BMW CAR CLUB (GB)
SOUTH EAST REGION
Website design by Melvyn Pettit
Top
BMWCCA - USA
Oktoberfest 2000
Our Trip to the BMW Car Club of America Oktoberfest in 2000
Part Five: BMW Performance Centre
The BMW Performance Centre complex includes a vehicle delivery centre, a driver safety-training course, and conference and training facilities. The driver safety-training course features a 1.7-mile driving course that is designed to create more than 35 driving experiences. These areas will be used during the week for the Autocross, Gymkhana, Motor sport display and rides. Plus all through the Oktoberfest week you could book a test drive in any of the BMW Vehicles on hand! In the reception area on display was a BMW Z 8 and a BMW E46 and BMW Bike. On the first day at the centre we decide to take out for a test-drive, a BMW X5 and a BMW 5 series. The route they gave us took in variable road conditions; it was about a 26-mile loop around the centre.
Our test drives went well, we did not get lost, we drove on the correct side of the road and we spotted the police car waiting to catch any club member who tried to put the BMW through its paces !
While we were taking to the road, the Auto test was being conducted on the driving course. Steve Maguire, Chairman of the Oktoberfest, who I had not only e-mailed but also met at Gaydon back in 1999 when he was on a family visit back to England had tried to arrange that members of our group could take part in the Auto Test. But as they say it’s good when a plan comes together, but unfortunately one member of BMWCCA did not read the script. He tried to keep up with the pace set by Hans Stuck, who not only had a go at the Auto Test but also stayed on to flag away other contestants. During the members run he flipped his car trying to negotiate a bend to quickly, resulting in the local emergency vehicles being called out on a 911 call. The delay meant we did not get ago.
BMW Performance Centre at South Carolina….
This latest addition to the BMW South Carolina Facilities was just a green field site when the three chapters of the BMWCCA (Peachtree- Sandlapper – Tarheel) started to organize the Oktoberfest 2000 in 1998.
The next day at the Performance centre was the Motor sport day and the cars on display were the BMW F1 Williams car. This car was not the usual show car but the actual race that Ralf Schumacher brought home to 3rd place in the Austrian GP. Also the Show Art Car was on display. Other cars there were a BMW Mclaren F1 plus 3 BMW M1’s and two E30 M’s German touring cars. A PTG M3 GT, 02 turbo. Unlike the Art cat and the Williams F1, these cars went out onto the driving course to put the cars through their paces.
Also during the day you could win a ride in an M5 driven by the PTG drivers or even Bill Auberlen. PTG drive Boris Said seemed to like getting lots of rear wheel smoke from the cars!
As you can see BMW X5’s were parked side by side as far as the eye could see.