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BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 6 Sep 2018 7:32 PM | Anonymous



    BMW Team RLL heads to Laguna Seca with a lot of momentum after the maiden victory for the BMW M8 GTE. 

    Following the first BMW M8 GTE victory and a third place at the previous round at Virginia International Raceway (USA), BMW Team RLL heads to this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at Laguna Seca Raceway (USA) with a lot of momentum. Team Principal Bobby Rahal (USA) and his squad aim to extend the success streak on the iconic Californian circuit within sight of Monterey Bay.


    Following the first BMW M8 GTE victory and a third place at the previous round at Virginia International Raceway (USA), BMW Team RLL heads to this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at Laguna Seca Raceway (USA) with a lot of momentum. Team Principal Bobby Rahal (USA) and his squad aim to extend the success streak on the iconic Californian circuit within sight of Monterey Bay.


    It was an historic moment when the #25 BMW M8 GTE crossed the line at Virginia International Raceway on 19th August when Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Alexander Sims (GBR) celebrated the maiden victory for the all-new GT car. Their team-mates Jesse Krohn (FIN) and John Edwards (USA) completed the success in the #24 sister car by finishing third and thus securing the maiden double-podium for the BMW M8 GTE.

    Laguna Seca has seen two BMW victories in recent years. The BMW Z4 GTLM won in 2015 with Edwards and Lucas Luhr (GER) behind the wheel and the BMW M6 GTLM was victorious last year. Edwards shared the 2017 win with Martin Tomczyk (GER). This year, the two BMW Team RLL M8 GTEs are driven by De Phillippi/Sims (#25) and Krohn/Edwards (#24). In addition, Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley (both USA) will team up in the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3, again in the GTD class, at Laguna Seca.




    Quotes ahead of the Laguna Seca race:

    Bobby Rahal (Team Principal, BMW Team RLL): “As a team, or for me as a driver, historically, we have had great success at Laguna Seca. Last year’s win with John Edwards and Martin Tomczyk was a tremendous strategic victory for us and John did a fabulous job getting the maximum mileage that was necessary to realise that strategy. I have to say it was probably one of the most satisfying wins I have ever had as a driver or a team owner so we look forward to returning to Laguna Seca, especially given the performance of the BMW M8 GTE at VIR. We hope to be in the hunt for the win again.”

    Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M8 GTE): “Laguna Seca has always had a special place in my racing career since it is the first ever track I drove a race car on. It is one of my top three favourites on our calendar and it definitely is one of the most iconic circuits in North America. Coming off our first win at our last event, I’m looking forward to keeping this momentum rolling and aiming for another one at my second ‘home’ race of the season on California soil.”


    Alexander Sims (#25 BMW M8 GTE): “After we secured the maiden win for the BMW M8 GTE last time out at VIR I’m hopeful that we can get the car dialled in to the very different characteristics of Laguna Seca. It’s a wonderful circuit that’s fun to drive but will pose plenty of challenges for everyone. We need to work hard to optimise the car and our driving to be on the front foot come race day.”

    Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW M8 GTE): “Laguna Seca is an amazing track that even non-racing fans know about. The team has done a great job over the last few months and the results were starting to show at VIR. I am confident we can keep a similar performance level at Laguna Seca and I am looking forward to the weekend.”

    John Edwards (#24 BMW M8 GTE): “Laguna Seca has treated me very well in the past! We had a win last year in a black BMW M6 GTLM and we’re coming back with a black BMW M8 GTE after a double podium at VIR so we have great momentum. I think we have a good shot at the first win for the #24 car this weekend. The GTLM field has been super-tight the past few races so it will definitely be an intense fight.”

    BMW PRESS CLUB

  • 5 Sep 2018 12:45 PM | Anonymous
    Makulu Vehicle Storage
    4 September 2018

    Many of us have desires for a number of cars greater than we can house. “If only I had somewhere to store it” is often the problem.  Help is at hand.

    Club member Clive Massel has a solution to that problem in the form of a professional car storage facility, Makulu Vehicle Storage.  He kindly invited the club to use it for our September members meeting.

    Somewhat obviously, a car storage facility has cars in it, mainly interesting ones.  So there was plenty to look at, with some of Clive’s own pride and joys prominently displayed for our visual pleasure along with an eclectic array of motoring memorabilia.

    Clive and his facilities manager, Jesse Bryan, made us very welcome and laid on some light refreshments which were greatly appreciated.

    Cars are housed on “double stackers” – purpose-built car lifts which allow one car to be stored above another with a drip tray section between the cars.  Car covers are used to keep off the dust etc and battery maintenance chargers look after the battery.  Some customers want their car to be “exercised” periodically, others do not.

    Either way, the cars are well looked after and kept in top condition.



    As well as looking at cars and how to store them, we were delighted to introduce Amanda Stanford from Mornington Bendigo Bank to our members.

    The club banks with Bendigo Bank which, unlike the “big 4” operates on a community banking model, returning profits to the community it serves.  Which is a refreshing change from what we have been hearing from the media over the last few months about the financial sector.

    A big part of the culture is to provide service and assistance, which I have found to be immediately apparent upon entering the branch.  Certainly, there were very helpful when we were setting up the accounts for our new club.

    Mornington Bendigo Bank have generously agreed to sponsor our perpetual trophy for motorsport. But the support does not stop there.  If a loan taken out by someone who is referred to Mornington Bendigo Bank by a club member, or is a club member, Mornington Bendigo Bank will provide sponsorship money to our club.  All you have to do is mention the club’s name.  Obviously, we don’t want club members taking out a loan just because of this, but if you are planning a loan anyway, why not go to Mornington Bendigo Bank?

    In what we hope will be a tradition member put their membership cards in a barrel and a lucky door prize was drawn, won by David Jack.

    Altogether a very happy evening with plenty of time to chat and get to know people.

    Shaaron Glynn  Member #14
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 3 Sep 2018 1:22 PM | Anonymous


       MONTH IN REVIEW 

    With only 3 events in August, we certainly made the most of ourselves!  We started the month off with our Jindivick Cruise.  It was a beautiful day for a cruise.  Read more about our day here.


    We then had our August members meeting at Antique Motorcycles cafe with over 35 members attending and joining us for brunch. Read more about our morning here.


    On 26 August we attended German Auto Day with many other clubs in support of Deaf Children Australia.  This was a fantastic event organised by the VW Club of Victoria. We calculate over $3,000 was raised for Deaf Children Australia, which is just fantastic. Read more about it here.


    MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 197 MEMBERS

    We are thrilled to welcome so many members to the club, we look forward to seeing you all at an event soon!

    For more about our month, catch up with our August update from Graeme Bell here.

      THE MONTH AHEAD 

    As we launch into spring, these are the events we've got coming up in September:
    • Tuesday, 4 September
      Members Meeting at Makulu Vehicle Storage
      Come along and join fellow members for our September members meeting at the new Makulu Vehicle Storage in Moorabbin.  Come and take a look at all the fantastic memorabilia and some of the amazing cars stored there!
    • Saturday, 22 September
      Healesville Sanctuary Cruise
      Starting from Brighton BMW with a tour of their new showrooms, join us for a day out at Healesville Sanctuary.      
    • Saturday, 22 September
      VACC Centennial Display, Bendigo Town Hall Precinct
      Non-member event - if you're not going to the Healesville Sanctuary Cruise but are still looking for something to do - join some members for a display at Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo for the VACC Centennial Display.  More information here.

      EVENTS NOT TO MISS! 

    Keep an eye on our calendar for events coming up, we’re always adding something new.  

    Click on any of the following events for more information. 
    • 9 Oct October Members Meeting
      Essendon BMW
    • 11 Oct Motorclassica
      Royal Exhibition Building, Melb.
    • 6 Nov 8 Fest Melbourne Cup Show & Shine
      Steeples Mornington
    • 25 Nov Drivers' Championship round 3
      Winton Raceway
      (entries not yet available)
    • 30 Nov - 2 Dec High Country Drive
      Albury
      (save the date - more information coming soon)
    • 9 Dec Drivers' Championship round 4
      Phillip Island
      (entries not yet available)

      NEWS | BLOG 

    Our News | Blog page on the website is constantly being updated with not just club news, but everything BMW!  We welcome you to submit any articles of your own!

    Recent posts:

      SPECIAL OFFER!



    Minichamps are releasing a limited edition model of the Laser Racing BMW SRM GT3 M6 and you can order it here with us first!

    These models are very limited, with only 400 being made so make sure you get in quick.

    To order yours head to our Online Store today!  

      MEMBER SERVICES

    We now have a Member Services page on our website for members to share their business with other members.  We are all about supporting those who support us, so if you would like your business listed, email us with your details and we'll add you to the list!
    * NB: this page is exclusive to members, you must be logged in to view this page. 



    As always, thanks for reading.  We look forward to seeing you at some events this month!  If you have any feedback, don't hesitate to get in touch.


    President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
    Vice President | 
    Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
    Secretary | 
    Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290 
    Treasurer |
     
    Shaaron Glynn

    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

  • 3 Sep 2018 1:12 PM | Anonymous
    AROCA Sandown Sprint Day
    1 September 2018

    The sun was starting to rise, birds chirping and engines rumbling as we entered the prestigious Sandown Raceway on Saturday, 1 September.  My dad and I had been getting the Jess Bell's green BMW 325i race car ready the night before, so for race day preparation was near to none.  With the dark clouds starting to cast a shadow upon Sandown, most of the drivers knew that the track will not stay dry for the entirety of the day.

    The first session was me getting used to a car with no power-steering and a welded diff, which was a big difference at first.  The steering was much more direct and the car had more drive on the exit of sharp turns than my BMW 323i road car, which has neither of the above.  Throughout my first session I was mostly just getting a feel for the car, making sure I bring it back in one piece, and I was successful with that. Time past and session two was underway, as now I have more control over the car I felt like I could go a little faster and that I did, improving my first sessions best time by about 8 seconds!  

    When the next session came along, the clouds grew closer and closer, and the sun was starting to fade, some knew that this would be the last dry run for the day. During that session, I gained even more time pushing my best time further but, I was still driving precautionary and knew there was much more time to be gained. Whilst in the garage after the third session, the heavens opened this caused some people to not go out again.

    I thought of this time as a very steep learning experience as I have only driven in the rain once before on track, that being Phillip Island earlier in the year.  As I was circulation on track for the next few sessions, I was just trying to bring the car back in one piece whilst having some fun out on track.  Throughout the latter stages of the day, the track did begin to dry, but some damp patches remained and therefore I was unable to lower my best lap-time. During my final session, I was placed with some of the Alfa’s which were really fun to battle with since we were similar pace, and I ended that session fastest!

    Overall, the day was organised very well and the track was presented exquisitely, it’s just a shame Melbourne weather decided to give us the usual four seasons in one day.  The car prepared by the Bell’s was trouble free!  Ultimately, I had a great day learning a new car with MORE power and I recommend this event to anyone who is interested in letting your car loose on track!

    Blake Kolar  Member #34
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 31 Aug 2018 4:00 PM | Anonymous




    Dear Members,

    My report this month will be short and sweet, with everything going along perfectly.

    We had some fantastic events this month, the Sunday members meet at Antique Motorcycles, the Jindivic drive and the most recent being German Auto Show, where we featured over 40 BMWs from BMWDCM members, our display looked amazing!  With all our cars displaying BMWDCM windscreen banners, and of course our new marquees with banners and flags, made it easy for any new prospective members to find us.  I calculate this event raised over $3,000 for the Deaf Children’s association on entries alone, which is an amazing effort and something we should all be proud of being part of.

    We have some great new merchandise lines coming out, some was on display at the German Auto Show and it was great seeing members wearing theirs on the day too.

    I am very proud and happy with the progress of the new club, about to reach another milestone, 200 members! What an amazing achievement for only 4 months!  

    Looking forward to the next few months leading up to Christmas, with some exciting events coming and thank you all for your support of BMWDCM and our hard-working committee.

    I would like to also let all members know that Hawthorn BMW have come on board and are happy to support all BMWDCM members.  If you are looking for anything in particular or wanting to upgrade, please give the team a call there, mention you are a member and I am sure they will give you impeccable service.

    Finally, I have been invited to display my BMW E30 Racecar at the VACC Centennial Display at the Bendigo Town Hall Precinct (Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo VIC) on Saturday the 22nd of September.  For any members not going on the Healesville Sanctuary cruise on the same day (and you fancy a drive up to Bendigo), you are welcome to come up and say hello, as we will be there all day showing off our car and talking to people about the Club and the VACC.  It is a pity it’s on the same day as our cruise to Healesville, but we can multi-task.  If you would like to come, let me know to look out for you.

    Take care out there and enjoy your Ultimate Drive.

    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

  • 27 Aug 2018 9:11 PM | Anonymous
    German Auto Day 
    26 August 2018

    After an unfortunate start to the day for me with the 325is deciding not to start immediately, probably through lack of use over the winter, I had a lovely run up the various freeways from Rye to St. Kilda Road.

    Arriving by 8.15 at the event, Jo and Graeme had a huge area already marked out for the BMWDCM, with the club tent, flag etc. I was lined up with the first 1/2 dozen arrivals and very quickly the area was inundated with close to 50 BMW's - E30's being the prominent model!

    The events turnout was amazing, BMW's, Mercedes Benz, VW's of all shapes and sizes, one NSU and a few other variants.

    Credit must go to the VW Car Club for their overall organisation of the event, site allocation, food vans, german sausage van and coffee outlet.

    Having said that, the efforts put in by Jo, Graeme, Lawrence and Sharron, not only in having the BMWDCM set up and running in record time, but having the day so well organised deserves a huge thank you from what must be by now 200+ members of the BMWDCM.

    Michael Franklin-Jones  Member #39
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

  • 13 Aug 2018 10:06 PM | Anonymous



    Chasing records with the BMW M2 Competition. 

    The compact high-performance sportscar showcases its full potential with unique stunts in the latest BMW M digital campaign.


    An eye-catching digital campaign presents the BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption: 10.0 – 9.8 l/100 km [9.2-9.0]; combined CO2 emissions: 227 – 224 g/km [209-206]*) as a record breaker with very unusual tools: a high-power laser and a precision blade. The impressive films will be shown in BMW and BMW M social media channels.

    The BMW M2 Competition is out to break records. To deliver on this promise, the BMW M2 is drawing inspiration from world records set by humans. At first glance, these appear to have nothing to do with cars: cutting through more than 87 straw mats with a blade within a minute and popping over 63 balloons in 60 seconds with a laser beam.

    Uwe Dreher, head of Brand Communications BMW, BMW i, BMW M: "The BMW M2 Competition showcases BMW M genes in their purest form. It is an exceptional car with outstanding dynamic performance, presence and handling. With our digital campaign, we capture the heart of our target audience right where they live and inform themselves: in social media. We provide the BMW M2 Competition with the perfect stage to demonstrate its qualities in impressive style."

    For these spectacular challenges – attempted for the first time worldwide – a slightly modified BMW M2 Competition was brought to Cape Town. It comes with the same technology as the series-production vehicle, plus the additional features required for attempting the records: a high-energy laser installed into the front of the vehicle and a blade attached to the rear.

    Following meticulous planning and testing, the course was set out and everything was ready: Rolled-up bamboo mats were arranged in semi-circles so that they could be cut by the blade on a drift; the balloons were set up in long straight lines angled sharply towards each other for quick turns. Fans will instantly recognise the shape of the letter M, the most powerful letter in the world.



    Technically, the BMW M2 Competition already has everything it takes to be a genuine record-breaker: At its core is a new engine based on the power unit used in the BMW M3 and BMW M4. The inline six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology produces 410 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.  For the first time, BMW M2 drivers will be able to use two selector switches in the central console to directly adjust various characteristics and settings for the engine, steering and Drivelogic functions, if M DCT is available. Optically, the BMW M2 Competition also shows its most expressive side: The revised front apron with a bigger, redesigned high-gloss black BMW kidney grille and the exclusive new Hockenheim Silver metallic finish give the BMW M2 Competition an even stronger presence.

    “This is a very tricky bit of driving, it is virtually impossible,” says stunt coordinator Marc Higgins, talking about the set-up. “The demands on the BMW M2 Competition are immense. Every drift has to be performed with absolute precision; there is no room for error. A strong presence and agility naturally help a lot.”

    “This challenge is now reaching its finale, after months of preparation. The driver is an expert in his field, but he needs the car to respond precisely to the slightest feedback from him. If the car does not respond, we will not break this record,” explained director Oison Tymon.

    And the BMW M2 Competition kept its promises: Despite the complexity of the challenge, the high-performance sports car broke both records. After just a few attempts, 117 bamboo mats were cut and 79 balloons burst – both in precisely one minute.

    To proof the authenticity of the stunts, real-time drone footage was captured of the BMW M2 Competition performing the stunts.

    The BMW M2 Competition’s record-breaking attempts are part of the “Same street. Different game.” launch campaign and fit the tonality of the campaign perfectly. The extroverted motifs also reference the world of gaming, with high scores and record-breaking runs. That makes sense: From the start of communications, millions of fans worldwide were able to experience the new BMW M2 Competition virtually, within just a few hours of its world premiere at the Beijing Motor Show, in the popular mobile racing game CSR Racing 2.

    View the video here.

    BMW PRESS CLUB

  • 6 Aug 2018 5:30 PM | Anonymous
    August Members Meeting at Antique Motorcycles
    5 August 2018

    What a glorious morning for our August members meeting with a fabulous turn out of existing members and some new members which was wonderful.

    Antique Motorcycle café is an amazing place if you are into bikes and anything mechanical or you just want to catch up with some friends for a coffee and some great food.

    We had a very casual members meeting with over 30 members attending and it was great to see so many of our members wearing the new merchandise.

    Very pleased to see new faces each month at our meetings and looking forward to September’s meeting.

    Jo Mawson  Member #2 - Vice President
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne


  • 5 Aug 2018 10:00 AM | Anonymous
    Jindivick Cruise 
    4 August 2018

    So thrilled to be able to join this BMW club!

    We have two BMW’s in the USA, I was glad to be able to ride with Jo and Graeme - great hosts!

    I met a lot of lovely people, especially Sam, I think we share the same humour!

    We started bright and early at McDonalds to listen to the brief of the days events. It was nice to meet and greet to familiarize.

    We drove through some beautiful areas, I especially loved the mountainous area at BawBaw (I think it was!). The natural beauty was unsurpassed, the winding roads made for a fun drive.

    We had lunch at Jindy Cafe in Jindervick, which was so nice! The family run environment was a welcome change, they were very accommodating.

    The lake at Blue Rock dam was picturesque and I took some pretty pictures there.

    All around a great day and would love to attend again, when we are in Australia!

    Holly Laine Parsons  Guest
    BMW Drivers Club Melbourne


  • 2 Aug 2018 5:53 PM | Anonymous



    The new BMW M2 Competition. 

    With the new BMW M2 Competition (combined fuel consumption with sixspeed manual gearbox: 10,0 – 9,8 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 227 – 224 g/km*; combined with optional M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT): 9,2 – 9,0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 209 – 206 g/km)*,BMW M GmbH is setting fresh benchmarks in the compact high-performance sports car segment and adding marked refinement to the character of the BMW M2 Coupé.

    See slideshow below for highlights: 

    1 / 4
     

    Features

    • New six-cylinder in-line engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, based on the power unit from the BMW M3/M4, three-litre cubic capacity, 302 kW/410 HP, peak torque of 550 Nm (combined fuel consumption with sixspeed manual gearbox: 10,0 – 9,8 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 227 – 224 g/km*; combined with optional M Double Clutch Transmission (M DCT): 9,2 – 9,0 l/100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 209 – 206 g/km)*.

    • Sprint from 0 to 100 km/h: 4.2 s (with six-speed manual gearbox 4.4 s), top speed: 250 km/h (limited), 280 km/h with M Driver´s Package (limited).

    • High-precision CFRP strut and bulkhead strut for increased front section rigidity.
    • New cooling system, including new front skirt and larger, redesigned BMW kidney in high-gloss black.
    • New dual exhaust system with two electrically-controlled flaps.
    • New, optional M Sport brakes with brake calipers painted grey.
    • New optional M Sport bucket seat with integrated headrests and illuminated M2 badge at shoulder height.
    • Selector switches for immediate access to various engine and steering characteristics, as well as DCT settings via Drivelogic.
    • Exclusive new metallic Hockenheim Silver paint.
    • The BMW M2 Competition replaces its predecessor, the BMW M2 Coupé.

    BMW PRESS CLUB



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