BMW Drive Experience 2014
BMW India invited us for their annual drive experience this time. The promotional drive takes place in multiple cities.
September 7th 2014 was a perfect track Sunday. We took our laps at the perfect time too. Started at around 1.30 PM and closed just before 4.00 PM. The weather was hot with a lot of humidity and one look at the skies would tell you that the rains weren’t far away.
We were checked in at the venue and briefed about various safety precautions to be followed and other basic protocols. The task was simple — drive a Bimmer around the Madras Motor Sportsclub Track. The catch was that you could choose just one car that you’ll be driving around till the end.
It wasn’t simple. There were multiple cars to choose from — the 1,3,5 & 7 series and the X1, X3 & X5 from the X series. I had to get my choice made in only a couple of minutes. But 1 minute down, I was confident about what I had in mind.
While all other drivers tried their best to get into a 3 series or even a 5 or a 7 and the other SUVs in offer, I silently opened the driver side door of a 118d.
Why? Why would I do that? Because the 1 series is special. It is the only rear wheel driven hatchback in India. That, with a 50:50 weight distribution can only translate to absolutely stability.
The 1 series is a peculiar car. Unlike other BMWs, it’s not fancy to look at. It is that car a person would buy just because he loves driving. It’s the perfect driver’s hatch. But under it’s German skin, it shares the same heart as that of the 3 series.
A hot rear wheel driven hatch around a race track? No regrets at all.
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And off we start.
As most of the drivers did not have track experience, we had an instructor in a 7 series leading the line and I was right behind.
First thing on the agenda was the straight line braking experience. The task — take your car from the cones at point A, accelerate to 70 kmph and while at the cones at point B, hit your brakes hard with no mercy and watch the magic. Challenge accepted.
Being right behind the lead car would mean that I go first with a co-driver and passengers at the back. My 1 series was packed with 4 people, which would mean that it in a way it simulates the rear world loading pattern.
I was given the go ahead. Downing the throttle ensured 143 horses of pure diesel madness going right to my rear wheels and I was off with a bit of spin. In a couple of seconds I was at the cones. “No mercy”.
I hit the brakes hard, the ABS woke up stuttering my 1 series to a dead halt just within 5 feet. That, ladies and gentleman, is what we call braking. You know you have done it right if your ABS worked. To some who may not if the ABS worked or not, all you need to see are the blinkers. The ABS triggers the hazard lamps.
While some cars did exceptionally well, my observation was that the X5 took a bit more to stop with the braking done perfectly. That is to an extent understandable as the X5 is probably the heaviest of BMWs in India.
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After waiting for the other cars to finish, we moved on to the next item in the agenda — finish a lap. Again, it is not so easy as the MMST has a couple of tight slow turns and the track was modified to have chicanes.
We completed a pilot lap with the instructor in the 7 series telling us to mentally mark points just before turns so as to get the perfect line. It is critical because one has to calculate the understeer and oversteer.
Braking before turns and not while at the turns was the right thing to do. Why? Because braking with the wheels turning will only force the car to understeer as the wheels are under more load to slow down rather than to turn. Braking too early before the turn and gunning the turn will force the car to oversteer due to the nature of it’s configuration — Rear Wheel Drive.
Being the vehicle just behind the lead car has a huge advantage as you can follow the tyre marks of the lead car and mirror the driver’s racing lines and the apexes he takes before corners. Bigger advantage is having a professional racer in the lead car!
The pilot lap was completed at a speed of 60–70 kmph. Once completed, speeds clocked were close to the range of 140–150 kmph in the straights. The speeds only climbed and the objects in the mirror were too far away to be noticed. Hard braking and apex shifting while at corners kept me quite busy. The pilot lap helped as I could find the apexes and the points where I should brake to get the racing line.
I should admit that I do have some racing experience around tracks, but this was different as we all had stock cars and also diesel engines!
Turning into sharp corners gave me that little curiosity to get the tail out. And the 1 series did, so beautifully, while still giving me the confidence of control. That moment, when I processed the fact that the tail was out with the car going sideways just for a bit, was what I would recall as the complete Nirvana moment.
We all like to be right with a lot of things — the gear shifts we make, the calculated maneuvers we take, just to make sure that that single moment is pure adrenaline. “A driver doesn’t take options, he makes them.” Choosing the 1 series over the other usual players was one such moment to me. The moment of being right, the moment of being perfect.
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End of the lap meant that we return to the pits and change drivers. It was good because, for starters, I hardly sit in the passenger seat and it was one way I could experience being a passenger in the 1 series while around a track.
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We were given the flag and off we continued with another lap. My co-driver, Mr. S. Sriram was pretty good. His racing lines were perfect and he got the advantage of being right behind the lead car too. 11 turns later we were at the pits again.
I got a chance to be taxied around in a X3 along with another driver. The first thing that hit me was the fact that I was sitting at a higher position. The X3 went around the track like a breeze. The high ride height meant the body roll along the curves was higher. But never too bad.
I also got a chance to be taxied in the new 2014, to be launched, M5 thanks to some lovely people there. The M5 is probably that vehicle which is equally mad as insane as the driver. Brilliant engine note, racing tuned suspensions, wide tires and not to forget the matt black colour!
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Back to the pits and the drive was done. My biggest take away was my experience with the diesel 1 series. Mighty engine, rear wheel drive and godsend drivability. The 1 series is not entirely about the way it looks, it’s about the way it moves.
