der Bayerische July/August 2021 - 9

X M A R K S
T H E
S P O T
For Saturday morning, chances
(Top) X vehicles lined up at MX1, photo by Aspen Belvin. (Above) The
best sounding BMW race car ever - E92 M3, photo by Paul Seto. (Below)
X vehicles in motion, photo by Paul Seto.
Marriott and get some rest, but while
walking back into the lobby, a few of
us ran into the board members. More
conversations ensued regarding
various starting points, various stops,
and with a few laughs with the
president, but still the same destination.
Everyone was so anxious and
delighted to share stories again, you
could feel the energy throughout
the hotel.
The following day, a few of us
met in the lobby and caravanned to
the Performance Center for the X
Chapter event. Once you walk in, you
are greeted to a beautiful entrance
with a small breakfast, and then enter
the classroom where a badge with
your name on it is sitting on the table.
After having a quick meeting with the
X Chapter President, James Banks,
and VP, Baron, our instructors Adam
Seaman and Rafael Torres introduced
themselves and began covering the
basics. After a quick hour of instruction,
it was time to drive. With my
pulse slowly climbing, we started in
the X5 with Rafael and went through a
lesson on using ABS, something you
July I August
hope never to have to use in your
daily driver. After that, it was on to
the autocross circuit in the X3s for a
few familiarization laps and then allout
driving. A day filled with turning
laps, drag racing, autocross, offroading,
and finally hot laps with Adam
keeps your adrenaline spiked for
the entire experience. When the X
chapter event was over, the afterhours
event began. With the sun
slowly going down, it was time to
have just a little bit more adrenaline
run through your veins. The rat race
with the M5s was probably by far my
favorite of the after-hours events.
Slick surface, no DSC, sign me up!
It was crucial to maintain throttle
control during the rat race, and you
could quickly tell who was getting in
the gas too much, but probably on
purpose-nothing like going
opposite lock and holding a slide.
While waiting for the next available
seat, I caught myself getting lost in
conversation with random strangers
over cars that we all love, the passion
we all share for the brand, and that
social interaction that we all miss.
of rain headlined the local news a few
hours before cars & coffee was
supposed to begin. Still, there was
hope - hope from many people that
the rain would just hold off long
enough. With the X3 loaded up,
I made my way to the cars & coffee
event at BMW CCA Headquarters.
Dark clouds filled the sky, and doubts
passed through my mind. As I
passed the Performance Center,
those doubts became a reality as the
rain started to land. It seemed as if
the bottom had fallen out of the sky,
but as I approached the bridge over
I-85, the rain lightened to a drizzle,
then to a mist, then nothing at all as I
got closer to the CCA HQ. With the
car parked, more Xs and Ms arrived,
and everything started shaping up.
Drones filled the sky to take aerial
shots, vendors' tents sprung up, and
food trucks arrived. Satch with his Z8
on display as the Griots Garage
Demo Car, the X Chapter and M
Chapter with their booths, BBS with
the F1 wheel, and Michelin Tire were
all present. It finally seemed like
things were slowly getting back to
normal, and thank the car gods, the
rain held off. As things slowly began
to die down, I made one last stop to
cap off this fantastic weekend.
The BMW CCA Foundation had
an exhibit called " Genesis: BMW
from the Beginning " , presented by
The Werk Shop. It included 24 BMW
cars and motorcycles from 1927 to
1965, featuring pre-war and early
post-war BMWs. The familiar smell
of old cars filled the air. The vehicles
on display had individual signage
describing the history of the cars and
9
their owners, along with QR codes to
scan, giving you the option of an
audio-guided tour. Numbered signs
telling the story of BMW from its
founding as an aircraft engine manufacturer
to the arrival of the New
Class sedans in the 1960s were
scattered throughout the exhibit.
Being the history nerd that I am, I
spent almost two hours reading and
absorbing the experience as much as
I could. After the tour, it was time to
make a quick stop in the gift shop
and then head home.
During my drive home, I turned
the radio off. I just contemplated
and digested everything that had
happened over the weekend. I appreciated
friends that I have made
through the club, interacting socially
with some of the best people who
share the same passion. Other
people love X models as much as I
do. I reflected on stories about what
makes our car club so unique,
including learning about different
models, chassis codes, and what's in
store for CCA. I used to wonder why
no one else ever showed up with X
models at social events or at car
corrals at IMSA events. Am I the only
one that loves X models? Am I
driving a grocery getter? No, I'm
behind the wheel of the Ultimate
Driving Machine, as are we all.
However, I've never felt at home as
much as I do today. I have friends in
the National Capital Chapter,
Peachtree Chapter, and now the X
Chapter. We have two new chapters
now, the M Chapter and the X
Chapter. Join us and share your
passion with other enthusiasts, as I
did. Take part in the multiple events
that happen every month; I promise
you won't regret it.
der Bayerische July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of der Bayerische July/August 2021
