Sunday, 20 January started off with some low clouds which looked like they would clear quickly.
We had 3 cars to prepare for this event, our E3, E21 and Lawrence Glynn’s new pride and joy his BMW 700. All looking sparking clean (the cars I mean), we all headed off to the Hastings meeting point to be greeted by an absolute wonder of historic cars of all ages and marques.
The organisers had a marque set up with breakfast and coffee for all entrants which was lovely.
Each club were to supply a marshal to be at Cruden Farm to help marshal the entrants into the correct spot, so I headed off a little earlier than the others, who were doing the drive there, which went down to Mount Martha, Mornington, Somerville and finishing at Cruden Farm.
I arrived at 8.45am and there was already a huge number of cars arriving, all looking amazing. Some of the owners had gone to the trouble of dressing up in period costume which really did look great.
We had a great turnout of not only BMW’s, but some amazing other cars from our club were on display.
What an amazing venue for this event, if you have never visited Cruden farm, I recommend you look out for an open day and make a day of it, as it's truly is a treasure.
I would like to thank all our members for attending and presenting their cars so beautifully and look out for this one next year as it really is not an event to miss, it will be one we will be proud to start the year with again.
With over 800 cars and many more attendees, all funds raised on the day went to Peter Mac Cancer Centre.
Jo Mawson | Member #2BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
The EastLink rally is organised by the All British Classics Cub Vic is sponsored by toll company EastLink and raising money for cancer charity Peter Mac. So, a way to get some of our tolls back and give to charity. Two very good reasons to take part.
The rally is a combination cavalcade and car show, with 4 starting points, ending up this year at Cruden Farm. Even more good reason to take part.
This was my first outing with the BMW 700, so I was keen to see how we went on the drive and at the show. The 700 is presently in the tender care of Graeme Bell at Bell Motorsport having a few issues attended to, none of which prevent it running. When I arrived to collect the 700 it was proudly parked at the front of the drive flanked by their E3 2800 sedan and E21 318i. All lovely and clean and ready to go.
Jo drove directly to Cruden Farm in the E21 to be our club’s designated marshal, so she missed out on the scenic drive. Thanks Jo.
Graeme and I drove the short distance from there to our chosen start point at Westernport Marina in Hastings to join about 80 - 100 others of various vintages and makes. We had plenty of time for a coffee, a sausage sizzle and several chats before heading off.
The drive, in a sort of convoy, took a non-direct route, turning a 15 minute drive into about 1 hour, but passing through several cafe strips etc so the general public got to see the cars. There were not very many people at the side of the road, which was disappointing, but good fun anyway.
I was very pleased to keep up, and in fact to be held up! Getting the 700 off the line is a bit of an acquired art I’m still working on. Narrow shoes is the first requirement as the clutch pedal has to be pressed almost all the way to the stop, squeezing in between the floor hump (for heating ducts not transmission) and the steering column. The synchromesh takes a second or two to do its work, but holding the clutch down is awkward. The clutch action is described as “short and sharp” and first gear is only good for 19 km/h flat out. So it can be pretty busy. But once on the move it is fine.
Although I know there are leaks around the drive shaft seals (one of things on Graeme’s list), it was all pretty clean underneath when we arrived. The mess that greeted me after its first drive has not been repeated as the seals etc swell back up. This goes to show the value in actually using a car regularly to keep it in shape.
The car show was excellent. Live music, food vans and other vendors all added to the occasion. Plus plenty of time to enjoy the many delights of Cruden Farm, former home of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch. So you don’t even have to like cars!
One of those who came to chat with me turned out to be a fellow 700 owner, he has a 1962 coupe sport, which is not currently a runner. After seeing mine he left with renewed enthusiasm to get his on the road. This was nice, but annoying, as by all reports prior to that mine was the only 700 in Australia. I'll have to change that to the only 700 sedan in Australia. But then someone else told me there may be a third car, details unknown, partially dismantled for parts. So make that the only sedan on the road in Australia!
Anyway, it was special enough to get an interview for the on site radio channel!
Lawrence Glynn | Member #3BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
At the All British Classics Car Club Vic Inc. Annual General Meeting held last Sunday 10th February, our President, Tony Pettigrew announced that the EastLink Great Australian Rally had raised $58,000 for Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation for Cancer Research.
A fantastic result!
Thank you again for your club’s support and contribution in participating in the EastLink Great Australian Rally conducted for the first time at the Historic Cruden Farm, Langwarrin with a new naming rights sponsor, EastLink.
Rex HallOn behalf of the EastLink Great Australian Rally Committee
Paris will become the city of love for classic cars for five days. At the Rétromobile 2019 exhibition, fans and potential purchasers of classic cars and motorcycles will find everything their hearts desire from 6 to 10 February 2019. BMW Group Classic has joined forces with BMW France and French BMW Clubs to feature a number of exciting chapters in the brand history at Rétromobile 2019. The recent history of BMW roadsters, the long tradition of the brand in the luxury segment, and the history of motor sport over the past four decades is presented through the prism of the fascinating exhibition vehicles. Classics on two wheels are also being presented, alongside services in the areas of parts sales, vehicle dealership and archives. The exhibition in Paris also offers a window onto the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2019.
Rétromobile is one of the biggest and most diverse exhibitions of classic vehicles in Europe. Around 650 exhibitors from all over the world will be represented in the 44th edition of the event at the Porte de Versailles exhibition complex in Paris. More than 600 historic vehicles will be shown on an area of some 6 700 square metres in exhibition halls 1, 2 and 3. Many of them will be for sale, along with replacement parts, workshop equipment and lots of other products to excite fans of classic vehicles. The rare treasures presented by BMW will be shown in Hall 1 at an exhibition stand divided into several sections each with a dedicated theme. Passepartout frames mounted in the partition walls provide visitors with a view of other sections of the exhibition stand from a variety of different perspectives.
BMW Group Classic celebrated its presentation at Rétromobile 2019 by announcing that owners of classic vehicles in France would have access to enhanced service packages in future. This is being achieved by extending the international network of BMW Classic Partner to French locations. The certified BMW Classic Partner will be offering fans and owners of historic automobiles comprehensive and professional service packages in the areas of repair, restoration and parts supply, as well as specialist advice about the purchase and sale of vehicles. The network of BMW Classic Partners currently covers sites in Germany, Austria, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Belgium and the USA.
Once pioneering, today a classic car: the BMW Z1.
The roadsters of the BMW brand have always epitomised open-top driving pleasure for two people. Some 30 years ago, the first examples of the BMW Z1 were delivered to expectant customers. Originally, the two-seater was a development project run by BMW Technik GmbH, designed to enrich knowledge about innovative vehicle structures and materials in the course of the project. The plastic body mounted on a self-supporting steel chassis, the retractable doors and the agile driving performance generated enthusiasm right from the start. Today, this passion is shared by fans of youngtimers and classic cars alike. One of the 8 000 BMW Z1 automobiles delivered up until 1991 will be presented at the Rétromobile 2019 and offered for sale. The vehicle has been restored to its original condition and although it is only on the threshold of classic-car status, it is nevertheless already one of the coveted collectibles from the model history of the brand. A comparison between the BMW Z1 and the new BMW Z4 – set to make waves from March 2019 – shows that the universal attraction of an open-top sports car retains its lustre to this day.
BMW 507: sportiness and luxury in the open air – and on the water.
Almost three and a half decades before sales of the BMW Z1 were launched, another roadster that has meanwhile become a legend was creating a sensation for the first time. The BMW 507 was presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in 1955. It embodies dynamic performance, elegance and a generous portion of luxury. In 1957, BMW commissioned Starnberg-based boatbuilder Werft A. Rambeck to construct a speedboat on the basis of the numerous design attributes in the styling of the road-going vehicle. The speedboat was powered by the BMW 401 marine engine derived from the automobile powerplant, and at 150 hp it precisely matched the power of the eight-cylinder unit mounted in the BMW 507. The unique special was long believed to have been lost, but the boat was discovered a few years ago and restored by Werft Rambeck. At Rétromobile 2019, BMW Group Classic is presenting the roadster and the boat together with the new BMW 8 Series convertible, which transfers the combination of sportiness, luxury and open-top joy to the present day.
Racing car for the BMW Junior Team and the Procar Series.
Two outstanding competition vehicles recall the glory days of the 1970s in motor sport with two outstanding competition vehicles. A BMW 320 built in accordance with Group 5 regulations is presented in homage to a successful era of the brand in touring-car sport. Front spoilers, rear wings and flared wheel arches with flamboyant styling characterise the competition vehicle developed on the basis of the first generation of the BMW 3 Series. Under the bonnet, the car is powered by a Formula 2 racing engine, which generates an output of 300 hp from a displacement of 2.0 litres. In 1977, BMW competed with the new touring car in the German Racing Championship (DRM). At the same time, this formed the launchpad for a new form of promotion for junior drivers. Eddie Cheever, Marc Surer and Manfred Winkelhock competed in the BMW Junior Team against established, world-class drivers. They became the darlings of the public and collected a bumper harvest of points.
Two years later, drivers lined up at the start of the first races in the Procar Series initiated by BMW. This was an ideal stage to put the racing version of the BMW M1 through its paces. In the Procar Series, Formula 1 pilots and touring-car drivers competed against each other in identically engineered vehicles powered by 470 hp engines. The races were held in 1979 and 1980 as part of the warm-up for the Formula 1 World Championship races in Europe and they developed into a massive success with a big public following. A Procar racer from the collection of BMW Group Classic is being presented at Rétromobile 2019.
Pioneering collectibles with Boxer engines.
Connoisseurs and collectors of historic two-wheelers will be delighted with the exhibits shown in the section of the exhibition stand dedicated to classic two-wheelers from BMW Motorrad. The vehicles offered for sale there include a BMW R51/3 from the 1950s and a BMW R 60/5 from the touring motorcycle series presented in 1969. The BMW R 51/3 was launched in the marketplace in 1951. Its completely redesigned two-cylinder Boxer engine with a capacity of 500 cubic centimetres was also a new development and impressed aficionados right from the start with its smooth-running performance and high level of reliability. BMW also explored new avenues with the /5 Series. The models BMW R 50/5, BMW R 60/5 and BMW R 75/5 were designed as sporty tourers styled in a modern design and they were fitted with a completely new chassis incorporating a telescopic fork for the front wheel and an adjustable rear-wheel suspension. Other innovations included the electric starter and the fact that customers had a choice of different colours for the first time. The launch of the /5 Series also heralded the completion of relocating motorcycle production from Munich to Berlin.
Snapshot of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2019.
Visitors to Rétromobile 2019 also have an opportunity to get in the mood for an absolute highlight in the calendar of the worldwide fan community for classic cars. BMW Group Classic is presenting the programme for the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2019. The beauty contest for historic automobiles and motorcycles is being held from 24th to 26th May 2019 in Cernobbio, Northern Italy. It is being presented under the motto “The Symphony of Engines – 90 Years of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este & BMW Automobiles”. This recalls the early beginnings of the vehicle show on the shores of Lake Como and the origins of automobile production at BMW.
BMW PRESS CLUB
The MINI presentation at the Brussels Motor Show 2019 is dedicated entirely to a round anniversary. The motor show in the Belgian capital is the scene of the world premiere of the MINI 60 Years Edition. With this exclusive design model, the British premium automobile manufacturer recalls the debut of the classic Mini in the year 1959. At that time, this economical and agile small car laid the foundations for a worldwide brand success story that continues to this day. 60 years on, MINI presents a model program to the Brussels Motor Show visitors from 19 to 27 January that offers a modern interpretation of the brand’s core properties. It ranges from the first MINI to feature an electric motor through to the extremely sporty John Cooper Works models.
The founding father and bestseller among the top athletes of the model program is the MINI John Cooper Works (combined fuel consumption: 6.9 – 6.9 l/100 km with 6-speed manual transmission, 6.2 – 6.1 l/ 100 km with 8-speed Steptronic gearbox; combined CO2 emissions: 158 – 157 g/km with 6-speed manual transmission, 142 – 140 g/km with 8-speed Steptronic transmission). At the Brussels Motor Show 2019 MINI presents the new version of the 3 door, whose emissions output is now optimised by means of a standard particulate filter.
Anniversary design model: the MINI 60 Years Edition.
With its exclusive design and equipment features, the MINI 60 Years Edition – to be shown in public for the first time in Brussels – authentically expresses the traditional sporting spirit and British origins of the brand. A distinctive appearance is ensured by the body colour British Racing Green, a contrasting finish on the roof and exterior mirror caps, bonnet stripes in a specific anniversary design and 17-inch light alloy wheels in the version 60 Years Spoke 2-tone. The anniversary logo also appears on the side scuttles, door sill finishers, front headrests as well as in the LED logo projection on the driver’s side. In addition the exclusive design model has model-specific interior trim finishers.
The standard equipment of the edition vehicles also features a sports leather steering wheel as well as sports seats in the leather trim MINI Yours Leather Lounge 60 Years and the exclusive colour Dark Maroon. The MINI 60 Years Edition will be available from March 2019 onwards as a MINI 3 door and MINI 5 door, each with four engine variants.
The lightweight camper concept and virtual experience were designed by Designworks to showcase a new fabric innovation from The North Face called FUTURELIGHT™, which uses Nanospinning technology to create the world’s most advanced, breathable, waterproof material.
“We combined both physical and digital worlds to showcase this material, ensuring the holistic vision of the brand was clearly communicated, while giving people a real ‘hands-on’ experience,” said Laura Robin, Designworks LA Studio Director. “Thinking about extreme performance in new and unexpected ways from our experience of working across multiple industries, helped us to provide consumers with a unique and never before seen insight into the very heart of the material and its key attributes.”
The FUTURELIGHT camper was inspired by the 2008 BMW GINA Light Visionary Model concept car. Like the GINA Concept, the FUTURELIGHT™ Camper is made of a fabric outer shell, consisting of a flexible material stretched over an iconic geodesic dome to demonstrate the potential uses of FUTURELIGHT™ fabric beyond just apparel.
The revolutionary Nanospinning process used to create FUTURELIGHT™, has allowed the The North Face designers to add air permeability into the membrane of a fabric for the first time. The process creates nano-sized holes, allowing for incredible porosity while still maintaining total waterproofness, letting air move through the material and provide more venting than ever before.
The FUTURELIGHT™ Camper, is on display during the global consumer electronics tradeshow, by invite-only Jan. 7 – Jan. 11 in Las Vegas. FUTURELIGHT™ will first become available to consumers in The North Face Fall 2019 product line and will be featured across the brand’s pinnacle performance collections.
An overview of BMW’s in-house developments for the BMW iFE.18:
Rear-end structure and rear suspension.
As well as the drivetrain, the rear-end and the rear suspension are the two areas where the BMW i Motorsport engineers had the greatest leeway for their own developments. While the chassis, battery and tyres are standard Formula E parts, in order to keep a lid on costs, the engineers at BMW i Motorsport designed the rear axle, including suspension and shock absorbers, themselves and integrated the drivetrain in the rear part of the car. As each drivetrain has its own individual properties, each team is responsible for integrating the drivetrain into the rear-end structure of the cars and finding a cooling set-up that suits these properties.
The team can configure typical set-up parameters on the chassis of the BMW iFE.18, such as spring rates, anti-roll bars, ride height, toe and camber. The chassis set-up plays an important role in achieving maximum mechanical grip on the tarmac surfaces of the street circuits, some of which are very uneven compared to permanent racetracks. It is also important that both the chassis and the rear-end structure are robust enough to cope with driving over aggressive kerbs and light contact with the barriers on the street circuits used in Formula E.
The so-called Generative Design process was used when developing various components. This made it possible to directly derive the design of the components from the load cases, with the assistance of computers, to incorporate the experience and expertise of the BMW i Motorsport engineers, and then to produce the components from aluminium using a 3D printing procedure. In the case of other components, this combination of know-how and technology has made it possible to very efficiently integrate various functions, such as in the cooling circuits, in very few parts.
The many years of experience possessed by BMW i Motorsport engineers in the development and production of fibre-reinforced plastics really came into its own in the design of the rear-end structure. The structure is not only very light, but a wide range of functions have also been integrated directly into the structure. The crash load requirements of the sporting authorities were also met in full and without any problems at the first attempt.
The topic of sustainability also plays a major role in the development of the BMW iFE.18. BMW i Motorsport engineers are working very closely with their colleagues in production to increasingly integrate renewable resources in suitable components.
Brake-by-wire system.
Another major in-house BMW development is the electronic, brake-by-wire braking system. The introduction of this system represents a big technological step for Formula E and, in this regard, takes it to the same level as Formula 1 and the LMP1 category in the FIA World Endurance Championship. As of Season 5, brake-by-wire controls the relationship between mechanical braking force, when the driver pushes the brake pedal, and the braking effect generated by energy harvested during deceleration and braking. When the motor recovers energy from the braking process during the race, it basically functions as an additional brake on the rear axle of the car. Previously, drivers had to manually adjust the brake balance to balance the additional braking effect. The electronics on the BMW iFE.18 now perform this balance.
The integration of the brake-by-wire system and, above all, the software logic developed by the BMW i Motorsport engineers, significantly increases the regeneration potential – the maximum amount of energy that can be fed back into the battery when braking. Finding the best possible configuration of this software is crucial to be able to contest the entire race distance with maximum power from the battery, whilst complying with the amount of energy permitted by the regulations. In practice, overcoming this challenge requires the engineers to achieve the best possible relationship between speed and energy management. Their task is to calculate a race time optimisation with the limited amount of energy. It is important to keep sight of all the race action – to read the data and to anticipate what may be coming – to then decide, together with the driver, in which phases of the race it is better to save energy and when to attack, to make up positions or open a gap to the cars behind.
An overview of standard parts and in-house BMW developments on the BMW iFE.18:
Standard parts:
BMW developments:
For over 25 years now, the BMW Individual Manufaktur customisation facility in Garching near Munich has been producing exceptionally high-quality equipment features, extraordinary special-edition models and spectacular one-offs – all sporting a highly distinctive design and further enriched by the world’s finest, most precious materials. And the bespoke styling specialists have now opened up a new dimension in exclusivity by looking beyond our planet and bringing the night sky into the car. In the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky (fuel consumption combined: 9.8 – 9.7 l/100 km [28.8 – 29.1 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions combined: 224 – 221 g/km), applications made from meteoritic material grace selected controls. Human fascination with the infinite vastness of the universe is also mirrored in the illuminated constellations of stars on the centre console and in the surface design of the luxury sports car’s trim finishers, seat backrests, brake discs and exterior add-on parts, which draws inspiration from celestial bodies.
The BMW Individual M850i Night Sky will be presented in the run-up to an exceptionally intense meteor shower expected to take place overnight from 3 – 4 January 2019. The show of shooting stars will begin when the Earth briefly passes through the orbit of the asteroid 2003 EH, during which time fragments from the asteroid will enter our planet’s atmosphere and burn up. On rare occasions, smaller rocks in space penetrate our planet’s protective shield and fall to Earth as meteorites. Some of these extra-terrestrial fragments have now been incorporated into the cabin of the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky.
By employing materials that are literally out of this world, BMW Individual Manufaktur has succeeded in giving the car unique and highly original aesthetic appeal and, in the process, pushed back the boundaries once again of what can be achieved when designing a car interior. The meteoritic rock adorns the whole of the centre console’s trim plate, the start/stop button for the V8 engine, the selector lever for the eight-speed Steptronic transmission and the Touch Controller for the iDrive system, creating a visual and tactile effect unparalleled in the automotive sector. Inlays made from meteorite material have also been incorporated into the door sill finishers, together with an illuminated model badge. All of which ensures the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky embodies luxury and exclusivity at an unprecedented level.
BMW Individual Manufaktur: birthplace of one-off specimens with a character of their own. The BMW Individual Manufaktur customisation facility has always specialised in the production of one-off creations that lend expression to BMW drivers’ personal sense of style. Its mission is to turn individual customer requests into reality. The specialists from BMW Individual work together with the customer to produce bespoke solutions that range from extraordinary exterior paint finishes to exotic materials for the interior, special equipment features, accessories, stitching patterns, engravings and inlays. During the design and manufacturing process, creativity, attention to detail, craftsmanship, an uncompromising commitment to quality and a flair for the exceptional merge together to create truly unique cars.
In its quest for new creative possibilities, new combinations of materials and new processing techniques, BMW Individual frequently collaborates with big design names and famous luxury firms from other sectors. Input from artists and scientists helps to build the know-how needed to develop new products and exclusive one-offs. In designing the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky, BMW Individual called on the expertise of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, which is also located in Garching.
One of a kind: Widmanstätten-patterned surfaces. Expanding on the use of meteoritic material for the controls inside the sports car, the design of many other interior and exterior elements takes its cues from a structure that only occurs in natural form on extra-terrestrial objects: the distinctive Widmanstätten surface pattern of meteorites. The strictly geometric structure, with its straight lines, has the appearance of ice crystals and becomes visible when certain types of iron meteorite are polished or brought into contact with acidic compounds. The structure is the result of the metal alloy cooling down in an extremely slow process that cannot be reproduced on Earth, making it an unmistakable signature of extra-terrestrial material. The unique pattern was first observed back in the early 19th century by a number of people, including the Austrian scientist Alois von Beckh Widmanstätten, after whom it is named.
The singularity of the Widmanstätten structure is symbolic of BMW Individual’s ongoing pursuit of innovative design solutions never seen before. Visible in the hand-stitched headliner and on the centre console’s trim finishers, it has also been milled into the brake discs of the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky. This distinctive meteorite pattern can also be found on the exterior mirror caps, the front splitters for the side air intakes at the front of the car, the centre mesh plate and the surrounds for the Air Breathers on the front side panels. These exterior components were all specially developed for the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky and individually manufactured using a 3D printing process.
The result of motor sport and manufacturing know-how: innovative, ultralight brake callipers with bionic design, made using 3D printing methods. The same innovative additive manufacturing process is employed for making the brake callipers. Here, 3D printing techniques take intelligent lightweight design to a new level. The aluminium brake callipers with bionic design fitted on the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky were developed by BMW Motorsport and are up to 30 per cent lighter than components produced using conventional methods. The substantial reduction in unsprung mass produces a noticeable improvement in driving dynamics and ride comfort.
The BMW Group harnessed both its motor sport know-how and its expertise in the application of 3D printing for aluminium components to help it develop and manufacture the pioneering, bionic-design brakes. When creating the brake callipers, it was possible to reduce their mass to the minimum required to meet technical requirements, meaning that only the material needed for the brakes to work is used. The resulting form, whose construction mimics that of bones – with an optimum balance between component rigidity and weight – can only be produced using an additive manufacturing method and not with conventional casting techniques. What is more, it was possible to incorporate the brake fluid channels into the structure of the brake callipers. Additive manufacturing was again key to producing this integral design, which has additional benefits for the installation and rigidity of the lightweight braking system.
Innovations for individuality: leather trim in tri-colour design and LED-illuminated star constellations on the centre console. BMW Individual fine-grain Merino leather trim in tri-colour design and the Opal White/Midnight Blue/Silver colour scheme constitute another first for interior styling. The Widmanstätten structure – a defining feature of the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky interior – is repeated in the stitching pattern for the seat centre sections.
The centre console armrests add another touch of brilliance, their special design inspired by the glittering heavens at night. LED units are used to illuminate their surfaces, producing the effect of a star-studded sky and giving the luxury sports car’s cabin a richly atmospheric feel. Deep-pile carpeting in Midnight Blue puts the finishing touches to the stylish interior ambience.
The exterior paintwork of the BMW Individual M850i Night Sky adds to its captivating aura. The BMW Individual special paint finish deftly combines two colour tones to achieve a high-impact effect. Black non-metallic was used as the base colour for the body. A second coat in San Marino Blue metallic was then painted over it in a graduated effect from the bottom edge of the body up to the top of the wheel arches. Finally, three layers of clear coat with varying pigment particle sizes were applied to give the paint finish a remarkable sense of depth.
The perfect platform for a mesmerising one-off: the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe luxury sports car. The new BMW M850i xDrive Coupe provided the ideal basis for this sensational one-off model from BMW Individual Manufaktur. With its 390 kW/530 hp V8 engine, track-tuned chassis technology and BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system, the four-seater brings a new brand of sporting flair, emotional appeal and hallmark BMW driving pleasure to the luxury segment. Developed alongside both the BMW M8 and the BMW M8 GTE endurance racing car, the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe is built around a flawlessly honed overall concept that translates into captivating performance on the road. Sophisticated chassis systems enable the coupe to cover an exceptionally broad spectrum between sportiness and comfort, complementing the car’s dynamic prowess with outstanding everyday usability and long-distance capability.
The BMW M850i xDrive Coupe’s emotionally engaging body design is a product of the brand’s new design language, which conveys sporting appeal, sensual allure and exclusiveness through a core focus on precision and clarity. Like the optional carbon-fibre roof, a selection of special details elsewhere on the car serve to optimise its aerodynamic properties and lower its weight. Together with its low centre of gravity, long wheelbase and wide tracks, this helps the BMW M850i xDrive Coupe to blend sports performance and luxurious ride comfort more cohesively than any other car in its segment.
MONTH IN REVIEW
Hello, and welcome to 2019! We hope you're not all feeling too worse for wear after celebrating New Years last night. We also hope you had a fantastic Christmas and are ready to launch into 2019!
But first, let's recap the last month of our 2018.
December began with a multi-club weekend away with BMW Drivers Club NSW and BMW Car Club Canberra. The 35+ who attended had a fantastic weekend away with some really enjoyable drives. Read more about our weekend here.
We then had a handful of members attend Phillip Island for the last round of our Drivers' Championship. Unfortunately with Phillip Island being such a popular track, not all who wanted to attend were able to register. For those that did get to attend, it was a beautiful sunny day down at the Island.
With many being unable to enter the sprint day at Phillip Island, we held a Coffee, Cake & Cars morning at Cooee Cafe in Capel Sound. It was fantastic to see so many of you and your families and many different cars. Read more about the morning here.
We finished our club year with our Christmas Members Meeting at Waverley BMW. We had a fantastic night where we were treated to a tour of the showroom and the workshop. We also gave away a number of door prizes to some lucky members who attended. Read more about our night here.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 290 MEMBERS
Welcome to all our new members, we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event!
Don't forget to catch up with our December update from our President, Graeme Bell here.
THE MONTH AHEAD
EVENTS AHEAD
2019 DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
We've also got some driver training and come and try days planned for 2019. We'll have some more information available on those shortly, with one already organised for 30 June at Sandown.
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Dear Members,
Wow! Christmas is done already! Where did 2018 go?
Who would have thought this time last year what 2018 would bring? Here we are on the cusp of 2019 and we are very close to hitting 300 members! I just can’t express how proud I am of our little club and how much it has grown in such a short time. Thank you all for coming on board and supporting us to give you what you want, to make this the best car club we can, for you.
We had our final club meeting for the year at Waverley BMW in December, thank you to the Staff there for looking after us and showing us around the dealership, what an amazing place! Keep an eye on the 2019 calendar, as we will do another meeting there to have a closer look at the drive-in-drive-out repair system and the wheel repairs they can do in house. It was great catching up with the members that came along and won a few prizes too. Remember, always bring your membership card to go in the barrel for a prize at all of our meetings.
The first weekend of December was our first interstate inter-club event, with members from BMW Drivers Club NSW, BMW Car Club Canberra and our own BMWDCM members, all meeting in Albury for a two-day run through the high country on fantastic driving roads, up and down the mountains. It was a great weekend away and one we will definitely do again next year! It was great to see friends from the other clubs and making new ones that share the passion for our wonderful cars. If you missed this, put it in your calendar for next year, as we will be making it an annual inter-club event. There were 2 different driving routes, one with more twists and turns for drivers to enjoy (not so sure all of the passengers would think they were as good though?) and the other more leisurely for those that came for the drive through some equally lovely countryside, without so many bends. Read more of the stories about the events on the blog.
The second weekend of December saw a few lucky Members at Phillip Island for the last round of our Driver’s Championship. It was a very popular event so not many of our members were able to get a spot. When considering your entry in our 2019 calendar, ensure you get in quick to avoid missing out. Final results for the year will be up on the website soon. Our 2019 Drivers' Championship calendar is now online. Our Driver Training and Come and Try dates will be up soon too! We have quite a few bookings in place to run our own events at tracks and other venues next year, we will also do a few events with AROCA to spread out the year. The first round will be at Sandown with AROCA - entries are out now, so get your entry in, and we’ll see you there on 16 February. If you don’t want to drive but still want to be involved, we need lots of people to get their CAMS Official’s licences and help us run the events. There is no cost involved in getting an Official’s licence, but it is a great way to be involved and come and help your club and other members enjoy our shared passion. Call or email me if you want to now more about becoming a CAMS Official.
In December we also had an impromptu coffee, cake and cars meeting at Cooee Café in Capel Sound. It was a great spot and we will be using them again for a coffee stop on runs down the Peninsula. There was plenty of parking, fantastic meals and great coffee.
I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and have a safe and Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you at one of our events in 2019. We have lots of very special events in the planning for new year and beyond, so keep an eye on the calendar and emails so you don’t miss any of them. The first one being the Eastlink Great Australian Rally to Cruden Farm - one not to miss, there will be some amazing cars there to see, both from our club and others.
Thank you all for a fantastic start to the club’s life, we look forward to seeing you in 2019!
Take care and drive safe.
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
Both BMW teams have plenty of momentum as they approach the legendary “Mount Panorama” in south-eastern Australia. BMW Team Schnitzer claimed victory at the FIA GT World Cup in mid-November – and intends to build on this strong performance at Bathurst. As he was in Macau (CHN), Augusto Farfus (BRA) will be at the wheel of the #42 BMW M6 GT3 in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. His team-mates will be Martin Tomczyk (GER) and local hero Chaz Mostert (AUS). Last year, BMW Team Schnitzer secured pole position at Bathurst, but the BMW M6 GT3 then had to retire early from the race. “Bathurst is one of the best circuits in the world,” said Farfus. “Last year, we had a good weekend there overall but were unable to top it off with a good result. However, we still learned a lot in 2018. So, I think we are well set for the race in February. We have certainly set ourselves some ambitious targets.” The greatest triumph thus far in the history of Walkenhorst Motorsport came with victory at the Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) 24-hour race in 2018. The team, headed by principal Henry Walkenhorst (GER), is now taking on the new IGTC challenge. Christian Krognes (NOR) will be one of the drivers, accompanied by the BMW works drivers Nick Catsburg (NED) and Mikkel Jensen (DEN). Jensen made the step up from the BMW Motorsport Junior Programme in 2018. Catsburg added: “Bathurst has long been on my to-do list – and now I will be competing there for the very first time. I am really looking forward to it. I am familiar with the circuit from the simulator and I have watched all the races from recent years. Christian Krognes and Mikkel Jensen are great drivers and Walkenhorst Motorsport has just had a sensational year. Now we are preparing intensively for this great event.”
At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the BMW Group will showcase the future of driving pleasure and the potential of digital connectivity in a variety of different ways. From January 8-11 2019, visitors will have their first chance to take a virtual drive in the BMW Vision iNEXT, accompanied by the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. In this way, the BMW Group is underlining its innovative capabilities in the fields of design, automated driving, connectivity, electrification, and services (D+ACES), which are all defined as key areas of future activity in its corporate strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT.
The vision vehicle will be displayed alongside a sophisticated mixed-reality installation that, for the first time, provides a virtual and immersive impression of what it is like to drive autonomously, emission-free, and fully connected in the BMW Vision iNEXT. To begin the simulation, the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant suggests an agenda for the day and plans the activities for the trip perfectly. With virtual reality goggles and a specially-designed spatial concept, visitors are able to immerse themselves in this virtual world: Initially, they drive the BMW Vision iNEXT themselves, but the vehicle soon takes over the driving function. In autonomous “Ease” mode, the driver interacts with the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which makes suggestions and controls various digital services for the driver – from videoconferencing, to shopping, to smart home functions.
With its ground-breaking technology for highly automated driving, intelligent connectivity, and innovative display control concepts, the BMW Vision iNEXT showcases totally new ways to utilize driving time. Visitors can explore the fundamental design principle referred to as “Shy Tech” – discretely integrated technology that only becomes visible when needed – directly, thanks to two further exhibits outside the vehicle. The interior of the BMW Vision iNEXT is designed as a mobile environment that enhances quality of life. This “Favorite Space” answers the question: “What will cars look like when they no longer have to be driven by a person, but still can be?”
The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant marks the dawn of a new era for the BMW brand, using natural language for interaction with the vehicle and to access functions. In the new BMW X5 visitors can check out the functions that will be available for new models from March 2019, along with selected future capabilities of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. The personal assistant is also an integral part of the stand concept. It welcomes visitors at the entrance to the stand and guides them to the center of the exhibition through sound and light experiences.
The BMW Group presence at the CES 2019 is completed by spectacular outdoor vehicle presentations. BMW Motorrad will demonstrate one of its research highlights in the field of automated driving: a self-riding BMW R 1200 GS. The insights gained with this test bike will help provide even better assistance with difficult maneuvers in the future. For the first time, visitors can also take a seat in the all-new, first-ever BMW X7 and enjoy being driven through an impressive off-road course.
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