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WHEN BMW
invited this writer to its recent driving-seminar
experience, we did not realize that we would be treated
to a bonanza of “Beemers.” Typically, events like these
would concentrate on a certain model that all motoring
hacks would try out on a laid out course and then we
would write our piece about it. That would be quite easy
to do.
But how
do you write an article about BMW (or originally known
as Bavarian Motor Works for those few who missed it)
when you are given the full range of models to test in
one fine day? What sheer driving pleasure! Well, here is
this writer’s attempt at it.
The
party all started with a short briefing as was standard
for BMW and then we were off to the tracks. Now, there
were three test courses we had to go through. One was a
slalom course, but with the added excitement of time
challenge incorporated into it. The second was a
slalom-driving course and the third a high-speed
accelerate and brake test.
 In
the first test we did, we used two cars with one running
flat on BMW’s run-flat tires. There were two goals: the
first was to identify the car with one tire running flat
(which was easy enough since it was visually
identifiable) to show how stable and efficient BMW’s
run-flat tires were. The second goal was not quite as
easy as we had to run the two cars consecutively on the
slalom course and get an almost equal time. Well,
boasting included, this writer got the best time in his
group, but way below the times of the other winners.
The
second test was a simple slalom course, where almost all
of the BMW models were laid out for us to try. This was
to test the handling and balance of every BMW model
there is. And all the models were there, from the
1-series, a 3-series, a 5-series, a 7-series, an X-3 and
an X-5.
The
third test was a bit more exciting being an accelerate
and brake event. We had to drive an 118i, a 120d, a 3201
and a 325i Coupe. The essence was to accelerate each car
to a point and then slam on the brakes hard to
experience how BMW’s intelligent braking system would
respond. And then we would drive up the car again to
speed and slam the brakes while turning the steering
wheel, simulating a situation where we had to avoid a
sudden barrier on the road.
In all
three trials, all BMW models showed its mettle and
proved it was more than a match for a bad situation even
with a good or bad driver. But what was more important
was what the training imparted to all the drivers. How
we could and should react in certain situations and how
we can rely on good technology from cars that were
developed for both the motorist and the pedestrian’s
safety.
As BMW
had proven again, its alphabet of safety and performance
devices, like the ABS, DSC (Dynamic Stability Control),
EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), DTC (Dynamic
Traction Control) and, of course, its Run Flat Tires, or
RFT, will assist a driver in need as long as one knows
how to trust the mechanism.
And in
this writer’s experience, trusting a BMW mechanism is
truly a sheer driving pleasure, just like the way BMW
driving trainer Herbert showed us on an M3 and an M5. I
kept shouting, “Can I do it, can I do it?”, but he just
laughed me off and BMW’s Leana Farrales wouldn’t hear of
it! |
