offered to pass on Calvin’s requests for information on how to become a car designer – requests that he had to race home to type up and deliver back to the stand.

Those requests were duly answered and one suggestion, which Calvin followed up on, was to study at Art Center College of Design, securing an internship from BMW along the way.

All this got Calvin into the BMW design team.

He explained that the process of designing a new car starts with a design brief which contains all the basic information: the car size, wheelbase, proposed engines, target market etc.  All fairly fluid at this point but enough to establish the parameters to work from.  There is also the BMW handbook of design guidelines, family features, etc.

Various designers work up concept sketches which show the character and basic looks of the car, from which the board of directors will choose one to go forward for more detailed work.

From here on its gets serious as all sorts of other departments get involved – engineering, production, safety, aero dynamists etc., all with their own particular requirements which must be met as the final design takes place.

These days that work is done using virtual reality software and 3D design tools culminating in clay full size models to get the true picture of what it looks like in various lighting conditions.  The clay model is also used to verify the aerodynamic performance in a wind tunnel.

Calvin amazed us by sketching out a picture of the Z4 freehand on an electronic drawing tablet explaining how the character of the vehicle is built in, starting with the headlamps.

He explained that in the same way the eyes are the key to our face, the headlamps are key to the car’s face. And in this case the double headlamp design is stacked on to top of each other rather than side to side to emphasis the low kidney grilles and air intakes, giving the car a more aggressive front down appearance.  Just little things he did whilst drawing changed the appearance dramatically.

Calvin drew in the central air intakes, pointing out that it was blacked out at either end allowing the radar sensors to be hidden behind, keeping the front end view clean and purposeful.  Around the rear wheel arches a few carefully placed creases and scallops ahead of them gave the appearance of a much wider stance than is actually the case.  It was astonishing to see and hear that so much detail is included in this process, before the real detailed work gets underway.  For instance, the angle and height of the grilles and the slope of the bonnet have to accommodate pedestrian impact requirements.

I jokingly asked if the virtual reality simulations included detailed the new (apparently aeroplane shaped – nice touch) elements in the kidney grille as they look very fiddly to clean. He laughed and said, no, they did not.  But, they do include a virtual automatic car wash to make sure that car can be cleaned and that the wash roller does not get caught up the grille.  They did recess the grille slightly to prevent the car wash rollers damaging the grille element surface.  They also had to refine the grille to make it easier to produce.

Although he did not talk about it I do know that BMW use virtual reality software to virtually assemble the entire car before it gets signed off for production.

As the lead designer, Calvin gets to stay with the project right up to job one on the production line, so any glitches along the way are learnt ready for next time.

At just 34 Calvin is about the youngest lead designer for BMW and he is obviously very good at his job to have won the competition to design 3 cars already.  As with anyone really on top of their game he made it look easy, but clearly there is a lot too it and a lot of knowledge and thinking required to make it all happen.  It was real delight to have the chance to see and hear how Calvin works, and our thanks go to BMW Group Australia.

Lawrence Glynn |  Member #3
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Historic Winton

A large part of the enjoyment of attending a live event or function is the atmosphere and interaction with others attending that event. It’s a very different experience to watching the same event on TV regardless of how big the screen is!

There is also the opportunity to see and do lots of things that the cameras do not cover, and I find those aspects to sometimes be more interesting at times than the event itself.

Which is why Shaaron and I made the trip to the Historic Winton race meeting where we met up with a group of friends from our days in Canberra.

As with most classic car race meetings there is a classic car display as well as the racing.  So we took my BMW 700 on a trailer behind my E21 323i JPS Edition – which was an interesting experience in itself.  The towing capacity of the E21 is 1200 kg and the 700 plus trailer is about 1000 kg, so not much room to play with.  It actually towed OK, even if it struggled a little on the hills – level road happy speed being about 95 dropping to about 85 up hill - and there are a lot more hills on the route when one is towing!

A common compliant of “modern” car racing is that the cars don’t slide and one can not see the driver at work, which does not apply to the refreshingly old school classic cars.  If you are a bit of a Luddite your deeply held suspicions of the advantages of so-called technical advancement can be sated by the sight of cars from the first generation of a particular formula beating the supposedly much faster later generation cars.  Which actually proves that the driver is at least as important as the car and that preparation and setup may have a significant role too.

Historic Winton uses the short course layout, so the entire track is visible form several locations. The to and fro of battles can be watched right around the track.  Some of the racing is very close, but the drivers seem to remember the age of their cars so it remains respectful although a bit of paint does get swapped from time to time.

Winton also has races for historic motorcycles, which looks terrifying, and side-car combinations, which looks borderline suicidal but strangely fascinating.

The event this year celebrated, amongst other things, 60 years of Mini, so there was a strong contingent on track both in the races and on the Sunday lunch break parade laps.

Selected cars from the display were invited to join the parade, using a set of criteria which is unknown to me and possibly to the organisers, but the 700 was selected which was nice (thankfully the JPS was not also selected otherwise I would have had to do a lot of running between cars!).

So, I can now truthfully say I have taken the 700 on the track! Although they were very successful in racing in the day I think they must have had a different clutch in the race cars and probably a lot less wear in the gear change mechanism.

My two cars attracted a lot of attention and positive comment which was nice.  They were located in what is considered the premier display area for this event, by invitation only, handily placed for maximum exposure but a little dowdy.

Situated next to us was a display of ambulances from times gone by, complete with a compressed air driven CPR machine – “The Thumper”!

After dropping off the 700 and trailer at Hastings we made our home on the ferry – getting star treatment and a parking spot well away from any other car!

We enjoyed the weekend, a bit different from the Sandown Historic meeting and not as atmospheric as Phillip Island but still a great weekend away.

Lawrence Glynn |  Member #3
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne