VicRoads is introducing a new number range for club permit number plates. The current series of plates for club permit holders ranges from 00000.H – 99999.H. Plates from 95000.H onwards are currently being issued and this series is expected to be completed in the coming months. The number series in the next release will range from 0002.H.2 – 9999.H.9. This new series will run on our existing plate design (dark red background/white lettering). To ensure the plates are readable by electronic readers and intelligent management systems (used by the Victoria Police and tolling organisations), there will be some combinations in this new number range that can’t be used, particularly those with the numbers 0, 1 or 5 directly before or after the H. CPS plates Are plates transferable on sale of the vehicle? When a CPS vehicle is sold, the permit is not transferable and must be cancelled with the purchaser to apply for a new permit. When the permit is cancelled, there is no requirement for the plates to be returned to VicRoads unless VicRoads specifically requests the plates to be returned (which is done when a permit is cancelled due to a breach.) CPS plates are not transferable except where: (1) the owner changes clubs; or (2) the vehicle is sold to a member of the same club.
There have been some instances of significant plates where re-use of plates has been allowed. These are considered on a case by case basis for rare and unusual circumstances.
Graeme Bell | Club Permit Officer BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
At the CUSTOMBIKE SHOW, the world’s largest show for customised motorcycles, the hippest customisers from all over the world come to the East Westfalian town of Bad Salzuflen to celebrate the world of customised motorcycles from 30 November to 2 December 2018. More than 300 firms will present over 1,000 custom bikes on an area covering 28,000 square metres in four halls – with BMW Motorrad right in the middle. For the sixth time already, BMW Motorrad is highlighting the customising potential of its models in cooperation with selected customiser garages.
Stylish BMW Motorrad custom bikes. With a total of 15 models, the entire customising range will be on show at the stand of BMW Motorrad extending over an area of approx. 180 sqm – from the individually customised series production bike, moderate custom builds to true custom bike treasures requiring a great deal of craft skills. Striking examples are the “SoulFuel Bikes”, spectacular conversions by renowned customisers based on the current R nineT such as the Giggerl by Blechmann, theIron Racer Mark 2 by KSpeed as well as the SMW 61-B by Sosa Metal Works. The Maximator based on the BMW R 1200 C is another highlight. The custom bike was built with meticulous manual care by the BMW Motorrad development engineer Ulf Musekamp, who was involved among other things in the realisation of the BMW R nineT family. His Maximator took 5th place among 100 bikes in the “Custombike Magazine” readers’ choice. Exclusive: BMW Motorrad Spezial. The “BMW Motorrad Spezial” range shows how much customising is already possible ex works. The high-grade customising parts highlight the great degree to which customers can already customise their BMW bike ex works with special equipment, original accessories and the BMW Motorrad Spezial range. All this and a great deal more awaits visitors from 30 November to 2 December 2018 at the CUSTOMBIKE SHOW in the Bad Salzuflen trade fair centre. Opening hours are: Friday from 12 am – 8 pm, Saturday 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday 10 am – 5 pm.
BMW PRESS CLUB
After the rainy Melbourne weather, it was a breath of fresh air to get on the sunny side of the Great Dividing Ranges and the lovely weather at Winton.
As always, a flurry of activity before the racing with cars off trailers and drivers putting the finishing touches on car preparation followed by the drivers briefing with the familiar group of officials.
My racing story is that after seeing a nice fleet of E30 racing cars outside Bell Motorsport I dropped in to see what was going on and maybe get my E46 325i serviced.
Frustrated by slow speed limits and fast speed cameras town, I had been thinking about doing track days and driving with no risk to licence. Needless to say, Jo and Graeme quickly signed me up with the BMW Drivers Club and I signed on for the sprint events.
I was looking forward Winton, as I thought this would be a great opportunity to test my skill and car on a slower more technical track.
Earlier, after torturing my Michelin Pilot Sports at the Haunted Hills and Broadford sprint days, Graeme suggested Yokohama racing tyres, to save the Michelins and do more enjoyable track work.
My car has done 200,000km and needed new front shocks to reduce vibration and the car had a lot of body roll, so replaced the springs, shocks and added a hefty sway bar. I was really keen to try out the new setup at Winton as the car is driving brilliantly on the road.
Winton is a special track with short straights, sweeping corners and a few very tight corners. I was thankful for that my car is now handling well and I was able to go full throttle earlier out of corners. Interestingly my best lap times for 5 stints were all within 0.4 seconds apart.
Every session on the track put a smile on my face for a different reason, whether it was feeling harmony between the braking and throttle applications, finding the sweet line for turns 5 and 6, catching an MX5 or the raw squeal of tyres and raging noise of a supercharged Alfa Romeo working hard to overtake me out of a tight corner with the sounds stirring my petrol head soul.
As always, I looked forward to hanging out with the BMWDCM “family” as all are genuinely good people and have this enjoyable common interest. Thanks especially to Team Kertes for Paul supplying me with petrol and Rachael some useful track advice.
Rod Martin | Member #29BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
In 1992, the Targa Tasmania was run for the first time and I was smitten. What I didn’t know was that a work colleague had come third outright. I only found out a few weeks later when lazily watching the TV footage on Nine’s Wide World of Sports as it showed his BMW M5 “daily driver” flying along twisty closed public roads at what seemed like silly speeds. It was an instant addition to my “Bucket List.”
Fast forward a few decades and, following the mid-life purchase of a mint BMW Z4M Coupe a few years ago, I felt I was finally equipped with the appropriate car to take on the Targa challenge. Having family living in Mansfield, I decided that the three-day Targa High Country was a good first outing for a “newbie” as I was familiar with the roads in the area and the logistics were relatively simple.
The next question was which category to enter? I decided that it was not worthwhile to effectively destroy my classic car with roll cages and other safety modifications, just to drive in a road rally. The only two categories not requiring major modifications are the competitive TSD (time, speed, distance) category and the non-competitive Targa Tour category.
While the TSD category stirred my competitive juices and required only fitting a $500 RallySafe GPS computer, I decided the safest (and cheapest) option was to enter the Targa Tour category. An “early bird” entry fee $2,000 was enough for my daughter Emma and I to become “co-drivers” of car number T62. We also decided to support the BMWDCM and the Victoria Police Blue Ribbon Foundation to raise awareness of safe and legal motorsport. A big thank you to Jo Mawson for help with printing and to Dale at Sign Point in Lilydale for signage.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of a “Tour”. I suspected it was going to be a relatively pedestrian cruise on the closed Targa Rally roads, effectively sweeping them for the “real” competition road rally cars to follow. I was wrong!
The Targa Tour category is open to any vehicle and does not require any modifications. All we needed were current driver’s licenses, a roadworthy car, CAMS L2S licenses and an intimidating first aid kit with emergency triangles and “kitty litter” for any oil spills.
The Tour cars are grouped into “packets” throughout the Targa. Each packet contains about six to eight cars, which run behind a “Packet Leader” in a separate vehicle, which is fitted with a RallySafe GPS computer and is in radio contact with Targa Rally Control. The packet leaders are experienced road and rally drivers. Their task was to lead each packet of cars at high speed through the closed-road rally course and ensure that we travel safely between each stage on open public roads without attracting the attention of the Victoria Police.
Our packet comprised a former rally-car Porsche 944S2, three HSV Commodores ranging from 317 to 427 kW, a BMW E46 M3 SMG, a Mercedes E220d and us in a BMW Z4M Coupe. Other packets included a posse of Porsches, a plague of Lotuses, a herd of V8 Mustangs and a particularly swift group comprising a Ferrari, a new Nissan GTR, and a few other outrageously expensive toys. We were all followed by a packet including a beautifully restored Mini Cooper S and a Peugeot 205 GTI.
Having completed all the preliminaries of scrutineering and driver briefings we settled down for a very cool evening in the Mount Buller alpine village in preparation for a 7am muster the following morning.
We were greeted with a bright clear morning of sub-zero temperatures and about 50 teams of drivers happily observing the “ankles to cuff” clothing requirements while being breathalysed for zero blood alcohol prior to the start.
Each of the three days started with a 6.76 km stage downhill from Mount Buller to Mirimbah at the bottom of the mountain. This was our first experience of using both sides of the closed road. The ability to apex corners in both left and right turns was a thrill. Our packet leader, in a lightly race-prepared Golf R, set a pace which we could barely match given our inexperience and desire to preserve our much loved machinery. This was definitely NOT a cruise-day drive and I was blessing the team at BMW who fitted E46 CSL brakes to the Z4M.
The 8.26km second stage and 10.52km third stage were conducted on the Eildon-Jamieson Road. This is a twisty monster of a road well known to participants on BMW drive days. We were grateful for the 29km transport section between the stages to get adrenalin levels and heart rates back to near normal. The fourth stage of the morning was a fast 10.38km run near Alexandra, which delivered us to a much-needed break at the Lake Eildon picnic ground.
After a very tasty lunch provided by the Targa organisers, the afternoon comprised four stages basically the same as the morning, but in reverse direction. Weirdly, the reverse direction didn’t equate to familiarity as the “open corners” became “closed and tightening” and fatigue eroded confidence. The final stage was an 18.29km blast up Mount Buller from Sawmill Settlement. It is a road familiar to anyone in an SUV who likes skiing or snow boarding. The elite racing categories completed it in close to nine and a half minutes. We took a little longer, but much quicker than I had ever thought possible.
Day One was a total of 83.5km on eight closed road stages with a total 349km driven in the day.
Day two of the Targa comprised another eight stages with six of them taking the cars out to the north of Mansfield towards Whitfield and a welcome lunch break at the Pizzini Winery. Frustratingly all teams were required to remain at zero blood alcohol so the winery lunch was a very sober affair.
The final Targa stage of day two was a street circuit held in the middle of Mansfield. We actually got to drive past my parent’s old house in Hunter Street at well over the 50kph speed limit and only slightly airborne. This stage was followed by the “Targafest” street festival. Here all competitor cars were displayed in the main street and the locals held a carnival while we sought coffee and a cool place to relax.
An evening transport stage back up the mountain was a tense journey being watchful of both wandering wildlife and the speed-enforcing police. Many competitors were able to have a “quiet meal” in the Mount Buller village being able to walk back to their accommodation (but mindful of the early morning breathalyzer!)
Day 2 covered 72.2km in eight competitive stages and a total of 233km driven in the day.
The final day of the Targa High Country 2018 was always destined to be a marathon. Only four competitive stages, but some real whoppers! As always we started with the quick 6.76km stage down the mountain to Mirimbah, which cleared the cobwebs and warmed the tyres.
The real monster of the day was found by returning to the Eildon-Jamieson Road. This time the stage ran for 48.77 tortuous kilometres of twisting, climbing and diving bitumen. A couple of the Porches and a Lotus decided that “Touring” didn’t required staying on the road and the lunch break in Eildon was extended to allow retrieval of these “sightseers” with a flatbed tow truck.
Thus warned, the Tour group tackled the reverse journey on the same road with a little more respect and some morbid curiosity to see where other had been less careful. These two marathon stages left everyone exhausted and a bit wary as we approached our final run up the mountain from Sawmill Settlement.
The final Mount Buller stage was a celebration of the three days of apex hunting, tyre burning and brake frying thrills. Most drivers had secretly timed themselves on the previous run up the mountain so set themselves the challenge to do better in the finale.
As we shot off up the mountain weaving across both lanes, every part of our Targa experience came together. A series of tight and fast hairpin bends at the summit saw us drifting across the finish line to wild applause from the waiting crowd. Medals and beers followed with many promises to ‘see you next year!’
Day three comprised 113km in four stages over a total of 273kms in the day.
As newbie Targarians we safety completed 268.7km of closed road ‘touring’ in three days. Apart from fuel, entry and accommodation costs, I will need two new rear tyres, some fresh brake pads and about 500ml of lemon juice to get the smile off my face.
Ewen McConchie | Member #70 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Well what can I say after a fantastic day out with the club and its members.
The display was very well organised by the BMWDCM committee (Jo Mawson, Greame Bell, Lawrence Glynn and the rest of the team).
The day was a fantastic family orientated day and felt very welcome to have the car on display as well as feeling very welcome and friendly in the club as a financial member.
Both children and I had a ball on the day and enjoyed chatting amongst the club members as well as watching the car racing and cars on the skid pan.
We loved the atmosphere of the display cars and the variety of cars that were there on the day both from BMWDCM and other clubs that were present on the day.
Geelong revival committee had all classes and vehicles covered from racing cars, open wheelers to motorbikes, historic vehicles, fashion parades as well as different food Van's to wet your appetite.
If you are not a financial member, I suggest joining up to an awesome club with even better people with a passion of driving cars. You won’t be disappointed in a fantastic club that goes beyond means to keep club members happy in a fantastic family friendly environment.
We will be coming along to Geelong revival again to display my car, as well as other club runs and highly suggest other members to come along to a fantastic day.
Hoping to see other members around.
Joel Robin | Member #41BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Virtual reality is increasingly finding use in BMW Group production. A few months before production of the new BMW 3 Series ramped up in Munich, BMW Group planners have completely laid out individual workstations in a virtual world. This includes cockpit preassembly, for example, where the cockpit is put together before being installed in the vehicle. For the first time, building, systems, logistics and assembly planners, together with production employees, were able to assess the whole of the new production area in virtual reality and test new procedures in 3D.
Matthias Schindler, responsible for Virtual Planning and Implementation in Production at the BMW Group: “Virtual reality technology has enabled us to set up cockpit preassembly workstations quickly and efficiently. Time-consuming trial installations that replicate the workstation in its actual dimensions were no longer needed. And the fact that all the specialists involved – from logistics experts to systems planners to production employees – were easily able to exchange ideas in the early stages was an important added benefit for the team. We were more transparent, more flexible and faster overall.”
Production of the existing cockpit continued during preparations without any constraints, since planning only took up space in the virtual world. Being able to work with the same data and software also saved specialist departments and production staff a lot of time. Because it is so easy to use, experts were able to assess how much space the new system needed, for example, quickly and easily and incorporate production employees’ know-how in planning from the beginning. Following a brief introduction and without any specialised knowledge, the team of representatives from different specialist areas was able to launch the project immediately. The software handles complex calculations for real-time rendering of all objects in virtual-reality glasses and simulations.
The basis for this kind of planning is digitalised 3D factory data. For the past several years, the BMW Group has been capturing the real structures of its plants in digital form with millimetre accuracy, using special 3D scanners and high-resolution cameras. This creates a three-dimensional image of production in the form of a so-called cloud diagram. Time-consuming, digital reconstruction of real structures and manual recording on site are no longer needed. Whether planning future workplaces or entire assembly halls, BMW Group departments can now combine existing data with a virtual "library" of shelves, lattice boxes, small load carriers and around 50 other widely-used operating resources.
The chequered flag drops to end another championship and the mighty E30 M3 has bagged another touring car title, 31 years after its first and very successful launch year of 1987. The gulf in budgets means that those fake newspaper front pages the drivers so proudly display from the podium at places like Bathurst, would more likely resemble a ransom note made from cut up newspaper headlines glued back together again from my budget constraints than the perfectly printed examples of self-promotion the media departments of those professional teams so spontaneously produce. For me, I’d be happy with the former as long as they spelt my name right.
“Towe wins championship” is not something anyone typed too often I would imagine.
I have competed in the championship for the now “Historic” classified Group A Touring Cars for 16 years now and have managed to win it twice in that time. The first time was in 2004 in the ex Tony Longhurst JPS Team BMW M3 in a championship which was then decided on one race meeting but the interest and professionalism of the category; now competing as “Heritage Touring Cars” which incorporates genuine Group A Touring Cars which were the main touring car category around the world from 1984-92 and Australian Group C Touring Cars (73-84) as well, has risen to a championship which is decided over 5 rounds spanning most of the year. A change of car to the later built ex Richards/Longhurst M3 which was the last car built by Frank Gardner’s JPS Team at the team HQ in Terry Hills NSW in 1987 reaped rewards for me. The car still uses the same spec motor the brilliant 2302cc, S14 twin cam, four cylinder screamer but the shell is 20kgs lighter and has newer suspension components that were homologated that year make it a better package overall. We regularly beat the Walkinshaw Commodores, Falcon and Torana V8s at many circuits through the M3’s balance of power, braking and handling.
The car is in very original condition with the only real changes from how it was when it took 4th outright at the Bathurst 1000 in 1987 being the fuel cell had to be replaced due to its’ age and the ECU has been updated to a Haltech PS100 because no one had the technology to tune the old ECU these days. Still running the Getrag 265 that it ran all those years ago and the same wheel rims too the car is little changed from those glory days of 1987 and then when the legend Peter Brock ran it in 1988.
Heritage Touring Cars was the first category to officially compete at The Bend Motorsport Park, the spectacular new track in South Australia where we had mixed fortunes over the weekend. It was the first round of the championship and the infield had not had chance regenerate so the howling southerly wind whipped up a fierce dust storm covering the track so badly that you couldn’t see the apexes until you were just about on top of them. I managed to not qualify due to an electrical gremlin which was easily fixed back in the pits and then went onto take 4th after starting from the rear of the grid, second in the next race and sadly DNF the third race putting me out of the rest of the meeting with a spun bearing in the engine. It showed me that I had built a fast engine and The Bend is a place I really want to compete at again.
The second round of the championship was at the rescheduled Muscle Car Masters meeting at Sydney Motorsport Park at Eastern Creek where we again had mixed fortunes. We managed to take another podium at a “muscle car” meeting, third outright in a rain hit final race but at the expense of yet another engine. This time there was a slapping noise from number two cylinder and upon stripping it down we discovered deep score marks in the piston and bore. Sadly this was discovered the day we were loading to go to Morgan Park in Warwick for round three so we had to pull out and set our sights on building the third engine for the year.
Round four took us across Bass Strait to a gem of a track called Baskerville near Hobart and a reuniting with former BMWDCNSW club member David Hall who became part of the crew for the weened. The smoothest meeting of the year saw us qualify 2nd and take 3 podiums including a race win from the 4 races held over the weekend. The tight, twisty nature of the track nullified the horsepower advantage the VL Walkinshaw Commodores and the turbo Sierras normally have over us allowing us to compete for outright placings in each race. During a personal photoshoot the day after the meeting, idiot me broke my beautiful Huon Pine trophy by allowing it to slide off the highly polished roof of the M3 smashing into 3 pieces on the main straight. Lesson learned there.
Now with a handy lead thanks to the massive points haul from Baskerville we set our sights on the less desirable horsepower heaven of Sandown in Melbourne for the last round. The surprise non entry by the ex Bob Holden Toyota Sprinter for the final round meant that we were pretty much assured of the title with the ex Garry Wilmington Jag XJS only a mathematical chance of beating us. After race 2 for the weekend where we took 4th outright the Jag’s challenge was now ended and we secured the Heritage Touring Cars “Peter Brock Trophy” for Group A Touring Cars, an achievement I’m immensely proud of.
Throughout this article you may have noticed me using the term “we” instead of “I”, that’s because although I’m the nut behind the wheel of the car, I simply couldn’t do it on my own. I have family and a few mates who work as my pit crew for each round and their help is invaluable to a season long challenge.
I need to acknowledge the help of a couple of long term BMWDC (NSW) members/sponsors whose knowledge and professionalism assisted greatly. Nick Peak from Peak Performance for his problem solving skills and advice, Andrew Schmitt from ALS Performance who has helped with parts and advice and a few of sponsors who’ve been supporting me for many years now, ADG Welding Supplies in St. Mary’s, Gearbox Express in Ingleburn and Peninsula BM in Melbourne for parts and last but not least my own employees at E.S.S. Garage Doors who keep the business running when I’m competing.
David Towe
For the launch of the new BMW X5 (fuel consumption combined: 11.6 – 6.0 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 264 – 158 g/km; provisional figures), BMW Italy has created an undertaking like no other: bringing the iconic bends of Monza into the secular sand of the Sahara. The historic Monza circuit was reproduced in Merzouga, in one of the most desert areas of Morocco: a route of 5,793 meters that stands out among the sands and rocks of the Sahara. Every bend, every straight section, every chicane has been faithfully reconstructed on a 1:1 scale, both in the radius of curvature and in the distances.
For two weeks, more than 50 people including engineers, surveyors, technicians, workers and pilots have worked and contributed to realize this incredible project. It took 4 days of study and preparation with surveyors, engineers and architects, with 8 post for topographic design and simulation. For 9 days, 4 bulldozers and 4 trucks dug 24 cubic meters at a time to prepare the soil and remove excess sand; while 2 graders and 2 compactors have defined and compacted the track. Over 3500 cubic meters of earth have been moved to give life to the off-road track.
A monumental work that culminates in an unprecedented challenge: the new BMW X5, after having crossed Europe on a journey in stages, has reached the circuit of "Monza, Sahara" in the impervious Moroccan desert where, in the dunes of sand and rocks, has challenged one of the most hostile terrain on the planet and faced Lesmo, Ascari and Parabolica, giving evidence of its off-road ability, thanks to the new xOffroad package, which makes its debut on this model. The new BMW X5 was welcomed in Morocco by the new BMW R 1250 GS, the enduro motorcycle par excellence of BMW Motorrad, recently renovated with a new boxer engine, which was the forerunner in this undertaking.
The new BMW X5: the xOffroad package is an absolute news. The BMW X family originated from the BMW X5 and today, in its fourth generation, this model stands out as it has never done before, both in terms of aesthetics and its modernity. The new BMW X5 impresses with its wealth of innovations and represents the most convincing incarnation to date of the familiar Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) model: the ability to venture off-road perfectly combined with the pleasure of dynamic driving. Like its predecessors, the BMW X5 will be built at the Spartanburg BMW plant in the United States. The launch on the Italian market will be on 24 and 25 November 2018.
The new design of the Bavarian SAV enhances safety and solidity, conferred by the bigger dimensions, if compared to its predecessor, that contribute to the impressive appearance and an enviable interior space. The new BMW X5 maintains the typical proportions of a SAV, clean surfaces and precise lines that accentuate the robustness, safety and grandeur of the car. Even the interiors, cared for in every detail, are characterized by a modern design and an exclusive atmosphere.
The new chassis systems improve the off-road performance, sportiness and comfort of the new BMW X5. The SAV is equipped as standard with Dynamic Damper Control while the Adaptive M Professional suspension with active anti-roll stabilization and Integral Active Steering (making its debut in a BMW X model) guarantee extremely agile and dynamic driving characteristics. The air suspension of the two axles satisfies those looking for maximum driving comfort and allows the vehicle height to be adjusted by 80 millimetres by pressing a button or using the BMW Display Key.
An absolute novelty for the model is the possibility for customers to choose the xOffroad package. A specific button gives the driver the choice between four off-road driving modes (xSand, xRocks, xGravel, xSnow), which automatically determine the ideal vehicle height settings, xDrive system, acceleration response and transmission control, and corrective inputs of the DSC system when you need to drive on sand, rocks, gravel or snow.
For all information on the project and the new BMW X5, visit www.bmw.it/x5.
The core of the BMW M4 DTM modified to meet Class 1 regulations is the newly developed and extremely efficient two-litre turbo engine. The cooling system was also modified for the new unit. The regulations provide for changes in some areas of the aerodynamics in addition. BMW M Motorsport used the test in Portugal to evaluate these innovations on the racetrack for the first time, thereby gathering important information for further preparations for the upcoming season.
“The initial test days with the new BMW M4 DTM with a turbo engine were so much fun,” said Spengler. “It is also very interesting for us as drivers to be involved in the development of a new DTM racing car. I have been driving DTM cars with V8 engines for 14 years, and this was the first time that I’ve been on the racetrack with a four-cylinder turbo engine. This is totally new to me and is so much fun. The car feels great and I am looking forward to the next tests.”
“The car feels really cool when you’re driving it and it is so much fun,” confirmed Wittmann. “You really can feel the performance and the torque of the new engine and the modified aerodynamics mean that the car behaves differently. I’m overwhelmingly positive after the initial test and I think that the fans really have something to look forward to. From the outside you can clearly tell that the cars are much faster than last year. This will definitely make for more of a spectacle. And I can reassure the fans: the sound remains as great as ever. Personally, I prefer it to the previous engines. It sounds a little different, but it is neither quiet nor bad. I like it and I think that the fans will as well. The changes to the cars for 2019 are definitely positive, and I enjoyed being in the car for the initial test and preparing the car for the season with the engineers and mechanics.”
The next test drives with the new BMW M4 DTM are scheduled for 10th and 11th December at Jerez, Spain.
It was an interesting night - two police members brought their "beach theme" coloured Highway Patrol BMW 530d.
We had Leading Senior Constable Mick McGill and Acting Sergeant Heather Allen (who occasionally can be seen on television in Highway Patrol). They were more than happy to have club members drool and crawl all over their BMW. Many took the opportunity to try it on for size and have photos taken in the driver's seat.
They gave an interesting presentation encompassing the many fantastic features of the beast. Also shared the information that cars in the fleet are being replaced as they reach their "use by date", rather than a blanket replacement of vehicles.
We were also given insight into some of the new road laws as well as penalties to be incurred for breaching these, explaining about sliding scales, first offences and other variables.
Blue Ribbon Foundation had merchandise available, with The President of the Peninsula Branch explaining the concept behind the charity - it being all about raising funds through merchandise sales, donations and events - the money being raised used to provide facilities and equipment for hospitals. These then perpetuate and commemorate members of Victoria Police who have died in the line of duty.
Shannon's had a light supper of sandwiches and pizza for us to graze on, and the rather hip combi van fridge was stocked with drinks.
Liga Smith | Member #160 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
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